Lucinda Ellert has been a resident of Reading since 1989, teaching and raising her daughter. She has degrees from New England Conservatory (M.Mus.Ed. 1996, M.Mus. Jazz Arranging in 1988) and from Grinnell College (1976, Bachelor of Theatre Arts). She has been a local private music teacher and was the Director of Bands at Austin Prep for six years. She is best known throughout the Boston area for her jazz dance band, Happy Feet Dance Orchestra, where she's been the leader and arranger for 20 years. A long-time member on the New England Touring Roster, Happy Feet has produced three albums: Lucinda Ellert and Her Happy Feet, Hop Off and The River and Me. She has been studying conducting for three years, her teachers being Frank Battisti of New England Conservatory and Charles Pelz, also from NEC. She has been the musical director of the Reading Civic Concert Band since its reorganization in 2004, and has guest conducted with Salem State College band and with the Salem Philharmonic Orchestra. She is Assistant Conductor of the Reading Symphony Orchestra and worked with Maestra Main Alsop at the Gabrillo Conducting Institute in Santa Cruz, California in August, 2006.