Jackie Jacobs teaches and directs Music Together of Fairfield County, which is the largest program of it’s kind worldwide. She is also director and partner in the Total Learning Initiative in Bridgeport, CT. A master teacher and trainer, Jackie has been featured on 18 teacher training videos and participates in numerous editorial projects for the program.  She holds Certification Level 2 for teaching Mastery. Jackie holds a BA in dance education and human movement studies. Her post graduate studies include voice, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, early childhood education, piano, and music theory. Jackie came to the program with her son Daniel in Music Together^® of Brooklyn in 1992.  Daniel has been featured singing in several of the MT song collections and at 19 is an accomplished singer and musician.  Her 13 year old daughter Lilli is a Broadway bound singer/dancer and actress.  Jackie believes in the value of music making for families and it’s wide ranging benefits for children and parents. She is an advocate for early childhood music and education  in the CT community and nationwide.          

Ali trained at SUNY Purchase in the theatre arts and studied many different types of dance including ballet at the American Ballet Theatre and jazz and modern at the Alvin Ailey American School of Dance. She brings to Music Together her vast and varied instrumental talents with piano, recorder, guitar and percussion. She looks forward to sharing her talent and enthusiasm with children through Music Together.  Ali is a Registered Music Together® teacher.

Andrea received her Masters in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street college of Education in New York City. She came to Music Together as a mom with her son Josh and daughter Sydney and fell in love with the program!  Andrea has been with Music Together in Fairfield County for 6 years.  For the past three years, she has been lucky enough to implement the program in preschool classrooms with children with special needs.  She delights in reaching each child at whatever level they are enjoying the music. Andrea holds Certification Level 1 in Music Together.

Bizzy is a lifelong, self taught musician. She has been teaching in the Fairfield County and Danbury area for the past several years. She has worked with children teaching karate and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She has worked in the children’s music ministries at a couple area churches and is a professional worship leader. She has recorded 2 CD’s of original music and has performed all over New England and other parts of the country as well. One of her songs, “Isn’t God Great?” is a big hit on the island of Fiji. Her music can be found on iTunes and her website: www.bizzybender.com

Recently Bizzy has been a big part of the groundbreaking outreach work, Jackie Jacobs has been doing in the Bridgeport public school system working with the Total Learning Initiative, bringing this wonderful program to underprivileged children and by doing so enhancing their entire educational process.

 She is the mother of 3 and is thrilled to be teaching because it is a great marriage of her love of children and her love of music!  Bizzy is a registered Music Together teacher.

Chris Burlingame has been bringing The Joy of Family Music^® to parents and children at Music Together of  Fairfield County for the last ten years. Chris also teaches music and movement to the infants, toddlers and pre-school children of Stanwich Congregational Church. Chris has been singing professionally for nearly 40 years, spanning styles from pop to gospel to jazz and currently sings with various jazz groups in Fairfield and Westchester county venues. One of her passions is performing for senior citizen groups, leading them in singing the songs from the 30's, 40's and early 50's, helping them to recapture memories of their younger days.  She also sings at various churches and leads music for women's groups and retreats.  Chris holds Certification Level 1 in Music Together.

Carol, (as we more fondly know her, CJ) wrote her first song at the age of ten and has been writing music ever since. She co-owns a small recording studio in Fairfield, CT and spends time writing and developing her own music. She studied voice while attending Alfred University for a Fine Arts Degree. While in college she performed in coffee houses and on the radio station. She plays guitar, drums, and a little piano. With many years of experience working with children as a music counselor, CJ enjoys teaching music to young children and helping them to expand their life experiences through music and movement. CJ  holds Certification Level 1 in Music Together®.

Jodi graduated from Penn State University's main campus with BFA in theatre arts and spent the last 15 years performing on Broadway, Off Broadway, in Television and Film. Jodi is happily married to her husband Scott and is a very proud mother of her beautiful son, Jackson.  This Weston resident continues to perform both in New York and around the country, but is excited to be extending her career into the education arena.  Jodi is thrilled to be associated with The Music Together program.  She is a registered Music Together teacher.

Libby received her degree in Voice Performance and began her career in musical theatre, and singing jingles as well as doing on camera commercial work. She enjoyed working as a soloist with orchestras and traveling for theatrical roles. She has taught piano and voice in a performing arts school, been a church choir director and taught private students as well. Libby came to music together as a teacher 9 years ago, and taught for 8 years on the upper West Side of Manhattan.  She enjoys opening the eyes of youngsters to the joys of vocal music.  Libby is currently in school working on her masters in Education.  She holds Certification Level 1 in Music Together.

Natasha came to Music Together as a mom, and couldn't wait to become more active. After receiving her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Oregon, she headed east to see what New York had to offer.  What she found was a gratifying career as a nursery school teacher and nanny.  The call of the stage was too strong so Natasha became involved in local community theater where she met her husband at an audition.  Now this busy mom of two loves to balance her "day job" as a Realtor with the joy she shares with the families in her classes.  She holds Certification Level 1 in Music Together.

Sarah has been teaching Music Together since the spring of 2000, and was the founder and director of Music Together of the Berkshires, MA from 2002-2009. She studied voice and music education at the Berklee College of Music, and has certifications in Dalcroze Eurythmics from the Manhattan School of Music and Early Childhood Music from the Gordon Institute. Sarah also loves group harmony singing, and recently completed the Community Choir Leadership Training in Victoria, Canada. She has performed extensively with vocal ensembles in New England, including the Berklee College Singers, the Borovcani Balkan Vocal Trio and the Back Bay Chorale. As an enthusiastic advocate for family and community music-making, Sarah enjoys inspiring both children and adults to raise their voices in song.  Sarah is a registered Music Together teacher.

Steve has been teaching for MTFC since Fall of 2000.

He is a recording engineer of classical music and has contributed to over 250 recordings including the 1999 Grammy winning HornSmoke. Steve was a classical guitar major, who also played in several rock bands in the late 80's and early 90's.

In 2008 Steve and The Enablers debuted their cd of original songs called Something For Everyone and  is currently available on Itunes! 

Steve resides in Fairfield and is the proud father of two beautiful children Leah and Kyle.  He holds Certification Level 1 in Music Together.

Tina has been teaching Music Together since 2000. She is a classically trained, professional vocalist with a background in theatre and dance. Tina is the choir director and leader of song at St. Margaret Mary Church in Shelton, CT. She has earned a MA in Learning from Sacred Heart University and a MS in Elementary Education from SCSU with a specialty in urban education. She is currently working on her PhD at St. Martin's College, Lancaster University in the U.K. Tina credits Music Together, the families she has encountered through teaching the program and especially her fellow Music Together colleagues as her primary sources of creative inspiration and the catalysts for her own professional growth and continued research in the field of music education.  She holds Certification Level 2 in Music Together.

Tom has been teaching for our Litchfield County location - MTLC, Inc. since September of 2006 and before that he taught here in Fairfield County since Spring of 1998. 

He holds an M.S. in Art Education from Southern CT State University. Some of his art work can be seen at the Westport studio.
 
Tom has over twenty years of teaching experience with young children. He is an accomplished children's performer and recording artist who is included in the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism's Directory of Performers. He has been featured at schools, libraries, historic sites and festivals in New England and New York and in 2008 and 2009 toured England, the south and California with singer/songwriter (and former M.T. teacher), Kath Bloom. He recently completed a new CD "Fiddle Dee Dee, Children's Folk Songs of Old New England" which can be found at www.tomhanford.com.  Tom holds Certification Level 1 in Music Together.