Carol Jurs, Director/Teacher

Trained in 1999 at the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ. Carol Jurs is a registered Music Together® teacher with a Certification Level I. She became a licensed Center Director in January 2002, and now teaches in all locations.

Performing since age 7 and vocal study since the age 10 helped make music her life long love and passion. Certified in Music Education K-12, she holds a BA and an MA in vocal performance and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Music Education. She has performed extensively in Opera, Musical Theater, Oratorio and on the concert and recital stage. Carol has also participated in and been a finalist in many voice competitions in the Eastern United States.

In addition to teaching Music Together classes she currently teaches general and vocal music at the Pre-K, Elementary and secondary grade levels. She also teaches voice privately and helps students develop all aspects of performing. Discovering Music Together opened up a whole new world for Carol bringing her love of children and her love of music together.

Kathy Landers-Wise, Teacher

Kathy Landers-Wise is a registered Music Together teacher with a BA in psychology and a Masters of Social Work degree. She worked as a social worker for many years before deciding to stay at home and raise her family. Kathy has sung all of her life with various choirs since elementary school, and is currently a choir member and a soloist with The Emmanuel Baptist Church, Albany, NY. She has sung with the New York Catholic Chorale, Artists in Residence at Siena College, and toured with them in Rome, Venice and Florence Italy. In addition, Kathy has taken guitar and voice lessons for several years and currently studies piano. Kathy is a Music Together Mom and is delighted to teach Music Together.

Terri Roben, Teacher

Terri Roben is a singer-songwriter and a registered Music Together Teacher who enjoys developing musical relationships with children and their caregivers. She plays guitar, banjo, mountain lap dulcimer and a little fiddle.

Terri has recorded two albums entitled “Terri and Maria" and “Riverwalk and Other Songs”. She performs for children and adults in several venues, including libraries, coffeehouses, senior centers and festivals. As a children’s musician and museum program presenter, Terri worked for 10 years with the Scotia Glenville Children’s Museum from 1994-2004. She designed and taught elementary after-school programs, as well as Earth Day programs for K-6, and an American Folk Music program for high school students.

She serves on the board of The Children’s Music Network (CMN), is a member of The People’s Music Network and a folk music organization, Pickin', Singin’ and Gatherin'. (PS&G). Terri volunteers for and is a member of the Eighth Step Coffeehouse and Caffe Lena’s. To learn more about Terri, her recordings and performance schedules please visit www.terriroben.com.

Yael Shacham, Teacher

Yael Shacham has been studying West African drum and dance for over 10 years and travels to Guinea, West Africa where she has the incredible opportunity to understand how this art form connects to such a beautiful culture. Here in the US, Yael along with her musical partner, Lara Gonzalez, take a holistic approach to the music and dance. They teach in many schools, from pre-k to high school doing residencies and workshops. They also perform in all kinds of situations, Music For All Seasons, an organization which sends them out to interact on an intimate level in places such as hospitals, youth and adult detention centers, nursing homes and many more. All this experience has led Yael to Music Together, where she loves to be involved in the process of children and parents connecting to each other and music. For more info please check www.RootsHeartPulse.com.

Deb Cavanaugh, Teacher

Deb Cavanaugh, Artist-Educator and Singer-Songwriter, is a registered Music Together teacher. She has presented various workshops, classes and residencies in schools, libraries, summer camps and for other organizations. Deb has worked with children from infancy to middle school, and offers lessons in voice, songwriting and an array of instruments including mandolin, guitar, dulcimer, and piano. As part of the duo Cavanaugh and Kavanaugh she performs as a folk artist, and has been a recipient of the Meet The Composers grant allowing her to develop songwriting workshops for young people. Deb is committed to cultural diversity and teaches all ages, specializing in children from birth to 8 th grade. For more information visit www.CavandKav.com.

