Mrs. Patricia Toben, a native of Beaver Creek, Minnesota, is in her eighteenth year of teaching.   This past fall, she relocated with her family and started teaching Middle School Music Technology at West Middle School in Sioux City, IA.  The past twelve years were with the West Central School District of Hartford and Humboldt, South Dakota. She holds a B.M. in Music Education from The University of South Dakota at Vermillion, South Dakota.    

Along with her teaching duties, Mrs. Toben is also an active adjudicator and clinician.  She also performs with various area ensembles when her busy schedule allows.  She maintains memberships in MENC:   The National Association for Music Education, the South Dakota Music Educators Association, the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, and serves as past president of the Sioux Valley Orff Chapter of AOSA.  Mrs. Toben also has a blog.

Mrs. Toben has been praised for her work with young people, and in 2000 was awarded the Ten Outstanding Young South Dakotans award by the South Dakota Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) for her work with students.  In 2001 she was highlighted as the South Dakota representative in the annual "50 Directors Who Make a Difference" article in School Band and Orchestra magazine.  In 2004 one of her bands performed at the South Dakota Bandmasters Convention,  and in 2010 Mrs. Toben was a finalist for Teacher of the Year honors at West Central.  Mrs. Toben was named the 2011 West Central Teacher of the Year.

Pat, her husband Brad, and children Jacqueline and Michael live in Sioux City, Iowa.