The Creators

Rae Pica, a movement education specialist, and her husband, Richard Gardzina, a musician/composer, are the creators of Moving & Learning.
	Rae Pica has been a children’s physical activity specialist for 27 years. A former adjunct instructor with the University of New Hampshire, she is the author of 17 books, including the text Experiences in Movement, the award-winning Great Games for Young Children and Jump into Literacy, and A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity, and Free Time Create a Successful Child, written for the parents of children birth to eight. Rae is known for her lively and informative workshop and keynote presentations and has shared her expertise with such groups as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Head Start Bureau, Centers for Disease Control, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues, Gymboree, and state health departments throughout the country. Rae also served on the task force of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) that created national guidelines for early childhood physical activity.

Richard Gardzina earned his bachelor’s degree in music composition from North Texas State University and his master’s degree in music from the University of New Hampshire. In addition to writing, performing, and recording all the music in the Moving & Learning Series, Richard runs his own recording studio/production company, Sound Experience, and often composes music for dance companies. He teaches instrumental music at the Concord Community Music School and various music courses at the university level. Richard also performs as a freelance musician and has recorded three CDs of his original jazz compositions.