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105. Annie Ray, Orchestra Director at Annandale HS in Virginia and 2024 Music Educator Grammy Award Winner discusses her unique teaching approach and more.
Episode 105 — Annie Ray: Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact in Orchestra Education
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Annie Ray, 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award winner and Orchestra Director at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, VA. Annie shares how she’s redefining access to music education through groundbreaking programs like the Fairfax Parent Orchestra and Crescendo Orchestra—designed for students with significant disabilities.
A nationally recognized speaker and advocate, Annie talks about meeting students where they are, leading with empathy, and balancing motherhood and music education. Her passion and innovation are reshaping what’s possible in the orchestra classroom.
🎧 Tune in for an inspiring conversation with one of today’s most impactful music educators
— BIOGRAPHY —
Annie Ray currently serves as both the Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair at Annandale High School (AHS) in the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system. Annie is an advocate for providing universal access to quality music education and is known for founding and developing creative opportunities to make music accessible to students of all demographics.
Her establishment of the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education Parent Orchestra annually teaches about 225 caregivers in FCPS to learn to play their child’s instrument and provides mentorship to upcoming music teachers. Annie also founded the Crescendo Orchestra program to make Orchestra curriculum accessible to students with significant developmental or intellectual disabilities. In April 2020, TEDx invited Annie to give the talk, The Sounds of Success, based on her approach in the classroom and what it means to meet all students where they are at.
Annie is a highly sought after keynote speaker and headliner at over 50 music and general education conferences from 2023-2025 alone, regular guest lecturer and artist-in-residence at the collegiate level, and an impactful performing arts advocate at the state and national level. Her accolades include being named the 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award winner, Yamaha “40 Under 40” class of 2025, recipient of the Dr. Alice M. Hammel Inclusion in Music Education Award, and a four time Teacher of the Year winner including the 2023 FCPS Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year for her work with historically resilient communities and equity in education. Annie is the co-founder of Motherhood and Music Education and is a member of the StringRise professional development team.
Her mentors include Dennis Langevin, Brian Coatney, Dr. Elizabeth Chappell, Dr. Jaymee Haefner, and Naoko Nakamura. She is an active professional harpist, proud University of North Texas alumna, and currently resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Dr. Irving Ray and their daughters Eloise and Millie. Annie is an adventurer at heart, and her biggest bucket list item is to one day win The Amazing Race.
https://www.motherhoodandmusiceducation.com/
— REFERRAL LINKS —
Ready for your next orchestra trip? Kaleidoscope Adventures has been planning performance travel beyond expectations for more than 30 years.
https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-orchestra-teacher-podcast/
Looking for things on Amazon? Use my referral link:
https://amzn.to/3RkfRLk
Do you keep a monthly budget? If not, try You Need a Budget!
https://tinyurl.com/TheOrchestraTeacherYNAB
Do you have cable? Cut the cord and check out YouTube TV! It works on mobile, Smart TVs, the web and more!
https://tv.youtube.com/referral/r22irzcuy7jshi
Resources and more information at www.orchestrateacher.net
#TheOrchestraTeacherPodcast #MusicEducation #PodcastForTeachers #OrchestraPodcast #MusicTeacherLife #PodcastForEducators #StringTeacherPodcast #MusicEdPodcast #TeacherPodcast
#OrchestraTeacher #StringEducation #OrchestraLife #StringPlayers #StringTeacherLife #OrchestraClass #TeachingStrings #MusicEd #TeachingMusic #StringsMatter
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By Dr. Charles Laux
5
2424 ratings
Episode 105 — Annie Ray: Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact in Orchestra Education
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Annie Ray, 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award winner and Orchestra Director at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, VA. Annie shares how she’s redefining access to music education through groundbreaking programs like the Fairfax Parent Orchestra and Crescendo Orchestra—designed for students with significant disabilities.
A nationally recognized speaker and advocate, Annie talks about meeting students where they are, leading with empathy, and balancing motherhood and music education. Her passion and innovation are reshaping what’s possible in the orchestra classroom.
🎧 Tune in for an inspiring conversation with one of today’s most impactful music educators
— BIOGRAPHY —
Annie Ray currently serves as both the Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair at Annandale High School (AHS) in the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system. Annie is an advocate for providing universal access to quality music education and is known for founding and developing creative opportunities to make music accessible to students of all demographics.
Her establishment of the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education Parent Orchestra annually teaches about 225 caregivers in FCPS to learn to play their child’s instrument and provides mentorship to upcoming music teachers. Annie also founded the Crescendo Orchestra program to make Orchestra curriculum accessible to students with significant developmental or intellectual disabilities. In April 2020, TEDx invited Annie to give the talk, The Sounds of Success, based on her approach in the classroom and what it means to meet all students where they are at.
Annie is a highly sought after keynote speaker and headliner at over 50 music and general education conferences from 2023-2025 alone, regular guest lecturer and artist-in-residence at the collegiate level, and an impactful performing arts advocate at the state and national level. Her accolades include being named the 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award winner, Yamaha “40 Under 40” class of 2025, recipient of the Dr. Alice M. Hammel Inclusion in Music Education Award, and a four time Teacher of the Year winner including the 2023 FCPS Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year for her work with historically resilient communities and equity in education. Annie is the co-founder of Motherhood and Music Education and is a member of the StringRise professional development team.
Her mentors include Dennis Langevin, Brian Coatney, Dr. Elizabeth Chappell, Dr. Jaymee Haefner, and Naoko Nakamura. She is an active professional harpist, proud University of North Texas alumna, and currently resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Dr. Irving Ray and their daughters Eloise and Millie. Annie is an adventurer at heart, and her biggest bucket list item is to one day win The Amazing Race.
https://www.motherhoodandmusiceducation.com/
— REFERRAL LINKS —
Ready for your next orchestra trip? Kaleidoscope Adventures has been planning performance travel beyond expectations for more than 30 years.
https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-orchestra-teacher-podcast/
Looking for things on Amazon? Use my referral link:
https://amzn.to/3RkfRLk
Do you keep a monthly budget? If not, try You Need a Budget!
https://tinyurl.com/TheOrchestraTeacherYNAB
Do you have cable? Cut the cord and check out YouTube TV! It works on mobile, Smart TVs, the web and more!
https://tv.youtube.com/referral/r22irzcuy7jshi
Resources and more information at www.orchestrateacher.net
#TheOrchestraTeacherPodcast #MusicEducation #PodcastForTeachers #OrchestraPodcast #MusicTeacherLife #PodcastForEducators #StringTeacherPodcast #MusicEdPodcast #TeacherPodcast
#OrchestraTeacher #StringEducation #OrchestraLife #StringPlayers #StringTeacherLife #OrchestraClass #TeachingStrings #MusicEd #TeachingMusic #StringsMatter
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