About

I believe that every child deserves the chance to learn & grow through joyful music making!

Crystal Pridmore has been teaching music for 15 years as a private voice instructor, secondary choir director, early childhood music specialist, and PreK-8 general music teacher.

She currently runs the general music, choral, and strings program for PreK-6th grade students at Finney Elementary School, a 2020 California Exemplary Arts School in the Chula Vista Elementary School District.

She holds a BA in Music Education and MA in Teaching from Point Loma Nazarene University, and California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music. She actively serves throughout the San Diego community as a singer and choir member, and performs with local groups such as the Frankly Swingin’ Band. She is the creator and co-host of the Chaotic Harmony podcast, sharing the joys and struggles of teaching in the elementary music classroom and interviewing fellow music educators from all over the world.

Crystal offers a range of online and in person music educator workshops worldwide on elemental music and movement through the Orff Schulwerk approach incorporating Social Emotional Learning, Cross Curricular Arts Integration, online teaching and learning strategies, classroom management, teacher mental health, teacher longevity and burnout resistance, and integrating puppets, ukulele, and children's books into the K-12 general and special education music classroom.

In addition, Crystal has completed 3 levels of certification in Orff-Schulwerk, serves as the San Diego American Orff Schulwerk Association Chapter President Elect, and is the Vice President of the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement. She is a current member of CMEA (California Music Educators Association), NAfME (National Association for Music Education), and AOSA (American Orff Schulwerk Association). She is the recipient of the 2020 CMEA Southern Border Section Elementary Music Specialist Fortissimo Award, the 2022 Profiles in Music Education Award from the San Diego Youth Symphony, and was a Semifinalist for the 2020 GRAMMY Music Educator Award.


Find out more about the work she does in Chula Vista by watching the following application videos she made for the GRAMMY foundation.

Check out Crystal Pridmore on Instagram!