The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance welcomes Sabra Chavez as instructor of music in the music therapy area at Colorado State University. Sabra Chavez, MM, MT-BC, is a board-certified music therapist specializing in working with neurodiverse individuals across the lifespan, music therapy private practice, and community partnership development. Chavez founded Integrated Therapy of Northern […]
The music therapy area at CSU is celebrating 50 years with an event on Saturday, September 27 from 1-4 p.m. at the University Center for the Arts. Learn about the journey of building one of the nation’s leading music therapy programs and the unexpected details that shaped its history from the leaders who helped establish the program and curriculum. From classroom memories to ground-breaking innovations, this celebration highlights the people, stories, and spirit that have made CSU’s program thrive for half a century.
Recent graduate, Paul Haarala (CSU’25, M.M., Music Education) sat down with us to reflect on his music education journey so far.
Sarah Chicoine creates curiosity about music to last a lifetime Sarah Chicoine (CSU ’18, B.M., Music Education) starts each class at Munroe Elementary in Denver, Colorado, with an artist of the day. She talks with her students about musicians such as Harry Styles and his gender-fluid style, Lizzo and her body positivity, and Halsey, who […]
Emmanuel Bonilla: a heart of grace and compassion Emmanuel Bonilla (CSU ’23, B.M. Music Education) is making an impact as a teacher of choir, modern band, and mariachi at multiple schools in Fort Collins. Bonilla has strong roots in Colorado, where he has applied the pedagogical skills he developed at CSU with an inspiring level […]
Music Ed alum Paul Maley builds kids’ confidence and inspires them to shine What do you get when you fuse Dalcroze, Kodály, and Orff methods, folk dancing, and rock and roll in the music classroom? Meet Paul Maley (CSU ’18, M.M. in Music Education), director of music at Estes Park Elementary School, who is a […]
On October 19, 2024, Deanna (Kraft) Thaler was honored with Cherry Creek School District’s Teacher Belt Award. As a choral music director at Falcon Creek Middle School, Thaler received the award for building relationships and making education fun.
Music alumna, Xareny Polanco, named 2025 CMEA Outstanding Young Educator
Recent graduate Paul Beyer reflects on his first year teaching music We recently connected with Paul Beyer, who graduated from CSU with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2023. Paul reflected on his first year teaching elementary and middle school music in Colorado. Tell us a little about your job–where you teach, the […]
Phuong Nguyen has built a classroom culture around high standards and making music fun Dai-Phuong Nguyen (B.M.E. ’01, M.M.E. ’08) is a perfectionist as a performer of multiple instruments and genres and a music educator. He has created a classroom environment that balances high standards, curiosity, and interactive play. His range of musical interests is […]
