Candice Bellinger and her family are thrilled to be moving back to Lowville with their 6-year-old son. With nearly 20 years of experience in music education and performance, Candice has dedicated her career to empowering both children and adults through the transformative power of music. Candice holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. She studied early childhood music with Dr. John Feierabend and Leilani Miranda, clarinet with Tom LeGrand of the Houston Symphony and world-renowned clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, and piano with John Warthen Struble and Dr. Carleen Graff at Plymouth State University. Throughout her career, Candice has worked with thousands of students, helping them explore new instruments, develop their vocal abilities, and find confidence on and off stage. Her work spans everything from small ensemble coaching to directing large-scale musicals. She served as Music Minister for five years at a small Episcopal church in New Hampshire and was commissioned to compose two original pieces with lyrics by Helen Fernald and her late brother, Charles S. Evans: “Unknown to the World’s Gaze” and “Sweet Baby Jesus.” Candice spent 15 years as a faculty member at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH, and 20 years as the owner of the Wolfeboro Academy of Music. She also served as Music Director and Director of Development for Kingswood Children’s Summer Theater. Candice believes that the vitality of a community is strengthened when music is at its heart, and she is excited to begin building the foundation for enriching music programming at Double Play Community Center alongside Enrichment Director Kate Reynolds.