Gene Stremme Retires After 30 Years of Music Education at Twin Spring Farm Day School and Camp

Mrs. Gene Stremme began her tenure at Twin Spring Farm Day School and Camp in the fall of 1986 and leaves a legacy of 30 years of music education as she prepares for retirement this June.

Mrs. Stremme holds a degree in Music Education (K-12) from Eastern University. She brought her education experience along with her passion, creativity, and love of music to TSF three decades ago.

A memorable time for Mrs. Stremme was when she first came to TSF. The school at that time had enrollment through sixth grade and she taught every level. The music building, which now has two classrooms, was a one-room open space classroom. Until the physical education building with performance stage was constructed in the 1990s, all of the musical productions were held in the one-room music building. She enjoyed the challenge of staging the room to accommodate the family seating and space for the students to perform.

With the addition of the PE building and the performance stage, Mrs. Stremme utilized her talents further and extended the experience of performance through the stage productions that families with students today have come to experience. Since the early 90’s when a second music teacher was hired to teacher the Nursery and Toddler students, Mrs. Stremme continued to work with the Transitional Kindergarten, Pre-First, and Elementary students.

Music education is highly regarded at TSF. Students in all levels meet multiple times a week to cultivate music appreciation. Twice a year, each level Nursery through Elementary, perform in a Holiday Show and a Spring Show. The holiday shows follow the theme of the holidays including a variety of religions and cultures.

For the Spring Shows, the Transitional Kindergarten students perform folktale operas that are familiar to the students such as “The Three Nanny Goats Gruff” and “The Three Piggy Opera”. TSF purchased the rights to the operas and Mrs. Stremme recycled them throughout the years. “The students love the stories and each class brings their own personality to the performance,” said Mrs. Stremme.

The Spring Show for the Pre-First and Elementary typically follows themes throughout the school year.

When she is not busy in the classroom introducing various instruments to her students, such as boomwackers and the popular giant drum, she is “always on the prowl, searching for new material.” Through her musical productions, she uses instruments and movement to create music through learning. “It has to be fun for me,” adds Mrs. Stremme. She also orchestrates her productions so that each student has the option to have a speaking part and/or solo or small group singing opportunity.

Her final mark on TSF will include directing each of the four classes of Transitional Kindergarten students with their performance of “The Three Piggy Opera.” Finally, the Pre-First and Elementary students will closeout her career with “TSF Show Stoppers,” a collaboration of Mrs. Stremme’s favorites from her 30 years.

In addition to her spectacular career during the school year, she has been a key staff member of TSF Day Camp. Through teaching young campers and working with talented camp staff and counselors to perform on stage, she has enriched and inspired the lives of many through TSF.

“I have been blessed with a wealth of resources and an extremely supportive administration who values the arts,” said Mrs. Stremme. After 30 years of teaching, she said, “My hope is that students move on to be intelligent consumers of music and find enjoyment in music and personal expression.”