Peter Newton

Music, Grades 1-8.

Peter began his artistic explorations by writing and directing original plays in grade school, in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. In high school, he became a self-taught guitarist and eventually led a satirical rock band in his hometown. After dropping out of college during the days of intense revolutionary fervor, during a sojourn in New York, he studied acting and accompanied the poet Allen Ginsberg onstage in poetry readings. After moving to San Francisco during the affordable 1980s era, for ten years, Peter was a special assistant and artist manager for a severely disabled painter in San Francisco, while tutoring him through his college studies. During this time, Peter had a parallel career as co-founder, actor, and musical director for the award-winning Construction Crew Theater in San Francisco. Returning to academia, Peter received his BA in Black Studies from SF State University, his MS in Special Education from Cal State East Bay, and his Waldorf teacher training in San Francisco. He has been a Waldorf special subjects teacher (music, drama, English, adult education) and class teacher for 25 years, in the USA, Japan, and China. While in China, he developed musical plays for children, based on traditional American folk songs. In Japan, he helped start one of the first Japanese Waldorf schools in Hokkaido, ran an independent music and English school, and founded a gospel choir which has continued for many years. Peter has also directed many all-school musical plays and festivals in Waldorf schools, with casts typically combining students, teachers, and parents.

Peter joined Live Oak Waldorf School in 2023.