Liz Lucus
Teacher“Mentoring curiosity with artistic expression for a life-long exploration of music” continues to be Mrs. Lucus mission as a music teacher. Mrs. Lucus has taught internationally (United States, Canada, and Haiti), training teachers and young musicians, from private to group to class sizes. She currently serves over 500 students at public and private schools in Orange County and her own piano and composition students at Lucus Music Studio.
She finds 4 aspects of music to be most helpful in music learning: experiential, critical thinking, performance, and developing a community of practice. These are discussed further in her website at liz.lucusnet.com. Interaction and creativity are among her top priorities in the classes she works with. Mrs. Lucus enjoys developing reflexive curriculum for her classes that engage student interaction, so not every course is the same. It is important to Mrs. Lucus that students explore and develop what is important to their musical journey.
Mrs. Lucus recently returned from Canada, where she earned her MMus in Music Education as a research scholar in Philosophy and Sociology of Music Education from the University of Western Ontario. There, she served as a graduate teaching assistant and also guest-lectured in philosophy of music education and musical identity in popular musics. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Biola Conservatory of Music.
Aside from teaching, her current work lies in developing curriculum and resources for children that do not have accessibility to music education. This entails conducting research studies, attending and lecturing at conferences, and developing ideas within a “live” environment. Mrs. Lucus also volunteers much time serving on boards and councils for music education.
Mrs. Lucus, her husband, and their two children have all enjoyed the Arbor Community, as the Lucus children were homeschooled and enjoyed many classes there for a few years. Before moving to Canada for grad school, the Lucus family was very much a part of the Arbor! It is a joy to Mrs. Lucus to return to the Arbor and contribute to the vibrant learning and engagement of families the Arbor attracts!