Cynthia Dean is a native Southern Californian and spent her youth in the idyllic beach community of Corona del Mar. She moved to the lovely state of Washington in 1989. After her high school years she attended California State University Fullerton as a vocal performance major. During college she reluctantly changed her major to Music Education, rationalizing that a career as a teacher was more stable than a performer, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978.
Her love of music began at an early age as she listened over and over to her mother’s recordings of musicals and her father’s boogie style piano playing. Mrs. Dean took two years of piano lessons from age 9-10, guitar lessons at age 13 and flute lessons at age 16. Her formal voice training began at age 18.
As a vocal performance major Cynthia studied and sang most of the large choral works, French and Italian Art songs, German Lieder and opera. However, she REALLY wanted to sing pop and jazz music but continued to refine her classical training. She is happy to say that after years of performing and recording classical music she is finally beginning her dream of singing jazz by studying with Seattle jazz singer, Greta Matassa.
Mrs. Dean’s teacher training was at the high school level. She never intended to teach elementary school, but after her first disastrous year of teaching 7th, 8th, & 9th graders at Ball Junior High in Anaheim, CA she left teaching and sold whole life insurance (an even greater disaster!). To make some money she substituted for an elementary music teacher one day and found her niche. Cynthia has taught elementary music for over 24 years. Now in her 5th year at Rosa Parks, she is so very grateful for the convoluted path that has taken her to this point.
Mrs. Dean married her high school sweetheart, Scott Dean, 33 years ago. They have two adult children, Nathan and Elizabeth. Nathan and his wife Michelle just had a precious little baby girl Marilyn in Sept. of this year. Now Mrs. Dean can add the proud title of “Grandmother” to her name.