Director, Registered Teacher since 2013

B.M. in Music Therapy at West Texas A&M University
NICU-MT at Florida State University
Board Certification through CBMT #06621

Valerie grew up in a musical family surrounded by a piano, keyboards, guitars and drums.  So naturally, she learned to play the piano and loved to sing.  So of course, she did what most would expect her NOT to do and decided to NOT pursue music as a career.  As a matter of fact, people assumed she would be majoring in music in college, and she made sure they knew that wasn't the case.  Well that quickily changed when a few years went by, and she struggled to figure out what to major in because none of her intro classes caught her interest.  It wasn't until Valerie took voice lessons from a professor at Amarillo College that she finally gave in and majored in music!  Throughout her career as a music therapist, she worked with babies, children & adults in many different facilities, hospitals & schools across the country.  She also spent several years teaching voice and piano lessons.  Valerie has always enjoyed being around children because she considers herself to be like Peter Pan.  Never gonna grow up!  Because of her background filled with music and children, teaching Music Together was a natural next step for her.  She has a passion for sharing her love of music with her wonderful Music Together families and creating community within her classes!

Valerie is married to Paul, and they have a little girl who loves singing and playing the piano (and the recorder. . .) along with a pack of animals (3 dogs, 11 chickens, 2 cats) that is growing larger by the day.  She also teaches music to middle schoolers at a local private school.  When Valerie isn't singing, dancing and playing the piano, she loves cooking and baking real food from scratch, modern farm living with a flock of chickens and old fashioned hard work.

Registered Teacher since 2009

M.M. in Piano Pedagogy at Texas Christian University
 

Heather developed a love for music as a little girl. She grew up in Waco with two siblings, and parents who are both musicians. Her mom was an organist and piano teacher, and her dad an elementary music teacher, so music was always in her home. She grew up listening and dancing around the living room to Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. Heather’s mom began teaching her piano at the age of five, and she knew immediately it was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She received a BM in Piano Performance at Baylor University, which is also where she met her husband Andy who is also a pianist! They were married in 2006 at First Presbyterian Church on Austin Ave where Heather’s mom serves as the church organist. Shortly after, the Muskrats moved to Fort Worth, and she began studying for a MM in Piano Pedagogy at Texas Christian University.

Because her mother is a piano teacher, Heather was able to begin teaching under her guidance at the age of 15. She continued teaching throughout college and upon graduation, opened her own piano studio. She has been teaching piano to all ages for over 20 years, and still loves it!

Heather was first introduced to Music Together while studying at TCU. As part of her Master’s degree, she was able to do an internship in early childhood music at the TCU Music Preparatory Program. Making music with children and families was so fulfilling, she knew she would never stop! Since 2009, Heather has been teaching Music Together classes off and on in the different cities she has lived in with her family. She is now permanently settled in her home town of Waco. She and her husband Andy live in China Spring with their four kiddos, Jacob, Braeden, Jamie, and little Helen, and their cat Gracie.

Heather considers making Music Together a kind of self-care. Singing, dancing, and loving on children brings joy to her soul!