Personal Biography

            Priscilla Blanco began having an interest in music at a very early age. Her sister played the piano for eight years and most of her family always had inkling towards music. Her mother placed her in piano lessons when she was in second grade with a local piano teacher who was a member of the American Piano Guild, Maria Garcia. Soon after, paying for the piano lessons was becoming a problem due to financial burdens. Maria decided to give Priscilla lessons for free as long as her mother would take her every week. Aside from taking lessons privately, Priscilla had music class every week at Miami Heights Elementary School with Ms. Carmen Lopez and Mr. Waltz. Maria Garcia retired and Priscilla began lessons again a year after with Isolina Bulnes.

            Middle school was quite an experience for Priscilla. She and her family were worried about the school environment and the rumors about the school. Richmond Heights Middle School turned out to have a very encouraging teacher who influenced Priscilla to stay in music. Priscilla joined the orchestra for three years and played viola as well as taking the piano lab class. Her eighth grade year she attempted band on bass clarinet, which is the instrument the teacher picked, but she wanted to play percussion and wasn’t allowed to change. She played bass clarinet for only one week and didn’t want to continue. Her band teacher let her practice on piano and viola during that class period. Ms. Cooper was the piano lab teacher who encouraged Priscilla to audition for Coral Reef High School’s piano magnet program. With Ms. Cooper’s help and Priscilla’s new piano teacher Priscilla auditioned and wa accepted to the program.

            Coral Reef High School presented Priscilla with some new challenges. Luckily, Isolina Bulnes was the type of piano teacher who incorporated theory and music history in the lesson, which helped Priscilla in high school. Isolina moved from Miami shortly after Priscilla began high school. Mr. Alan Caves, the piano magnet director, had Priscilla participate in many activities throughout high school like the Federation of Music Clubs, Honors Keyboard Festival, and Keyboard Evaluations. Junior year Priscilla became the Music Director for the musical “Schoolhouse Rock!” and the following year for “The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd.” These musical experiences helped guide her into choosing a career path in music. Senior year Priscilla was trying to decide whether to do Music Education or Elementary Education in college or whether to attend college period; she would be the first in her family to do so. She applied to FIU, knowing it was the only school her family could afford, as an Elementary Education major and auditioned for the School of Music to see of she would be accepted. To her surprise, she was accepted, but was still undecided. Mr. Caves was a man of few words, but he told her “if anyone should be a music teacher its you.” This was the deciding factor that guided her to choose Music Education.

            After graduating Coral Reef, Priscilla entered FIU for Music Education. She was then hired by Miami Children’s Theater as Music Director and worked on a total of eleven musicals with children ranging from ages 5-19. Working there helped Priscilla develop conducting skills and her sight reading skills as well as a place to apply what she learned in school. Priscilla continues to music direct around South Florida schools and dance schools. Priscilla is currently in Concert Choir at FIU and the President of CMENC. Professors like Dr. Kerstetter, Dr. Rand, and Dr. Luzko are becoming influential forces that are shaping her teaching goals and philosophy. She hopes to graduate with a B.M. in Music Education and influence the music education world by making sure her students become not only proficient musicians, but learn to think creatively and apply the skills they gain through music in everyday life.