Zerbe

Music teacher to ages zero to ninety-nine in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Watch my videos

I began hearing music even before I was born, as my parents played music continuously.

I believe God gave us music to help lift us humans out of trouble to a place of beauty, praise and celebration; to help us validate and express our human emotions.

My training includes formal classical piano, vocal guidance from my voice teacher Mom, and my own involvement in school choirs. As a preteen I took up the trumpet, then later French horn and guitar. Early listening influences were jazz, big band, Broadway, pop, folk and hymns. My Dad was an Episcopalian priest who loved all kinds of music, and my mother, in addition to being a soprano soloist, was church organist and accompanist. The folk and pop I heard in the 60’s and 70’s really influenced my guitar and later songwriting. More recently, I have also learned the ukulele.

I love kids; one of my favorite jobs was teaching music at Arts For Kids, a daycare center in Oshkosh. My students were from 4 months old through 5th grade. Imagination and play are a huge part of teaching music to kids.

Since a very early age myself, I also have continued to stay busy as a piano accompanist for soloists and choirs.

I directed a choir of residents at Evergreen Retirement Community, mostly in their 80's and 90's. I re-wrote and arranged songs to make them more accessible to those with limited vision. In early 2019 I gave up the daycare music and choir teaching in order to spend more time with my then 94-yr-old Mama 3 states away. She died in Dec 2022 and I miss her dearly. Her music lives on and I look for ways to express it.

The video of my song "For the Asking" features Stas Venglevski on the bayan, and was recorded by Mark & Karen Ward of Milwaukee. The song tells how music moves us and liberates us. You can find it on Youtube.

"Sweetly 'Neath the Moon", my CD of lullabies, was released shortly after our first granddaughter, Kailey, was born in 2013. Other cd's of mine are "A Long Way To Go", 2001, "Rooted and Free", 2005 and "Dorothy Zerbe and the Savage Beast String Band Live at Mt. Morris", 2014. My CD's are available on cdbaby.com and songsforteaching.com, in hard copy or digitally, or directly from me. They are also available via i-tunes, spotify and many other digital sites.

I sponsor musicians in our Savage Beast house concerts from time to time: https://www.facebook.com/dorothyzerbesongs/

  • Work
    • Creative Musician, freelance
  • Education
    • BA LeTourneau U, Humanities, 1980; BSN, UW-Oshkosh, Nursing, 2007