Our Teachers
Carrie Elko teaches PK-8 music at St. Mary of the Woods School in Chicago and serves as an accompanist at St. Catherine Laboure in Glenview, IL. Carrie grew up on a commercial dairy goat farm in Pardeeville, WI, and attended Northwestern University, obtaining a degree in Music Education and Flute Performance. In 2021 she earned a Masters degree in Education with a focus on Trauma and Resilience in Education from Concordia University (Seward, NE). Carrie has been teaching since 2010 and has spent a majority of her time in Catholic schools and parishes. Recognizing that today’s students require new and different approaches and means of engagement, Carrie strives to use current best practices, cognitive science, and recent research to create a toolkit that enables her to engage and motivate all students. Carrie is married, has two cats: Penny and Peso, loves to hike and quilt.
Heidi Grathouse earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and teaches Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). When not at work, she enjoys many creative pursuits from rehabbing her fixer-upper, finding the next amazing recipe, to repurposing thrift store finds—often in humorously useful ways. Heidi’s all time favorite pass-time is making memories with her daughter, Audrey. You may see Ms. Audrey singing and dancing along with the Little Overtures. The two share a love of learning, creativity and laughter. Heidi is warm, fun-loving and always ready to collaborate. She plays guitar and is learning banjo and ukulele. She is excited to work with her daughter within the Musikgarten curriculum to facilitate a nurturing and developmentally sound space for families.
Sarah Beck loves working with kids—and kids love Sarah! Sarah is an actor, comedian, emcee, and musician based in the Chicago area. Music has always been an integral part of Sarah’s life. She has performed in musicals, sung with school and church choirs, and played handbells for over 20 years. She is also producer and performer for Comedy Dance Chicago. Life is better with music!
Kay Ito is a Violist from the Chicago area. She was actively involved in many local orchestras and chamber music groups such as the Illinois Music Educators Association and Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. She was also first chair in New Trier's Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, she has won many prestigious awards such as placing first in the highly competitive Walgreens Concerto Competition held in Highwood Illinois. She is currently studying toward a Bachelors of Music degree in Viola Performance at Curtis Music Institute. Ms. Ito is excited to be sharing her love and passion for music.