About the Author

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Denise Elam Dauw is a music educator in west St. Louis, Missouri. She holds a M.M. in Music Education from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and a B.M. in Music Education from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. Specializing in instrumental music as a band director, Ms. Elam Dauw also has experience teaching choir, orchestra, piano, music history and appreciation, guitar, jazz band, marching band, and color guard. She is currently a member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Missouri Music Educator's Association (MMEA, 2014 Presenter), volunteers for the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association as a Community Educator, and is an active community speaker. Her presentation, "Music & Memory: A Gateway to Lucidity," describes the power of music in the brain (including anatomy and our responses to music), memory-related brain research, in-home music therapies, and provides samples for a prescribed repertoire.