Dr. Rekha S. Rajan is a musical theatre and operatic performer, early childhood educator, professor, and author of a number of publications on the arts in education. She is the recipient of several grants, including a two-year research grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, has performed in a variety of venues, including Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts and sits on various state-wide curriculum boards. Rekha specializes in introducing children to the arts. Her debut children's book, AMAZING LANDMARKS (Scholastic, 2022), is a STEAM compendium of the stories behind how and why 10 iconic landmarks were built. Her parenting book THE READ ALOUD FACTOR (Chicago Review Press, 2022) will provide a modern, inclusive approach to establishing read aloud routines for busy families, featuring diverse reading lists, using music, working around technology, and addressing multilingual dynamics. Rekha's work consistently draws from her professional expertise as an educator and performer, her South Asian heritage, and her abiding love of music. Rekha sings everyday with her husband and three children and when she's not writing, she is playing the djembe, mridangam, trumpet, ukulele and piano.