Schools: Franklin Elementary

Prek-5th grades learn general music skills, drumming and violin, viola, cello and bass.  

Deborah Barsotti is a Violist, with over 30 years experience as a teacher, program director, and community building music facilitator. She is a Music Therapy Specialist, and has worked PreK through High School, including Professional Development with adults.

Schools: Crocker, Montclair, and Hillcrest

I teach grades 4/5 instrumental music at 3 schools in OUSD, Crocker Highlands, Montclair, and Hillcrest. We focus on learning band instruments like clarinet, sax, trombone and more. We are excited to give live and in-person concerts this year!

Ari Brown is a veteran music educator and trumpet player in the East Bay. He is an lover of freely improvised music and brings this into the classroom and community whenever possible.

School: Bridges Academy

I teach 1st grade through 5th general music at Bridges Academy at Melrose. My background is in Kodaly educations, choir, and vocal education. I also teach recorder to the upper grades and I am learning Ukulele to teach as well. When I am not teaching, I am a classical singer and I have performed in musicals, operas, and operettas around the Bay Area.

School: Oakland Academy of Knowledge and Korematsu Discovery Academy

I teach K-5 music emphasizing vocal and body percussion techniques. I believe in the power of music as a transformational medium benefiting the entire child, and that every child is capable and deserving of making music.

Tenor Michael Dailey has performed over 32 principal roles with opera companies throughout America, Spain, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Notable opera stages he has performed roles on include Theater an der Wien, The Semperoper, Royal Theater Carre, Santa Fe Opera, Opera San Jose, Virginia Opera, Knoxville Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera. He is equally at home on the concert stage, having served as tenor soloist for many symphonies.

Schools: Acorn Woodland and Bridges Academy Elementary Schools

HOLA! I’m María de la Rosa, San Jose native and not too quietly passionate about heritage arts, particularly multicultural music. I’ve studied and collaborated with masters of Mexican dance/music; performed throughout California and beyond; and received national awards for my work. As a teacher and free-lance artist, I find joy in developing work that promotes visionary reconsideration of artistic cultural traditions to sustain the well-being of communities. I have my BA/Masters from Stanford.

I differentiate my music program for grades K-5; optional Spanish instruction at each level. I anchor classes in music fundamentals-- such as learning to keep a beat-- working towards creative independence and cognizant musicianship. Students experience music movement, lyric composition, and several musical instruments: body percussion (including percussive footwork), small percussion, drums, ukulele, voice, and keyboard. My curriculum comes from world music traditions, emphasizing transferable social/emotional and cognitive skills developed through community music making.

Schools: Lincoln Elementary School

Hi, I'm Joshua Diamant, but my students know me as Mr. D. I'm a native New Yorker and graduate of Columbia University and Brooklyn College who came west in 2011 and has been teaching elementary music ever since, joining OUSD in 2017. When not making music, I can often be found hiking the hills of the Bay Area, cheering on the Yankees and Warriors, or making a delicious mess in the kitchen.

Students in my program receive 45 minutes a week of general music instruction including listening, singing, movement, hand percussion, tonebar instruments, and ukulele taught according to the tenets of Gordon Music Learning Theory. Students may also take strings and modern band after school.

Schools: Cleveland and Thornhill Elementary Schools

Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Linda Green makes her home in Richmond, and teaches 300+ instrumentalists every year in the OUSD. With her viola, she free-lances with many orchestras and plays in the Carol StringTrio. Linda was the assistant principal violist of the Orquestra Nacional do Porto (Portugal) and was a participant in the 2017 and 2019 Gateways Music Festival in Rochester, New York. She co-founded both the Home of United String Ensembles and the Oakland Symphony sponsored MUSE VIVO Orchestra.

I teach music to all of the 4th and 5th graders by way of the violin, viola, or cello. We do a
a variety of styles, including classical, hip hop, fiddling, and blues, with the idea that studying an instrument will make you a better student overall. I consider joy and creativity to be important components for teaching and learning.

Schools: Burkhalter and Global Family Elementary schools

OUSD Instrumental Music Teacher since 1991, and have taught at almost all district elementary schools. 

