JESSICA "JESS" BARON
FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jess Baron is musician, composer, music educator, non-profit founder, executive director, and an author with eight books to her name. The most recent is the 2018 SmartStart Ukulele Method for Beginners. She is a lifelong acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter who began teaching people to play guitar when she was in high school. Trained in Orff Schulwerk and Kodaly approaches as a music educator, she holds a B.A. in Child Development from Cal State Northridge with three additional years of training from University of Wisconsin-Madison in Behavioral Disabilities. Jess earned her M.A. in Clinical Psychology with a focus on group therapy and child psychology from Antioch University.
Since 1989, Jess has dedicated herself to bringing developmental psychology into the process of teaching beginners successfully learn to sing naturally, to play guitar and ukulele, and to integrate hands-on music with academic, cognitive and social-emotional learning.
Jess founded Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom in 2000. She continues to devote herself to the cause of making music accessible for educators and children through GITC and especially enjoys developing positive collaborations and partnerships as new pathways for access to the arts for students in Title 1 schools. She remains active in classrooms and continues to draw inspiration by training teachers and this perpetually informs her work as the leader and driving force behind Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom.
Book/CDs by Jessica Baron (Prior to 2007, Jessica Baron Turner)
If you are interested in learning more, we recommend this recent radio interview with Jess by journalist Jessica Grinspan on AKindVoice.org
You can write to Jess at jess.guitarsintheclassroom@gmail.com
FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jess Baron is musician, composer, music educator, non-profit founder, executive director, and an author with eight books to her name. The most recent is the 2018 SmartStart Ukulele Method for Beginners. She is a lifelong acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter who began teaching people to play guitar when she was in high school. Trained in Orff Schulwerk and Kodaly approaches as a music educator, she holds a B.A. in Child Development from Cal State Northridge with three additional years of training from University of Wisconsin-Madison in Behavioral Disabilities. Jess earned her M.A. in Clinical Psychology with a focus on group therapy and child psychology from Antioch University.
Since 1989, Jess has dedicated herself to bringing developmental psychology into the process of teaching beginners successfully learn to sing naturally, to play guitar and ukulele, and to integrate hands-on music with academic, cognitive and social-emotional learning.
Jess founded Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom in 2000. She continues to devote herself to the cause of making music accessible for educators and children through GITC and especially enjoys developing positive collaborations and partnerships as new pathways for access to the arts for students in Title 1 schools. She remains active in classrooms and continues to draw inspiration by training teachers and this perpetually informs her work as the leader and driving force behind Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom.
Book/CDs by Jessica Baron (Prior to 2007, Jessica Baron Turner)
- SmartStart Ukulele for Beginners Coauthored by Tiffany Stalker
- The Green Songbook
- YOUR MUSICAL CHILD: Inspiring Kids to Play and Sing for Keeps (String Letter Publishing, 2004).
- Guitarra de smartStart metodo y cancionero
- SmartStart Guitar for Late Bloomers and Baby Boomers
- SmartStart Guitar 43 Songs for Home and School
- SmartStart Guitar for Beginners
- Let's Make Music! Coauthored by Ronny Susan Schiff
If you are interested in learning more, we recommend this recent radio interview with Jess by journalist Jessica Grinspan on AKindVoice.org
You can write to Jess at jess.guitarsintheclassroom@gmail.com