My Background

"Life is a Song, Love is the Music

Hello!  My name is Rachael Katrina Lewis.  I am a  K-8 music teacher and pianist.  This is my seventeenth year teaching in Swain County.   I hold a Master of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Lousiana at Lafayette.  I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Western Carolina University in 2000.  

I began teaching private piano during college and soon grew to love it.  I was afforded the opportunity to teach several college classes during graduate school and when I graduated in 2002 I began teaching music and art at Mountain Discovery Charter School.  I started working for Swain County Public Schools in the fall of 2006.  

I have a very energetic teaching style.  I enjoy integrating technology into my lessons and I enjoy including lots of movement and creative gameplay during class.  I believe that to learn music, one must do it!   My lessons incorporate elements of Orff, Kodaly, Improvisation, and a lot of multimedia.     
I love to perform classical music and I play the piano, dulcimer, and the organ.  I enjoy using my musical gifts at church.  I have had the privilege of placing first in several international piano competitions and had the opportunity to play with the orchestra at Gardener-Web University.  This past summer I received a special certification for teaching the Appalachian Dulcimer.  

I am a married mother of three beautiful children.  We live in Sylva.  We farm our own food in the summer and I am dedicated to home food preservation and preserving essential survival skills. 

My own children have taught me so much about teaching.  My oldest two are academically gifted, and my youngest has severe special needs. They are a constant source of joy and inspiration.  The most important thing in my life is my relationship with Jesus and serving God in any way that I can. I strive to be an example for my children in everything I am and do, even though I often fail.   I delight in seeing others learn and in sharing the joys that music can bring.  

My mission on Earth is to serve and glorify God.   I will take the time to breathe, to notice the sublime beauty of his creation. I will have a servant’s heart. I will pursue knowledge and artistic skill, inspiring others through the joyous reflection of the spirit of God which will sculpt my life.  May my heart ever be tender, my love generous and my thoughts and actions kind.  I will feel the sunshine on my face, take my calm in the rain, feel the leaves crunch under my feet. I will sing and dance and play music and create joy in this world.  

My hobbies include nature activities, art, reading, creative writing, and I really love to play Minecraft!