Linda Crider Music
MUSICIAN & STORYTELLER
Linda has led a life in motion—on bicycles, in classrooms, on stages, and in wild places. Raised in Fort Lauderdale as the middle of six energetic siblings, she went on to earn four degrees from the University of Florida (B.S. in Recreation, M.S. in Physical Education, Ed.S., and Ph.D. in Educational Administration). She became Florida’s first Director of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, serving under two consecutive governors.
During that time she authored the Florida Bicycle Plan and launched the Safe Routes to School program—both of which became national models.Returning to the University of Florida, Linda taught for 24 years and directed the state’s bicycle safety education program. She also founded Bike Florida, a fundraising organization that led bicycle‑camping tours across the state.
In 1979, Linda married her music partner, Dale Crider. Together they wrote and performed songs celebrating Florida’s endangered ecosystems. Linda created a multimedia slide program to accompany their concerts, helping build public support for wildlife preservation.
Family deepened the journey. Their first child, Summer, joined them on the road as “the baby in the basket.” Three years later twins Simon and Shanica arrived, and the duo paused performing to focus on parenting and supporting Summer after she lost her hearing. Once the children were in school, Linda returned to UF to continue teaching and research. One project drew her to Alaska, where she wrote a book and companion CD, Children of the Bay, and built a dream summer cabin on a salmon stream in Cordova.
After retiring in 2008, Linda discovered a Victorian home on the St. Johns River in Palatka during a bicycle tour and bought it—somewhat on a whim. Fourteen years later, she had sold the Alaska cabin, transformed the Palatka house into the Bartram Inn bed‑and‑breakfast (which she ran for four years), and eventually downsized to a condo across the river, keeping her bike and kayak close at hand.
Today, Linda spends summers in the cool North Carolina mountains, living “off‑grid” in an RV, collecting rainwater and solar power, and playing lots of music with friends.
