VOLUME 76

NUMBER 2

WINTER 2015

IN SERVICE CONFERENCECLINICIANS &PERFORMING GROUPS

AROUND THE STATE DIVISION NEWS

NEW YORKvoices

Keynote Speaker & Performers

All-College + All-StateConductors

get to knowAthenswww.visitathensga.com

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IN THIS ISSUE...06 The President Speaks

09 from the Editor

58 New York Voices

PresidentDr. John Odom

Immediate Past PresidentFrank Folds

Vice-President of All State Events

Tracy Wright

Vice-President of Performance Evaluation Events

Richard Prouty

Past Presidents’ RepresentativeDr. Bernadette Scruggs

Executive DirectorCecil Wilder

Band Division ChairNeil Ruby

Choral Division ChairWes Stoner

College Division ChairDr. Laura Stambaugh

Elementary Division ChairVicky Knowles

Orchestra Division ChairSarah Black

Piano Division ChairDr. Joanna Kim

District Chairs1 - Kenza Murray

2 - Andrew C. Bell3 - Jonathan Carmack

4 - D. Alan Fowler5 - Carolyn Landreau

6 - Samuel Miller7 - Bob Steelnack

8 - Catheryn Shaw9 - Pat Gallagher

10 - Gene Hundley11 - C. Lloyd McDonald

12 - Paula Krupiczewicz13 - Lee Newman

14 - Dion Muldrow

Editor, Georgia Music News

For the complete list of Board Members please visit:

GMEA StaffAleta Womack

Brandie Barbee

Ryan Barbee

GMN Advertising/ExhibitorsCindy Reed

© Copyright 2015 by the

Georgia Music Educators Association

Printing by Priority Press, Stockbridge, GAAll pieces reproduced in this issue are under prior copyright of

the creators and publisher by the contractual arrangements. Nothing shown may be reproduced in any form without obtaining the permission of the publisher and any other

person or company who may have copyright ownership.

Read up on presenters and performers for the upcoming In-Service Conference.

ISC: Clinicians &Performing Groups

THE GMEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

23

77 Victoria Enloe

Photos provided by Andy Edwards of Ace of PhotosVisit aceofphotos.smugmug.com

16

16 District News

17 South Central Middle School Honor Band

18 University News

Around the State

All-College + All-StateConductors

86JeannieMorrisButler

78 All-College Chorus

78 All-State Jazz Ensemble

79 All-State Reading Chorus

Photos provided by Matthew W WarrenVisit www.matthewwwarren.com

19General Session

Keynote SpeakerGlenn Nierman

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ARMSTRONG STATE UNIVERSITY5

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GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY13 & 85

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITYOUTSIDE BACK COVER

LEE UNIVERSITY15

SMOKEY MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL12

TOCCOA FALLS COLLEGE81

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA67 & 83

UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA68 & 76

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-ADVERTISER INDEX-

What is “good music”? Mr. Wilder discusses

criteria for selecting the best quality music for

performing ensembles. (Page 80)

FEATUREDCONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Cecil Wilder

The DistrictsRead up on all that’s going on around the

state. (Page 16)

Division ChairsDivision chairs highlight In-Service Confer-

ence events. (Page 10)

BE A CONTRIBUTING WRITER!SEND YOUR ARTICLE TO Victoria Enloevictoria_enloe@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

The United States Marine Band offers edu-

cational resources for music educators and

students. (Page 82)

Master Sgt. Kristin duBois

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CONTACT CINDY REEDcindyr@gmea.org

The GMN Editor shares her hopes for the rest

of the 2015-2016 school year. (Page 9)

Victoria Enloe

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THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS

ASSOCIATIONNEWS

As I mentioned in the fall issue

of the GMN, our In-Service Conference is

moving to Athens! Sitting in the NAfME

Southern Division board meeting in Sep-

tember, I heard reports from a number of

state presidents that highlighted the fact

that their In-Service conference is being

moved to a different location better suited

to the needs of their membership as they

grow from year to year. I certainly realize that the move from Savan-

nah pulls at some of our heart strings, but as we look to the future of

our organization in terms of growth and service to the membership,

the move to Athens will open doors to provide and serve in ways we

have never experienced before. This year’s conference is offering over

140 interest sessions that cover an amazing range of topics for our

membership from the newest teacher to the most seasoned veteran.

The Classic Center has opened up more space to allow us these extra

offerings as well as a truly professional venue for those selected to per-

form at the conference. Those of you who have attended the All State

events at the Classic Center the past two years can certainly attest to

the fact that this facility offers us so much more!

The conference will kick off Thursday morning with our

general session at 10:30 a.m. Don’t miss this time of celebrating many

of our veteran music educators around the state, hearing our keynote

address from NAfME President Glenn Nierman, and enjoying our first

performance of the conference, the Fayette County High School Band!

We will then be “off to the races” as each day provides numerous in-

terest sessions and performances from each of our divisions. Thursday

night will round out our exciting first day with all divisions coming to-

gether to enjoy a performance by the world renowned New York Voic-

es in the Classic Center Theater! Members of the New York Voices will

also be presenting an interest session the following morning. All of this

will be followed by two more days packed with sessions and perfor-

mances that will give all of us the opportunity to grow professionally

and personally. Don’t sit on the sidelines for our inaugural year in Ath-

ens! Turn the page and join us for this new chapter in the life of GMEA!

. January 28-30 will a time to refuel, regenerate, and re-

new; a time to learn more about our profession and garner more tools

for success. As we look to our In-Service Conference for professional

and personal growth as music educators, however, let us be reminded

that every day in the classroom is a learning experience for each of

us. Whether a first year teacher or a veteran of decades in teaching,

DR. JOHN ODOM, GMEA PRESIDENT

we possess each day the opportunity to not only teach…but

to learn. Sometimes that learning means taking risks. Michael

Jordan, arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all

time, once said this:

“In my career, I have missed more than 9000 shots. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions, I have been trusted to take the game winning shot…and I missed. I have failed over and over again in my life. Yet, that is why I succeed. I can accept the failures. But I can never accept not trying again. If you strive to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I have had them; ev-erybody has them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and quit. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it!”

We are entrusted with precious lives each day in

which to instill this wonderful gift of music. Sometimes, we

must scale walls or climb mountains to reach what seems un-

reachable. Stay the course, scale the wall, climb the mountain,

and provide each child with the opportunity to experience

success through music. See you in Athens!

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ASSOCIATION NEWS_

SEE YOUR

HISTORIAN

Welcome Back to Athens!!

This isn’t our first In-Service Confer-

ence in the Classic City. It is actually

our 3rd trip. The first totally indepen-

dent GMEA Convention (now called

In-Service Conference) was held in

Athens on December 6-7, 1963, at the

University of Georgia Center for Con-

tinuing Education. Then, in December of 1964, we held our 2nd Ath-

ens In-Service Conference.

Until 1963, our GMEA In-Service had always been held in

Atlanta, in conjunction with the Georgia Education Association An-

nual Convention. GMEA started life as the Music Division of the GEA,

but, beginning in the late 50’s, GMEA gradually pulled away from the

GEA event. At first, we held separate meetings at Henry Grady High

School in Atlanta, but we still maintained our In-Service on the same

March date as the GEA.

Our first trip to the Classic City was arranged by then new-

ly elected GMEA President, Dr. Jerry Newman, who was the depart-

ment chair of the Music Education Program at the University of Geor-

gia. He thought that a change of venue and a different date from the

GEA Convention would energize the independence of GMEA. As it

turned out, he was correct. Dr. Newman was a forward thinking lead-

er with a vision for what music education could become in Georgia’s

future.

Moving the 1963 GMEA In-Service to Athens was made

possible by the recently completed Georgia Center for Continuing Ed-

ucation. The Continuing Ed Center featured what was then a state-of-

the-art convention facility, which included convention exhibit space,

a performing auditorium, meeting and clinic rooms, as well as a hotel,

restaurant, and studios for GPTV. If you wanted to use their facilities,

all you had to do was book the event and the Continuing Ed Center

took care of everything.

In addition, during the 50 & 60’s time period, GMEA and

the UGA Music Department were already sponsoring the “Director’s

Reading Clinic.” Held in early December of each year, the clinic fea-

tured a director’s band and a director’s chorus reading newly pub-

DERIK CLACKUM, GMEA HISTORIAN

lished compositions. The purpose of

this clinic was to select new material

to add to the Required Music List.

Dr. Newman saw the opportunity to

combine the In-Service Conference

with the Reading Clinic. He believed

this would greatly expand the num-

ber of opportunities to provide per-

formances, clinics, and exhibits for

all divisions of GMEA. The plan was

brilliant and it worked just like Dr.

Newman envisioned it would.

Unfortunately, Dr. Newman was not able to see his plan car-

ried out, as he passed away, unexpectedly, on Nov. 1, 1963. Dr. Newman

is the only GMEA President to die while in office. Many GMEA mem-

bers throughout the state had seen his outstanding leadership qualities

and elected him president of GMEA for the 62-63 and 63-64 term.

In April of 1961, I met Dr. Newman when I auditioned for

the UGA Music School and the Redcoat Band. He was on my audition

panel. Dr. Newman, known as Jerry to his friends, was a very congenial

man, friendly to colleagues and students alike, and totally dedicated to

producing outstanding music teachers for Georgia schools. His death

was a great tragedy, not only for his family and friends, but also for the

UGA community and GMEA.

In a special called election, Roger Dancz, then director of

the UGA Redcoat Band was elected GMEA President, to complete Dr.

Newman’s term. This was good for GMEA because Mr. Dancz had been

assisting Dr. Newman in the preparations for the 1963 In-Service Con-

ference. Mr. Dancz was able to take the helm and steer the 1963 and

1964 Conferences with support from many others on the GMEA Board.

Professionally, for GMEA, Dr. Newman’s plan worked well.

GMEA established our independence from the GEA with the change

to Athens. Financially, though, our independent In-Service format just

didn’t make enough money to pay the expense of leasing the Continu-

ing Education Center. Mostly, this was due to the Continuing Ed Cen-

ter collecting all the money in exchange for running all the conference

events. At the end of the conference, GMEA still owed the Continuing

Ed Center $1200, and we had a total of $1,000 in our treasury. How we

paid that off was very interesting, but that is a story for another time.

The financial prospects for our future In-Service meetings

changed with the election of our next president, Boyd McKeown. Boyd

attended a national meeting of state MEA presidents and discovered

the financial plan for the In-Service format we are basically still using

today. In 1967, Boyd moved our In-Service Conference back to Atlan-

ta, when we hosted the Joint GMEA and SMENC Convention,which

DISTRICTNEWS

PAGE 16

THIRD TIMEIS A CHARM

proved both professionally and finan-

cially successful. The In-Service Con-

ference remained in Atlanta for several

years and then moved around the state,

making stops in Columbus, Macon,

Jekyll Island, and then 27 years in Sa-

vannah, before returning to Athens in

2016.

Strangely enough, in 1963, we

moved our In-Service to Athens to take

advantage of a new convention facility,

the Center for Continuing Education.

Now in 2016, we are moving to Athens

to take advantage of a new convention

facility, The Classic Center.

