Mollie Gregory Tower

 

Executive Producer and Senior Author
mightymusic.mollie@gmail.com

 
Mollie Tower is President of Mighty Music Publishing, LLC, a company dedicated to the
musical education of young and old through the power of combining cutting-edge
technology and masterpieces of music literature.  She has worked with students at all
levels, K - college, and holds a BS in Music Education and a Masters in Education
Administration from the University of Texas in Austin.
 
She taught music, K – 6, for nine years at Lee and Andrews elementary schools in
Austin ISD.  In 1977, she became the AISD Elementary Music Coordinator (K–6), and
was appointed to the position of AISD Choral and General Music Coordinator (K-12) in
1990.  During her twenty-one years as a music coordinator for AISD, Mollie created and
organized many district-wide programs, including the Music Memory Program.
 
In 1980, at her father’s urging, she revived the Music Memory Program that has its
origins in a program taught in the 1920’s.  Music Memory quickly spread throughout the
state of Texas through sponsorship by the University Scholastic League for Texas
students in grades 2 - 8. Music Memory has also expanded to schools and community
organizations around the nation. Teachers in 23 states now teach the Music Memory
Program with students aged 7 - 99. 
 
Mollie is the Senior Author/Executive Producer of the MUSIC MEMORY CURRICULUM,
an annually produced, year long listening program that brings the richness of classical
music to thousands of students throughout the country.  She promotes the collaborative
spirit and creative effort that goes into each and every MUSIC MEMORY product.
 
Mollie personally organizes and hosts several Music Memory Contests around the
country. She recently hosted the Dallas ISD All-City Music Memory Contest, which had
the largest number of school teams – one hundred and ten – that have ever been
involved in the Contest at the same time! She also works with Music Memory Contests held each Spring around the country. 
 
From 2006 - 2014, she taught in the School of Music at Texas State University-San
Marcos, where she served as a Student Teacher Supervisor for Elementary Music
student teachers, and taught Music Education classes to over 2000 future elementary
classroom teachers.  
 
In the Fall of 2014, Mollie became the “Coordinator of Arts-Infused Teaching and
Learning” for Dallas ISD. She worked with a Pilot Project at Stephen C. Foster
Elementary School to enhance student learning in core subjects through music and art

learning activities. 

Mollie has published many textbooks for all levels of students, K – college. Her
publishers include Routledge Publishing in London, England, Macmillan/McGraw- Hill in
NYC, and Glencoe/McGraw-Hill in NYC.

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Kay Greenhaw

 

Author and Associate Editor, Compositor
 
Kay is the Creator of the MUSIC MEMORY  Mighty Lesson Kit and contributes to the
Teacher’s Guide with work on listening maps and lessons. Kay has served as a
consultant and facilitator for the Dallas ISD Fine Arts Department and with the Riverside
Symphony MUSIC MEMORY Contest in NYC. She has both Bachelor of Music and
Master of Music Education degrees from The University of Texas. Kay attended the
summer student program at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She resides in
Austin where after teaching for 40 years, she retired from teaching music at Doss
Elementary School where she taught K-5 for 33 years. She has won technology grants
from Dell Computer Corp., Advanced Micro Devices, the Texas Educators Network, and
the Junior League of Austin. She was named Technology Teacher of the Year by the
Texas Computer Educators Association. She was also awarded National Technology
Using Teacher of the Year by Tech Corps. Kay was a contributing author to the
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Music Textbook series and contributed listening maps and
lessons to the Glencoe Choral Textbook series. She was also a contributing author to
the Silver Burdett “Making Music” series and was the creator of “The Nutcracker
Experience” computer software. She enjoys playing on her computer, ballroom
dancing, and is taking lessons in Rumba, Foxtrot, West Coast Swing and Waltz. She
also enjoys time with her two wonderful grandchildren!

 

 

 

 

 

Debbie Tannert

 

Author and Editor, Distribution Manager
 
Debbie Tannert is a retired music educator with 29 years elementary classroom
experience in Austin ISD. She has extensive experience writing for national textbook
publications and the Music Memory Program. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education
degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Education

Administration degree from Lamar University. She is a National Board Certified
Teacher.
 
