When Ms. Diana Eldridge speaks—everyone listens; however, most times, this petite, soft-spoken music teacher never says a word. With a C major chord, Ms. Eldridge can quiet more than 200 children with the keys of the piano.
Ms. Eldridge, a native of Maryland, began her foray into music at a young age. “As a child, I was always singing and I wanted to perform.” At the time, school children in her area were tested in third grade for music aptitude. “I scored very high.”
As a result, Diana pressed her parents for an instrument, but did not get one right away. In fifth grade, after hearing her constant pleas, a family friend loaned the budding artist a violin. “I had to wait two years longer than most children in my school, but I just took to it,” recalls Ms. Eldridge. She later learned to play the piano.
Ms. Eldridge played violin with the Maryland Youth Symphony and continued her study of violin and piano through high school. She went on to study music in college. Diana received a BME in Music in violin, with a minor in piano from Mars Hill College, a liberal arts school in Asheville, North Carolina.
Diana’s father promised to buy her a good violin if she continued her music studies. She did. “When I was in college, I met my father in Philadelphia one day and picked out a wonderful new violin,” she recalls. “That was the best gift I ever received; I still play it.”
After graduation from college, Diana went on to perform with the Virginia Symphony. In addition, she freelanced as a violin performer. Soon after she met and married a submariner in the US Navy. Her husband’s job was to manage submarines, so the couple moved often to different naval bases in the United States, which made it difficult for the performing artist to establish herself.
“[Moving to new places] was exciting, but it was difficult, because you had to re-establish yourself--make new friends, find new support services such as doctors, dentists, etc. By the time you find those things, you have to move again,” she adds.
“I learned a lot,” Ms. Eldridge concludes. “I was shy, but learned that I couldn’t be shy; I had to get out there. It changed my perspective--and demeanor.”
While stationed in Hawaii, Diana Eldridge decided she needed to find something to do, while working on her state teaching certificate. She decided to go into the travel business. At the time, the travel industry was booming (there was no Priceline, Travelocity, or other self-booking services available). Ms. Eldridge took a class and began working in the field, managing an agency by day and teaching a travel school in the evenings. “I was very busy and fulfilled,” reflects Ms. Eldridge. In addition, she found, this job could move with her to wherever her port of call would be.
“Wherever I was planted, I tried to find someplace where I could bloom,” explains Ms. Eldridge.
For instance, when stationed in Hawaii and Saratoga Springs, a choir director was needed on the base, so Ms. Eldridge stepped in to help. When in Virginia, her son’s school needed a music teacher and Diana was able to fill that post. The base gift store needed a buyer and a bookkeeper. Ms. Eldridge learned those skills and took up these positions. When in Groton, Connecticut, Ms. Eldridge got involved with a Gilbert and Sullivan company. In the fall she played in the pit orchestra and in the summer she took to the stage as a vocalist.
Ms. Eldridge has a son, Schuyler, who recently completed his Sophomore year at Boston University. In addition to being a full-time student, Schuyler also is a competitive figure skater. Already having made it to the national skating championships, his dream is to see how far he can go in his sport.
Ms. Eldridge is also active in his training. “His coaches rely on me to find music for him to perform to,” explains Ms. Eldridge. Diana combs the archives to find the right music for his programs and the coaches create the choreography for it. “I have been pretty successful,” she admits.
Getting to RA
Ms. Eldridge moved to the area seven years ago so Schuyler could work with Slavka Kohout Button, an American figure skating coach, known for coaching U.S. Champion Janet Lynn throughout her competitive career, and the former wife of figure-skating champion Dick Button.
Slavka accepted Schuyler as a student so Diana began establishing roots in the community.
“A friend suggested that I go back into teaching,” she relates. Ms. Eldridge began teaching as a substitute in the school system. She then learned about a music teaching position at Ridgefield Academy. The rest is history!
Ms. Eldridge recently celebrated her sixth year with Ridgefield Academy. Hired part-time to teach music in the Lower School., her job quickly expanded to a full-time position when the Preschool classes were added to the Ridgefield campus.
“I feel like this is where I am supposed to be,” says Diana Eldridge.
Ms. Eldridge has brought her many talents and experiences to RA. For instance, she has incorporated more movement into the Lower School program. “Kids need to move and when they hear music many start to move anyway,” she explains.
Using the Orff-Shulwerk developmental teaching approach to music, Diana Eldridge encourages group participation and introduces the fun in making music through instruments (e.g., metallophone, xylophone). She has also added more ensemble to the music program to provide timbre and texture to unison singing. For example, the recent spring concert featured an ensemble with tambourine, singing and recorders.
Ms. Eldridge has also built in music theory/how to read music through games and other engaging activities. She also is expanding the recorder program in the Lower School. In addition, she is incorporating more lessons about composers. Listening to musical suites, such as Le Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, Diana is teaching the children about composers and motivations behind and sounds/expressions within the music.
In the coming year, Ms. Eldridge has plans to incorporate music journals in her classroom. Students will be able to express their feelings for music they hear in written and visual form. Incorporating technology into the music program is part of her long- term plan.
Ms. Eldridge’s hobby is reading. In addition, at the suggestion of her son’s trainer, Ms. Eldridge has begun working out in the gym seven days a week.
“My goal is to get strong,” Diana explains. “I am following along [the trainer’s] workout and nutrition regimen and I feel great—it has been transforming,” she adds.
In addition, Ms. Eldridge is working towards a Masters Degree in Music Education at Boston University through an online program. The program is theory-based and includes composing and writing requirements. “It will bring more to my performance and to my teaching,” she admits. “A lot of the theory has changed since I first went to school. There are a lot of new ideas that have come about,” she adds.
Currently, Ms. Eldridge is taking a class from a composer. She “meets” with her professor online twice a week to discuss assignments and her analyses. She also exchanges ideas and discusses concepts with other students through chat rooms. Classes are concentrated into seven week intervals.
“Each Wednesday evening I have an analysis due for a piece of music my professor has assigned. I go on line and discuss it with him. On Thursday I submit a written discussion for a grade. Sunday I submit a beat-by-beat analysis,” she explains.
Ms. Eldridge admits that the process is challenging; however, when complete, the result is interesting and rewarding.
“The picture you get of what the composer was trying to accomplish is so much more vivid—why he wrote it and how he got there, measure-by-measure” remarks Diana.
Ms. Eldridge plans to join her son at graduation in 2010as a proud mother and as a degree recipient.
“Music was my first love and now I have come full circle with it.”