It seems life is a circle.

Dr. Jerry Newman

7

RETIREDMEMBERS Retirement means some-

thing different to each person. There

are those who have elected to take full

advantage of the state of “being retired”,

while others still dabble in the field of

music education as part-time teachers

and consultants. Or possibly, there are

those who have moved into another

field of interest that at one time was just a hobby. Retirement is about

being able to make choices for as long as the person’s health allows and

the money is available to maintain a quality lifestyle.

Many have discovered that aging happens in more than one

aspect of family life. We are caretakers in one way or another of aging

parents, siblings, or immediate family members. This is an entirely new

dimension to some of us in the retired community who were expecting

to be able to go on trips as desired, or simply read a good book and

watch the world go by in the usual frenzy. There is still time for all of

your adventures. They will need a little more careful planning. Main-

tain your identity as well as assisting those in need. You still need to be

you.

Being a caretaker requires knowledge of legal matters as re-

lated to health and quality of life for the loved one(s) unable to care

for him or herself. The caretaker needs to know about Social Security,

Medicare, insurance policies, legal responsibilities as the ombudsman,

and maintaining any monetary accounts. This sounds rather daunting,

doesn’t it? It can be without advice from the right sources.

A good starting point, if you are in the position of responsi-

ble caretaking, is the Medicaid office. It is free, and the answers I have

gotten have always been helpful. Another source for help is the Social

Security Office. Be sure to have the pertinent information of the person

for whom you are caring in case they want to give you some specifics

on the eligibility of your loved one. You will need their SS number and

Medicaid identification number. There are rules and guidelines you

must follow as an appointed guardian/Ombudsman.

There will be representatives from Social Security, the Teach-

er Retirement System, and a financial planner at the GMEA In-Service

Conference this year in Athens. Find the times and dates of the ses-

sions on the GMEA website. Make your arrangements now if you are

going to need a room in Athens. I hope to see you there. Have a great

fall!

FRITZ SILER, RETIRED DIVISION

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BESAYSomething

SEND YOURARTICLE TOVICTORIA_ENLOE@GWINNETT.K12.GA.USVictoria Enloe

Heard

fromTHE EDITOR

GMN EDITORVictoria Enloe Welcome to the first

print edition of the 2015-16

Georgia Music News! I hope the

provided presenter and per-

forming ensemble biographies

are helpful as you plan your

2016 In-Service Conference

activities. Be sure to check out

the feature on New York Voic-

es, this year’s all-conference

performers, and then visit their

website to hear a sample of the fantastic musicianship they will

share at their Thursday evening performance.

The upcoming In-Service Conference will mark the first

meeting of the newly formed editorial committee, comprised of

immediate past division chairs. This committee will provide ad-

vice regarding the direction and scope of future Georgia Music

News issues.

If you haven’t read the fall issue of GMN, please visit the

GMEA website to peruse it. The fall issue includes a thought-pro-

voking article on Large Group Performance Evaluations, an over-

view of the many Atlanta Symphony Orchestra educational pro-

grams available to teachers and students, and Lloyd McDonald’s

inspirational ensemble fellowship article.

Through our new online publisher, you are also able to

view music education association magazines from several other

states, including Texas, New Jersey, and Tennessee. Having ac-

cess to the plans, activities, and initiatives of other states at your

disposal will hopefully offer a boost to your teaching tool box. It

certainly will be an excellent resource for the other states that

will now have access to the wealth of ideas and offerings that oc-

cur in our state.

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DIVISIONNEWS

The school year is flying by and we are

quickly approaching a busy time with

several upcoming GMEA events. I hope

everyone is making plans to attend our

first In-Service Conference in Athens! I

am so excited about the performing

groups and clinics that will be featured

this year within the band division. We

have a larger number of offerings this

year than I can ever remember having at

the ISC, and I believe you will come away from the conference feeling in-

spired and motivated to serve our students with the best music education

possible. In order for the ISC to be successful and for the number of offer-

ings to continue to expand, we all need to attend and support these clinics

and performances. You will not be disappointed!

I am very excited about the Georgia All-State Band this coming

February. Athens proved to be a wonderful site to host the event last year,

and the performance hall was magnificent. Our conductors for the middle

school bands will be Todd Stalter (Composer/Arranger and Eureka HS– Eu-

reka, IL) and Cheryl Floyd (Hill Country MS- Austin, TX). The 9th and 10th

grade band conductors will be Alex Kaminsky (Buchholz HS - Gainesville,

FL) and John Madden (Michigan State University). The 11th and 12th grade

band conductors will be Steve Davis (University of Missouri-Kansas City)

and Richard Floyd (University of Texas-Austin). I know the students will

have a great experience learning from these outstanding conductors and

educators.

I would like to continue with the topic addressed in the last ar-

ticle regarding the many challenges band directors face. Each year, we

strive to earn buy-in from all stakeholders associated with our programs.

Support from students, parents, teachers, administrators and community

members is necessary for the program to grow and thrive. In the last issue,

I focused on three groups: teachers, administrators, and the community.

Today, I would like to focus on parents, specifically band booster/parent

groups. Working with parents can be one of the toughest parts of our jobs,

but it can also be very rewarding. A strong, music-education-minded band

booster/parent group can take our programs to the next level. Sergio Mar-

chionne, the CEO for Chrysler said, “Act small…think big”. This is the ap-

proach I try to take with my own parent group. The primary purpose of a

booster club should not be to raise money! I believe it is important to create

goals and objectives that will support the program’s band director, staff, and

students, being careful not to give too much power to the group or indi-

viduals in the group. Be thoughtful about establishing clear, well-defined

boundaries. An example of goals/objectives could be:

BAND DIVISIONNeil Ruby

• To support the band director, staff, band members, and volun-

teers associated with the band program.

• To promote the highest quality music education available for

our students.

• To provide the students and staff with the tools necessary to

be successful in music education.

• To help the band become more visible in the community and

involved in community affairs.

• To maintain a high level of enthusiasm in all phases of the

band program.

In order to reach these goals and objectives, I believe

we must select the best parents possible for leadership positions.

Consider creating an information form to help find parent talents.

Many times, parents do not think they have the abilities and/or

time to help our programs, but there are many ways to help that

do not take much time at all. As directors, we must learn to ask for

help. Most parents who volunteer for our programs do it because

they want to support their children. Making parents feel involved

and a part of the program is the key. We must also say “thank you”

as often as possible. These two little words can have a huge impact

on the support you receive. While a thank you email is nice, the

power of an actual thank you card adds an extra touch of appre-

ciation that will not go unnoticed. Consider having students speak

and/or perform at parent meetings or have a special performance

just for those parents who volunteer for the program. Often times,

those parents do not get to the performances because they are

off collecting tickets, working in the concession stands or moving

equipment.

And finally, communication is the key to having hap-

py parents. In a perfect world, our students would communicate

all the information to their parents. Most of us do not work in a

program where this happens with 100% of our students. We have

a number of tools through which to communicate: email, band

websites, and social media and texting apps like Remind 101. The

more we can keep our parents informed about our programs, the

happier they are and, ultimately, the more support we will receive.

Parents need to feel that they are important and that their support

of the students and the music education they receive can add to

the success of our programs. The process is not always easy, but

the ultimate result will be a stronger program in your school and

community.

I wish you all the best and hope to see you at our first

In-Service Conference in Athens. If I can ever be of assistance,

please do not hesitate to contact me!

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DIVISION NEWS_

I hope you’ve all had a

smooth beginning to your school

year, and that you’re enjoying the

time you have with your singers.

I know that the fall is a busy time

with concerts, fundraisers, All-

State preparation, and many of

the civic and community perfor-

mances in which we participate.

The importance of visibility in our

communities has never been more

crucial, and I hope that you’ve had an opportunity to let these peo-

ple see what great work you and your students are doing in your

schools!

We’ve just finished our All-State Chorus auditions! I

can’t thank our region organizers enough for their tireless work

to ensure that these auditions run smoothly and that our students

have a great audition experience. Moving ahead, be aware of the

postmark deadline for All-State Chorus acceptance. The accep-

tance fees did increase $5 across all divisions this year. With our

increase, each student will be given access to mp3 rehearsal tracks

from SoundAround Audio and students will be able to download

their rehearsal tracks to whatever device they use for rehearsing

and preparing music for the 2nd audition. CDs will also be avail-

able for an additional cost.

The planning for this year’s In-Service Conference is

ongoing, and we’re looking forward to an exciting weekend! Since

we’re having our all-conference concert on Thursday night with

The New York Voices, the choral division has rearranged our

schedule of performances. This year, we will open our portion of

the conference on Thursday afternoon with a concert hour fea-

turing the Creekview High School Men’s Chorus (Canton, GA) and

the University of North Georgia Le Belle Voci (Dahlonega, GA).

We’ll return to our traditional Friday evening concerts with The

Academy for Classical Education Treble Choir (Macon, GA), The

Duluth High School Select Women’s Ensemble (Duluth, GA), The

Veterans High School Concert Chorale (Warner Robins, GA), and

the All-College Chorus, conducted by Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, from

the University of Houston. We’ll finish our conference perfor-

mances on Saturday with the Riverwood Singers (Sandy Springs,

GA), the Mercer University Singers (Macon, GA), and the All-State

Reading Chorus, conducted by Dr. Alison Mann from Kennesaw

State University. In addition to our wonderful performances, we’ll

have useful and engaging interest sessions presented by experts

from Georgia and around the U.S. Be sure to register early and

book your hotel rooms now! You won’t want to miss this confer-

ence!

In February, we’ll head to Athens again for both the

Statewide 6th Grade Honor Chorus and All-State Chorus. This

year’s conductors for our Statewide 6th Grade event are Tammie

Maxie and Cristi Cary Miller. They have selected great repertoire

for our students, and I anticipate a really wonderful event. For this

year’s All-State Chorus, our conductors are:

Emily Ellsworth – Middle School Treble AS Chorus

Trey Jacobs – Middle School Mixed AS Chorus

Dr. Deanna Joseph – 9/10 Grade Mixed AS Chorus

Dr. Kristina MacMullen – Senior Women’s AS Chorus

Dr. Gene Peterson – Senior Men’s AS Chorus

Dr. Karen Kennedy – 11/12 Grade Mixed AS Chorus

Please visit the GMEA website for photos and bios of all of our

conductors.

As always, if I can be of any service to you, please don’t

hesitate to email me. I’m working on the division’s behalf to stew-

ard us forward and continue to make GMEA an organization that

benefits you and our students.

CHORAL DIVISIONWes Stoner

The college division ses-

sions of the 2016 In-Service Con-

ference are focused on preparing

teacher candidates to enter the

profession. On Thursday afternoon

at 3:15, Dr. Patty Nelson presents

edTPA: Tips for a Good Portfolio. Dr.

Nelson will share practical ideas to

support teacher candidates as they

prepare their edTPA portfolios. This

session will also be useful for your teacher candidates to attend.

On Friday afternoon at 3:15, Skip Taylor will lead a roundtable dis-

cussion titled Music Teacher Training in Georgia. Representatives

from many Georgia higher education institutions will address top-

ics such as National Standards, NASM, institutional requirements,

teacher assessment, and edTPA.

