As an Education Specialist at Garfield High School in East LA, Maria designed most of her lessons to accommodate her students’ special needs. Her passion for adapting lessons and using a variety of teaching strategies, lead to fun and creative stories and rhymes that maximize student learning potential and growth.

Under Maria’s direction, choir and music class at Palm Crest Elementary School was more than just singing songs in unison. She created musicals by changing the lyrics to contemporary, classical and world music to tell stories that her students would never forget.

When her four children were young, Maria developed a preschool music program, Lessons Thru Music, that incorporates a multimodal learning approach through music, rhythm and movement. Learning preschool concepts was truly fun and games!

During the quarantine, Maria and her family hit new highs as their COVID music video, “Covidian Rhapsody,” (sung to the tune of Queen’s, Bohemian Rhapsody) went viral on YouTube and was featured on the Kcal 9 local news.

Maria and her family were chosen by American Film Director, Ava DuVarney, to represent the Greek American Family, in the Docuseries, Home Sweet Home, which aired in October 2021 on NBC. As a result, Maria was invited to be a guest on the Kelly Clarkson Show, which also aired in October of 2021.

Maria also loves spending time with her family and friends. She’s married to her childhood sweetheart, Nick, and together they raise their four children, Demetri, Luke, Leonidas and Katina. And although the Vasiliou family strives to stay current with today’s culture, upholding and honoring their cultural heritage and traditions is deeply rooted in their daily lives.