Elisabeth Crabtree is an assistant professor of music education at the University of Memphis. She directs the Orff Master's degree program and certification course at the Memphis Summer Orff institute. She is currently a PhD candidate in music education at the University of Washington, and her dissertation focuses on creative music pedagogy. Her research encompasses the globalization of Orff Schulwerk and the pedagogical transmission of techniques to teach creativity. Other research interests include how music impacts the quality of life for seniors with dementia.

She taught PreK-12th grade children for 24 years in both public and private schools, and her emphasis was on general music, community sing, rock band, choir, and musical theater.  She is certified in both Orff Schulwerk and Kodály, and she frequently presents workshops in both approaches. She is the past president of the Northern California American Orff-Schulwerk Association.