Mary Palazzolo Rudquist

Music teacher and choir director

B.A. - Vocal Music Education
University of Minnesota-Duluth

Since graduating from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a degree in Vocal Music Education, I have been working as a music teacher and choir director for 14 years in the Minneapolis area currently teaching at Centennial Middle School and directing at Centennial High School. I am also a working professional stage actor in the Minneapolis area and have had leading roles in shows such as "Legally Blonde", "Into The Woods", "The Little Mermaid", "A New Brain" and "Little Shop of Horrors". In 2018, I was a finalist for best actress in a musical for my performance of Paulette in "Legally Blonde".

I was in orchestra (4 years), theater (4 years) and choir (2 years). Having Mr. Buchhauser as my teacher was what inspired me to become a music educator. His passion for excellence and musicality has shaped my own teaching and has made me a better musician. The theatre program was always one that supported great work from its students. The high standards set by the directors truly helped me to become more self-motivated and driven as a performer. Most importantly, the best friends I could ever have asked for in High School were all part of these activities and are the greatest legacy I take with me when I reflect on my time at JMM.

The arts embody humanity. We cannot exist as fully developed people without art and the performing arts. This is where I found my "people" and I felt success. I was barely an average student and definitely not an athlete but I belonged in choir, orchestra and theatre. Belonging somewhere is integral to education. I have not one, but two successful careers in the arts and I owe it to where I began at JMM.