Elizabeth Reinhardt, Orchestra Director, Hammond High School and Patuxent Valley Middle School

June 15th, 2016

Orchestra director Elizabeth Reinhardt is known as an excellent cellist who brings out the best in her students at Hammond High School and Patuxent Valley Middle School. Reinhardt said, “My focus is about the students and making sure they love music. That’s my number one goal: that they’re proud of what they do and take that love of music beyond these four walls as they go out into the world.”

“Music helps develop the brain in lots of ways,” Reinhardt said of music education’s importance. “Music is everything put together. It forces students to be creative, and the mechanics of playing an instrument stimulate the brain.” Hammond High School Principal Marcy Leonard agreed, saying, “The habits these students develop working with Ms. Reinhardt to be successful musicians are the same ones to be successful students–discipline, hard work, collaboration and willingness to take feedback–and they translate beautifully into the academic classroom.”

Reinhardt keeps an active schedule, leading a range of orchestra activities. She prepares her students for their annual performances, the winter and spring concerts and county assessments. She’s led her high school musicians on spring trips around the country to compete, and they often win, including this year when they were awarded first place in Atlanta at a Fiesta-val multi-day music festival. At Hammond, she is the advisor for the Tri-M Music Honor Society, an honor society involving music-related community service hours, and the sponsor of the Chamber Music Club, a monthly student-initiated after-school program enabling students to play music together for fun.

Leonard said that not only do Reinhardt’s students earn top awards at national competitions, but “Ms. Reinhardt is a master teacher in every sense of the word. She is able to meet students at all different levels of musical ability and differentiate instruction to help each student improve their performance. The quality of musicianship is breathtaking.”

Reinhardt, an alumna of HCPSS, has pursued her love of music since her elementary orchestra days. Reinhardt went on to participate in Howard County G/T orchestra programs, and as she explained, “took advantage of everything the county had to offer.” In college, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, she continued with orchestra and chamber music. As an undergraduate, she knew she generally wanted to work in education and eventually concluded that “music is what I love” and should be her professional focus.

Reinhardt’s personal life continues to be full of music, including playing cello in her spare time. She’s married to Hammond Middle School orchestra director Tim Reinhardt, so they regularly encourage and inspire each other. She has served as guest conductor and adjudicator for school districts around the state. As a judge of music festivals in different counties, Reinhardt explained, “It allows me to give feedback to other groups, see what else is out there and make new connections.”

Reinhardt chose to return to Howard County to teach, explaining “The whole county has a really strong music program. There’s tremendous support from parents, administration and the community. The county puts a strong value on music education. You can’t find anything better.” Reinhardt student taught at Burleigh Manor Middle School and Centennial High School. She joined Hammond and Patuxent Valley upon earning her bachelor’s in music education.

Reinhardt has continued to develop herself as a music educator. She recently helped plan county professional development as a member of the music leadership team, and her middle school orchestra performed for a statewide music educator conference. Reinhardt, who holds a master’s in music education from Peabody Conservatory, is currently pursuing national board certification.