ABOUT ME
I grew up in Irasburg on Hillandale Farm, a dairy farm still in operation by my family. I attended Irasburg Graded School and am a 1982 graduate of Lake Region Union High School. I was interested in studying music from an early age, starting piano lessons at the age of four. I joined the school band in 4th grade as a clarinet player (Mr. Gage was my teacher), and continued through high school. In addition to clarinet, I played the oboe and tenor saxophone. I was the accompanist for chorus and sang in the alto section when I was not needed on the piano. I attended the Northeast Junior High and High School Music festivals as an oboe player, but was thrilled to audition and make the chorus for the All-State Music Festival my senior year. As much as I loved living in Vermont, I moved to Boston for 17 years to pursue my education and start my musical career. I moved back to Vermont full-time in 2000 and currently live in Coventry.
In 2017 I was honored to be named Lake Region's Teacher of the Year. I was also recognized as an "Outstanding Educator" by the University of Vermont. I was also the Vermont State Teacher of the year 2018 Alternate, having gone through a competitive application process, including an interview and a presentation for the State Board of Education.
A graduate of Brandeis University, I earned my Ph.D. and Master of Arts in Theory & Composition. I earned a dual Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University in Theory & Composition and Piano Performance. My coursework included classes in choral conducting, instrumental conducting, orchestration, choral singing, music theory, Italian, German, music history, and many, many hours of classes in music composition. I was a vocal accompanist for many singers as an undergraduate, and performed several new music concerts as a pianist while in graduate school. I earned my teaching license through Peer Review and took courses for my certification through Community College of Vermont and Johnson State College. I love choral singing; in addition to performing as an undergraduate at Boston University and Johnson State College, I've sung with Village Harmony and have participated in several world music singing workshops.
For eleven years I worked as a PreK - 8th Grade Music Educator (band/choral/general music) at Newport Town Elementary School, Lowell Graded School, Holland Elementary School and Coventry Graded School. My first year as a high school music educator began in the fall of 2012 at Lake Region Union HS.
My career in the arts has many dimensions. I am a professional composer, writing vocal, chamber and symphonic music for musicians and ensembles across the country. I've composed music for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Hungarian Chamber Symphony Orchestra, Social Band, Village Harmony, Vermont Contemporary Music Festival, the Empyrean Ensemble, Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble and for the renowned operatic tenor Jon Garrison. I am the Executive Director of the Warebrook Contemporary Music Festival in Irasburg, and I teach piano privately. I've won many awards and fellowships for my work, including a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Citation of Merit from the Vermont Arts Council for Distinguished Service to the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, Ragdale Foundation,Vermont Community Foundation, Composers Conference at Wellesley College, and ASCAP. I have given theory papers and presentations on my own music at New York University, the Manhattan School of Music, University of California - Davis, State University of New York - Plattsburgh and Bennington College.
I'm a classically trained musician, and I know LR students will feel that influence in all that I do. However I have developed great enthusiasm for folk, rock, jazz, blues and world music, and am looking forward to bringing all of that to the Lake Region UHS music program.
INTERESTS
Snowshoeing, hiking, gardening, knitting, reading, cooking, travel and listening to live music of any style.
Dr. Sara Doncaster
Lake Region Union High School
317 Lake Region Road
Orleans, Vermont 05860
sdoncaster@ocsu.org
Tel 802-754-6521
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Theory & Composition,
Brandeis University, 2006
M.F.A., Theory & Composition,
Brandeis University, 1996
Bachelor of Music, Theory & Composition/Piano Performance,
Boston University, 1988
Graduate of Lake Region Union High School, 1982
Music Education Training, Johnson State College / Community College of Vermont, 2002 - 2006
Level II State of Vermont Music Educators License, Prek-12
Highly Qualified Teacher