Ashley Espinal is a highly motivated and energetic individual with love for children and the ambition to make a difference in their lives. Currently, Ashley is the music teacher and choral director at St. Juliana Catholic School in West Palm Beach, Florida, where she teaches Pre-K to 8th grade students the fundamentals of music-making and creativity through the Orff Schulwerk approach. She is also pursuing her Florida educator's certification after completing her post-graduate studies in music education from Florida International University. Prior to working as a music teacher, Ashley was a preschool teacher at Pacesetter Academy in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and served as the lead alto cantor and section leader at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and School for nearly nine years. Additionally, Ashley worked as a private music instructor, teaching piano and vocal lessons to children and adolescents in the Miami-Dade/Broward County area, before becoming a graduate teaching and research assistant for the music education department at FIU’s School of Music. In the summer of 2019, Ashley completed her first-level training certification in the Orff Schulwerk approach at FIU, and recently completed her second-level Orff Schulwerk certification in July 2022. Upon obtaining her master’s degree, Ashley’s thesis titled “Children’s Creative Processes in Music Composition Through the Orff Schulwerk Approach” was published in December 2020, where she received the School of Music Graduate Research Award the subsequent year for her contribution to the growing body of music education research. In her current teaching practice, Ashley utilizes a variety of educational techniques to nurture children’s cognitive, linguistic, social-emotional, and fine/gross motor skills, and incorporates her musical background and training in Orff Schulwerk into her music curriculum to engage children’s senses for an all-encompassing learning experience.Outside the classroom, Ashley volunteers at her home church as a singer and music educator, and aids with her local beach cleanup. She attends various workshops and seminars throughout the year sponsored by the Florida Music Education Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the South Florida Orff Chapter to stay current with the trends in music education. She also advocates for animal rights and helps several rescues in their mission to place abused and abandoned domestic animals into permanent loving homes. Ashley lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, with her husband, infant son, and their five rescued cats and dog.