Christine Murrain

I have a background in music education, holding an Associate of Science in Child Development and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. Before obtaining my teacher’s certificate, I worked as a preschool teacher and eventually became a Program Director. Later, I taught instrumental and vocal ensembles at a high school in Detroit, as well as music to K-8 students at a charter school in a nearby suburb.

Although my lifestyle now looks different than what I had originally planned, I absolutely love it. During my pregnancy, I stepped away from teaching K-8 students and have not returned to the classroom since.

I am currently homeschooling my four young children and managing our household. Even though I am not teaching in a traditional school setting, I still consider myself to be an educator and am grateful for the opportunity to teach and learn alongside my children every day.

I was also enrolled in a Master’s degree program at the same time, with aspirations of becoming a school principal and eventually starting my own conservatory. However, when I found out I was pregnant with twins, I decided to drop my courses and focus on motherhood.

Rediscovering My Passion: From Educator to Musician

When I first started teaching, I was given a piece of advice: remember to be a musician first and an educator second. It wasn’t long before I realized what that meant. My dedication to helping others left little time for me to create music for myself, either alone or with friends. I found myself arranging performances for my students instead of performing myself, and even spending my own money to fund school projects and purchase necessary materials that the high school wouldn’t provide.

Now that I’m home, I’m rediscovering old hobbies that were set aside during my teaching career. I’m especially excited to be a musician again and to have the freedom to create just for the love of it.

I walk in nature daily with my children, and I always bring a notebook with me. Whenever an idea strikes, I jot it down and save it for later. This allows me to fully enjoy the present experience while also capturing ideas for future writing. Nowadays, I do most of my writing at night when the house is quiet, and I can focus on developing my ideas.

Discovering My Passion for Music and Writing: My Journey as a Composer and Educator

In middle school, I began writing poetry as a school assignment, but it soon became a regular practice that I carried with me into adulthood. When I read the works of poets such as Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Lang Leav, and E.H (Erin Hanson), I feel even more inspired to create my own poetry.

In high school, I shared my creativity with others through various outlets. I was the editor of the school newspaper and wrote a variety of pieces, including poetry, songs, short stories, and monologues. Competing against talented peers, I often won writing competitions.

Despite being a skilled clarinet player and proficient in other instruments, I struggled with sight-singing in college. Recognizing the impact of tutoring, I sought help from my classmate Susan, a gifted music educator. She taught me sight-singing, which unlocked a world of possibilities.

As I continued my music studies, I discovered my passion for composing. Spending hours in the music tech lab, I composed alongside friends and received encouragement from professors and classmates. I realized that I had a talent for composition and dreamed of becoming a film scorer or composer.

Although I never considered a career in composing until college and was unaware of black and/or women composers, I dedicated a significant amount of time to composing as a student. I drew inspiration from a diverse range of artists across multiple genres, including R&B, jazz, classical, hip-hop, gospel, reggae, rock, and house music.

With my advanced music theory training, I relied on pencil and manuscript paper to accurately notate my ideas and set my own poetry to music. My technical skills in music notation and error detection and correction continue to serve me well.

One day, as my husband and I were clearing out the basement, we stumbled upon a collection of sentimental items, including letters from my former students, lesson plans I had created, and a Clarinet Method book that I had written. However, what caught our attention the most were the notebooks from my youth, filled with poetry. As I flipped through the pages, I mentioned to my husband that I had written enough poems to compile into a book, which has now become a personal goal of mine.