Gayle Bentley's Education and Experience

Gayle earned her undergraduate degree in music from the University of Virginia and a master's degree in music education from the University of Texas at Austin. Gayle taught junior high school band in North Texas for two years before moving to Southern California where she served as Instrumental Music Director at Edison High School in Huntington Beach for two years and then at University High School in Irvine for four years.

Gayle served on the board of the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association as the First Vice President in 2004-05 and then as the Vice President of Public Information in 2005-06. She has presented numerous clinics throughout Southern California for organizations such as: California Band Director's Association, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, and Women Band Director's International.

Most recently, Gayle has taught elementary band, orchestra, and primary music in the Capistrano Unified School District. She completed her Kodaly training and is currently writing a board book series for young children based on the Kodaly methodology. Gayle is a member of the Organization of American Kodaly Educators as well as the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. She continues to be an active clinician, providing workshops for preschool teachers on the use of music in the preschool classroom. She has two young sons, Jack and Will, who enjoy music as much as she does!