Sandy Lantz and Gretchen Wahlberg have taught elementary music in Florida for over 38 years. They have conducted All-County performances in Polk and Osceola counties. In 2016, Sandy and Gretchen were clinicians and conductors for the inaugural All-State Orff Ensemble in Tampa, Fla for the Florida Music Educators Association conference. They also directed the first annual FEMEA South Regional Orff Ensemble. For over 20 years, they have co-taught Level I teacher training courses sponsored by the Central Florida Orff Chapter, Stetson University, Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida International University. They have co-taught workshop sessions at National Orff Schulwerk conferences, as well as, numerous state music conferences throughout the US. Together they have written the books, “Drum It Up”, “Creative Bits with Children’s Lit”, “Strum It Up” and “S’more Bits with Children’s Lit”.

Christine Ballenger currently teaches general music (PK-4) in Spring, Texas, north of Houston. She holds degrees in music education from the University of New Mexico (M.M.) and the University of Puget Sound (B.M.). Christine teaches Level I movement and recorder for the Gwinnett County Orff Course outside of Atlanta, and Basic Pedagogy for summer courses at VanderCook and UNC-Wilmington. Since 2017, Christine has served as a member of the editorial board of The Orff Echo. She has presented at AOSA National Professional Development Conferences, as well as for a variety of AOSA chapters across the country. Christine has also had training in Kodaly and World Music Drumming, and completed the “International Summer Course” in 2018 at the Orff Institute, in Salzburg, Austria.

Dena Byers currently teaches at Hillandale Elementary School and serves as the lead elementary music teacher. She has taught for Durham Public Schools since 1997. She is a National Board Certified and has been honored by being a top four finalist for District Teacher of the Year and receiving the NC Symphony’s Jackson Pankhurst Award for Special Achievement in music education. She is also the Artistic Director for the Durham Children’s Choir (DCC), and has been with the organization since its founding in 2004. An active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Mrs. Byers has been a guest conductor for All-State Honors Choirs in MS and TN as well as District All-County Choirs in NC, GA, FL and AL. She has presented workshops for Orff Schulwerk chapters throughout the US and at National AOSA Professional Development Conferences. Dena is an AOSA approved Teacher Educator and currently teaches Level II Orff Schulwerk at the University of Memphis. She received BA degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Music from the University of Minnesota and holds Level III and Master Level Orff Schulwerk Certifications from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the University of Memphis, respectively.