2018 Swan Award Winner: Linda Lovaas

Linda Lovaas received her B.M.E. and M.Ed. in music from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and began her teaching career in 1977 at Levi Fry Middle School in Texas City, Texas. She retired in 2008 after 18 years directing the choruses and drama teams at Mark Twain Junior High School in Modesto, California.

She was selected 2002-2003 Region VI Teacher of Excellence for the California League of Middle Schools and also Teacher of the Month for Channel 10 News in 2003.

Linda has been a guest conductor for various junior high honor choirs in the state. She has given sessions at CMEA and California ACDA (now CCDA) conferences, and has worked as a clinician with teachers and students at many school sites. She has served on the California ACDA Board as Junior High/Middle School Repertoire & Standards Chair, and as Chair of the Summer Conference at ECCO. She was manager for the Junior High Honor Choir at the ACDA Western Division Conference in Anaheim (2008), Reno (2012), and Santa Barbara (2014).
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Linda loves spending time with her husband, Duane, and going on adventures in their 1975 French powder blue TR6. She has taken up tap dancing again after a 50 year hiatus, and recently danced as a popcorn box on the Modesto Junior College stage at her studio’s recital! She volunteers and is on the board for Modesto’s Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary. She loves making quilts, reading good books, and watching movies of all kinds!

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