Meet the CAKE Board
Larena Code, President
Larena Code is an elementary music teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from DePaul University (2015) where she also studied piano performance. She completed her Kodály certification at DePaul University and her Orff certification at University of Kentucky. She is currently finishing her Master’s in Music Education with a Kodály concentration at the University of St. Thomas. Previously the K-5 music teacher at Keller Elementary School, her work is published in the Illinois Music Educator Journal (IMEJ) on topics such as race and equity in the music room, culturally responsive pedagogy, and elementary hip-hop curriculum. As a child, she lived in Norway which instilled an early passion for music and folk dance of all cultures. Taking her passions into the community, Larena has presented at the Illinois Music Educators Conference as well as local universities and is the current president of Chicago Area Kodály Educators.
Contact Larena: larena.code@gmail.com
Larena Code is an elementary music teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from DePaul University (2015) where she also studied piano performance. She completed her Kodály certification at DePaul University and her Orff certification at University of Kentucky. She is currently finishing her Master’s in Music Education with a Kodály concentration at the University of St. Thomas. Previously the K-5 music teacher at Keller Elementary School, her work is published in the Illinois Music Educator Journal (IMEJ) on topics such as race and equity in the music room, culturally responsive pedagogy, and elementary hip-hop curriculum. As a child, she lived in Norway which instilled an early passion for music and folk dance of all cultures. Taking her passions into the community, Larena has presented at the Illinois Music Educators Conference as well as local universities and is the current president of Chicago Area Kodály Educators.
Contact Larena: larena.code@gmail.com
Vicki Long, President Elect
Vicki Long is a K-4 elementary general music teacher and 5th grade beginning band director at Queen Bee School District 16. She also has experience teaching general and instrumental music at the middle and high school levels and was on faculty at Northern Illinois University teaching Double Reed Techniques. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Master of Music in Bassoon Performance from Northern Illinois University. In addition, she completed her Kodaly Levels and is working towards completing her Orff Levels at DePaul University and holds an ESL endorsement from St. Francis University. Outside of teaching, she is the principal bassoonist of Chicago’s Lakeview Orchestra during the regular season and performs with the Wheaton Municipal Band during the summer.
Contact Vicki: victorialong08@gmail.com
Erin Flynn, Membership Secretary
Erin Flynn is excited to serve on the CAKE board - to support this joyful community of music educators and its enthusiastic commitment to inquiry, reflection and growth in the field of music education. Erin is a K-3 general music teacher in North Chicago, District 187. Erin is especially inspired by CAKE’s commitment to equity in the music classroom and its rigorous expectation that educators truly understand the history and origin of folk repertoire and the deep memory held within a folk tune. Erin graduated in theater arts from Northwestern University and holds a masters degree in early childhood education from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Erin completed three levels of Kodaly certification at DePaul University School of Music. She loves singing, playing piano, writing children’s songs about music in nature, mothering, playing fiddle, and teaching fiddle to young children.
Contact Erin: erinflycy@gmail.com
Erin Flynn is excited to serve on the CAKE board - to support this joyful community of music educators and its enthusiastic commitment to inquiry, reflection and growth in the field of music education. Erin is a K-3 general music teacher in North Chicago, District 187. Erin is especially inspired by CAKE’s commitment to equity in the music classroom and its rigorous expectation that educators truly understand the history and origin of folk repertoire and the deep memory held within a folk tune. Erin graduated in theater arts from Northwestern University and holds a masters degree in early childhood education from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Erin completed three levels of Kodaly certification at DePaul University School of Music. She loves singing, playing piano, writing children’s songs about music in nature, mothering, playing fiddle, and teaching fiddle to young children.
Contact Erin: erinflycy@gmail.com
Ella Bender, Recording Secretary
Ella Bender began her teaching career in 2010, and is currently the K-5 general music teacher in Medinah School District 11. She is also fortunate enough to direct the middle school choir in this same district. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2010 and graduated with her Master of Music in Music Education degree with a Kodály emphasis from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio in 2017.
Contact Ella: ellajbender@gmail.com
Ella Bender began her teaching career in 2010, and is currently the K-5 general music teacher in Medinah School District 11. She is also fortunate enough to direct the middle school choir in this same district. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2010 and graduated with her Master of Music in Music Education degree with a Kodály emphasis from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio in 2017.
Contact Ella: ellajbender@gmail.com
Amanda Caretta-Hull, Member-at-Large
Amanda Caretta-Hull is a general music and instrumental teacher in the Mukwonago Area School District in Wisconsin. She has been teaching for over a decade, and has a strong background in Kodály inspired education. In her free time, Amanda plays Traditional Irish Music with the bands Ogham, Tradforce, and Paddygrass, and is a musician and the music director at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Amanda graduated with a BFA in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in 2005, and earned her MA in Education from Boston University in 2011. She did her Kodaly levels and earned her Kodaly Certificate from DePaul University.
