THE CAREER THAT LED

TO WRITING BOOKS

Barbara A. Moir is a graduate of Ithaca College School of Music in Ithaca, New York. At Ithaca, she majored in clarinet and was a member of the legendary Walter Beeler Concert Band as well as Don Craig's Concert Choir. She studied instrumental methods and vocal methods. She was also involved in the reinstatement of Lambda Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon on the Ithaca campus and is a Charter Member of Lambda Chapter.  She holds a permanent teaching certificate in New York State for Vocal and Instrumental Music, K-12.

Barbara did her graduate work in elementary education at SUNY in Cortland, New York, earning her Master's Degree with a specialty in reading.  She holds a permanent teaching certificate in New York State for elementary classroom, grades Nursery, PreK through 6th Grade.

Barbara has been a teacher in public and private schools for thirty-one years. She taught music for 28 years--band, chorus, and general music--in seven school districts in New York State and Florida.  In addition, she taught early childhood education for three years in private schools.

After retiring from full-time teaching, Barbara worked for the Piano School of New York City, teaching afterschool piano programs in Rockland County, NY for five years. In addition, she directed and developed an evening program for adults in beginning, intermediate, and advanced piano instruction for five years in Goshen, NY as part of Orange-Ulster BOCES.

Barbara has always been an advocate of improving high school ensembles through better and more efficient K through 2 classes in general music. Lately her focus has been on helping people understand that almost anyone can learn to read music if they are guided through small, logical, incremental steps. She promotes music literacy and excellence in our schools by bringing to light recent research that shows reading music improves cognitive abilities in young children.

Throughout her career, Barbara has always taught private music lessons, mostly for piano. She continues teaching privately in Ocean County, New Jersey where she also works with a personal writing editor to compile books for music education.