Potomac Elementary Teacher Recognized as 'Distinguished Music Educator'

Suzana Basaric-Ilic, general music teacher at , is not new to winning awards. She has won several as an accomplished flautist.

But when she was given the “Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award” in June, she said it had a special meaning to her.

But, this award, given by the Yale School Of Music, has special meaning.

“I love what I do. Teaching is the most gratifying job and every day in the classroom is a new opportunity to inspire and to get inspired,” she said. “Nothing is more rewarding than seeing children discover the beauty of music.”

Suzana Basaric-Ilic was one of 50 music educators from across the country selected by the Yale School of Music for outstanding accomplishments as a public school music teacher.

Basaric-Ilic has been teaching for 25 years, ten of which have been in the Montgomery County Public Schools system. She has been teaching at Potomac Elementary School for the past six years.

The teacher, who also gives private flute instruction, said she grew up with a love for music. Her father instilled in her an appreciation for the art form which started her interest in teaching music, she said.

“He took me to concerts, theaters and signed me up for music and ballet lessons when I was a little girl,” Basaric-Ilic said. “Music and theater was always a big part of my life, and I guess it just continued naturally.”

Potomac Elementary School helps cultivate music education as one of three schools in the county designated as an Arts Integrated Model School. Arts integration is defined on the website as “an arts integration learning community that will engage, create, and problem solve as cognitively active learners, using the arts to make connections and gain a deeper understanding of the world and our environment,” according to the school's website.

“Children are so creative and their creativity is in full bloom through the world of music; the possibilities are endless,” Basaric-Ilic said.

Principal of Potomac Elementary School Linda Goldberg, said Basaric-Ilic is an excellent teacher who works to integrate music into the other subjects. Basaric-Ilic collaborated with the classroom teachers in the fourth and fifth grades to create integrated curricular projects with performances weaved in them, Goldberg said.

“I am proud that Ms. Basaric has been recognized for her teaching. She insures that every child has an opportunity to shine in her classroom,” Goldberg said. “She is an exemplary music teacher and colleague.”