Yvonne Cloutier, a former elementary school teacher and then a principal, was also a Wisconsin-Artist-in-Education specializing in ragtime music. Ragtime piano has been her passion ever since she can remember.

Ms Cloutier was co-founder of the Lake Superior Ragtime Society in Superior. After retirement, she moved to Scottsdale AZ where she founded the Arizona Ragtime Society, now known as the Ragtyme/Jazztyme Society. While in Scottsdale, she chaired two ragtime/jazz student competitions and judged/performed for one other. At the time, she was a member of the Phoenix Music Teachers Association, an affiliate of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA).

She co-founded the Temecula Valley Music Teachers Association, also a MTNA affiliate, while living there for a short time.

Ms Cloutier has made many ragtime piano recordings. Her first ones, cassettes, mostly of Scott Joplin.s music, are out of print. However, she has four CDs entitled It's A Ragtime Kind of Love; Hot Tomatoes Sweet Melons; Something Doing; and Ragpicker.

Ms. Yvonne, as her students call her, is revising her music theory curriculum for elementary school children entitled Learning About Music is a Certain Happiness.

You may contact her at ragtimeyc@cox.net