Title: Music Teacher
Company: Christopher Unit School District #99
Location: Christopher, IL
Education: Pursuing Master’s Degree in Music Education, Eastern Illinois University;
Bachelor’s Degree, Eastern Illinois University, Summa Cum Laude (2018);
Associate in Music Education, John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL (2015)
Career History: Music Teacher, Christopher Unit School District #99 (2019-Present);
With, Shiloh CUSD 1, Hume, IL
Kayla Rose Krapf, Music Teacher at Christopher Unit School District #99, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.
Following in the footsteps of her mother, an accomplished music teacher, Ms. Krapf has excelled in the role herself at Christopher Unit School District #99 in Illinois since 2019. Within the district, she teaches fifth-grade band, junior high school choir, and the high school band, choir, and jazz band—as well as works with the junior high school band for sectionals. She was previously active at Shiloh CUSD 1 and—strongly believing that it’s equally important to perform as it is to teach—utilizes her expertise in music and the arts as a musician, a singer, and an actress for numerous community theater productions and pit orchestras.
Excelling in a variety of positions at the nonprofit theater troupe Pyramid Players since 2003—from an actress to a choreographer to an oboe player—Ms. Krapf has showcased her skills on stage in productions of “Guys and Dolls,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “White Christmas,” among others. In addition, she sings at her local church, where she also frequently volunteers her services within its programs. She has also authored an article on professional development aimed at new teachers for the Illinois Music Educator, the official journal of the Illinois Music Education Association. In celebration of her wide range of achievements, Ms. Krapf has been honored with an Eric Mazzie Award and a Presto Foundation Scholarship.
Growing up, Ms. Krapf was greatly inspired and supported by her family, particularly her parents, who encouraged her development as a musician, and nourished her potential in the art, since before her kindergarten years. They have also been there for every performance she has been part of to this day. In fact, her father recently built a percussion instrument that she uses for her students. As her parents stressed the importance of good grades since she was young, Ms. Krapf was a determined and focused student—and proud to have earned an associate’s degree in music education from John A. Logan College in 2015 and the highest distinction when she graduated summa cum laude from Eastern Illinois University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in 2018.