Rochelle Rabouin

Master Teaching Artist/Musician and Author Rochelle Rabouin (1955 - ) was born at Chateauroux AFB / France. She grew up in Europe and the USA on numerous military bases. Her Mother was a librarian, as a matter of fact- she was the first African American to work as a library clerk at the Mt. Vernon Public Library in the state of New York. She always read the latest children's books to her children before bedtime.

Her Father, a soldiers medal of honor recipient was a civil engineer and a top rated musician- His jazz band preceded the USO and was called the 415th ASF Army Band. There was ALWAYS jazz and popular music playing in the Rabouin household.

Rochelle got interested in writing poetry and stories in the fifth grade. However, her music career started before her writing career. In 1967, her Father bought her a guitar that she taught herself to play. From 1969 - 1973 she worked with the local USO shows as well as in local rock and roll/R&B/Funk bands. From 1973 until 1981 she traveled the world as a vocalist with a Las Vegas style show.

Jump ahead to 1989, there was a producer/host stint in TV broadcasting lasting from 1989 to 1996. In 1999 she auditioned for a teaching artist position in a non-profit arts in education organization and was accepted to Young Audiences of North Texas. In the meantime she worked in a mattress store, as an ethnographer, as a product demonstrator, an after school teacher and as always - a musician/performing artist.

In 2008, after years of collecting bells (at her husband suggestion), she began writing her first children's book THE ADVENTURES OF JINGLE JYNGEL,The Happy Helpful Bell and followed it with SHAPES FRIENDS. Her latest book is THE LONELIEST LETTERS ON ALPHABET ROAD. All of her books have been self published. All of her books are actual programs presented to elementary school children in North Texas.

Rochelle resides in North Texas and continues to write childrens books and present arts in education programs for students in PK through the 5th grades.