ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With over three and a half decades of experience in the industry, Dr. Maureen Spranza has certainly proven herself as an expert in her field.  As a dynamic, results driven leader, Dr. Spranza is a professional educator, musician, actor, and artist.  She worked as a music educator for twenty-three years in the San Lorenzo Unified School District during which time she wrote many articles on education. In the  the May 2001 issue of OnCUE, Journal of Computer Using Educators  her article is called “Technology Engages Music Students”. In 2001 she wrote three articles about teaching in Journal of Epistemology: “Researching Intuition: Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed Methods?”, “Shifting from the Sage on the Stage to the Guide on the Side”, and "Principles of Behaviorism, Constructivism, Social Modeling, and Multiple Intelligences Applied to Music Teaching”. She has six chapters in Amy Burns, ed.’s 2008 book “Technology Integration in the Elementary Music Classroom” at Google Books, and Amazon.

    Before embarking on her career path, Dr. Spranza earned her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Composition and Arranging from Berklee College of Music. Before going back for her MFA, she studied Jazz Studies at California Institute of the Arts.  She then earned her Master of Fine Arts in Electronic Music and Recording Media from Mills College.  This was around the time she first heard of Louise Hay and Hay House and purchased the little blue book Mental Causes of Diseases. In 1999, Dr. Spranza obtained a Single Subject Clear Teaching Credential from Chapman University.  She ultimately earned her PhD in Education from Capella University in 2013.   

    After completion of her Doctorate, Dr. Spranza was signed to Models, Inc. Agency and worked as an actor and model for companies such as Ross Dress for Less, Shiseido, CoolSculpting, the Japanese TV Show World’s Astonishing News, and in Commercials for DirecTV and Frito-Lay Tostitos. Her art was in shown in San Francisco at 111 Minna Gallery and The Mint, Studio 23 in Alameda and the Autumn Lights Festival at the Gardens at Lake Merritt in Oakland.

    She expanded her practice of  teaching private music lessons, with her students achieving significant recognition, including performances at Carnegie Hall. At the Alameda County Office of Education, she was an Alameda County representative to CTAP Technology Leadership Academy, a co-leader of staff development program for Grade 4-8 technology integration as well as received Gifted and Talented Certification for teaching and differentiating of instruction to children in the top 2% of IQ. For two summers she was a Fellow in the Industry Initiatives in Science and Math Education (iisme) and was an intranet web designer at Applied Materials in Santa Clara, CA and a business support architect at Synopsys, Sunnyvale. She was a Krause Center of Innovation Merit Cohort Participant 2005-2006 and Center of Innovation Fellow 2006 - 2009 at Foothill Observatory.

    As a composer, Dr. Spranza received numerous awards including: Can Dee Color Sweet (2022) Second Place Composers Today State Contest MTAC Teacher’s Teaching Piece and Certain Dream (2020) First Place Composers Today State Contest MTAC Teacher’s Teaching Piece.  In addition, she received numerous commendations including Big Muddy Film Festival. Carbondale, IL 1993 Silver Juror's Choice Award; Charlotte Film and Video Festival. Charlotte, NC 1993 Outstanding Film Award; Slice of Life Film and Video Festival. PA 1992 Director’s Choice Award; 11th Annual Black Maria Film Festival. NJ 1992 Diplome D’Honneur, Festival de Film & des Realisateurs des Ecoles de Cinema, Nimes, France 1992 Certificate of Merit. Chicago International Film Festival; Chicago, IL 1991 Honorable Mention. Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. IL 1991. As a saxophonist she performed on other musician’s albums  including Theory of Motion (Curious/Pogus, 1990) with Fred Lonberg-Holm, Selfish (LOE Gino-2020), Spiritual Stones (LOE Gino-2022), and I Wanna Rap for Sway (LOE Gino- 2023). 

    Dr. Spranza’s areas of expertise include but are not limited to gifted and talented education, intuition in education, music theory and composition, sound and audio design, music technology, and instructional design.

    Throughout her illustrious career, Dr. Spranza has received many awards and accolades and has been recognized worldwide for her accomplishments. She received an Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 for excelling as a musician for over twenty years. She received a Top Piano Teacher Award in 2021 and 2023 from Steinway & Sons. This year she will be considered for the Empowered Woman Award and to be featured in TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine. She will be honored at IAOTP's annual awards gala at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville this December for her selection as Top Private Music Educator of the Year for her outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry.