Meet Elizabeth Trites, our interim co-director of Schola Cantorum!

When did you join GDLC?

I started coming to Gloria Dei in September 2017.

Tell us a little about your “day job”

I teach Kindergarten – 8th grade students general music (singing, percussion, recorder, Orff instruments, etc.) at Woodbury Leadership Academy.

How did you come to know you wanted to work with kids?

From babysitting to camp counseling to teaching experiences, I’ve always liked working with kids because when you’re with them, you get to continue sharing in their joy and spontaneity. I love that my job is to nurture kids’ love of music, and I even get to be a little goofy while I do it!

What kinds of musical activities were you involved in as a child?

As a kid, I loved participating in a lot of music – I was in band, jazz band, and choir every year from 6th grade all the way through college! I also took private lessons for voice and saxophone.

What are some of your “tricks” for motivating kids to do well as a choir?

Singing is an especially personal art form, so I try to build kids’ confidence in their own voices and help them feel successful. Sometimes, that looks like challenging them to continue improving; sometimes, it’s celebrating their success when we do things really well.

What do you like to do on a day off?

I love to meander around the beautiful parks of the Twin Cities, especially Como and the Minnesota Zoo, and draw or take ceramics classes. But sometimes, nothing can beat staying in to watch a Disney movie and bake cookies!

Welcome, Elizabeth!