She enjoyed her leadership roles in AISD as an Organizer of Special Events for AISD
Students -  AISD All-City Music Memory Contest, AISD All-City Choral
Festival, and Elementary Organizer for “A CELEBRATION OF 125 YEARS OF
MUSIC EDUCATION  IN A.I.S.D.”
 
Tannert has served NAfME–Texas (formerly Texas Music Educators Conference)
as President and Government/Relations Chairperson. She has presented sponsored
sessions at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and Clinic.
 
She currently teaches classes at Texas State University. She is the proud parent of Christina and Jonathan.

 

 

 

 

Brian VandeWalle

 

Author and Production Manager, Compositor

 Brian VandeWalle earned his Bachelor in Music Education degree from Texas State
University at San Marcos. He began teaching elementary music in 1999,
and currently teaches K - 5th grades at Kocurek Elementary School in Austin, TX. In
addition to his teaching duties, Brian serves as the Educational Technology Resource
Contact at his school. In this position, his duties include guiding teachers in the success
implementation of technology in the classroom, maintaining and repairing computers
and technology equipment, and training teachers in new technology resources and their
uses. Brian has performed in a variety of musical ensembles in the past 25 years.   He
currently performs with the Hill Country Wind Ensemble as well as the Wimberly Valley
Big Band.  Brian created materials for Spotlight on Music: Interactive Listening Maps, a
Set of 9 DVDs for Grades K - 8, published by Macmillan/ McGraw-Hill in 2011. He has
been on the MUSIC MEMORY writing team since 2009.
 
Brian, his wife, Michelle, their beautiful daughters, Haylee, and Rebecca, and chocolate
lab, Gracie, reside in Kyle, Texas, just south of Austin.

 

 

 

 

Matthew Bowers

 

Author and Recording Producer

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Matt Bowers is a music educator with 14 years teaching experience in instrumental and classroom settings.  He has experience writing for National textbook publications and MUSIC MEMORY.  He holds a Bachelors of Music Education from Texas State University and a Bachelors of Music with focus on Sound Recording Technology from the world-renowned program at Southwest Texas State University.  He is an active performer throughout the state of Texas and beyond, performing with such jazz greats as Bill Watrous, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Ernie Watts, Carmen Bradford, and Butch Miles.  He also has several performances abroad at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Umbria Jaz Festival, St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, as well as other performances in Scotland, England, Italy, and Ireland.  He is the proud parent of Miles (9) and Isla (5).

 

 

 

 

Christina Tannert

 

Author, Music Arranger, and Marketing Manager
 
Christina Tannert grew up and currently teaches in Austin, TX. She has a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. She is a singer and director of choirs as well as an instrumentalist. Christina is a contributing author to the Music Memory curriculum materials, helps to arrange and coordinate our Music Memory Live Program, and also manages the website and marketing. Ms. Tannert taught in an Austin ISD elementary school for 6 years before moving to Seattle, WA and teaching at Seattle Girls' School and Ballard Academy of Music and Dance for 3 years. She is happy to be back in Austin now as a middle school choir director in Austin ISD. She enjoys playing board games and blues dancing. 

 

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Miriam Palomo

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Translator

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Miriam Palomo was born in El Salvador and relocated to Austin, Texas in 1991. She holds a
Bachelor Degree in Psychology and a teaching certificate in bilingual education. Currently, she is a
full-time Spanish Teacher at Mills Elementary and is responsible for developing meaningful
curriculum for the school’s Spanish program. She successfully implements strategies that help
children make connections with global traditions and the Spanish language. Additionally, she
organizes, coordinates and directs multiple shows during the school year (ie: Dieciseis de
Septiembre and Cinco de Mayo) that generate awareness and appreciation of world cultures. She
works closely with school administration and surrounding community by participating in activities
and events that require her knowledge and unique skills while bridging cultural and language
barriers with parents and student body. Miriam has been collaborating with Music Memory since
2015.

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