Arlington Music Staff

 
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Laureen Breon earned Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Master of Arts in Music from Washington State University. She has taught piano and music theory courses at several colleges.  After receiving her teaching credential from Western Washington University, she taught in the Marysville and Mount Vernon school districts before coming to Kent Prairie Elementary School in 2000. Ms. Breon has had training in Orff-Schulwerk and the Yamaha Music in Education keyboard lab and integrates those daily into the general music program at Kent Prairie. She also directs a before-school choir called Choir on Fire. In her "spare time" she directs the choir at Our Saviour's Lutheran in Arlington and teaches piano privately. Often you can find her keeping up with the WSU Cougs, the Mariners and Seahawks; spending time with her two sons and a daughter; or doing needlework.
"If you can talk, you can sing.  If you can walk, you can dance!" (Zimbabwe saying)
For more information, link to Ms. Breon's webpage


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Pam Moser earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Washington University in 1993. Her major was Music Education, and her primary instrument is percussion. Mrs. Moser has also completed through Level 3 of Orff Schulwerk training. She began her teaching career in 1993 as an elementary music teacher in Kent, WA. She has been teaching general music at Presidents Elementary since 1998. Singing, dancing, recorders, guitars, keyboards, pitched (Orff Schulwerk) and non-pitched percussion instruments are all part of the general music program at Presidents. There is also a special choir offered in the late winter that usually has 60 - 80 members. Mrs. Moser has remained an active musician through the years, playing with many groups including: North Cascades Concert Band, Washington Wind Symphony, Skagit Valley Choral, Theatre Arts Guild, and META. When not busy teaching music, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and their "kids" (two cats and two dogs)! For more information, link to Mrs. Moser's webpage

Laurie Swanson began teaching general music at Pioneer Elementary in 2014. Mrs. Swanson plays oboe and sings.               


Ardis Hallanger began teaching general music at Eagle Creek Elementary in 2015. Before that, she taught at Trafton Elementary, and the Stilly Valley School.

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Joe Horsak earned a Bachelors Degree in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Instrumental Music from Washington State University before coming to Arlington in 1993. He later earned a Masters degree in Music Education from the University of Washington. He has taught in Arlington since 1993, having taught elementary general music, elementary band, middle school band, and now travels to all four elementaries. He is a percussionist and currently performs with Seattle's "Batucada Yemanja Do Pacifico", which specializes in the folkloric music of Brasil. He also plays drumset for the "Skagit Swings Big Band". When not playing or teaching music, Mr. Horsak loves to backpack, ski, dirt-bike, and can be caught now and again at the Arlington skateboard park!! For more information, link to Mr. Horsak's webpage.
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Kipp Otterness received a Bachelor of Music Education from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. He completed his Master of Music degree from American Band College - Southern Oregon University during the summer of 2007. Mr. Otterness has taught in Arlington since 2002. He currently is the band director at Post Middle School. He remains a very active musician, playing trumpet in the Skagit Valley Symphony, and the Brass Menagerie. His spare time is filled with hiking and mountaineering with his wonderful wife, Danae' and their three boys.
"A symphony must be like the world.  It must contain everything." (Gustav Mahler) For more information, link to Mr. Otterness' webpage .


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Jeff Swanson has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Western Washington University, and received his teaching credential from the University of Washington. Since 1980, in addition to music, Mr. Swanson has taught a variety of subjects in both elementary and middle school in Arlington (General Classroom, Speech, English, Video Production, Yearbook, Cross Country, Track). His current assignment is Vocal Music and Guitar at Arlington High School, in addition to Public Speaking. Mr. Swanson studied saxophone through college and has played piano for over 45 years! He plays and sings in small groups on occasion, but his main music passion is writing and arranging music for his jazz groups. During what little spare time a music teacher has, he enjoys hanging out with his family at their beach house. For more information, link to Mr. Swanson's webpage

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John Grabowski earned a Bachelor of Music, in Music Education from SUNY Fredonia in 1988 and a Master of Music degree from Western Washington University in 1995. He began teaching both middle school and high school band in Arlington in 1995, and since 2001 has been teaching exclusively at Arlington High School. The instrumental music program at AHS consists of two Symphonic Bands, a Wind Ensemble, and two Jazz Bands. Mr. Grabowski's primary instrument is tuba, and he is currently a member of, "Brass Menagerie", a brass quintet based out of Mt. Vernon. When not teaching, Mr. Grabowski enjoys all that the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest has to offer. For more information, link to Mr. Grabowski's webpage.