Meeting Students at Their Level
Annie Ray
Attendees will learn how to create an inclusive environment that meets students, administrators, and community members where they are at through channeling the Suzuki Triangle on a wider lens, instilling a servant leadership mindset in students, and reaching into the communities to lift up the “acres of diamonds” before them. Additionally, Annie will share her personal stories on professional growth and being team-oriented, highlighting balancing her own career and motherhood.
Join Annie Ray in the virtual masterclass, "The Sounds of Success: The Bridge Builders," where participants will delve into effective community oriented recruitment and retention strategies that have successfully grown programs at elementary, middle, and high school levels, even through the challenges of COVID-19.
The masterclass will provide practical insights into fostering individual student engagement, establishing strong relationships with administrators, and integrating the community into their music programs.Â
By the end of this session, participants will be equipped with actionable strategies and resources to build successful, sustainable music programs for both educators and the school they serve that bridge gaps and foster a sense of belonging and achievement in their students.
Meet Your Professor
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Virginia educator Annie Ray received the GRAMMY Music Educator Award in 2024. Ray is both the Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair at Annandale High School in Virginia's Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system. She advocates for universal access to quality music education, and has developed creative opportunities to make music accessible to students of all demographics.
For example, her FCPS Parent Orchestra enables just under 200 caregivers to learn to play their child’s instrument each year. Ray also created the Crescendo Orchestra program to bring the joy of orchestra to high school students with severe developmental or intellectual disabilities. In January 2022, the program was featured in The Washington Post.
Based on this work, TEDx reached out and asked Ray to give a talk in April 2022. She has presented at numerous colleges and conferences on the topic and was named the 2023 FCPS Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year for her work on equity in education. Ray is also a member of the StringRise professional development team and was a 2023 Wolf Trap Educator Guarantee for the AHS partnership with GRAMMY-nominated artist Christylez Bacon.Â
She currently resides in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Irving and their girls Eloise and Millie. She is an adventurer at heart, and her biggest bucket list item is to one day win "The Amazing Race."