Our Saturday session meets at 8:45 (B.Y.O. Coffee). Dr.

Dawn McCord and Dr. Roy Legette offer further guidance on

edTPA in their session Successful Preparation for edTPA and the

Methods Class: Connecting the Dots. They will explore curricular

changes and approaches implemented by teacher education pro-

grams to address edTPA requirements, as well as a new course to

support edTPA. Teacher certification candidates will also share

their experiences and offer suggestions for successful portfolio

completion and submission.

Finally, as part of your conference experience, I en-

courage you to attend the Research Poster Session on Friday from

10:00-12:00. The Poster Session is an excellent opportunity to in-

troduce motivated underclassmen and graduate students to the

scholarly work happening in our field (extra credit, perhaps?). I look

forward to seeing you in Athens!

COLLEGE DIVISIONDr. Laura Stambaugh

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The Georgia elementary

music teachers are the best! I have

enjoyed meeting many of you by

email and collaborating at work-

shops. I have spent a teaching ca-

reer absorbing all I can from the

fantastic teachers in this state and

now I am excited to tell you about

the clinicians we will have this Jan-

uary in Athens.

We have such a wide variety of clinicians this year that

there should be several opportunities to find something helpful. I

am pleased to introduce Ms. Donna Kagan, who earned her music

degree at the University of Wales and immigrated to the states in

1980. She was the Associate Director for the Pacific Youth Choir of

Portland and the Assistant Director for The Oregon Children’s Choir

and Youth Chorale.

Also new to Georgia is Katie Grace Miller. Katie Grace

teaches in Belle Isle Florida and has co-authored a few books with

her aunt, Artie Almedia, including “Get to the Point” and “Ten to

Teach Melody”. The amazing Sally Albrecht will show us some new

tunes. Quaver’s Graham Hepburn and Dancing Drum’s Steve Camp-

bell are back as well as our host of Georgia experts! Jenny Chambless,

David DeStefano, Harmony Murphy, Susan Ahmad and company,

Judy Beale and Kathy Creasy, Rhonda Hinson, Mary Parker, Megan

Endicott and Katie Carslie all have great sessions – check out the de-

scriptions and bios later in this issue.

ELEMENTARY DIVISIONVictoria Knowles

You will also want to check out our concert evening with

the Buford Academy Chorus, the Dekalb Elementary Honor Band,

and then a drum circle with Dancing Drum.

This is the first year Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus

will be later than the In-Service Conference. We have two amazing

experts who are currently leading successful children’s choirs. Ang-

ie Johnson is the artistic director the Young Naperville Singers and

Fred Meads, Jr. is the director of vocal studies for the American Boy-

choir. I would like to thank Jenny Chambless and chair-elect Emily

Threlkeld in advance for all their help in making Statewide a success.

It will also be in Athens February 19 and 20.

It is time for a new chapter, my friends, and I believe the

title is Athens. See you soon!

Elementary, Middle, and High School Band, Choir, and Orchestra

2016 dates: April 22-23, April 29-30, May 6-72017 dates: April 21-22, April 28-29, May 5-6

www.SMMFestival.comor call:1-855-766-3008

VIEW

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DIVISION NEWS_

The stage is set for your future.

GeorgiaSouthern.edu/music

Bachelor of MusicMusic Education

Performance

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

Performance

Master of MusicCompositionConducting

Music EducationMusic Technology

Performance

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ORCHESTRA DIVISIONSarah Black As we reach the mid-

point of the school year, I hope

that you can take a moment to

reflect on all you have already

accomplished with your students

this year. I first want to take a

moment to thank everyone who

took part in the district All-State

audition process. Over 1,700 stu-

dents auditioned and that cannot

and would not happen without

the countless hours of hard work and dedication of so many. Thank

you to all the private teachers and school directors who registered

students, scheduled, organized, hosted, judged auditions….the list

could go on and on. This year’s All State Orchestra is shaping up

to be an amazing event with fantastic conductors, and I want to

take this opportunity to thank the All-State organizers for 2015-

16: Patricia Cleaton, Kinsey Edwards, Lori Gomez, Teresa Hoebeke,

Carolyn Landreau, and Carl Rieke. Their tireless efforts working

with the conductors will ensure an amazing All-State experience

for everyone.

As 2016 approaches, a new beginning awaits our upcom-

ing GMEA In-Service Conference in Athens, GA. A new location

and city is an exciting opportunity to begin new traditions and find

new favorite restaurants! The best part of any GMEA conference

has been and always will be the people. We have some of the best

our profession has to offer coming to share their expertise with us.

Bob Phillips will be presenting two sessions, and other out of state

clinicians include Winifred Crock, Laurie Scott, Anne Witt, and

Susan Ellington (although we like to think of her as an honorary

Georgian!) Many of our own Georgia colleagues sharing their tal-

ents with us include: Evelyn Champion, Nicole Thompson, Charles

Laux, Nancy Conley, and Carolyn Landreau. Two of the most an-

ticipated events of the conference every year are the ASTA reading

session and the ASTA luncheon. The reading session, being orga-

nized by James Landreau, will be held on Thursday afternoon, and

the luncheon will be on Friday at Last Resort Provisions in Athens.

(And as always, there will be faaaaaaabulous prizes!!)

Last, but most certainly not least, please take a moment

to congratulate and support our performing groups and directors

selected to perform at this year’s conference. I know you will be im-

pressed and inspired by our two middle school orchestras: Dicker-

son MS Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Tricia Laux and

Jacob Bitinas and Union Grove MS 8th Grade Orchestra under the

direction of Kathy Saucier. The two high school orchestras are both

full orchestras this year: Walton High School Symphony Orchestra

under the baton of Perry Holbrook and Sara Grimes, and Alpharet-

ta High School Symphony, Sheldon Fisher, director. Not only do I

encourage you to make sure you attend these performances, take a

moment to congratulate the students and the directors after their

fine performances.

I look forward to seeing everyone in Athens in January

and wish you and your students continued success. As always, if I

can ever be of any help to you, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank

you for all that you do every day!

PIANO DIVISIONDr. Joanna Kim Fall 2015 has begun and I

hope everyone is having a won-

derful school year. As I write this

article, I am very excited to an-

nounce two piano division head-

liners for the 2016 In-Service Con-

ference, which will be held in the

Classic Center in Athens, Georgia.

We are fortunate to have a desig-

nated sound proof room for all our

sessions! The winner’s recital will

take place in a bigger ballroom, so there will no longer be a space

issue.

We have two headliners this year, one for performance

track and one for the pedagogy track. Dr. Evgeny Rivkin, a distin-

guished professor of music at the University of Georgia, will be

our clinician for all solo master classes. Dr. Rivkin has won several

awards for his playing, including top prizes in the Bavarian Radio

Musik Competition in Munich, the International Tchaikovsky Com-

petition held in Moscow, the USSR National Piano Competition of

St. Petersburg, and the Russian National Piano Competition held

in Moscow. In 1998 he won the first prize in the 1998 International

McMahon Piano Competition held in Oklahoma. In addition to pre-

senting master classes worldwide, Dr. Rivkin continues to perform

as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States,

Russia, Canada, Brazil, and Europe to high acclaim, appearing as a

soloist and with symphony and chamber orchestras in such ven-

ues as Weill Carnegie Hall in New York, Gewandhaus in Leipzig,

Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Great Hall of F. Liszt Hungari-

an Academy of Music and others. Music of Latvia reviewed Rivkin’s

style as, “distinguished by its elegance, nobility, and high culture”.

Dr. Rivkin has released ten compact discs, including one featuring

some of his favorite solo piano music by Tchaikovsky, as well as a

number of chamber music CD’s in collaboration with violinist Le-

von Ambartsumian and featuring masterpieces of Brahms, Bartok,

Schubert, Chausson and Mendelssohn.

I am pleased that we will also host Dr. Joy Song, a re-

nowned piano pedagogue and author. A native of Seoul, South Ko-

rea, Dr. Song is an innovator in the field of piano pedagogy. She holds

bachelors and master’s degrees in piano performance and a doctor-

ate in piano pedagogy, educated in Seoul, and at UCLA, Cal State and

USC. She is the author of several books on teaching piano, including

one on teaching piano to very young children, and on psycholog-

ical topics. Dr. Song’s recently released book Sonatine Secrets was

extremely well received by educators. Jennifer Linn, the manager

of educational piano publications for Hal Leonard, comments, “Son-

atine Secrets is a treasure for students and teachers looking for a

creative approach to learning essential repertoire classics. The icon

stickers are not only fun, but also highly effective in communicat-

ing the creative process of combining proper technique and musical

interpretation.” Dr. Song has an extensive background in piano edu-

cation at the university level, as well as professional certification in

early childhood development. Dr. Song will present three sessions

during the conference: 1. Why do we all sound different on the same

instrument? 2. Pianists’ Secret Weapon: Smooth and Fast SCALE

Playing 3. A New Approach to Developing Technique and Musicali-

ty for a New Generation.

There will be other pedagogy sessions on piano technique and rep-

ertoire for piano duo, as well, presented by our own teachers from

Georgia. I hope you plan on joining me in Athens next year!

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AROUNDTHE STATEDISTRICT NEWS

• On Saturday, August 15, at General Ray Davis Middle School, District Four hosted a percussion All-State prepara-tion clinic presented by Professor Timo-thy Adams. This clinic focused on the snare, xylophone, and timpani etudes. Professor Adams also addressed snare drum rudiment preparation, xylophone techniques, and timpani rolls.

Professor Adams is the head of the percussion department at the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Band directors and students from district four and district six were in attendance.

• On Saturday, October 24, at 3:00 pm, Peachtree Charter Mid-dle School will host a preview of the Midwest Band and Or-chestra Clinic entitled “Don’t Go Claricrazy! Teaching Clarinet Fundamentals Through Performance of Wind Band Literature.” This clinic will be presented by Mevonnie Biggins, band director and music teacher in DeKalb County. Mevonnie would like to invite band directors from all GMEA districts and asks for direct feedback as she prepares for the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, IL, 2016.

Share what’s going

on in your

district

• Ms. Sara Payne, director of the Ros-well High School Chamber Orchestra, is delighted to announce their upcoming performance at the prestigious Mid-west Clinic, December 16-19, 2015. The Midwest Clinic is the world’s largest in-strumental music conference. Created to raise the standards of music educa-tion, it is attended by over 17,000 music

professionals each year. The invitation to perform is an honor extended to only a select group of bands and orchestras. Sev-eral thousand auditions tapes are submitted internationally for this event. Only 40 outstanding musical organizations are cho-sen to perform.

Roswell High School, with an enrollment of 2,100 students, is lo-cated in metropolitan Atlanta. The orchestra and its talented musicians have been recognized by several agencies, prompt-ing performances at the 2014 London Festival of Music Tour, the Georgia Statewide Honor Orchestra, Spivey Hall Chamber Music Workshop, Festival Disney (awarded Silver Mickey), the NAfME All National Honors Ensemble, and the 2015 Honors Per-formance Series at Carnegie Hall. Sara Payne has been rec-ognized by MIT as being, “influential in student development”, and was the recipient of the 2014 Class Nobel Educator of Dis-tinction Award.

