Patsy Dash, teacher and percussionist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Patsy [Patricia] Dash was  a drummer in my old high school who was so talented that she got into the jazz band even though we already had two magnificent drummers. Patsy seemed (only seemed) to be the most straight — that is, unhip — person in the band, befitting for a girl who’s father taught math and had a sharp and short crew cut. The band director told her we had a vibraphone nobody was using: “Take it home, and see if you can figure it out,” he said. Two weeks later she came back into the band room and showed our rhythm section  how to play the blues. I’ll never forget it.

Patsy became the first female percussionist to win a position at one of North America’s major symphonies (The Chicago Symphony Orchestra). She has become as brilliant a teacher as she is a musician. Here she talks about the Dream Out Loud music education advocacy campaign, a “unique set of resources to assist music educators in the important work that they do.”