Ms. Pagano (formerly Wellons) is in her eleventh year of teaching at Wayland Middle School, but she has been teaching and playing instruments with students young and old for over 25 years.
Her love of music and desire to share that passion with children drove her to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Indiana University School of Music in 2000, where she studied saxophone with the great master, Dr. Eugene Rousseau. She also spent years playing trumpet in one of the great Big Ten marching bands, the IU Marching Hundred!
Ms. Pagano’s early teaching years included everything from private teaching to 3rd through 6th grade general music to elementary, middle, and high school band and high school jazz band. Returning to academia to further focus on her personal passion for teaching and performing, she earned a MM in Music Education from The Boston Conservatory in 2010, and a MM in saxophone performance in 2011, studying with Mr. Kenneth Radnofsky. Ms. Pagano then became Professor of Saxophone at Bridgewater State University, teaching saxophone and music history, performed in the Boston area, and maintained a large private studio.
Settling on middle school teaching as her primary “calling,” Ms. Pagano has her dream job working with the wonderful students at Wayland Middle School! She has remained an active performer, and now performs regularly in the Boston area with the jazz quintet District 5, the Continuing Ed Jazz Program ensembles at New England Conservatory, and... a rock cover band.