Elizabeth Kammerer’s beautiful life
From New Jersey to Hawaii, Mrs. Elizabeth Kammerer has carried her love of music to children – her own and the students with whom she has worked.
Kammerer was raised in New Jersey in a home filled with song. Her mother was hired as a church soloist at only 11 years old. She passed this love of the joyful noise on to her children. When Kammerer was only five, she was on bed rest for three months. During that time, she had an old Victrola and fell in love with Handel’s “Messiah.” She went on to learn bassoon and piano, took voice lessons, and sang in the church choir.
Claiming her future:
One day, at the end of a long day of music study and performance, Kammerer realized, “I’ve been doing this all day, and I’m not sick of it.” It was then that she claimed what would become her future career – music education.
Making music across the country:
Kammerer studied at Susquehanna University, where she met her husband David (a Newville native and Big Spring grad), also a music major. They have five children. Kammerer taught piano lessons while her young family moved from Pennsylvania to New York, back to Allentown, and then to Hawaii where they lived for 23 years before finding their forever (we hope!) home in Carlisle.
A beautiful way to spend a life:
Of her time in Hawaii, Kammerer says, “I was able to immerse myself in music. It’s not an easy way to make money, but it’s a beautiful way to spend your life.”
Teaching unity in CYV:
In 2017, Kammerer accepted the position of Cantate Young Voices Director. She led her first CYV performance in the Spring of 2018. She loves teaching her CYV students to “unify their voices.”
“[Although] it’s not always pretty, it is sometimes powerful, always beautiful.”
Elizabeth Kammerer
One of her favorite memories in CYV was the concert when the lights went out mid-performance, and her students didn’t miss a beat. It was an acapella, three-part harmony.
“Unity took over, and they just kept going.”
Cantate Young Voices gives young singers exposure to other motivated singers and gives them the ability to offer vocal leadership at school and church – any place they sing beyond the Cantate performances. She loves working with children who love to sing, have fun, and make friends from other schools.
Cantate is grateful for the expertise and the gentle spirit Elizabeth Kammerer brings to our organization. Her work starts long before the performances – selecting music, offering vocal coaching to every student (with the help of DeLeigh Wilson), and holding auditions happens before the winter holidays. Rehearsals commence in January and culminate in the Spring performances.
When you get a chance to chat with her, be sure to ask about her and Dave’s DIY projects at the cabin – though she might make you tired just listening to the tales of their hard work.
