Plymouth Church Staff Announcement
STAFFING ANNOUNCEMENT
Plymouth Church is pleased to announce it has hired Rebecca Gruber to teach the Music Makers class for families and Pre-K children.
About Music Makers:
Parents join their preschool-aged children for musical activities attuned to the development of the whole child. Music Makers includes lots of voice exploration, movement (we must move to learn!), and instruments. Our musical material is drawn from folksongs, silly songs, world music, classical music, and sacred songs. Our goals: nurture loving connections with parents, develop listening skills, practice steady beat, be aware of melodic shape, and make and keep friends. The Music Makers class is a rare opportunity to support your child's artful, spiritual nature with a curriculum focused on musical growth and classroom success.
Dr. Rebecca C. Gruber brings more than a decade of experience helping young children and their families discover the joy of making music together. A Kindermusik educator for twelve years, she understands how preschoolers learn best—through singing, movement, stories, play, and hands-on musical exploration. She currently leads a weekly musical story time for preschoolers and their caregivers, creating engaging experiences that invite children and adults to participate together.
Rebecca is especially passionate about helping children develop confidence, musical awareness, and a lifelong love of music. She has created Stepping Stones, a musical-literacy curriculum for young singers published by Choristers Guild, and she teaches voice to youth and adults from her home in Waukee.
Her extensive career as a conductor and teacher has given her a wealth of experience working with people of all ages and musical abilities. She served for fifteen years as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus, fourteen years as Choirmaster of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Des Moines, and twelve years on the choral music and voice faculty of Simpson College.
Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Music Education from Simpson College, Master of Music and Master of Sacred Music degrees from Southern Methodist University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Nebraska.
For Rebecca, the best musical experiences with young children are those filled with curiosity, creativity, movement, laughter, and connection—experiences where children can explore music alongside the grown-ups who love them.