Additional information about the Roswell High School Orches-tra program can be found on their website www.roswellorches-tra.com.

Professor Timothy Adams,University of Georgia

Mevonnie Biggins, Peachtree Charter Middle School

Roswell High School Orchestra

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AROUND THE STATE_

Share what’s going

on in your

district

Send information to your district

chair

• The South Central Middle School Hon-or Band, under the direction of Sheila Smith, was invited to be the guest per-forming band at the University of Ala-bama Middle School Honor Band Fes-tival this December and at Reinhardt University Middle School Honor Band this November.

• The Heritage Band received the 2015 GMEA Exemplary Per-formance Award. The Heritage Wind Ensemble will be perform-ing at the 2016 University of Alabama Honor Band weekend.

South Central Middle School Honor Band

•River Ridge High School’s Wind En-semble has been selected to perform at the University of Georgia’s January Music Festival for January 2016.

The River Ridge Marching Knights were selected to perform in the 30th London New Year’s Day Parade for 2015-16.

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what’s going on at your university?send articles to victoria_enloe@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

UNIVERSITY NEWS• Berry College will host their 3rd annual All-State Workshop on November 14th.

• Berry College will be hosting the GAJE All-State Jazz Clinic on December 4th and 5th. The

Berry Jazz Ensemble will perform with guest artists Troy Roberts (saxophone) and Alex Norris (trumpet) from NYC. Berry Col-lege Jazz Ensemble will also be performing a feature concert at Spivey Hall on February 18th, 2016.

• The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia will present the exhibition “Before the March King: 19th-Century American Bands,” a collection of items that trace the history of early American concert bands from their inception in the 1830s

until their decline at the turn of the 20th century. It will be on display at the museum from Oct. 10 through Jan. 3.

The exhibition takes its name from the nickname of bandleader John Philip Sousa, known as “the March King,” who is best known for composing “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Although many peo-ple believe Sousa is the story of 19th-century American band mu-sic, he had both predecessors and followers.

The “Golden Age” of American bands began after the Amer-ican Civil War and continued until the turn of the century. The bands of this era provided one of the most popular forms of entertainment, often touring the country and drawing great crowds wherever they stopped. The World’s Peace Jubilee

and International Musical Festival of 1872, for example, which took place in Boston, was held in a venue with a seating capacity of 100,000, erected specifically for the event. George Foreman, the director of UGA’s Performing Arts Center, has worked to amass paintings, prints, illustrated sheet music, vintage instruments and photographs related to the history of American bands for many years, and the exhibition comes entirely from his collection. Sarah Kate Gillespie, the museum’s curator of American art, selected the objects with Foreman’s help to tell the story of these bands. “This exhibition offers a rich opportunity to trace the development of an important piece of American history through its material and visual culture,” Gillespie said. “Together, these objects help bring to life the popular phenomenon of the American band during the 19th century in a way that will hopefully resonate with today’s view-ers.”

For more information, including hours, see georgiamuseum.org or call 706-542-4662.

DEADLINE FOR SPRING ISSUEFEBRUARY 1, 2016

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AROUND THE STATE_

Glenn NiermanGlenn E. Nierman (BM, Washburn, 1972; MM, Cincinnati, 1977; DME, Cincinnati, 1979), NAfME President for 2014-2016, is cur-rently Steinhart Professor of Music Education at the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He teaches graduate courses in curriculum, assessment, and quantitative research methodologies, as well as a non-ma-jor popular music guitar class. His research interests include assessment, instructional strategies, and pre-service music teacher education. Dr. Nierman has authored many journal articles and books; made numerous presentations at NAfME Conferences; and given addresses at World Congresses of the International Society of Music Education (ISME) around the world. His public school teaching experience includes work with middle school general music and choir, as well as high school band and orchestra. Glenn, a Past President of both NAfME’s North Central Division and the Nebraska Mu-sic Educators Association (NMEA), also served his state MEA as Chairperson for the following: College/University Affairs,

Research, the Council for Music Teacher Education (a NAfME/SMTE state affiliate), and the Coalition for Music Edu-cation (the “advocacy arm” of NMEA). He currently serves on the ISME and ISAME Executive Boards, is a research consultant for the Music Core Arts Standards, and chairs NAfME’s Teacher Evaluation Task Force.

Located approximately thir-ty minutes south of down-town Atlanta, Georgia, Fay-etteville is the home of the Fayette County High School Band. With a school popu-lation of approximately 1400 students, the band is the largest and most visible ac-tivity at FCHS and consists of three concert ensembles, the Marching Tigers, two competitive winter guards, a jazz band, and several chamber ensembles.

Since its inception, the Fayette County Wind Ensemble has only received Superior ratings at the Georgia Music Educators Association Large Group Performance Evaluation. The ensemble has recently performed at the 2013 University of Alabama Honor Band Festival, 2012 Kennesaw State University Concert Band Invitational, 2011 Univer-sity of South Carolina Honor Band Festival, 2010 University of Georgia January High School Music Festival, and the 2009 and 2005 Georgia Music Educators Association In Service Conferences in Savannah. The ensemble has also performed at the Bands of American National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana on three occasions. Students have been actively involved in the Georgia All State Bands and Orchestras, the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, and the Governor’s Honors Program.

The Marching Tiger Band is a consistent finalist at Bands of America Regional Championships and has won numer-ous Grand and Class Championships and Caption Awards at local contests. The band performed in the Waikiki Hol-iday Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii (2012), the New Year’s Day Parade in London, England (2009, 2005), the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California (2007), and the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia (2000).

Fayet te County High School Wind EnsembleMyra Rhoden, Director

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FRIDAY : 6PMJANUARY 29, 2016THE CLASSIC CENTER

GMEA MEMBERS ONLY

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SHARE SPECIAL NEWS, RESEARCH, ARTICLES, AND MORE!

SEND YOUR SUBMISSIONS TO THE EDITOR, VICTORIA ENLOE

VICTORIA_ENLOE@GWINNETT.K12.GA.US

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sUSAN AHMADSusan Ahmad is a graduate of Shorter University. She has taught elementary and middle school general music, keyboard, guitar, electronic music, and chorus. Su-san has been teaching elemen-tary general music at Lake Wind-ward Elementary School and has

been a Teacher Support Specialist for 27 years in the Fulton County school system. Susan is a certified Orff teacher. She is a co-author of the book “Music á la Cart”. She has served as a member of the curriculum writing team for Fulton County, the McGraw/Hill Advisory Committee, the SLO writing team for the Ga Board of Education and the Fulton County Fine Arts Support Team. She has been the recipient of the fol-lowing awards: Teacher of the Year, Outstanding Teacher Award, Coca Cola Teacher of the Year, and Master Teacher. Susan has presented at music conferences in Georgia, Mis-sissippi and Tennessee….including TKES readiness, choral techniques, differentiated instruction, and teaching music from a cart. She has also been the Minister of Music at Clear Springs Baptist Church for 30 years!

Session-Kicking it Up a Notch - What’s the Big Deal about Rigor??

saLLY k. alBRECHTSally K. Albrecht is the Director of School Choral and Classroom Pub-lications for Alfred Music Publish-ing. She is a popular choral con-ductor, composer, and clinician, especially known for her work with choral movement. Sally has pro-duced 13 choral movement DVDs

for Alfred. An annual recipient of the ASCAP Special Music Award since 1987, Sally has over 325 popular choral publi-cations in print, over 50 larger elementary songbooks and musicals, 3 sacred cantatas, and the top-selling book “The Choral Warm-Up Collection.” Sally has directed and staged the half-time show singers performing during two Florida Citrus Bowls, and has conducted several honor choir events at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Sally received a B.A. Degree from Rollins College with a double major in Music and Theater. From there she moved to the University of Miami, where she received both a M.A. in Drama and a M.M. in Accompanying. She has worked with literally thousands of teachers and stu-dents through choral honors and all-state festivals, conven-tions, and workshops in over 40 states, Canada, Singapore, and Australia.

SessionS-WITH A SONG: What’s New for 2-Part Choirs-MUSIC FUN 101: New Elementary Music and Materials-MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE: Choral Music for Middle School Voices-AND THIS SHALL BE FOR MUSIC: A Choral Reading Session

Mary AkermanClassical guitarist Mary Akerman has performed to critical acclaim throughout the United States and abroad. Reviews have stated that--”From the first note, Mary drew the audience to her . . . She sculpts the attack and finish of each note with the precision of a fine pianist

. . . Mary Akerman is a natural.”-Soundboard Magazine. “A beautiful warm tone, delicate phrasing, and true musician-ship marked her playing.”-Guitarra Magazine. “Her technique was excellent and she played with great depth of feeling. Throughout the concert she managed to make it all seem effortless, the sign of a true artist.”-Charleston Post-Courier. Mary Akerman performed at the 2000 Guitar Foundation of America Festival and is currently on the advisory board of that organization. She has given concerts and masterclass-es at the Festival de Guitarra Paracho in Paracho, Mexico, the Festival Internacional de Guitarra del Noreste in Saltil-lo, Mexico, the Southwestern Guitar Festival in San Antonio Texas, Classical Minds Festival in HoustonTexas, Kocaeli University in Ismit, Turkey, and at the ECU Summer Music Workshop in Greenville, North Carolina. In addition to giv-ing solo concerts throughout the US and internationally, she frequently concertizes with her duo partner guitarist Robert Teixeira. She has performed with the Atlanta Symphony,re-corded with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Festival Singers, and has played on National Public Radio’s “In Performance Today” program. Mary Akerman is a first prize winner in the Guitar Foundation of America Competition and the Casa de Espana of Puerto Rico Competition. She was also award-ed the bronze medal in the Concours International Radio France. Her educational credits include Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Georgia and Doc-toral studies in performance at Florida State University. In 1986 she had the honor of being selected to perform in the Master Class of Andres Segovia. A resident of Atlanta Geor-gia, she teaches at Kennesaw State University.

