About Ms. Cavallaro

Katie Cavallaro is the elementary strings teacher for the Manhattan Beach Unified School District. She has been teaching third through fifth grade strings at all five MBUSD elementary schools since the Fall of 2009. Prior to joining the music faculty in Manhattan Beach, Ms. Cavallaro held a similar teaching position as an elementary strings teacher in the Santa Monica-Malibu USD. During her tenure in Santa Monica, Ms. Cavallaro helped revamp the elementary strings curriculum, helping to improve student achievement, enrollment, retention, and instrumentation.

A native of upstate New York, Ms. Cavallaro pursued studies in violin performance and music education at Ithaca College, earning a bachelor's and master's degree, both with high honors. She is also an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and has SAA registered training in the courses Every Child Can, Violin Book 1, and Violin Book 2. In addition to her studies on the violin, Ms. Cavallaro’s music experience includes playing cello in her high school orchestra, singing in choir, and playing percussion in the marching band! Like most students in the MBUSD, Ms. Cavallaro first began playing the violin in the third grade. She is happy to be teaching students who are at the same age when her own love for music was ignited!

When not teaching or playing music, Ms. Cavallaro is an avid long-distance runner. She enjoys running in local race events such as the Los Angeles Marathon, the Grand View Gator 5K, and the Robinson Fun Run. Additionally, Ms. Cavallaro is a nutrition enthusiast. She especially enjoys cooking a variety of plant-based menus using fresh local produce from the farmer’s market!