Lindsey-Jech-Schroder grew up loving music. During her 7th grade school year, choir wasn’t offered. Her parents both taught in Kingfisher Public Schools and with help from others, influenced the school to offer a vocal music class. Beth Berkenbile from Hennessey was hired to start the new vocal music program in Kingfisher in 1998, Schroder’s 8th grade year.
Both parents were teachers and Lindsey made it clear about one thing, “I’ll never be a teacher,” she said, before enrolling at Oklahoma State University.
After graduation in 2003, Schroder enrolled in interior design and event planning at OSU. This lasted one semester before she followed her heart back to music. She went home to Kingfisher and told her former vocal teacher, Beth Berkenbile, that she was going to be a teacher, a music teacher. Schroder said, “She wasn’t surprised. She had such a big impact on my life.”
Schroder said, “At OSU, music education was like a double degree. I took the education courses, music education, and musicianship courses.”
Upon graduation in 2008, Schroder started her teaching career at Dover Public Schools. One year later she was hired by Enid Public Schools and taught at Adams Elementary School, then Glenwood Elementary School. Schroder has been at Chisholm Public Schools for 10 years and is now influencing another generation of music students.
Teaching is only part of her passion. Helping on a larger scale has become the norm. Schroder is on several state and national boards and has won numerous awards for her service. She has served on the Oklahoma Kodály Educators (OKE), Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OkMEA) boards, and is currently a division President-Elect and on a General Music Council for two national music organizations.
Schroder was the 2023 All-State Children’s Chorus Chair, along with the Region B Circle the State with Song Festival Co-Chair Schroder said, “Students from 21 regions around the state are chosen to learn eight songs and get together for a one-day festival to sing them together in Hennessey.” She is also an instructor for the University of Oklahoma Kodály Institute training alongside Sandy Knudson, and conducts honor choirs and presents workshops regularly around the state.
Along with being a music education teacher in grades kindergarten through fifth grade, Schroder teaches middle school choir club and elementary music club at Chisholm.
Schroder said, “I plan to graduate with my Master’s in Music Education in May from SEOSU, which I’m very excited about! Couldn’t do any of it without the support of my husband, Tyler (of Okarche), and my own little showmen, Dean (9) and Rhett (6).”