Ellen Shamas-Brandt

Ellen has a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance/Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, a Master of Education in Elementary Education from Vanderbilt University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Innovation from the University of Colorado Denver. She has 20 years of experience teaching elementary education in Douglas County and Littleton and 4 years teaching early childhood music classes through the Great Escape Parents’ Day Out and Preschool. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Professor at Arapahoe Community College, where she teaches courses in the Early Childhood Education department.

Ellen is a certified Musikgarten teacher, a member of the Music Teachers National Association, the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Ellen participated in guilds, won MTNA competitions, and received music scholarships at the University of Colorado. She continues to take piano lessons because she strongly believes in lifelong learning. She attends the Sonata Piano Camp annually in Vermont and participates in a monthly group of musicians called Salon. Ellen recently performed a solo recital as part of the St. Andrew United Methodist Church Lenten Recital Series. Ellen has also rediscovered her love for the violin through her Avanti teacher, Talia Vlieger.

Ellen enjoys working with all age levels. She firmly believes in developmentally appropriate programs for children, and also believes that instilling a love for music is the most important job a music teacher has. She is very excited to put together her love for teaching and her passion for music here at Avanti!

Ellen also enjoys singing and theatre. She has sung with numerous choirs and has performed soprano solos with the Littleton Symphony and Littleton United Methodist Church Chancel Choir. She has performed in plays and musicals throughout the years with the Aurora Fox, Encore Players, Main Street Players, and South Suburban Theatre Company, winning awards in acting, musical direction, and background vocals at the Colorado Community Theatre Coalition. She has musically directed youth for the Littleton Town Hall Arts Center’s Actor’s Playground program (“The Little Mermaid,” “Once on This Island, Jr.” “Grease, Jr.,” and “Seussical, Jr.”).