Jennifer Tourangeau,Teacher

Jennifer Tourangeau is a registered Music Together teacher who manifests a creative, high-energy learning environment, in which children and parents/caregivers can plant the seeds that lead to musical enrichment and growth. She has studied ballet and been an avid hand drummer for several years. Her education includes a physical science background, and she holds a BS. in biology. Jennifer has taught at the elementary and at the Junior High school levels. In addition, she has worked extensively with preschool children as a preschool teacher. Jennifer discovered and fell in love with the Music Together program while participating with her own daughter. She watched her own child expand her musical horizons, which led her to become a Music Together teacher. Jennifer is an exciting and enthusiastic teacher.

Rosanne Hargrave, Teacher

Rosanne Hargrave is a registered Music Together teacher who brings with her a great love of music as well as a strong affinity and joy in teaching children, which thereby creates a dynamic Music Together experience. She holds both BS and MS degrees in Health Education, and a BS degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She has been an educator in the public school systems and has decided to pursue her love of music and children by teaching Music Together. Rose is the proud Mom of two beautiful children, Alaina and Adam. Her daughter, Alaina, has Down Syndrome, so Rose brings a unique perspective and a little sign language to Music Together. In addition, she plays piano and is an accomplished soprano vocalist. She enjoys performing Oratorio, Opera, Jazz and Broadway. Rose is an artist member of the Monday Musical Club and has been a soloist with the New York Catholic Chorale, St. Margaret Mary's Church Choir, Opera Excelsior, and Family Players of NENY.She currently performs with Mark Levy on Cabaret style music, and is the featured soloist on the recently released CD entitled Mis Suenos de Tango with Spiral Tango . Rose sings throughout the Capital District for all occasions. For further information, contact www.rosehargrave.com.

Lauren Bock, Teacher

Lauren Bock is a registered Music Together teacher who holds a BA in music from Hampshire College. She has worked with children and families in various settings including preschools, arts workshops and music camps. Lauren has enjoyed singing at home and in choirs since she was a young child herself. She began playing the guitar at age fifteen, and has since developed a love for many instruments including banjo, fiddle and autoharp. In college, Lauren studied old-time American music and other traditional musics from around the world. During a semester abroad at University College Cork in Ireland, she studied Irish music history and performance. When Lauren is not teaching, she is usually traveling along the east coast to sing Sacred Harp music, a 200 year-old community singing tradition. Because of her background in world music, she understands and appreciates the diversity of genres and styles found in Music Together classes. Lauren loves sharing her passion for playing and singing with friends of all ages.

Danielle Reynolds, Teacher

Danielle is our newest Music Together teacher for the Mohawk Valley. She comes with a thorough background working with children and the arts and an education in Music Therapy. She plays the guitar and clarinet and has participated in a variety of local choirs and singing groups. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Creative Arts in Therapy, Music from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. She discovered Music Together along her college career path, as did many of her peers in the program. She has found a home with Music Together that pairs the love of seeing music utilized to accomplish personal and relational life goals for the student and parent with an exquisite music curriculum that fosters a love for music. She is a mother of one and lives locally in Halfmoon, NY.

Carol, I just wanted to tell you that Terri is absolutely unbelievable as our music teacher. She connects so well with my daughter and all the other children as well. She truly teaches music from her heart and it shows on the faces of the children. The class is wonderful and makes me appreciate the art of music especially when I hear my daughter singing the songs learned it class during bedtime, in the car or even during bathtime. This class has opened her up in many ways and the expression of music will be a life long reward to her.

I just wanted to say what a wonderful experience it was for my child and I to attend classes last semester with Jennifer. She is a dynamic teacher and my daughter got so much out of this. I just registered for the same class and same location this semester. We can't wait!

Music Together has been wonderful, Our teacher, Deb, is patient, kind and caring to all of the families. Her calming nature allows us to relax and really enjoy our time together in class. Deb has an organic approach to every aspect of the program, and encourages us to bring that home and use it as fuel with our children every day. My 14 month old son, Treyton, has really taken a liking to Deb, the families and the entire program, and we both look forward to Monday mornings as our special time to sing, dance and be together. As a parent, I am so pleased with Music Together - the structured, yet unique classes from week to week are a lot of fun. Brings me joy to see him, while riding in the car, or listening to our cd at home, recognize the songs we have heard and played to in class. Bongos is our first session in the program, and we look forward to experiencing the rest in time to come. :)