Hillary Harder

Hillary Harder is a music educator, violinist, and vocalist from Elkhart, Indiana. Hillary began performing at an early age, singing and playing the violin with her family bluegrass and folk band, including a cultural exchange grant-funded tour to Paraguay in 2011. She has studied violin, piano, organ, and voice and also enjoys playing the mandolin and songwriting. Hillary graduated from Goshen College in Goshen, IN with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Music with a double concentration in voice and violin. In addition to performing with choirs and orchestras and as a soloist, Hillary also studied abroad in Nicaragua, Spain, and the UK, pursuing musical opportunities in each location. Hillary earned her Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the Longy School of Music of Bard College, participating in the Los Angeles-based intensive music education program with a focus on social change through music, inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema music education philosophy.

Hillary taught music full-time at Roosevelt STEAM Academy in Elkhart, IN for two years. There she helped to build up the school’s El Sistema-inspired music education program, as well as collaborating to enact El Sistema-inspired music initiatives throughout Elkhart County and throughout the Great Lakes region. In her second year of teaching she was voted Roosevelt Teacher of the Year and Elementary Teacher of the Year for Elkhart Community Schools, and was chosen as a finalist for Indiana Teacher of the Year. Currently Hillary works as the El Sistema Coordinator for Horizon Education Alliance, an education nonprofit organization. This fall she has founded and served as instructor for the first after-school El Sistema-inspired program in Elkhart County at the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen, as well as continuing to support the music program at Roosevelt STEAM Academy. In her free time Hillary enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and taking walks outdoors.