Elementary Music Summit: January Refresh

Sarah Giordano is an instructor at VanderCook College of Music, where she teaches the following courses:

• Secondary General Music Methods
• Musical Theatre Methods
• Combat Piano for Choral Directors (offered through the MECA program)
• Beginner Choirs, Big Impact: Inclusive Teaching & Repertoire for Emerging Ensembles (an upcoming Summer 2026 MECA course)

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Ms. Giordano serves as a VanderCook master’s project advisor and is an active choral clinician, adjudicator, and accompanist in the Chicago suburbs.

With over 24 years of experience as an educator and musician in the Chicago suburbs, Ms. Giordano spent two decades as a middle school general music teacher, choir director, and drama director. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education from Eastern Illinois University and a Master’s degree in Choral Music Education from VanderCook College of Music. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctorate in Music Education at Boston University.

Ms. Giordano is passionate about musical theatre and actively directs, music directs, and serves as vocal director for various youth, professional, and community theatre programs. Her youth theatre productions include Frozen JR, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella: Youth Edition, The Pirates of Penzance, and Godspell. On the mainstage, her credits include Spamalot, Guys and Dolls, The Bridges of Madison County, Hairspray, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.