He taught two-year-olds by day and played alternative rock music by night.

For two years after graduating from Southwestern University, Marshal Crenshaw worked part-time as an assistant at Georgetown's Community Montessori School while also playing in Mugwump, a band he started with three of his fraternity brothers.

"We would play in Austin on Sixth Street and other local clubs," he says. "We even played for the Texas Democratic Convention. But after a couple of years, the band kind of faded out."

He insists that the end of Mugwump came without hurt egos or feelings. There will be no need for a VH1 "Behind the Music" special, and they all remain good friends. The breakup gave him the opportunity to focus on his teaching, so he decided to pursue his Montessori credentials by studying for nine months in Rome with the originator of Montessori's infant training.

"I could have studied in Denver, but I couldn't pass up to go directly to the source and live in Rome. I felt like I was going out on my own, being self-sufficient in a place where I didn't even know the language. It was a great challenge."

In the fall of 1999, he returned to Georgetown to take over the infant program full-time. He works with 12 children, aging from 18 months to three years, and much of their day consists of purposeful or practical life activities.

"Some are surprised to hear what they do every day. They cook their own meals, set the table, and clean up after themselves. We're living day-to-day experiences with them, and that gives them a great amount of confidence. Of course, we also paint, sing, dance and read."

Teaching in Georgetown has allowed him to work with children of other Southwestern alumni, including Tamra Trimble Dixon '90. "He has a kind, gentle, knowledgeable presence that enables him to earn the children's respect and affection," she says. "We feel that our son has benefited enormously by participating in Marshal's classroom."

Christine Kettle Bowman '93, assistant director of admission at Southwestern, says she feels lucky her daughter Savannah is a part of his class. "Marshal was a talented musician at Southwestern and that transcends into his classroom. Savannah loves to sing and dance, and I know part of her musical development is with Marshal. She loves to tell me that Marshal plays the 'geetar'’ and she plays the 'raccas'’ (maracas) during the music portion of their class. I'm grateful that this portion of his SU experience is being shared in his teaching career."

When Crenshaw came to Southwestern as a music education major, he was already familiar with the place. Not only had his parents met here as students in the late 60s, but his grandfather, George Samuel Parker Crenshaw, also graduated in 1927. In all, six members of his family have attended Southwestern, including his sister Melissa, who will graduate this summer. "I always intended to go here," he says. "It was the only place to which I actually applied."

He was awarded the John D. Richards Scholarship for vocal music and sang in the University Chorale. He also performed in opera and theatre productions, including the lead role in "The Marriage of Figaro." He was active in the Kappa Sigma fraternity, of which he says, "My education at Southwestern went hand-in-hand with my development as a person in my fraternity."

Crenshaw currently sings in Conspirare Symphonic Choir, a top community-based choir out of Austin. He's also still writing music and looking to start a new band, but that doesn't mean he'll be quitting his day job anytime soon.

"I really believe in the Montessori philosophy, and I love what I'm doing. From birth to age three, that's where many of our problems begin, and you spend the rest of your life trying to work them out. By working with children during this time with their needs, I feel I'm impacting humanity and helping the world in a lasting way."

-Greg Holland