CHOIR & ORCHESTRA

Dr. Susan Barnes

Director

CONTACT INFO

Email: sbarnes@rialtousd.org Office phone: (909) 854-4100 Ext. 28157

Dr. Susan Barnes is the director of choral and orchestral studies at W. A. Carter High School in Rialto, CA and has been a music teacher in the Rialto Unified School District since 1996. She has worked with elementary, middle, and high school music students, teaching orchestra, band, choir, musical theatre, and general music. Dr. Barnes is passionate about music education and serves as an adjunct professor for California State University, San Bernardino, supervising student teachers with their fieldwork completion.

Dr. Barnes studied the violin and viola at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego with the late “Suzuki Guru,” Dr. Theodore Brunson, and she sang in the Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Keith Pagan. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and a Master of Arts in Education from Point Loma. Dr. Barnes completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting and Historical Performance Practice at Claremont Graduate University. She is the Director and Conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony Overture Orchestra, a community youth full orchestra for students in grades six through nine. She performs as a freelance violinist with several local orchestras, including the Claremont Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Collective of Orange County. Dr. Barnes finds great joy in working with young musicians as they develop their talent and musical ability. She is constantly inspired by the power of music and its ability to bridge cultures, stir emotions, and foster relationships.