Jaimie Abney-Giraldo

Jaimie Abney-Giraldo is a career music educator who is currently serving as the Fine Arts Coordinator for School District U-46 (Elgin, IL), a position she has held since 2017.  Prior to coming into this role, she served as a building-level administrator, a band teacher, and a Mariachi instructor between 2004-2017.  She holds her Bachelor of Music Education Degree with a focus on Instrumental Music from Illinois State University (2004), as well as a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University Chicago (2011).  She is set to begin coursework for the doctoral program (DMA) in music education through Boston University in fall 2024, where she plans to focus her research efforts on the need for Mariachi education in school music education programs and the parallel need for Mariachi education to be included in music teacher preparation programs.

Ms. Abney-Giraldo helped to establish and build the Mariachi education program in School District U-46 since its inception in 2009.  Mariachi Joya Dorada de U-46 – the “golden jewel” of the community – performs regularly for school and community events.  Ms. Abney-Giraldo has attended the National Mariachi Education Workshops four times, and has hosted the Elgin Mariachi Education Workshop in U-46 since 2018.  Referred to by Erik Ramirez of Mariachi Acero de Las Vegas as “La Madrina del Mariachi” – the godmother of Mariachi – Ms. Abney-Giraldo was a contributor to 2022’s The Music Teacher's Guide to Engaging English Language Learners, for which she wrote a chapter about the benefits and connections that Mariachi education can bring to a school community, and is a regular contributor to School Band & Orchestra magazine regarding Mariachi education.  She is frequently sought out by Chicagoland and Illinois school district teachers and leaders to support the creation of Mariachi programs for their school districts through presentations, teacher training, and curriculum development, and her school district will be hosting the first-ever ILMEA Mariachi Festival in spring 2025.  In addition, she has presented Mariachi education professional development sessions at the local, state, and national levels.

Under her leadership, School District U-46 has been named one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” by the NAMM Foundation every year since 2018.  Music students from U-46 schools have been selected for ILMEA All-State and All-State Honors ensembles as well as the Illinois High School Theatre Festival All-State productions consistently during her tenure as the Fine Arts coordinator.  Also, in January 2024, Jaimie was awarded the “Administrator Support Award” from the Illinois High School Theatre Festival in recognition of her dedication to promoting and supporting theatre arts in our schools.

Jaimie served on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Music Education Association as the District 9 President from 2020-2024, and prior to that she served as the Percussion Coordinator and on the percussion team for the Association’s All-State Conference from 2001-2020.  Ms. Abney-Giraldo remains an active musician, performing as a percussionist around the Fox Valley area.