Sessions-Atlanta Guitar Guild and Guitarcurriculum.com: Resources for Atlanta Area Teachers and Guitarists

matthew andersonActive as both a chamber player and a soloist, Matthew Anderson has embarked on a distinguished musical career. He is a founding member of the acclaimed and in-ternationally managed chamber group, the AG². As a soloist, Mat-thew Anderson found increasing

and enthusiastic demand as a concert artist and studio mu-sician. He has performed throughout the United States as well as overseas. Matthew Anderson’s recording activities have included chamber music, pedagogical recordings, and session work. Among his most recent recordings are the upcoming AG² debut album as well as solo contributions to the accompanying CD for FJH Publications’ “Everybody’s Classical Guitar”, Vol. 1. He often performs solo and chamber music on a rare eleven-string guitar built for him by Kenny Hill. Matthew Anderson has helped to expand the solo rep-ertoire for this new instrument and create a new chamber repertoire by arranging and commissioning pieces for the eleven-string guitar. Self-taught for several years, Matthew Anderson began serious guitar studies as a Presidential Scholar with renowned instructor John Sutherland at Geor-gia State University. He graduated summa cum laude with Distinction from Georgia State University’s School of Music. He chose to continue his studies with John Sutherland at the University of Georgia under the prestigious University-Wide

JERI-MAE ASTOLFIJeri-Mae G. Astolfi is a Canadi-an-born pianist whose playing has been lauded as “brilliant” (New Music Connoisseur), “persua-sive” (Sequenza21), and “beauti-ful” (American Record Guide). Her repertoire, ranging from the Re-naissance era through the pres-

ent, clearly affirms her keen interest in new music, which has led her to commission and premiere many new solo and collaborative works—music that has been featured on live radio broadcasts and released by Albany Records (Da-vid Lefkowitz: Music of Contradictions), Innova Recordings (Here (and there): music for piano and electronics), Ravel-lo Records’ Capstone Collection (Phillip Schroeder’s Music for Piano and Songs of My Affinities) as well as various re-cordings for the Society of Composers Inc. Performers Re-cording Series including the inaugural disc, mélange: new music for piano and its successors, Sonance: new music for piano and Chroma: new music for piano. Of these re-cordings, Mainly Piano has hailed, “Astolfi is the rare artist who seems as comfortable with traditional classics as she is with more experimental music. … [A]stonishing pianism … and her recordings never fail to impress.” Her latest album, Wisconsin Soundscapes, was released in 2015 on PARMA Recordings’ Ravello Records label. The recipient of numer-ous performance and research awards and grants, Astolfi’s passion for new music has been recognized by invitations to many regional, national, and international music forums, where she has premiered and lectured on new piano mu-sic. Astolfi also frequently serves as a piano clinician, coach, and master class instructor. She is an active member in var-ious local, state, and national music associations, serves on the governing board of PianoArts (a North American piano competition, festival, and fellowship organization) and is a founding member of duoARtia with pianist Holly Roadfeldt, and of Piedmont Camerata, the resident chamber ensem-ble of Piedmont College, where she is an Artist in Resi-dence. Her advanced studies in piano performance were with pianists Helmut Brauss (University of Alberta), Tom Plaunt (McGill University), and Lydia Artymiw (University of Minnesota), with whom she completed doctoral studies.

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Session-Non-Traditional Piano Techniques and Repertoire

Tim aucoinTim Aucoin, music teacher and bass-ist, is a native of New Orleans but now resides in Atlanta, GA. He has performed internationally with many diverse acts such as Grammy nom-inated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Ma-mas and the Papas, Allen Toussaint,

Pete Fountain, and Luther Kent and Trickbag. He continues to be active in the Atlanta jazz and commercial music com-munity. Tim Aucoin has released a CD of original jazz music, “Swing First, Think Later.” He is a past director of the Atlanta All-Star Grammy Jazz Band, which was a high school en-semble sponsored by the National Academy of Recording

Session-Keep Making Music: The Importance of Making Music Outside the Classroom

Jeffrey baumanJeffrey Bauman has been the Di-rector of Choral and Vocal Activi-ties at Young Harris College since 1992. He directs the Chamber Choir, teaches applied voice and conducting, and serves as music director and co-coordinator for the Musical Theater Program. Mr.

Bauman has served ACDA at the state level and currently serves as the national chair of the choral advisory council for NAfME. He is also on the planning committee for the 2015 national in-service conference in Nashville, TN. Mr. Bauman holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music Education and Mu-sic Performance from Spring Arbor University and Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting Performance and Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University. He is frequently asked to serve as a choral adjudicator and clinician, working with school music programs and direct-ing honor choirs throughout the state. His choral compo-sitions and arrangements have been heard at ACDA con-ventions and GMEA honor choir events, and are frequently performed by the Young Harris College Choral groups. Un-der Mr. Bauman’s direction, choirs from Young Harris have made successful European tours in recent years, including a week spent in residence at the Hochschule for Music and Theater in Munich, Germany. A former NATS winner, Jeff has performed leading roles in Opera and Musical Theater with Opera South Carolina, Atlanta Lyric Theater, Toledo Opera, Asheville Lyric Opera, and Opera Lenawee. In addition to his YHC responsibilities, Mr. Bauman is the Director of Music at the First United Methodist Church of Union County.

Session-Creative Vocal Warm-ups

Arts and Sciences. He has served as the President of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators from 1997 - 1999. In 1994, Mr. Aucoin was selected as a Teacher of the Year in Fulton County Schools. In 1996, the Taylor Road M.S. Jazz Ensemble, under his direction, performed at the Internation-al Association of Jazz Educators Conference. In 2002, during his tenure as Performing Arts Department Chair and Orches-tra Director, North Springs High School was named a “Na-tional Grammy Signature School.” In 2004, 2008, and 2013, the Northview High School Chamber Orchestra, under Mr. Aucoin’s direction was a featured performer for the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in Sa-vannah, GA. The Northview ensemble has performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in December of 2004 and again in 2010. In 2006, the Northview Chamber Orchestra represented the State of Georgia in Austria and the Czech Republic for “Mozart: 2006” - a 250th Celebration. In 2010, the Northview Chamber Orchestra was chosen to be the featured entertainment for the opening session of the National School Board Association Conference in Chi-cago. Mr. Aucoin also has several compositions for alterna-tive style strings published by Alfred Music Publishers and Gamba Music. He holds both B.M.E. and M.M. (Jazz Studies) degrees from Loyola University in New Orleans. In addition, he holds an Educational Specialist Degree with a concentra-tion in music from Georgia State University. He has served as adjunct faculty at Loyola University of New Orleans, Georgia State University and North Georgia University. Mr. Aucoin is presently serving as the director of orchestras at Northview High School and is the Chairman of their Fine Arts Department.

Sessions-Collegiate Guitar Exchange-A Righteous Right Hand!

Teaching Assistantship in the areas of guitar and music theory, going on to receive both his masters and doctoral degrees in performance. He is currently on faculty at Re-inhardt University, and resides in north Atlanta with his wife, Molly, and daughter, Ellie.

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mevonnie bigginsMevonnie Biggins holds a Mas-ters in Music Education from the Uni¬versity of Illinois at Urba-na-Cham¬paign and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Florida Ag¬ricultural and Me-chanical Univer¬sity, where she focused on Clarinet Performance.

Mrs. Biggins has been involved in music education at the elementary and secondary level for over ten years. As a mu-sic educator for DeKalb County School District and Ful¬ton County Schools, her bands have received numerous honors including invitations to the Stone Mountain Wind Symphony (DeKalb County), the Kennesaw Concert Band Invitational, and the Historically Black College & University Band Con-sortium, as well as an invitation for her clarinet choir (Stone Mountain HS) to perform as a lobby group for the 2011 GMEA In-Service Conference. As a private instruc¬tor and clari-net coach, Mevonnie has taught students who have gone earned seats in All-State Band and various District Honor Bands, in addition to receiving partial and full scholarships to Columbus State University, Tennessee State University, Bethune-Cookman University, and numerous other insti-tutions. Mrs. Biggins’ re¬search interest is elementary and secondary level clarinet pedagogy. She is currently in the process of writ¬ing her first method book, The 30 minute Clarinetist, a series of developmental exercises and etudes for the developing clarinetist on the concepts of tone, scale mastery, technique and sight reading. In addition to run-ning her private studio, Mevonnie teaches general music at Clifton Elementary, where she serves over 300 students a week.

Session-Don’t Go Claricrazy! Teaching Your Clarinet Ensemble Through Performance of WindBand Literature

dr. joshua boydDr. Joshua Boyd is the Director of Athletic Bands for Point Uni-versity in West Point, Georgia. In 2014, he presented on the Power in Progress System at the NAfME National In-Service Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Before his appointment at Point University, he

was the Director of Bands at Smokey Road Middle School in Newnan, Georgia. While at Smokey Road, his bands re-ceived regional and statewide recognition, including clinic performance at the University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival, and the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award. He holds a B.S. in Music Education from Jacksonville State University, M.Ed. from the University of West Georgia, and an Ed.D. from Liberty University.

Session-Small Town BIG SOUND

TOM BROWNTom Brown is in his 37th year as a Band Director and serves as the Director of Bands at Veterans High School in Kathleen, GA, where he helped open the school in 2010. The 225-member program is al-ready establishing itself, having earned Superior ratings in marching

and concert band every year since opening. In 2015, the VHS Wind Symphony was selected as a featured performer at the SEUS Clinic at Troy University. Prior to this, Mr. Brown held the same position at Jeff Davis High School in Hazlehurst, GA for 17 years. The Jeff Davis Concert Bands received Superior ratings at the GMEA State Large Group Performance Evalu-ation for 17 consecutive years while performing the highest quality band literature. In 1996, the Jeff Davis Band was se-lected to perform at the 23rd Annual Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic in Troy, Alabama. In 1998, the band was chosen to perform at the GMEA State In-Service Conference, one of the few rural school bands in Georgia to ever be so honored. In 2006, the band again performed at the SEUS Clinic in Troy, AL. In 2007, the band was honored to perform for a second time at the GMEA State In-Service Conference. In 2008, the band was invited to perform at the prestigious University of Georgia Janfest, believed to be the first invitation ever extended to a band from below I-16. Ad-ditionally in 2008, the band was named an Honor Band of Georgia by Columbus State University. In 2009, the band was selected to perform for the third time at the SEUS Clin-ic in Troy, Alabama. Mr. Brown is in demand throughout the southeast as an adjudicator and clinician. He has judged marching bands in Georgia, Alabama and Florida. He has judged concert bands in Georgia, Alabama, and South Car-olina and has been a Certified Adjudicator in Georgia since the program’s inception. He has been an Honor Band Clini-cian in GMEA Districts 1, 2, 3, 10, 11 and 13. He has been the guest conductor for the Southeastern Unit¬ed States (SEUS) Concert Band Clinic Middle School Honor Band at Troy Uni-versity and in 2010 became the first High School Di¬rector ever invited to conduct one of the SEUS High School Honor Bands. He has been listed in Who’s Who Among American Teachers and was the Jeff Davis County 2007 Teacher of the Year. He is a five-time recipient of the National Band Associ-ation Citation of Excellence. In January 2009, he was named the GMEA State Music Educator of the Year. He has served GMEA as a Vice-president for All-State Events, the District and Instrumental Chairman for District 8 and served as In-strumental Chairman for District 11.

Session-The Band Director As Administrator - And I Thought I Taught Music.......

