Andrea Gaudette, Music Instructor
Interesting fun fact about me:
I am an avid cook. In fact, my first paying job (at 14) was as a personal chef for the priests in my parish rectory.
Education: Holy Names University Kodaly Center, Oakland, CA; Kodaly Pedagogy
The Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA; Master of Music in Music Education
New England Conservatory, Boston, MA; Bachelor of Music, High Honors (Classical Composition)
Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Lenox, MA (Composition Studies)
Path to SPS: I was the piano accompanist at SPS Masses and musicals for a number of years before I was asked to apply for the Music Teacher position in 2007. I taught music at SPS for seven years, then moved on to teach at other schools and for the Boston Lyric Opera, where I was a Teaching Artist specializing in musical composition. I returned to SPS in 2022.
"Music touches the heart, mind and soul. At St. Peter's, we teach the heart, mind and soul of each student, so music just makes sense!"
SPS Activities: My approach to music pedagogy fosters the three ways that people connect to music: through creating (improvising and composing), performing (on instruments and through singing), and listening (to a variety of genres, cultures, and time periods).
SPS studeents study classical fingerstyle and folk ukelele, percussion instruments, and recorder. As they respond to a variety of musical styles, students demonstrate their musical literacy by notating their own original compositions. Grades K1-2 follow a Kodaly-inspired curriculum which incorporates musical party games and emphasizes choral singing and creative movement. Everyone prepares songs for singing in our weekly Masses. We have a Middle School Choir that leads our Music Ministry every Thursday morning at church. We also work in partnership with the Boston Lyric Opera to write and perform our own musicals.
Hobbies outside of school: I arrange classical pieces for fingerstyle ukulele and am the author of the Classical Ukulele Fingerpicking series. My books are sold internationally. I am a singer/songwriter and also compose classical choral and instrumental music. My husband and I are a guitar/ukulele duo and we practice together daily.
I love nature! Near my cabin in the woods of Maine, I love to go rock hounding and birdwatching. My rescue dog, Buddy, always joins me on my hikes. I identify birds by their special songs, then paint the birds I hear using watercolors and ink.
Faculty Profile