The teaching of music has been a passion of Patty’s. After stepping off the stage she realized that the really hard work of teaching students was what she wanted to pursue. She has won many awards and has been supported in many ventures involving students and the creation of music from collaborating with the Notre Dame Science and Engineering department and Third Coast Percussion in the making of instruments based on scientific principles to creating compositions determined by the star signs of the students, to creating instruments from vegetables and a composition featuring these vegetables to the newly created “Phantom of the Music Class Escape Room”. Other interesting adventures include the writing and performance of the opera “The Legend of Petit Jean” which premiered at the Reynolds Auditorium in Conway and involved students in the creation of the dialogue, making of the scenery and props, in all aspects of performing (acting, singing, dancing, playing in the orchestra) as well as helping with backstage crew and doing make-up. She believes that the sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity and making things happen!

Patty Oeste was born in Minnesota and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She received two undergraduate degrees with high honors from the University of Illinois and then pursued a professional performing career singing under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein (New York Philharmonic Orchestra) and many others. She sang in opera houses throughout Europe, appearing in over 1,000 operatic and symphonic performances. Returning to Chicago, she received a Masters of Music degree from Northwestern University. Hired by Conway Public Schools, Patty pursued her National Board Certification in 2002 becoming the first teacher in Conway to obtain this distinction. For ten years, in conjunction with the University of Central Arkansas, she ran the National Board Support site for teachers pursuing certification. Named Yale Distinguished Music Educator, Patty was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Teacher Fellowship, and worked on several artistic projects in coordination with the Kennedy Center. She is a Past President of the Arkansas Music Educators’ Association and named to the Arkansas Music Educator’s Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2017, she became an official Arkansas A+ Fellow.