Session-Get ‘em Listening, Get ‘em Moving, Get ‘em Creating!

judith bealeJudith Beale, currently a part-time instructor for Kennesaw State Uni-versity, retired in May 2011 after teaching 39 years of elementary music in Georgia. Ms. Beale holds a BS Degree in Music Education and Voice from Geneva College, a Master of Music Education Degree

from Georgia State University and a Specialist of Creative Arts Degree from Lesley University in Boston, Mass. She has completed Kodaly Level I, as well as Orff Levels I, II and III, Master Class, and the AOSA Teacher Training Appren-tice Program under Shirley McRae. Judy has taught AOSA teacher training courses, presented workshops throughout Georgia, New York, Florida, and Mississippi and has served as Guest Conductor for the District VII Elementary Honor Chorus, the Atlanta Chapter of AOSA Honor Chorus, as well as the Rockdale, Carroll, Paulding, Gwinnett, Muscogee, and Newton County Elementary Honor Choruses. Judy is past District XII Elementary Division Chair for the Georgia Music Educators Association, Past State Elementary Division Chair for GMEA, and Past President of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. She served as Co-Chair of Registration for the National AOSA Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. Beale was named Teacher of the Year 1982-83 for Arbor Station Elementary School, Douglas County Schools and 1995-96, Murdock Elementary School in Cobb County. She is named in Who’s Who Among Amer-ican’s Teachers, Who’s Who Among Outstanding Educators and Who’s Who Among Outstanding American Women, and was awarded an Honorary Life Membership for PTA.

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Dr. Kerry BryantDr. Kerry Bryant is currently the Di-rector of Bands at Adairsville High School (GA). He is also adjunct fac-ulty at Reinhardt University, where he teaches graduate instrumental conducting and music education. He has been the Director of Bands at Buford, Winder-Barrow, Jones-

boro, Forest Park, Irmo (SC), and Riverdale High Schools. He has also taught elementary general music at Statham (GA) Elementary, and served for three years as Coordina-tor of Fine Arts for the Barrow County (GA) Schools. Thus, his music education experience totals 25 years, spanning kindergarten through graduate university level education.Dr. Bryant’s bands have been invited to perform at many college band clinics, conventions and symposia, including: the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Con-ference, and several college band clinics including the Uni-versities of Georgia, South Carolina, Florida State, Alabama, Troy State, and Southern Mississippi. He has performed at the Mid-West International Band Clinic two times as a charter member of Tara Winds. He has numerous arrange-ments, transcriptions and editions of concert band works in various private and school libraries and catalogs, including Schirmer Rental and Arrangers Publishing. Dr. Bryant main-tains an active travel schedule throughout the southeast-ern U.S. with guest conducting, evaluation, and clinician services for many band programs and state music associ-ations. He has presented at: ASTA, SE-ESOL, FBDA, FMEA, KMEA, SCMEA, TMEA and numerous GMEA conferences.Selected as a 2011 Honoree for the Woodruff Salutes Georgia Arts in Education Leaders, Dr. Bryant has served in numerous professional leadership roles, and has been awarded the Na-tional Band Association’s Citation of Excellence four times.

Session-Don’t Tune Your Group... Teach Intonation

dr. Josh byrdJosh Byrd serves as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of West Georgia. His primary responsibil-ities include conducting the Wind Ensemble, teaching music edu-cation classes, and administrat-ing all aspects of the UWG band

program. Prior to his appointment at UWG, he served as Director of Bands for Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin, and Assistant Director of Bands at Lanier Mid-dle School and Norcross High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Dr. Byrd received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the University of Georgia and a Mas-ter of Music degree in Conducting and Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Wiscon-sin-Milwaukee and the University of Georgia, respectively. His conducting teachers include John Lynch, Tom Dvorak, Dwight Satterwhite and John Culvahouse.

Session-Decomposing: There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Score (Scalpel Not Required!)

Session-Listen to the Teamwork! Rhythms of Cooperation for Elementary Music Classrooms

STEVE CAMPBELLSteve Campbell is a drummer, educator and musical director of Dancing Drum. His extensive trav-els to study percussion traditions of the world have provided Steve with a strong foundation in the art of drumming. Since 2002, he has conducted drumming programs

in hundreds of schools across the country. His 20 years of drumming experience combined with his education degree led him to develop a highly effective approach to success-fully integrate drumming programs into K- ‐12 music class-rooms. Steve has presented highly successful interactive clinic sessions at state music education conferences in Tex-as, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia and the 2013 and 2014 NAfME In- ‐Service Confer-ence.

Alicia cANTERBURYAlicia Canterbury is the elementary choral and general music specialist at Skyview Elementary School in Li-zella, Georgia. She has taught ele-mentary general music for 12 years. She was the director of the Bibb County Honor Choir, a district-wide auditioned treble ensemble of stu-

dents for 5 years and has been sought as a clinician for re-gional elementary honor choirs, as well. She was the Bibb County Teacher of the Year for the Department of Fine Arts in 2007. In the past, she has presented at GMEA and at the national ACDA Conference on numerous topics related to general music instruction and elementary choral methods. She holds the M.M. degree in Music Education from Texas Tech University and the B.M. degree in Music Education from Mercer University. She is Orff Level 1 certified from Stetson University and Orff Level 2 certified from Trinity University.

Session-It’s Elementary, My Dear Music Teacher!: Clues to a Successful First Year

-The Rhythm is Here! A World Music Journey in Rhythm and Song-Evening Interactive Drum Circle with Dancing Drum

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dr. katie carlisleKatie Carlisle, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of general music edu-cation and Graduate Director at Georgia State University in Atlanta, offering programs at the bacca-laureate, master’s and Ph.D. levels. She holds degrees from the Uni-versity of Toronto, Faculty of Music

(Ph.D. Music Education and Bachelor of Music in jazz perfor-mance), Charles Sturt University (teaching certification) and VanderCook College of Music, Chicago (Master of Music Education). Dr. Carlisle is the southern representative for Na-tional Association for Music Education’s Council for General Music Education. She is the music education board member for the College Music Society’s southern chapter. Dr. Carlisle has presented research papers and pedagogy workshops at state, regional, national and international peer‐reviewed music education conferences. Peer‐reviewed publications include British Journal of Music Education; Music Education Research; Arts Education Policy Review; General Music To-day; Middle Grades Research Journal; and two book chap-ters in the Canadian Music Educators Association biennial book series, Research to Practice. Dr. Carlisle is director of the Center for Educational Partnerships in Music. Initiatives through the center with partnership K‐12 schools include the nationally recognized arts integration program, Sound Learning, the ongoing arts‐focused curriculum integration project Inspire, professional development workshops/lec-tures and the GSU library/Johnny Mercer Foundation Amer-ican Music 1900‐-1950 partnership. Dr. Carlisle is the Georgia State University partner project director for the Race to the Top STE(A)M Grants and the Bill and Melinda Gates Founda-tion Grant shared with the Georgia Institute of Technology and area schools.

Session-Let’s Play! Integrating Birth Through Age 5 Musical Experiences with the GELDS Standards

jenny chamblessJenny Chambless is the Mu-sic Specialist at Chattahooch-ee Elementary School in Duluth, GA. She is a 2004 graduate of University of Georgia. She is an active GMEA/NAfMe member and President of the Atlanta Orff Chapter. Her experience includes

teaching Chorus, Band, Drama, and General Music at the Middle School level and, for the last 6 years, teaching El-ementary Music at Kanoheda Elementary School, Norton Elementary School, and Chattahoochee Elementary School.

SessionS-”Trash to Treasure” in the Elementary Music Room

evelyn championMrs. Evelyn Champion graduated Magna Cum Laude with High Hon-ors from the University of Georgia in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, and holds her Master of Music Education and Education Specialist degrees from the University of Georgia as well.

Mrs. Champion taught orchestra at Daniell Middle School in Cobb County for nine years before transferring to Spray-berry High School in 2003, where she now serves as Or-chestra Director, Advanced Placement Music Theory teach-er, Guitar teacher, and Tri-M Music Honor Society Advisor.Mrs. Champion has been a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) since the early nineties. An active clinician in the North Georgia area in middle school and high school, Mrs. Champion has judged performance evaluations and conducted honor orchestras throughout Georgia, and is also a GMEA Certified Head Adjudicator. She has also been involved in the selection process for Governor’s Honors Program music candidates at the state level. Mrs. Champion was elected Vice-President of the Georgia Music Educators Association and served a two-year term from 2007-2009, followed by a two-year term as the GMEA Orchestra Division Chair, also an elected position, from 2009-2011. As the Orchestra Division chair, Mrs. Champion founded the All College Orchestra and the Statewide Honor Orchestra. This year, Mrs. Champion is in charge of tabulation for the 2015 All State Orchestras.Mrs. Champion is the 2011 Georgia American String Teachers Association String Teacher of the Year and the 2012 Geor-gia Music Educators Association Music Educator of the Year. Mrs. Champion is a 2013 “Woodruff Arts Center Salutes Geor-gia Arts in Education Leaders” finalist for Music Education.Mrs. Champion is the Co-director of the Encore Orches-tra Camp, and she teaches Advanced Placement Music Theory in the Georgia Virtual School. A freelance violinist, Mrs. Champion performs with the Georgia Symphony Or-chestra. She lives in Marietta with her husband J. Cham-pion, and sons David, Charlie, and Sam, ages 10, 7, and 3.

Session-Grading in the Instrumental Music Classroom

cHARLES cLAIBORNECharles E. Claiborne taught high school choral music at Druid Hills High School in DeKalb County, at Campbell High School, and final-ly, at North Cobb High School in Cobb County until his retirement from the school system in 2002. His groups consistently received

superior ratings at district choral festivals. In 2003, Charles and his wife moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where, for four years, he served as director of choirs for the Knoxville Area Home School Co-op. He has also served as director of mu-sic at Cumberland United Methodist Church in Smyrna, Kirk-wood Presbyterian Church in Kennesaw, and Kodak United Methodist Church in Kodak, Tennessee. Charles has served many times as district choral chair and district choral festi-val organizer, has served two terms as GMEA State Choral Chair, and edited the festi¬val sight reading book for many years. He is an active mem¬ber of ACDA and has served as President of the Georgia chapter. Charles presently serves as a head adjudicator for GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluations. He holds degrees from the University of Geor-gia and Georgia State Univer¬sity. He lives in Woodstock, Georgia with his wife, Nancy.

