Hello, my name is Ashley Gerhard and I am so excited to be the new music teacher here at St. Brigid! I am originally from Vandalia, OH, where my family attended St. Christopher Catholic School from K-8. Though music was always a strong passion of mine, it was not until my time at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School that I fully realized my passion for music. I was a 4 year choir member, in two a cappella groups, and participated in every play, musical, and “one act” they offered. Whilst highly invested in singing and performing, becoming a section leader in choir is what made me realize my joy for teaching. It became apparent after discussions with my mentors/teachers and a great deal of praying that my vocation was to teach music. I went on to receive my Bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Music Education with a specialization in Chorus. Although I absolutely adored my time in Bowling Green, OH and had an amazing experience at BGSU, I decided to relocate back to the Dayton area to start my career. Since then, I have been teaching PK-8 general music at Mother Maria Anna Brunner Catholic School. This year, I am beyond excited to be teaching music part-time at Mother Brunner and St. Brigid. I feel so blessed to be able to do twice as much of what I love, which is to guide students in musical growth and expression. Despite splitting my time between two schools, I am equally devoted to giving all of my students outstanding musical experiences and helping them to perform, create and explore music in new and exciting ways. I hope to instill in students a strong musical foundation that they can utilize in anything they choose to do beyond St. Brigid. I am thrilled to be joining the St. Brigid staff and am honored to be so warmly welcomed into this close knit community. I cannot wait to begin the school year and have a wonderful time making music together!