At the heart of the company is a company with heart.
By Kristin Clark Taylor
Quaver the Lifesaver
Megan Hibbetts, a music teacher in Texas, laughingly describes herself as a “recovering band director.”
There is both humor and truth to her description.
Hibbetts did teach and direct band for almost a decade … until she switched to teaching 5th-grade music and 6th-grade choir a few years ago.
“The change took me in an entirely different direction and placed me very much out of my depth,” she reflects, looking back.
Most of us can relate to her sentiments: Navigating the turbulent seas of transition can feel a bit disorienting at times.
As it turns out, the Texas educator needn’t have worried at all, because her new school in Fort Worth ISD had a life preserver waiting for her.
Hibbets names it happily:
QuaverMusic.
“My new school, Westcreek Elementary, was already using Quaver when I arrived,” she explains in a voice filled with gratitude, “and let me tell you—it was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it.”
Her praise is both general and specific.
In a general sense, Hibbetts says that having Quaver on hand, particularly in those early days, raised her overall comfort level and bolstered her self-confidence.
“When I first started out, it was a little overwhelming,” Hibbetts readily concedes, “but I learned very quickly that Quaver could take me right back to the basics. It was a great roadmap.”
Hibbetts quickly adapted to both her new role as a classroom music teacher and to Quaver’s highly flexible, user-friendly curriculum.
Before she knew it, she recalls, “I was customizing the lesson plans and structuring the lessons exactly the way I wanted them, in ways that felt most comfortable to me.”
As she speaks, it becomes clear that her relationship with Quaver has evolved–and every incremental stage that has unfolded over time has been significant.
At the beginning of her transition to the music classroom, Quaver was a life preserver of sorts: “It was there for me.”
Fast forward to today, and Hibbetts still describes the curriculum as “indispensable.”
Teacher Impact — Here’s the Data!
Hibbets is also impressed with Quaver’s ability to reach out and connect directly with educators wherever they are.
Her sentiments are based largely on her own experiences and encounters with Quaver, of course, but she’s also describing a collective sentiment that is shared by educators throughout the nation.
Here is some evidence-based research:
A major survey shows that Quaver is highly rated among educators for ease of use, student retention, and reduction in behavioral problems.
Ninety-six percent of the QuaverEd educators surveyed also rate the resource highly for teacher job satisfaction.
Industry-wide, then, QuaverEd sets a standard of excellence that is unmatched.
But there is something even deeper than data.
Deep in the Heart of Texas
According to Hibbetts, what stands at the very heart and soul of QuaverEd is the people—a dedicated team of songwriters, engineers, artists, designers, and subject matter experts all focused on helping today’s tech-savvy students learn to love music.
“Everyone at Quaver is committed to doing whatever needs to be done to deliver the best resource possible,” Hibbetts says.
She’s seen it happen with her own eyes.
“When I first came to Fort Worth,” she remembers, “I saw how closely the district’s elementary music coordinator paired with the Quaver team to create a custom curriculum, and I saw what a huge difference it made.”
Her gratitude runs deep.
“That a company cares enough to coordinate so closely with a school district to ensure the best possible alignment … is a win-win for everyone.”
Hibbetts says she’s felt the company’s “heartbeat” in other ways, too.
A few years back, she had the opportunity to meet Quaver himself—“face-to-face!”
“I was in the Springtown district then,” she recalls, “and when I sent the pic to my own two kids and my students, they were like, ‘Wow!’”
“I also sent the pic to my admin,” she remembers, “and it really seemed to make a favorable and lasting impression with them, too.”
How did one picture make such a lasting impression?
“It sent a message to the entire district that Quaver is accessible, compassionate, and filled with people who care about connecting with educators,” she answers quickly.
Hibbetts’s ultimate message is that Quaver is a company with a whole lot of heart.
“Which makes it the perfect curriculum for me.”
For more information about how to get Quaver in your school, visit QuaverEd.com/Music.
Kristin Clark Taylor is an author and an editor.
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