Though born in Rockville, Maryland, Margaret Cancino grew up outside of Cleveland, Ohio.  She began studying piano at age seven but found her real love in 1985 with flute.  Having studied with Michel Debost (Paris National Orchestra), William Hebert (Cleveland Orchestra), and John Oberbrunner (Syracuse Symphony), she went on to major in music education and flute performance.  As a performer, she played with the Ohio Regional Orchestra, Ohio All-State Orchestra, Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, Baldwin-Wallace Summer Music Clinic, All-Ohio State Fair Band, Syracuse Children’s Chorus, the Sounds of Sousa Band, the Oberlin College-Community Winds, the Ohio Light Opera Orchestra, as well as playing at the United Nations with the Chaminade Flute Quartet, of which she was a founding member.  Earning degrees from Syracuse University, Duquesne University, and Towson University, she has spent the past twenty-eight years teaching various levels and ensembles of music.  Mrs. Cancino has taught pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, ranging from general music to band, choir, and orchestra.  Her ensembles have performed at the district and state levels, consistently earning excellent and superior ratings, while her students have been accepted to area all-county, tri-county, and all-state ensembles.  Her bands have had clinics with John Knight, Gary Ciepluch, Clint Marshall, and Linda Hauck, and her conducting coursework has been with Daniel Schmidt, Bradley Ethington, John Laverty, Robert Cameron, and Michael Haithcock.  Under her direction, the John Hanson Middle School Band premiered The Edge by Steve Frank.  Mrs. Cancino conducted the Calvert County Elementary All-County Honors Band and the Charles County Elementary All-County Honors Band East.  Her article, Take Two Tubas & Call Me in the Morning, was published in Teaching Music magazine.  When not teaching, Mrs. Cancino spends time with her husband, her children (who play flute and trombone), and their two dogs. mkcancino@smcps.org