Session-More Late 20th Century Music For Today’s Choral Classroom

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Cecilia ClarkCecilia Clark, Director of Bands at Allatoona High School in Acworth, Georgia, is a native of Upper Marl-boro, Maryland where she grad-uated from Elizabeth Seton High School in 1992. She attended Duquesne University and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Music Ed-

ucation in 1996. While at Duquesne, she performed in Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Electronic Ensemble, Contemporary Ensemble, and Trom-bone Choir. Mrs. Clark’s percussion teachers include Stanley Leonard, Gerald Unger, Andrew Reamer, and Lenny Rogers. She studied conducting with Robert Cameron, Craig Kirch-hoff, and Larry Rachleff. Mrs. Clark also received a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Duquesne University. She is currently an ABD Doctoral Candidate with an emphasis in Music Education from Boston University. Mrs. Clark’s profes-sional experience most recently includes a seven-year ten-ure as Assistant Band Director at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia where she assisted with all band operations, conducted Symphonic Band, sponsored the Color Guard, and taught Music Theory and Piano classes. In addition, Mrs. Clark served as Fine Arts Department Chair. Prior to joining the faculty at McEachern, Mrs. Clark was the Director of Bands at Deer Lakes High School from 2002-2006 and Thomas Jefferson High School from 1998-2002. She also taught in the Diocese of Pittsburgh for two years. While under her direction, the band programs consistent-ly received superior ratings at district and regional concert band and jazz band festivals. Mrs. Clark served as an officer for District One of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Asso-ciation, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band As-sociation, the Alle-Kiski Band Directors Association, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Educators Committee. An avid percussion educator, adjudicator, and clinician, Mrs. Clark hosted the Annual Pittsburgh Day of Percussion from 1998-2005. In addition she was the Director of Percussion for Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association. She served as a consultant and technician for several high schools in-cluding Norwin Senior High School. She was also the Front Ensemble Instructor for the General Butler Vagabonds Di-vision III Jr. Corps and the Pit Caption Head for Conquest Percussion and Project Percussion Independent Open and World Class WGI Finalists. Mrs. Clark is an active marching band and pageantry arts adjudicator. In 2004, Mrs. Clark began judging for the Pennsylvania Federation of Contest Judges and Youth Education in the Arts. She continues to judge Indoor Percussion and Winter Guard regularly for the Southern Association for Performance Arts, Carolina Winter Ensemble Association, and the Florida Federation of Judg-es Association. She has served on the Review Committee for the National Association of Secondary School Principals and as a member of MENC: The National Association for Music Education’s Band Advisory Committee. In addition, Mrs. Clark serves as the DTA Program Coordinator at the Music for All Summer Symposium. Her professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, Percus-sive Arts Society, and Mu Phi Epsilon Professional Music Fraternity. She has received Lifetime Faculty Membership in the TRI- ‐M Music Honor Society and has been listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers on several occasions. Mrs. Clark is married to Patrick Clark, Assistant Band Director at Tapp Middle School, and they have two beautiful weimara-ners, Miles and Coltrane.

Session-YOU Teach High School Band! But How Can You, You’re A Woman?

Dr. susan codoneDr. Susan Codone is an associate professor of technical communi-cation at Mercer University and the Director of Mercer’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Dr. Codoneleads faculty development efforts for all faculty at Mercer.

Session-Using Music in the Classroom

erin coleErin Cole has been the band direc-tor at Tapp Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia since 1995. Un-der her leadership, the Tapp Band honors include being selected to perform at the 58th annual Mid-west Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois in December of

2004. The band has been a featured performing group at the University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival in 2008, 2003, and 1999. Additionally, the Flute and Percussion Ensemble have performed at the Georgia Music Educators Conference in Savannah, Georgia. The Tapp Band was also selected for the National Adjudicators Invitational Dixie Clas-sic Festival in 2006 where they received all superior ratings. The Tapp Band continually receives superior ratings each year at the District 12 large group evaluation. Ms. Cole has commissioned four pieces of music for the Tapp Band in the past 12 years. In 1999, Robert W. Smith wrote “The Great Lo-comotive Chase,” in 2002, Frank Ticheli wrote “Simple Gifts - Four Shaker Songs,” and in 2004, Samuel R. Hazo composed “Ascend” for the Tapp M.S. Symphonic Band’s performance at The Midwest Clinic. Most recently, Ms. Cole and the Tapp Middle School Band was part of a consortium of directors to commission the Eric Whitacre piece “The Seal Lullaby.” Erin Cole earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Georgia in 1995. While at the University of Georgia, she played cello, flute, and piccolo in the Univer-sity Symphony Orchestra, chamber groups, Symphonic and Concert Bands, and the Redcoat Marching Band. She has studied cello with Christopher Rex, David Starkweather, and Alice Williams and has studied flute with Ronald Waln and Martha Lynn Volman. Ms. Cole’s professional affiliations in-clude Phi Beta Mu, Sigma Alpha Iota and the Georgia Music Educators Association. Erin has written articles for The In-strumentalist magazine and is now a contributing editor for the publication. She also serves as a clinician each summer for the Bands of America/Music for All Summer Sympo-sium. She has also presented clinics at the Midwest Clinic and several state conventions. In 2007 and 2010, Erin wrote a chapter for the popular GIA publication series Teaching Music Through Performance. Ms. Cole has served as a guest conductor for numerous honor and all state bands, has taught several years at the “Encore” Music Camp, and is one of the founders of the Cobb County Summer Band Camp. She was awarded the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence in 2008 and 2003. Ms. Cole is also very active in the McEachern High School Band program. She has been on staff with the marching band for the past 15 years as the flute instructor and conducts flute sectionals with Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Bands.

Session-Building the Strongest Foundation for Your Band or Orchestra Program

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Dr. Monty coleMonty Cole joined the faculty at Mercer, where he teaches clarinet and saxophone, and is Director of Jazz Studies in the fall of 2002. Be-fore coming to Mercer, he served on the faculties of Minot State University and at Humboldt State University. A versatile performer,

Monty appears throughout the country as a clinician and performing artist in both classical and jazz areas. A Califor-nia native, he completed his B.A. in Music from Humboldt State University. He later earned his M.M degree from the University of Kentucky and in 1998 completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory. His teachers include Robert Flum, Edward Harris, Ronald Mon-sen, Gor¬don Cole, Rick Van Matre and Ronald DeKant. His doctoral thesis elucidated the life and music of jazz saxo-phonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk. As a clarinet artist, Cole has worked with numerous orchestras including the Richmond (Indiana) symphony, the Lexington Philharmonic, the St. Martin Chamber Orchestra (Cincinnati), the Humboldt Sym-phony, the Minot Symphony, the Macon Symphony, and the Ocmulgee Symphony. As a chamber musician, Monty has toured throughout North and Central America. As a saxo-phonist, he has toured with the Guy Lombardo Big Band and performed with a number of jazz artists including Frank Mantooth, Vince Dimartino, Brad Goode, Pat Harbison, Ed Soph, Randy Porter, Larry Engstrom, Dick Titterington, Joe Henderson, and many others. Recent performances in-clude the internationally syndicated Oprah Winfrey Show with Josh Groban and in concerts with Barry Manilow, Kristin Chenoweth, and Sarah Mclachlan. His recent jazz solo CD Mile to the East was released in 2007. The CD View from a Five-Gallon Aquarium, featuring Dr. Cole on clarinet, was released in 2008.

Session-In Search of the Warrior Spirit

nancy conleyNancy Conley is the Director of Mu-sic Education at Clayton State Uni-versity, where she teaches courses in music education and supervises student teachers. In addition, she is the instructor of applied violin and coaches chamber music groups. Ms. Conley serves as the faculty

advisor for the CSU chapter of Collegiate NAfME (National Association for Music Education). Ms. Conley received the B.M. in music education and performance from Ithaca Col-lege and the M.M. in music performance from Binghamton University. She is a candidate for the Ph.D. in music edu-cation with a viola performance cognate at Michigan State University. Prior to joining the faculty at Clayton State, Ms. Conley taught at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, where she taught string technique and pedagogy classes and directed the Na-tional String Project. Before pursuing her doctoral degree, Ms. Conley was a public school music educator in upstate New York, where she taught elementary, middle, and high school instrumental music for seventeen years. Ms. Con-ley has served as a clinician for school music festivals and summer music programs, and has presented her research at the both the state and national level. Ms. Conley holds the certification for Music Learning Theory Elementary General Music Level One, and has completed teacher training for Suzuki Violin Level One and Two.

Session-Teaching Technique and Musicality Through Improvisation

DR. KATHLEEN CREASYA native of Ohio, Kathy Creasy graduated from the College-Con-servatory of Music at the Universi-ty of Cincinnati in 1983 and began her teaching career in central Ohio, building a high school choral pro-gram and teaching general music

in grades K-6. Motivated by an OMEA convention to learn more, she earned her MM at Bowling Green State University with emphases in both choral conducting and elementary general music. There she trained in Orff and Kodaly and began her tenure with the Lincoln Center Institute’s aes-thetic education programs. Her years with Lincoln Cen-ter shaped her approach to general music education and led to interest and research in aesthetic responsiveness.In 1987, she took a three-year appointment at the University of Findlay as Director of Choral Activities and Instructor of Mu-sic, where she conducted all vocal ensembles, taught music/music education courses, and directed/produced the de-partment’s music-theatre productions. In 1990, she moved to Lincoln, Nebraska to pursue a doctorate and teach full-time at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and to continue work-ing for the Lincoln Center Institute in various school systems.She joined the faculty of Kennesaw State University in 1993, directing all choral ensembles and teaching music educa-tion. During these years she trained at the Southeast Insti-tute for Education in Arts in Chattanooga, becoming lead facilitator in Discipline-Based Music Education institutes of-fered by the North Georgia Institute for Education in the Arts. When family needs demanded it, she resigned her full-time position at KSU but continues to teach music education part-time, and serves on staff at her church as choir director.

Session-Get ‘em Listening, Get ‘em Moving, Get ‘em Creating!

winifred crockWinifred Crock was the Director of Orchestras at Parkway Central High School for over 25 years and maintained a private violin studio in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, for far longer. In demand as a clinician, lecturer and conductor, Mrs. Crock has lectured at Midwest, NAFME,

ASTA, and SAA conferences and has been the featured string clinician at music conferences across the country and internationally. Mrs. Crock holds music degrees from SIU-E and Kent State University. She is a graduate of the Suzuki Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan, under the tutelage of Shinichi Suzuki and is a certified Kodály method instructor through KCA. She has received numerous teach-ing awards including the St Louis Symphony Educator of the Year, the NFHA Outstanding Music Educator of Missouri, the Singer Prize, the 2014 ASTA Elizabeth Green National School Educator Award, and the ‘2015 Arts Educator of the Year’ by the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis. Mrs. Crock is also the author of the Pattern Play for Strings series, Forrester Press, 2014. Dr. Scott and Mrs. Crock’s most recent joint pub-lication Learning Together: Sequential Repertoire for Solo Strings or String Ensembles, Alfred, is co-authored with Wil-liam Dick. They were also the recipients of the Community Learning Award presenting by the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Session-Preparation, Pattern Play: Training Musicians to Read and Play Music Through a Holistic Pattern

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David DeStefanoDavid DeStefano has taught ele-mentary school music in Florida, California and Georgia and is cur-rently the lead music teacher at Crabapple Crossing Elementary School in Milton, GA. Mr. DeStefa-no has degrees in Clarinet Perfor-mance and Music Education from

Bradley University (Peoria, IL). He completed his Orff Schul-werk Levels training in 2004 and became a National Board Certified Teacher (Early/Middle Childhood Music) in 2008. Mr. DeStefano, has presented sessions at local, state and national music education conferences in Florida, California, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nevada and Georgia, has been inter-viewed for Teaching Music magazine and has written for the Orff Echo. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, American Orff Schulwerk Association and Atlanta Chapter AOSA.

