Carmen is no stranger to Music Together^®. She started singing as a baby at Music Together Alexandria with the founding Center Director, and her mother, Ruthanne. Ruthanne credited the Music Together program as the foundation for Carmen's musical talent. Carmen is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where she majored in journalism and minored in music. She was a member of the Virginia Tech Women's Chorus and Sensations, a female a cappella group. Carmen was trained as a Music Together teacher by one of the creators of the program in Summer 2012. Carmen came to teach and admin for Music Together Alexandria full time in Fall 2017 (Bongos!) and became Co-Center Director in 2019. In Fall 2022 Carmen started teaching music at two local preschools, Blessed Sacrament and Emmanuel Preschool. She also sings with the Alexandria Chorale Society.  Carmen brings high energy and deep love for the Music Together program to every class. She loves helping families incorporate music into their daily lives!

Kelly brings to Music Together a love of teaching, music and acting. She has a degree in Elementary Education and taught for six years before deciding to pursue an acting career. She attended The Theatre Lab School for the Dramatic Arts in Washington, D.C. and has been seen in professional theaters in the area. Kelly took time off from acting to focus on her family and happily participated in Music Together classes with her child for 3 years before becoming a teacher. 

Molly holds a bachelors degree in Music Education and masters degrees in Teaching from Westminster Choir College and Administration from the University of Virginia. She currently teaches elementary school music preK-5th grade in Arlington, VA, where she grew up and went to school! She began her Music Together career at teaching out of the MT headquarters in Hopewell, NJ and Princeton Lab School and has been a part of the Music Together Alexandria family since 2013. Her most recent Music Together experience has been attending classes with her son, Cooper, and husband, Brad, making Music Together an integral part of her home life as well as her work life! Experiencing Music Together as a parent has taught her that those Parent Education Moments she's been sharing all these years are truly valuable in raising a child with a solid musical foundation. 

Eva joined Music Together Alexandria Fall 2017, after her fourth summer working at an overnight camp for girls, teaching chorus and as a general counselor. An accomplished pianist, Eva studied music education at Gettysburg College and was a student of the late Ruthanne Lodato, who founded the center. While piano is her primary instrument, Eva says she seems to spend more time singing than speaking. She enjoys working with children because every activity with them is a chance to play and have fun. Eva is especially excited to be teaching Music Together, which combines her love of music with the creativity and enthusiasm of young children.

Born in NY and raised in Alexandria, VA, I discovered my love of music at an early age, singing (anything and anywhere!  No audience required!) and playing cello and piano.  I have been involved in some sort of music-making my whole life.  In addition to performing musical theater (high school, college, and yes, community theater) I’m a vocalist in a local klezmer band, Ein Lanu Z’man.  

After becoming a mom and working in my daughter’s preschool, I discovered another passion: preschool education.  I pursued both passions by becoming a preschool music teacher in 2006, specializing in Jewish and Hebrew music.  I taught in Jewish preschools in Clearwater, FL and in Alexandria and Arlington.  In 2016 I co-founded the “Tinok Time” (Baby Time) program at Agudas Achim Preschool in Alexandria, VA, where I introduced littles and their caregivers to music, art and more. 

In 2018 I fell in love with the Music Together program when I moved to Wichita, Kansas and became a certified Music Together teacher, teaching at Riverside Music Together, and attending mixed-age classes with my son Zev. It was both as a parent and a teacher that I discovered the magic of Music Together to bring families together for a shared musical learning experience.  I love giving parents the opportunity to be musical models for their kiddos, and reminding families that EVERYONE is musical, because parents will always be the best teachers for their own children!   

I moved back to Alexandria with my family this summer, and I am excited to join the Music Together Alexandria teaching team and share my passion for all things music.

Jillian has a BS in Music Education from New York University and has spent the last 20 years working for various educational businesses in management, administration and human resource capacities. She worked for the Music Together^® Headquarters in Princeton NJ, teaching classes at the lab school and heading up the Educational Events Department for almost 10 years before relocating to Colorado. She has spent the last 9 years in NOVA, where she lives with her husband and two (now senior) rescue dogs. Jillian took over as Director of Music Together Vivo in 2023 and is thrilled to be bringing the joy of Music Together to families in her community once again!