Hi students, parents, and friends! My name is Katie Traxler, and I teach elementary music at Gateway Elementary in Madison, TN. My school is part of the Metro Nashville Public School system. In addition to daily music classes for grades K-5, I lead chorus, recorder ensembles, Orff ensemble, keyboard and ukulele classes. Committed to collaboration among the arts, I work closely with our visual arts teacher as well as classroom teachers to maintain an arts rich curriculum integrating music, movement, drama, and visual art across all grade levels.

Prior to moving to TN a few years ago, I taught elementary music at PS 51 Elias Howe School in NYC in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood for over a decade. I also worked as a consultant and clinician for various education organizations in New York City including the Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall, Abundant Waters, Manhattan Girls Chorus and the Harmony Program, and presented workshops and seminars for various Orff chapters and universities across the United States.

Originally from Thibodaux, Louisiana, I received my BME and MM degrees in Music Education from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. GEAUX TIGERS! I earned my Orff Schulwerk Level 1 and 2 certificates from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, and my Level 3 certificate in NYC at the Trevor Institute. I completed the official AOSA Apprenticeship at the San Francisco International Orff Course in CA. I have studied Dalcroze Eurhythmics at both the Diller-Quaile and Lucy Moses schools. I completed my Kodaly Level 1 training at NYU. Over the last 9 years, I have taught Basic Pedagogy Level I and II for Orff Teacher Educator courses across the country.

I have always enjoyed playing music from a very young age. I started taking piano classes when I was 6 and continued through college. I studied percussion in high school which ultimately led to a music scholarship to LSU. I began teaching music when I was in high school at summer camps and churches. When I moved to college, I worked as a music director and accompanist at several different churches, taught private lessons, and freelanced as a percussionist before finally becoming a full-time public school music teacher. Having taught K-12 at one time or another, I discovered my FAVORITE thing to teach is elementary music. I have always enjoyed singing and dancing and playing music with young people. It just doesn’t feel like work to me!

As of 2025, I am in my 20th year of teaching. Every single year is a new adventure. I never know what to expect… and I love it!