Our Meadowlark Team

Amber Dutton-Hanlon

Amber is a music educator, a performing musician, and a songwriter.  After becoming a mom, she combined these knowledge sets into an engaging music program for Babies and Toddlers and created Meadowlark Music!  She has been teaching these classes in DC for over 10 years and she is honored to be part of the DC parent community.  She regularly performs music in the DC area as well as in NC at various Festivals, community events, birthdays… all the fun!

Amber has a BM in Music Performance, a MA in Teaching and Music Education from UNC, National Board Certification in Music Education. She has taught at various preschools and has 20+ years teaching private lessons on flute, guitar and voice, 4+ years as a Public Music Educator (middle school band and chorus), and several years as a performing musician, performing professionally in the DC area, including places like the 930 Club and Black Cat. Locally, all around NC, and even touring before having babies.

Glenda Bates

Glenda Bates is a Jazz vocalist, Classical oboist, composer, songwriter, and writer. Dr. Glenda has a D.M.A. in Oboe Performance from Stony Brook University in New York.  As a vocalist, Glenda currently sings with the Capitol Lab Band and is a founding member of the Jazz Mafia Choral Syndicate. She’s working on recording her first album of original children’s music.

Glenda began writing children’s songs when she first started teaching preschool music classes more than a decade ago. She taught and developed curriculum in preschools all over San Francisco as a Core Artist at Performing Arts Workshop for five years. She also taught baby & me classes with Music for Aardvarks before moving on to teach her own early childhood music classes at preschools and music academies in Oakland, California. After a long time away, Glenda is thrilled to be back home in the D.C. area and joining the Meadowlark Music team!

Ari Jacobson

Ari Jacobson is a singer/songwriter who plays guitar, sings, and acts locally in DC.  He grew up in Haverhill MA, studying music and theatre at UMass Amherst before moving to NYC to pursue an arts career. As a performer, Ari has sung musicals Off-Broadway, acted Shakespeare around the country, and played guitar for cruise ship passengers around the world, as well as performing his own original music as a singer/songwriter.  As a teacher, Ari worked as an after-school specialist, private guitar instructor, substitute teacher, and camp counselor before joining Meadowlark.  Additionally, his most recent work in NY was teaching weekly toddler/baby music classes and performing at birthday parties (more than he can count at this point!). Calling DC his home as of August 2015, Ari is excited for a year of fun and music with Meadowlark!

Ms. Rachael-with-an-A is a performer and teaching artist who is passionate about early childhood music education and an inspiring fellow human to spend time around each week. She holds a BA in music from the University of Central Arkansas, an MFA from The George Washington University, and completed training in Musical Theater at CAP21 in NYC. She is excited to share her love of singing, dancing, and making music with little ones. When she’s not singing with babies, Ms. Rachael can be found on stage, in the air (she’s also an aerialist, performing on silks and lyra), or at birthday parties, dressed as a Princess. 

Marcel Penzes is a trombonist/music educator who grew up in Potomac, Maryland. He teaches and performs for all ages, D.C. and beyond! Marcel completed his undergraduate in Jazz Studies-Trombone at the world renowned Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and will begin his Masters of Music at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Institute in the Fall.

As a performer, Marcel has performed at the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian, the Spy Museum, DC Jazz Festival, the Anthem, and several other venues and festivals throughout the city! As a teacher, Marcel has taught private music lessons, and even curated a jazz educational program for elementary schoolers K-5. Additionally, Marcel has worked in childcare, for the CDC, and as a camp counselor, in Montgomery County, Maryland. Marcel is passionate about sharing the fun and joy of music with the next generation!

Victoria is so happy to be on the Meadowlark Administration and Management team , helping families find community and music and joy, all in one place!  Before becoming a mom to two wonderful and amazing humans, she worked for over 15 years in project management, business process improvement, strategic communications, policy analysis, training development and delivery and immigration law. She enjoys working as an enthusiastic and supportive team player and loves learning new things and meeting new people. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from University of California, Santa Barbara and then moved to Washington, DC for her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from GWU. She loves reading, music, visiting museums and playing with her sons.
 
“I discovered Meadowlark as a new mom with my oldest son. We both fell in love with the songs and Ms. Amber.  As my family grew, we felt so fortunate to continue to be part of Meadowlark and our weekly music classes.  Now I can help families find and love this unique and kind-hearted Meadowlark experience, just like we did!” – Victoria