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    "Music is the universal language of mankind." 
     
                        ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
     
         Welcome to the 2020-2021 academic year! I am in my seventeenth year at Eagle Ridge. Time certainly flies when you're having fun! I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Chorus, 6th grade Music Lab, and I am the director of the Eagle Ridge Select Choir. Students enrolled in chorus can audition for Select Choir in their 7th and 8th grade years. I also serve as the Musical/Vocal Director for our school musicals. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Mary Washington College, (now known as the University of Mary Washington) a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music of the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a Master's degree in Educational Administration from Shenandoah University. I am certified to teach music at levels PreK-12 with a specialty in vocal and choral music. I am also endorsed for school supervision and administration PreK-12, and will be completing my certification for English/Language Arts at some point this year. 
     
         I was born and raised in Garden City, New York, which is a suburb of New York City. I love musical theater, and when I visit my family in New York, we always try to go into "The City" to see a Broadway show. I am trained as an operatic soprano, but I enjoy performing musical theater and vocal music from many other genres. I was in an a cappella group in college, and we recorded a CD, so I can say that I am a recording artist as well! I use my training and experience as a performer to help my students develop their own skills as musicians and performers, and to foster a passion for the arts. At the same time, students are strengthening their sense of teamwork and developing other critical life skills that help students on their way to becoming confident and successful young adults. 
     

         I am so proud to be a part of the Eagle Ridge community, and the ERMS Music Department. I can't wait to see what our students will accomplish this year!  Let's get started...

     

         All the best,

     

        Ms. Cini