About Karen Magruder

I love Music! My family has always incorporated music into our lives. Some of my earliest memories are being danced around in my Mom’s arms and listening to her sing. I began formal lessons on the Piano when I was 7 years old and I played professionally by my freshman year in high school.


Growing up also I sang in the Church Choirs, played on Hand Bells, and explored the Flute. I spent a formal year each on Trumpet, Drums and Harpsichord and am currently working on learning Zither, Auto-harp, Dulcimer, and Soprano, Alto and Tenor Recorders, and sometimes the guitar (when I have a chance).


I have been teaching piano and music theory since 1983 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and now in Phoenix, AZ and have also played piano professionally on and off for many years. I have been fully certified and licensed to teach Kindermusik and Musikgarten. I have earned National Certification through the MTNA and Levels I & II of Orff. I was past District IV Coordinator for CAPMT and past Vice President and President of the Empire Music Teachers Association (EMTA) which I helped found.

Experience

  • Member, Recording Secratary, Newsletter Assitant
  • Phoenix Music Teachers Association (PMTA)
  • Aug 2014 - Present6 years 8 months
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Member
  • MTNA//ASMTA/PMTA
  • Jun 1983 - Present37 years 10 months
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Active member of national, state and local music teacher associations.
    PMTA is local and has monthly meetings.
    ASMTA is state level and has a yearly conference.
    MTNA is National and has a yearly conference.
    All provide teacher & student opportunities.
  • Teacher/Owner
  • Beginnings in Music: Kindermusik & Beginning Piano Studios
  • May 1983 - Present37 years 11 months
  • United States
  • • Owner & manager of Beginning Piano, since 1983, with up to 9 independent contractors to supervise & train
    • 3/4ths of new business is by referral
    • Responsible for everything, including all writing all lesson plans, advertisements, newsletters, instructional lessons and informative papers
    • Maintained the largest & oldest studio in the area for 35 years
    • Students always have high scores on State Exams & in competitions
    • A+ BBB rating for 16 years, Kindermusik Maestro Awards…
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  • Member
  • CAPMT
  • Sep 1987 - Jun 201527 years 10 months
  • California, USA
  • State level music teachers association.
    Annual Conferences.
    Opportunities for students and teachers
    Was recruited to be District IV Coordinator for 4 years (all of San Bernardino & Riverside counties)
  • Co-Founder/President/Vice President
  • Empire Music Teachers Asociation
  • Sep 1989 - Aug 201223 years
  • CA, USA
  • Local music teachers group affiliated with the state and national associations. Meet monthly. Provide teacher & student opportunities. Rolled into a new group with Redlands University connections and advantages in 2012.
  • Private Tutor
  • Basic Skills Remedial Tutoring
  • Sep 1993 - Jul 201117 years 11 months
  • Alta Loma, Calif.
  • For any age, education levels K-8, mostly the 3 “R’s”. Teaching students study skills, testing students’ grade by grade level, then filling in the gaps and collaborating with students, parents & teachers to determine student needs and filing of reports to them. Tutored under a trained, certified school teacher.

  • District IV Coordinator
  • California Association of Professional Music Teachers
  • Jul 2003 - Jul 20096 years 1 month
  • CA, USA
  • Coordinate the various chapters of District IV of CAPMT, the largest district of CAPMT, comprising all of San Bernardino & Riverside Counties (hundreds of square miles). Duties included: keeping the books, arranging teacher & student events, visiting each chapter each year, submitting proposals, submitting regular chapter news to the state publication, mentoring new members and more.
  • Member
  • Renaissance Wind Ensemble
  • Oct 2006 - Mar 20081 year 6 months
  • Alta Loma, CA
  • Playing soprano, alto and tenor recorders, knowing the music well, playing simple percussive instruments that would be found in the European Renaissance attending weekly sessions and playing in performances.
  • Fire & Casualty Agent/Receptionist
  • Allstate Insurance, Harvey Poole's Office
  • Sep 1988 - Mar 200718 years 7 months
  • Alta Loma, CA, USA
  • • Prospecting for clients, selling insurance, taking payments with consistently the highest ratings in the office.
    • Quality control person for all policy changes, claims and submissions
    • Submitting claims, designing displays & answering busy, multi-line phones.
    • Designing and maintaining filing system, creating forms & preparing mailings

  • Fire & Casualty Agent
  • Allstate
  • Sep 1987 - Mar 200416 years 7 months
  • Selling and managing fire & casualty policies, reception, phones, customer service, taking payments, general office work, managing files and creating forms for use.
  • Choir Accompanist
  • UCC, Claremont, CA
  • Sep 1980 - Jun 199110 years 10 months
  • Claremont, CA
  • Accompanied Children's Choir and acted as a substitute for the Adult Choir. Occasional piano/organ sub for church.
  • Cashier
  • Baseline Hardware, Alta Loma, CA
  • Jun 1985 - Nov 19856 months
  • Checked customers out, cleaned area and in quiet times merchandising.