3rd Gr. Song Flute/General Music., 4/5 Instrumental Music. Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Drums.

Musician-Trumpet, Keyboards, Guitar, Vocalist. 

Jazz Educator at City College Of San Francisco for the past 30 years, teaching Jazz History, Jazz/Rock Improv., and Adv. Jazz Band.

www.davidhardimanjr.webs.com

Schools: Manzanita SEED, Manzanita Community Elementary Schools, and Sequoia

I am classically trained on cello but have always explored non-traditional music routes including rock, bluegrass, jazz and world music. I also sing and play my cello and for 10 years was a founding member of Real Vocal String Quartet, an improvising/singing ensemble. I have recorded and played with many notable artists including singer, Feist on her 2012 album as well as with her on The Tonight Show and at the Coachella Music Festival. Full bio www.jessivry.com

I teach 4th and 5th grade students on violin, viola and cello. Students learn proper instrument and bow hold alignment at each class then learn how to make a beautiful tone and finally learn familiar songs in unison. We work toward playing a song in 2 parts and eventually learning how to play in a small ensemble. Along with the basics of string playing, students also learn the important building blocks of music, including rhythm, melody, and harmony.

School: Garfield Elementary

I teach elementary music for TK-5th grade. We focus on singing and playing instruments in the classroom in an inquiry-based lens with a Kodály focus on culturally relevant music and singing. Previously, I student-taught in both OUSD and SFUSD.  Her main instrument is voice. She comes from a Kodály background, and promotes singing and learning through discovery, with a culturally relevant curriculum.

Schools: Fruitvale Elementary

Erica cultivates personal rapport with all her students and community. She teaches vocal and general music with K-5, working with culturall responsive materials.  

Erica is a well-known Bay area vocalist performer, educator, and coach. She is the lead vocalist and composer with the Kah Liberation, an All-Black Women's band. They are touring to Ghana with Tony Toni Tone.

kahliberationofficial.com. Get Free, Be Free, We Free

School: International Community School and Think College Now Elementary schools

I teach K-5 Music. A central component of my music classes is creativity. Every class is different depending on what the students bring to the table. We explore music from different cultures and genres while creating and responding to the music through voice, instrumentation and movement.

Adam started in the rock band world first with vocals and drums and then guitar and keys. He has toured the west coast and recorded several albums. Adam is Level 3 Orff-Shulwerk certified through the San Francisco International Orff Course. and emphasizes creativity through singing, playing and dancing in all of his K-5 classes.

Schools: Hoover and Martin Luther King elementaries; West Oakland middle school

Jordan Baxter Stern is a musician and artist who lives in Fruitvale. He performs on trumpet, drumset, guitar and keyboards in various music projects throughout the Bay Area. He grew up in San Francisco and has lived in Oakland for 10 years.

I teach a strings and band class at West Oakland Middle, Trumpet, Clarinet, Violin, and Trombone at the elementary level. In all my classes I arrange music from various genres including Funk, soul, cumbia, reggae, hip hop, jazz, secondline, pop, and more. I love arranging music that students request. My goal is to expose students to a wide variety of musical styles and artists that they can relate to. 

Schools: Glenview Elementary and La Escuelita

Eric has taught over 15 years in OUSD, specializing in band and orchestra. He also brings his Orff-Schulwerk creative music and movement training to all his teaching. 

Eric was the director of the US Department of Education 3-year grant, Music Integration Learning Environments, working with multiple OUSD schools to integrate music in their classroom teaching. 

Schools: Esperanza Elementary school

I teach Elementary Music, grades TK-5th. My philosophy is that Music has something to offer everyone.

At work and during my free time, I enjoy playing guitar, singing, dancing, and about anything to do with Music. I also enjoy running, hiking, camping, off-roading, and about anything to do with enjoying the outdoors.

Schools: Carl B Munck and Brookfield Elementary Schools

I have been teaching music for Oakland Unified for 23 years. I provide pull out and in-class instruction for students K through 5th grade.