Teacher by day, rock star by night

Her students know she’s a teacher by day and rockstar by night. But they know Paige Peterson, the lead vocalist for Street Talk, as Mrs. Huse.
Peterson is her stage name.
Former student and soon-to-be fifth grader Raelynn Doyon recognized Peterson immediately at the 11@7 concert series Thursday night.
“I had her when I was in second grade at McKinley Elementary,” said Doyon. “She would always tell us about her band.”
Before the concert, Peterson could be seen greeting and hugging people in the audience.
“There were a lot of friends, family and colleagues in the audience,” said Peterson. And yes, a lot of current and former students.
According to Peterson, even though three band members live in Owatonna or Medford, Street Talk hasn’t played in Owatonna for a while.
“This summer has been a breakout summer for us,” said Peterson, adding that the band was one of six selected to perform on the K102 stage at the Twins Cities Summer Jam held at Canterbury in July.
Street Talk opened for Ashley McBryde and the Zac Brown Band on Saturday of the three-day event.
Whether on stage or in a classroom, Peterson – who described herself as boisterous, energetic and positive -  said she tries to make music fun and enjoyable.
“I’ve been teaching a long time and I try to make it fun,” she said. “Music should be fun.”
She succeeded with Doyon.
“Music is one of my favorite classes,” said Doyon, adding that she didn’t like music before having Peterson as a teacher.
Doyon liked the games her teacher created in music class. “We had to clap out the rhythm to songs.”
Owatonna uses a Kodaly-based music curriculum, which uses folk song to demonstrate rhythm and an understanding of music, said Peterson.
“Music is performance-based,” said Peterson, adding that it’s all about creating, practicing, performing. 
That applies to Street Talk too.
“We practice once a week when we’re not performing,” said Peterson, who, in addition to her vocal role in the band, plays keys and percussion.
The band, she said, is working to create 40 minutes of original music which would allow them to open for national acts. Other local members of the band are lead singer Marcus Padilla of Owatonna and lead guitarist Aaron Fitzgerald of Medford.
“We are very picky musicians,” Peterson said. “Perfectionists almost to a flaw.”
“We like to do the hard stuff - pushing ourselves each time we perform.”
“I’m a born performer,” said Peterson, who performed her first solo in church when she was just 2 years old.
“Music has always been a part of my life,” she said, adding that as a youngster, she took her transistor radio to bed and her mom would turn it off after she fell asleep.
A graduate of Augustana University in Sioux Falls, Peterson has been teaching music to K-12 students since 1991.
She lives in Owatonna, where she teaches K-5 Elementary Music at McKinley Elementary and directs the fourth- and fifth-grade choir.
“Music isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am!”