Languages

  • some spanish
  • Elementary proficiency
  • some ASL
  • Elementary proficiency
  • English
  • Native or bilingual proficiency
  • English, Middle (1100-1500)
  • Limited working proficiency


Licenses & Certifications


Education

  • American Orff-Scheulwerk, Levels I & II, out of 3
  • CertificationTeaching General Group MusicA

  • Teaching group music to any age. Intensive 80 hour training for each level. Includes understanding child development.
  • Kindermusik
  • Certification - 21 university creditsTeaching music to groups of young childrenPass

  • Activities and Societies: The Kindermusik Educators Association, all available learning opportunites, and the Kindermusik Maestro Association.
  • Trained in child development and in the Kindermusik method for all age groups 0-7 years and in all supplementary courses.
  • Chapman University
  • Chapman University
  • Continuing EducationAmerican Orff-Scheulwerk, Levels 1 & 2 out of 3Certified

  • Activities and Societies: American Orff Scheulwerk Association
  • Training in music & movement education for groups of any age
  • Kindermusik University
  • Certified all Levels of Kindermusik, plus all extension coursesTeaching the Kindermusik method to age appropriate groups of children aged newborn to 7 years Certified Kindermusik Maestro Teacher

  • Activities and Societies: Kindermusik Educators Association Annual National Conference
  • One of the world's leading methods for teaching music to young children. Extensively researched and tested by master teachers. Training is equivalent to about 34 university level credits.
  • American Orff-Scheulwerk
  • Levels I & II (out of 3) - worth 8 university creditsmusic educationPass

  • Activities and Societies: Monthly meetings and education opportunies
  • Trained in levels I & II (out of 3) for the Orff-Scheulwerk method which is designed to teach general music to all different ages. University credit at Chapman University, California
  • California State University-San Bernardino
  • California State University-San Bernardino
  • Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)Business Administration and Management, General3.75 GPA

  • Activities and Societies: chorus
  • Bachelors in Business Management. Almost a minor in music.
  • California State University-San Bernardino
  • California State University-San Bernardino
  • Bachelors Degree with Honors3.76

  • Business Administration and almost dual minors in Music & Computer Science
  • Chaffey College
  • Chaffey College
  • AA/ASBusiness Administration and Management, Computer Programming, Liberal Arts and General/Music3.76 gpa with Honors

  • Activities and Societies: Chorus
  • Associates in Liberal Arts, Computer Science, Business Management. A few credits shy of Music as well.
  • Chaffey Community College
  • 4 AA & 2 AS with honors degressBusiness Administration and Management, General4.75

  • I have a number of interests, so I kept going. I also almost have a minor in Music as well



Organizations

  • California Association of Professional Music Teachers
  • Member, District IV Coordinator, President and Vice President and founder of the Inland Empire Music Teachers Association
  • Sep 1989 - Present
  • Moved to Arizona mid 2014
  • Music Teachers National Association
  • -
  • May 1989 - Present


Volunteer Experience

  • Library
  • Alta Loma Library
  • Jun 1981 - Aug 200423 years 3 months
  • Children
  • A lot of fun. Many varied duties. Lots of kids! Ran children's desk.
    Also volunteered at my elementary, junior high school and high school libraries as well.
    I have a tendency to keep on doing the shelving, reading the stacks and repair books jobs every time I visit.

    I also volunteered at Carnelian Elementary, Alta Loma Junior High & Alta Loma High School at the time I was in school there.
  • Travel to give free music classes to children's groups
  • Beginnings in Music
  • Sep 2002 - Present18 years 7 months
  • Arts and Culture
  • (with disabilities or disadvantaged). Includes parent education on music, brain development & child development
  • Gave free music classes at a variety of organizations for children with disabilites and disadvantage
  • Beginnings in Music
  • Jul 2006 - Present14 years 9 months
  • Arts and Culture
  • Did Lectures by Request for Teacher Education Days
  • Beginnings in Music
  • Oct 2005 - Present15 years 6 months
  • Arts and Culture
  • Sunday School Teacher, Pre-K
  • CBC and Claremont UCC
  • Sep 1974
  • Children
  • to June 2007
  • Parent Educator on the Advantages of Music in the Development of Children
  • Parent Educator on the Advantages of Music in the Development of Children
  • City of Rancho Cucamonga
  • Sep 2006 - Aug 20093 years
  • Children
  • Animal Rescue, Return Lost Animals to Homes or Rehabilitated and Re-Homed hundreds over the years.
  • Home
  • Jan 1981 - Present40 years 3 months
  • Animal Welfare
  • It all started because we lived in an area where a lot of people dumped their animals. We just could not bear to see them suffer. I've actually helped since I was 5 years old.
  • volunteer at Phoenix location
  • Arizonans for Children
  • Dec 2015 - Jun 20182 years 7 months
  • Children
  • Provides a place for children in foster care to meet with their parents in a comfortable, cozy setting. Meetings are supervised. A really wonderful organization.
  • Baby and then Toddler Sunday School Teacher
  • Claremont United Church-Christ & CBC Church
  • Sep 1973 - Jun 200935 years 10 months
  • Children
  • I started assisting in the infant room when I was 7 years old and when I was 15 I began leading the classes myself. Class sizes to 38. Obviously I recruited help vigorously. In 1999, we changed to a closer church and I was asked to lead the toddler classes. I had planned on moving up in age just for something different, but they begged me to keep teaching the toddler ages.
  • Teacher of Corel Word Perfect
  • CBC Church
  • Sep 1997 - Jun 20024 years 10 months
  • Economic Empowerment
  • Trained disadvantaged young women in Corel Word Perfect to improve their job opportunities.
  • aring for, rehabilitating & homing many different kinds of animals
  • Pet Rescue
  • Mar 1970 - Present51 years 1 month
  • Animal Welfare
  • My first experience was when my parents took in a mother cat and her kittens and then adopted them out. Over the years we had more and more until it was just standard. By the time I was eight, I was fully participating. As I got older I took the lead. When we moved into a new area we discovered that it was a major dumping ground for unwanted animals and things really took off. I had many different types of animals, but most were dogs and cats. We rescued, tried to find their homes…
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NEWPORT | 2-4 JULY, 2021

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