Woburn Teachers Talk Music, Preparation After Game Show Appearance

WOBURN, MA - Woburn Teachers Carol Carney and Marlene Faulkingham recently reflected on their game show success a matter of weeks after their appearance on the FOX show "Beat Shazam" aired on Aug. 8.

Woburn Hurld Wyman Elementary School Principal Kristen Maloney similarly congratulated the pair, who won $111,000 through the show.

"They are both extremely dedicated teachers and are so deserving of this win," Maloney said in a statement this week.

Carney is a kindergarten teacher while Faulkingham is a second-grade teacher. Beat Shazam is hosted by movie star Jamie Foxx and involves two-person teams competing to be the first to identify hit songs. The winning team from rounds of initial play then tries to beat the song identification app Shazam in a final round for the chance to win $1 million.

Carney and Faulkingham applied to compete on the show after success in games that Maloney held at their school, called “Name That Tune Tuesdays,” as noted in a recent statement from the district.

Maloney would play a song over the school intercom. The person who could call the office first with a correct guess would win.

"Either Marlene or I won nearly every time,” Carney said. “That was our sign to go on this show.”

The pair practiced and ultimately faced off against other teams of educators in a special “School House Rock”-themed episode. Carney and Faulkingham beat their competitors to advance to the final round.

Carney is a longtime Woburn educator, working in the district for 22 years. Faulkinham has taught in Woburn for 15 years.

Together, the pair has also taught a drama program for more than a decade.

"Music is a big part of our lives and so is music appreciation," Carney said.

"Our love for music is something that we hope to pass down to our students," she added

Carney and Faulkingham’s episode of Beat Shazam can be viewed on Hulu with a subscription to the service.