Elizabeth Boyd
August 30, 2020
Music teacher Elizabeth Boyd had been immersed in the Texas music scene playing live for swing dancers and jazz gigs on her bass before deciding to follow her dream of making students fall in love with their instruments. During distance learning, she hopes to build a strong sense of community within her ensemble and to encourage students to explore their musical abilities together.
When music teacher Elizabeth Boyd found the violin in sixth grade, she immediately found her life’s calling and knew she would never look back.
Boyd’s initial love for music with the violin was reaffirmed in high school, where she found her true passion: the bass. While still a student in high school, Boyd began teaching private music lessons in her community, where she continued to refine her skills as a musician and cultivate her ultimate career as a teacher.
“The skills that students build in music are applicable to just about any subject or career that they are passionate about,” Boyd said. “Students collaborate, empathize with others and learn to be receptive to feedback and be vulnerable every day in rehearsal.”
After graduating from high school in her home state of New Mexico, she moved to Austin, Texas, where she got her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin.
In Austin, Boyd’s career as a musician took off, as her chosen instrument, the bass, allowed her the freedom to play in a wide variety of music styles that she had always wanted to explore.
“Professionally, I played in a lot of musicals and freelance classical and jazz gigs,” Boyd said. “One of my favorite times in my career was when I played in the Manouche jazz scene in Austin. I’ve been able to connect with so many different people through those experiences.”
After eight years in Austin, Boyd moved to Solano County, Calif., in 2014 to further pursue a formal teaching career. She received her teaching credential through CSU East Bay and began instructing high school music classes in Solano County.
“Working with high school students is my favorite,” Boyd said. “They are so confident and there’s so much potential for growth, for creativity, and they really take ownership of their learning.”
At LAHS, Boyd will teach instrumental music to the freshmen ensembles, hoping to create a tight-knit virtual community within her classroom.
“During COVID-19 times, having an outlet that is satisfying and rewarding is really important,” Boyd said. “Music is a way for kids to make deeper connections with each other. It’s different than in person, but I look forward to seeing my students collaborate and their different strengths coming together to create music that I can’t even imagine yet.”