Meet The Board!

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Colleen Sprague Bretthauer is a PreK-2nd grade general music teacher at Colchester Elementary School, Colchester, CT. Formerly she taught Music and Movement in Early Childhood at Capital Community College, Hartford, CT and was a Certification Level Iteacher in Music Together. She began her career directing vocal groups at Rivier University and as a high school choral director at Enfield and Fermi High Schools, Enfield, CT, followed by K-5 general music in Glastonbury Public Schools. In addition to this, she spent 15 years as Coordinator of the Summer Music Institute at Central Connecticut State University. She holds a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire, Post-B.A. Certification in Music Education and a M.S. from Central Connecticut State University. She has presented to classroom and general music teachers since 2003 including the Vermont and Connecticut Music Educators Association(s), two International Conferences for the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, Stamford Public Schools, Head Start of Manchester, Colchester and Meriden, CT, and St. Joseph University’s Math and Science Symposium (Music, Math and Movement, Oh My!/Singin’ and Swingin’ Into Science). Through music integration she connects to classroom transitions, developing creative ways to integrate math, science, reading, music and movement for the elementary classroom teacher. Her philosophy is “teach all children all subjects through joyful, developmentally appropriate practices.”

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Anna Cairnduff has been the vocal general music teacher in East Hartford at O’Connell Elementary School for twenty years.  She also taught at Norris Elementary School in East Hartford for ten years.  Mrs. Cairnduff has a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Central Conn. State University and a Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory in Boston.  She has her Orff Level I from CCSU and her Kodaly Level I from the University of Hartford.  Mrs. Cairnduff serves on the Executive Boards of the Connecticut Chapter of American Orff-Schulwerk Association, East Hartford Summer Youth Festival and the New England Chamber Choir.  She was named O’Connell School’s Teacher of the Year in 2007.

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Nicole Ferrall has been teaching general music to students in grades Pre-K through 5 in Southington, CT for the past nine years and is currently in her fourteenth year of teaching music. She graduated from UConn in 2009 with a B.A./B.S. in Music Education and earned her Masters in Music Education from CCSU in 2023. She has been a member of CTAOSA for seven years and has held the title of Treasurer for the past four years. Nicole resides in Middletown with her husband, three children, and three cats. She enjoys spending time with family, singing in an all-female a cappella group, and traveling.

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Alice Unschuld is an Orff inspired music teacher presently working with infants through 8th grade at the Hudson Country Montessori School, Danbury, CT.  Alice taught music in the public schools in Bridgeport and Naugatuck for 14 years. She is a professional singer and is the choir director at Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Mission in Bethel, CT. 

A Kindermusik teacher for children from birth to age 7, she was inspired by Orff Schulwerk when studying with Viv Murray Caputo. She has recently completed Level II Orff training with Patrick Ware at Hofstra University, NY.

Alice holds a BA from Aaron Copland School of Music, CUNY at Queens College, and MA from CUNY at Hunter College, NY.

She seeks to inspire a love of music through creativity and movement in her students, her friends, loved ones, and as she is often reminded, anyone else who comes in her path.

When she is not teaching or making music, Alice enjoys kayaking, gardening, cooking and spending time with her husband, 3 children and baby granddaughter, Janie Jean.

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Mayson Murphy is an elementary general music educator in Enfield, Connecticut. She graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. She teaches K–5 general music and chorus and serves as the assistant band director for the Enfield High School marching band. This summer, Mayson began pursuing a Master of Music Education degree at the University of Hartford, where she is continuing to strengthen her teaching practice. She is excited to join the CT-AOSA Board as the new recording secretary and looks forward to sharing her ideas while helping the organization grow and thrive.

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Matilda Giampietro, Ph.D. is Music Director, Teacher, Choral Director and Specialists Coordinator at Washington Montessori School, New Preston CT.  She holds Orff Schulwerk Levels I and II certification. She has written Montessori Music & Movement Teacher Training syllabi for courses in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hanoi, and Washington Montessori. She taught the music course at CMTE for 15 years.  Matilda performs as a soprano with Wykeham Consort and made 4 albums. She serves on the CTAOSA board.

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Oshadhee Satarasinghe serves as the assistant professor in elementary music education at Western Connecticut State University where she teaches music education courses, workshops, ensembles, and coordinates student teacher placements. Certified in Orff Schulwerk and Kodály, she also specializes in the application of World Music Pedagogy. Oshadhee has taught at all academic levels and presented in the USA, Canada, and Sri Lanka. Her work related to the incorporation of teaching-learning South Asian music and how intercultural music integration impacts the development of student self-identities in classrooms has been published in peer reviewed academic journals and book chapters in North America. Oshadhee currently serves on the editorial boards of Canadian Music Educator and the Journal of Music, Technology, and Education.

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Emily McMinn has been an active member of CTAOSA since attending workshops as an undergraduate, serving in various roles including president, vice president, and media secretary. She has completed Orff Levels I and II and holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Music Education from Western Connecticut State University.

Currently in her 23rd year of teaching, Emily has spent the past 12 years teaching general music to students in grades K–5 in Stonington, Connecticut. Outside the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family, going for walks, and baking.

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Colleen Casey-Nelson is rooted in a curiosity for learning and sharing music from a global perspective. Her teaching arc ranges from elementary through graduate levels. A Montessori Music Guide, Colleen teaches grades 1-9 at the Montessori School of Greater Hartford. As an adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University, Colleen teaches courses in World Music, Arts Integrations, and Music Education. Presentations span regional and national conferences, including AOSA, OAKE,  and NAfME.

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Inspired by her Elementary Music Methods professor at Western Connecticut State University, Dr. Wesley Ball, Magdalena O'Brien has been an active member of CTAOSA since she began teaching in 2012. Since then,  she has been a member-at-large, media secretary, Vice-President, and President. Magda completed Orff Level 1 training at the Hartt School of Music, studying with Meg Tietz, Ashley Woodside-Brown, and Julie Blakeslee. The Orff-Schulwerk has deeply influenced her teaching, and every unit she has designed for her students has been touched by some element of the workshops and conferences she has attended. She was initially attracted to the Orff approach because of its focus on creation, improvisation, movement, and its ability to reach the whole child. Much of Magda’s research for her Master’s Degree in Multiple Intelligences (University of St. Joseph) focused on this. This philosophy also inspired her to receive her Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy Certification at the University of Hartford.

Magda currently teaches K-3 general music in Rocky Hill.

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