Contact Amanda: acaretta@gmail.com
Amanda Caretta-Hull is a general music and instrumental teacher in the Mukwonago Area School District in Wisconsin. She has been teaching for over a decade, and has a strong background in Kodály inspired education. In her free time, Amanda plays Traditional Irish Music with the bands Ogham, Tradforce, and Paddygrass, and is a musician and the music director at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Amanda graduated with a BFA in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in 2005, and earned her MA in Education from Boston University in 2011. She did her Kodaly levels and earned her Kodaly Certificate from DePaul University.
Contact Amanda: acaretta@gmail.com
Janell Bjorklund, Treasurer
Janell Bjorklund teaches general music for students in grades K-5 and adaptive general music (ages 3-21) for Evanston-Skokie School District 65 in Evanston, Illinois. She holds degrees in music education from DePaul University and the University of North Texas. Bjorklund is certified in the Kodály approach through the Plano ISD at SMU training program and is certified in the Orff Schulwerk approach through DePaul University. Bjorklund presented her research on "The Use of Soprano Recorder in Kodaly-inspired Classrooms" for poster sessions at the Illinois Music Education Association Annual Statewide Conference and the Organization of American Kodály Educators National Conference in 2015. She has presented professional development sessions on facilitating social justice conversations in the Kodaly-inspired classroom at both ILMEC (2017) and OAKE (2019) conferences. Bjorklund teaches DePaul University and Southern Methodist University's Kodály training programs.
Contact Janell: bjorklundj@district65.net
Janell Bjorklund teaches general music for students in grades K-5 and adaptive general music (ages 3-21) for Evanston-Skokie School District 65 in Evanston, Illinois. She holds degrees in music education from DePaul University and the University of North Texas. Bjorklund is certified in the Kodály approach through the Plano ISD at SMU training program and is certified in the Orff Schulwerk approach through DePaul University. Bjorklund presented her research on "The Use of Soprano Recorder in Kodaly-inspired Classrooms" for poster sessions at the Illinois Music Education Association Annual Statewide Conference and the Organization of American Kodály Educators National Conference in 2015. She has presented professional development sessions on facilitating social justice conversations in the Kodaly-inspired classroom at both ILMEC (2017) and OAKE (2019) conferences. Bjorklund teaches DePaul University and Southern Methodist University's Kodály training programs.
Contact Janell: bjorklundj@district65.net
Alicia Brown, Member-at-Large
Alicia Brown is in her twelfth year of teaching and currently teaches PK-6 dual-language music and advanced elementary choir for Chicago Public Schools. She holds a BME from Illinois Wesleyan University and a M.A.M.E. in Kodály from the University of St. Thomas. She has also completed Levels I-III in Orff-Schulwerk at the University of St. Thomas. Alicia has presented strategies for promoting music literacy and creation in the ESL/bilingual classroom at music education conferences throughout the U.S, including the 2021 Organization of American Kodaly Educators National Conference. She is passionate about teaching bilingual students and the use of culturally inclusive practices in the elementary classroom.
Contact Alicia: aliciambrownmusic@gmail.com
Alicia Brown is in her twelfth year of teaching and currently teaches PK-6 dual-language music and advanced elementary choir for Chicago Public Schools. She holds a BME from Illinois Wesleyan University and a M.A.M.E. in Kodály from the University of St. Thomas. She has also completed Levels I-III in Orff-Schulwerk at the University of St. Thomas. Alicia has presented strategies for promoting music literacy and creation in the ESL/bilingual classroom at music education conferences throughout the U.S, including the 2021 Organization of American Kodaly Educators National Conference. She is passionate about teaching bilingual students and the use of culturally inclusive practices in the elementary classroom.
Contact Alicia: aliciambrownmusic@gmail.com
Jana Martin, Past President
Jana Martin is in her 21st year of teaching music, with experiences in PK-12 vocal and general music. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado and Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She completed her Kodály Certification at New York University, and Orff certification at DePaul University. She also had the opportunity to participate in the 2017 Kodály Seminar at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary to learn more about the methodology in the birthplace of Kodály and to study with world-class musicians and continue her musical learning. Martin currently teaches general music at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette Public Schools District 39, and directs the Wilmette High Five Junior Choir for students of all abilities. She is also a member of the faculty at the DePaul University Summer Kodály Institute, where she has taught musicianship classes since 2016.
Contact Jana: janajmkmartin@gmail.com
Jana Martin is in her 21st year of teaching music, with experiences in PK-12 vocal and general music. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado and Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She completed her Kodály Certification at New York University, and Orff certification at DePaul University. She also had the opportunity to participate in the 2017 Kodály Seminar at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary to learn more about the methodology in the birthplace of Kodály and to study with world-class musicians and continue her musical learning. Martin currently teaches general music at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette Public Schools District 39, and directs the Wilmette High Five Junior Choir for students of all abilities. She is also a member of the faculty at the DePaul University Summer Kodály Institute, where she has taught musicianship classes since 2016.
Contact Jana: janajmkmartin@gmail.com