Sara Davenport
Elementary Music Teacher & Performer
Fairfax County Public Schools
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
First, I joined chorus in high school and absolutely LOVED it!
Then I was given a guitar at the age of 18 and taught myself how to play.
Then I applied to the VCU School of Music as a vocal major for music education to teach high school.
Then I began writing music and performing at local bars and coffee shops in the city.
Then I student taught and hated the high schoolers, so I chose younger kids instead.
I was hired as an elementary music teacher and loved it, but the focus on performing disappeared.
The, I decided I needed to be HAPPY, and that I could still do both.
Now I play with FarAway AND teach, and it's the best of both worlds!
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Stonewall Jackson High School
Stonewall Jackson High School
Career
Elementary Music Teacher & Performer
I teach general music to grades kindergarten through 6th and also am a performing songwriter.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Music
Education
Being Creative
Day to Day
A great day would include smiling and happy children, along with active and engaged learners. Not every class is perfect, but my hope is always that at the end of a class at least one student has walked away learning something new. In addition to my teaching, a responsive audience at a live show is also part of a great day!
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Once you've found your passion for music make sure you allow that to grow! Being creative at an early age will allow you to excel later on.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You'll never make enough money being a performer." "You aren't pretty enough to make it big as a performer." "You should marry someone rich if you plan on performing music for a living."
Challenges I Overcame
Credibility
