Dawn Schafer, Teacher and Author: Developing Young Minds for Music Appreciation By Melissa Orsak
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ive-year-old Dawn Schafer was inspired to pursue music while watching her gifted jazz pianist grandfather play. She remembers sitting at her grandfather’s piano and mimicking his tunes as she taught a pretend class. She went on to receive degrees in Music Education with a bachelor’s degree at Hartt School of Music and a master’s at Boston University. Schafer wanted to “bring the gift of music to children.”
Valiant Quests of the Knights of Musical Acres. The series encourages children to push past obstacles and find joy in creating their own music with everyone around them. Schafer beautifully orchestrates her job with her passion and dreams, harmoniously inspiring children across the globe.
Schafer wants everyone to have the opportunity to feel the transforming power of music. It can “calm, inspire, and Schafer is a phenomenal Music Teacher at Sycamore give us a beautiful soundtrack for our lives.” Encourage Springs Middle School in Dripping Springs, Texas. She those around you to support Schafer by getting involved has taught all grade levels and local choral groups across with the Austin Children’s Choir. You can serve alongside the country for althem, donate finanmost 30 years. Schacial support, invite fer has a passion for the choir to sing at music and a desire to a venue or add your bless children’s lives children’s voice to through music betheir choir. You can yond the classroom. also support her pasWhile being a teachsion by purchasing er has a lasting imher books, The Valpact, she desired to iant Quests of the inspire more people. Knights of Musical Acres, on Amazon. In addition to teachcom or BookBaing school, Schafer by Booksellers at dedicates her time https://store.bookand talents to servb a b y. c o m / b o o k / ing as an assistant the-valiant-questsdirector, website of-the-knights-ofmanager, and stakeholder communicator for the Austin musical-acres. Find more information on her website at Children’s Choir. The Austin Children’s Choir is a non- www.dawnmschafer.com. profit organization that invites all children to gather, sing, learn, improve, and perform, blessing the community Dawn Schafer’s life’s quest is one with many paths all with their talents. pointing towards the same symphonic goal, to bring people together through the marvels of music. Find your inDuring COVID-19, Schafer sensed a need to inspire fam- ner voice and share this joy with those you love by adding ilies to create music in any space with whatever resourc- your support and encouraging others to make music. es they had. So, she created a children’s book series, The Talk of Texas 41
