User:Larry Marra

Larry Marra (Lawrence Ronald Marra) born October 11, 1954 in Dayton OH to Lawrence Roland Marra Jr. and Delores Geraldine Marra. Larry attended Oakwood High School and graduated in 1972. He was very active in the High School Band playing the Bass Drum for the Marching Band, timpani for the Concert Band, and Guitar in the Jazz Band. Larry attended Wright State University on a talent scholarship and received a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education in 1976 with a concentration on Percussion. He was hired by the Dayton Public Schools to be the Band Director of Dunbar High School. It was at this time that he also started an 18 piece swing band called, "the Performers" which played various venues around the Dayton area. Larry finished his six years and Dunbar HS by increasing the marching band enrollment from 15 to 120. He then transferred to Edison Elementary School, which received a "National School of Excellence" award in 1985, where he taught general music, orchestra, band, handbells, and elementary choir. He then transferred to Valerie Elementary School and taught K-6 general music, 4-6 elementary Choir, and 7-8 grade show choir. It was at this time, that he created the Dayton All-City Choir with a membership of over 500.

In 2006, Larry retired after 32 successful years of teaching in the Dayton Schools, and immediately was hired by MacMillan McGraw-Hill Publishing Company as their music education specialist. It was also in 2006 that Larry created a corporation entitled, "musicteachers911'. This endeavor encompassed both a music education podcast on iTunes and a music performance blog on blogspot.com. Musicteachers911 also enables Larry to schedule music education workshops across the United States.

In 2009, Larry was asked to be the music director of a contemporary service of South Park Methodist Church and asked to be a monthly columnist for Natural Living Magazine. He write a column for this periodical on the topics of "music and healing" and "christian astrology".

Larry can be reached via email at larry@musicteachers911..com.