Session-It’s in the BAG! Supplementary Recorder Ideas for The Elementary Music Room

Susan P. EllingtonSusan Ellington is the recently re-tired director of orchestras for the Goshen Community Schools in Goshen, Indiana, where, during the past eighteen years, the orches-tra program has rapidly expanded under her musical direction. The Goshen orchestras have a repu-

tation of excellence, having consistently received superior ratings and earning top ranking in multiple competitions and festivals. The Goshen HS Symphonic Orchestra has been named to the Indiana State Orchestra Finals for the thir-teen of the 18 years Ms. Ellington taught at GHS. Top honors included being named one of the top two high school or-chestras in the state in 2006 and 2007 and earning place-ment in the top three orchestras in the state for the 2008 and 2009. ISSMA recognizes only the top eight orchestras in Indiana for State Finals. In 1999, Mrs. Ellington was named by the School Band and Orchestra Magazine as one of “Fif-ty Directors Making a Difference Across the Nation”, and in 2004, IMEA recognized her as “Indiana’s Outstanding Mid-dle School Orchestra Director”. She was honored at the na-tional level by the American String Teachers Association as the 2008 recipient of the “Elizabeth A. H. Green School Ed-ucator Award”, presented in Albuquerque, NM, at National Conference. The prestigious award is presented annually to a teacher recognized for contributions to string education and their impact on student achievement throughout their career. She was also named “Outstanding Michiana Orches-tra Director” in 2012 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Indiana Chapter of the American String Teachers Association in January, 2013. She was con-ductor of the GMEA Middle School All-State Orchestra in February, 2015. She has been engaged as a clinician for numerous teacher workshops nationwide, including the MidWest String Teachers Workshop at Ohio State Univer-sity, the University of South Carolina String Teachers Con-ference, and the MidWest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. She has conducted the SC Junior All-State String Orchestra, NC Eastern Regional Repertoire Orchestra, the 2003 South Carolina All- State Junior High School Full Orchestra, the 2004 Illinois MEA middle school orchestra and the Indiana ASTA All-Region Middle School Orchestra in 1997 and 2007, and for the Cumberland County High School All-County Orchestra in Fayetteville, NC. She has been one of the driving forces behind the “Save Our Symphony Com-

Session-Show, Grow and Excel!

mittee” for the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra in Indi-ana, where she is currently serving as Executive Director of the Board. Ms. Ellington is a native of North Carolina, having received her Bachelor of Science degree in Music Educa-tion from Elon College (NC) and a Master of Arts in Educa-tion from Furman University (SC), with additional post-grad-uate studies at Fayetteville State University (NC). She and her late husband Kenneth founded the orchestra program in Cumberland County in 1980. The family moved to Indi-ana in 1992 when Kenneth took a job with the Selmer Cor-poration as the String Marketing Manager. Their daughter, Carolyn E. Landreau, is the orchestra director at Centennial High School in Fulton County Schools, Atlanta, GA, and their youngest daughter, Kendra E. Nafziger, is a Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Nancy EltonNancy Elton has received critical acclaim for her performances as a solo recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician throughout the southeast and many areas of the U.S. Hailed as “...an artist capable of amazing fire and brilliance as well as being possessed of the most

graceful sensitivity and delicacy...a dazzling pianist to say the very least”, (The State and Columbia Record), she maintains an active performing and teaching schedule. A highly sought teacher in the Atlanta area, she has served on the piano faculties at the University of Georgia and at Georgia State University. Her piano performances have included concer-tos with the Columbia Philharmonic Orchestra and Florence Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina; two performances with the Coastal Symphony Orchestra in St. Simon’s, GA; the Musica Sacra Orchestra at First Presbyterian Church; the Buckhead Youth Orchestra, and the Dekalb Symphony Orchestra performing standard concerto repertoire such as Beethoven’s 3rd, the Grieg Concerto, Rachmaninoff’s Rhap-sody, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and the Liszt Concerto in Eb and the Haydn Concerto. She has performed solo recitals in venues across the country that include college and uni-versity campuses, music festivals, conferences, community concert series, churches, and various other concert series. She is currently planning a series of solo piano recital for 2015/16 which will include performances at Winthrop Uni-versity, Southern Birmingham University, University of N. GA Gainsville, Steinway Galleries Alpharetta, Rice Music House of Columbia, SC, and in New York City at Klavierhaus Recital Hall and Steinway House.Nancy received the Doctorate and Masters of Musical Arts Degrees from the University of Tex-as in both piano and vocal performance, and the Bachelor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of South Caroli-na, also in piano and voice. Her primary piano teacher and mentor is John Perry, who just received the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from MTNA. She studied also with John Kenneth Adams at USC, and privately with Frank Mannheimer, distinguished pedagogue and pianist at the Royal Academy of London. Vocal teachers have included Evelyn McGarrity, Glenda Maurice, Bethany Beardslee and Irene Harrower. In addition to her piano activities, Nancy has performed as an opera singer (Atlanta Opera) solo song recitalist and oratorio soloist. She has expanded her song repertoire in recent years to include jazz standards and re-cently collaborated with GSU Piano Professor and jazz mu-sician Geoffrey Haydon at the GMTA Conference 2013 pre-senting a program entitled the ”Great American Songbook.” Nancy has an extensive oratorio repertoire having been involved in choral and church music her entire life. As an accompanist and chamber musician, she has collaborated

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Session-Piano Ensemble Masterclass

with most every instrument there is, as well as many singers through the years. Awards and honors include top honors in national piano competition MTNA Collegiate Young Artist Competition; the Music Achievement Award presented by the University of South Carolina; and in 2005 the esteemed Georgia Teacher of the Year Award from the Georgia Mu-sic Teachers Association. Students in Dr. Elton’s private stu-dio have won music scholarships to many excellent music schools around the country, including Indiana University, Florida State University, Peabody School of Music, Boston University, University of Georgia and others; and many sum-mer programs include Brevard, University of Kansas, North-western University, and the Governor’s Honors Program. In 2013 a 9-year old student of hers was accepted into the Juilliard School on full scholarship. Her students have been 1st Place Winner in the Prodigy Competition sponsored by Atlanta Steinway Society for several consecutive years, and consistently win Conference Recitalist and Master Class for GMEA, GMTA as well as scholarships such as the Atlanta Music Club. Recently an 11th grader performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as one of the winners of the Ameri-can Protégé Piano Competition. Nancy has been very active in many professional organizations through the years. She is a member of the Atlanta Music Club, the Steinway Society, the Pro-Mozart Society, the Piano Guild, GMEA, and MTNA and the American Matthay Association for Pianists, and the Liszt Society. She has served as President of Atlanta Music

megan endicottMrs. Megan Endicott is a Music Specialist at Dolvin Elementary School in North Fulton County. She received her bachelor’s degree in music education from the Univer-sity of Georgia and her master’s degree in Educational Technology from Central Michigan University.

Megan was named honor teacher of the year in 2008, 2011, and 2015. She is a certified Orff teacher and author of chil-dren’s book based on Henrik Ibsen’s play, “In the Hall of the Mountain King”. She is a member of the Fulton County Van-guard team, where she works alongside colleagues toward transforming classrooms into a global community and per-sonalizing student learning. Megan has been asked to host professional learning opportunities within Fulton County fo-cusing on incorporating music technology in the classroom. In addition, Megan was asked to present a workshop as an expert teacher at the National Music Association for Music Educator’s Conference, NW, in support of Quaver’s Marvel-ous World of Music Curriculum.

Sessions-App Smashing in the Elementary Music Classroom - Spice Up Your Classroom!-Kicking it Up a Notch - What’s the Big Deal about Rigor??

dr. Jennifer morgan floryDr. Jennifer Flory is Professor of Music, Co-Graduate Coordina-tor for Music Education, and has been Director of Choral Activities at Georgia College in Milledgeville since August 2005. Flory has a great interest in commissioning new works from composers such

as Emma Lou Diemer and David Hamilton. She has written five articles for the Research Memorandum Series, a Jour-nal of The American Choral Foundation, published by Cho-rus America. Flory also serves as an adjudicator for GMEA LGPE, GMEA Solo & Ensemble, and GHSA Literary. Flory holds Bachelors of Arts and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from Otterbein College and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Choral Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cin-cinnati. After a highly competitive application and selection process, Flory was also selected as a Governor’s Teaching Fellow for the 2014 Summer Symposium Program.

Session-Technology Toolkit for Music Educators

dr. patrick freerDr. Patrick K. Freer is Professor of Music at Georgia State University. He holds degrees from Westmin-ster Choir College and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has guest conducted or present-ed in 36 states and 16 countries, including the 2014 Southwest Di-

vision ACDA Junior High Honor Choir. He has presented at six National Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and five National Conferences of the National Association for Music Education. His 2015-16 schedule in-cludes research, presentations and/or teaching graduate courses in Canada, Greece, Spain, Thailand, and Turkey. He will serve as keynote speaker and guest conductor for the inaugural Symposium of Singing and Song (St. Johns, NF) in October 2015, and guest conductor of regional and All-State choirs in Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, and Missouri. Dr. Freer is Academic Editor and Chair of the Editorial Commit-tees for Music Educators Journal and has authored multiple book chapters and over 100 articles in most of the field’s leading national and international journals. Publications in-clude “Getting Started with Middle School Chorus” (named Outstanding Academic Title by Choice) and the DVD series Success for Adolescent Singers. His most recent publi-cations include articles in the 2015-16 volume years of the British Journal of Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Research Studies in Mu-sic Education, Music Education Research, and the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education. Dr. Freer’s research focus is on the sociological and pedagogical factors impact-ing the singing of boys during and beyond the adolescent voice change.

Sessions-Musical Self-Perceptions of Collegiate Male Choral Participants--Boy Language- in the Choral Music Classroom-Turning Your Ideas into Articles: Writing for Publication

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Richard D. GarrettA native of Gadsden, Alabama, and a product of its public school system, Richard attended the Uni¬versity of Alabama on a Na-tional Merit Scholarship and, af-ter graduation, returned home to Gadsden to teach Band at Glencoe High School. During that time, he

also directed a church choir on a part time basis. Finding the church work more fulfilling than the band work, he became a full-time Minister of Music in the United Methodist Church, serving churches in Alabama and Georgia for over 22 years while continuing to play jazz through membership in various big bands and combos. After receiving a graduate degree in Finance and Administration in 1991 from Emory Universi-ty, he began his work as a retirement financial profession-al, working with church staff and clergy, as well as several thousand public school teachers in Alabama, as the official long term care representative of the Alabama Education Association. In 2003, Richard was personally honored, along with his company, The National Center for Long Term Care, by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Ad-visor as the Client Service Agent and Agency for the nation at their annual gathering in Kansas City. A full-page article in Newsweek and an appearance on “Good Morning Amer-ica” publicized the award. In 2004, he was similarly honored by the National Forum on Long Term Care and served as keynote speaker at their annual conference in Orlando. Al-though semi-retired, Richard still has time for his personal clients as well as a well-rounded jazz performance sched-ule as guest performer on several cruise ship lines and at in-ternational jazz festivals in the Caribbean and in Europe. Mr. Garrett emphasizes preparation for all eventualities when planning for retirement and will share that knowledge in this seminar.

Session-Retirement Financial Strategies

william grimesWilliam Grimes is the Director of Bands at Cooper Middle School in Austell, GA. Under his direction, the Cooper band program has achieved a reputation of excel-lence in Concert, Jazz, and Cham-ber performance. Prior to teach-ing at Cooper Middle School, Mr.

Grimes taught at Floyd Middle School and The High Mead-ows School. Mr. Grimes is a graduate of The University of Georgia and a member of The National Band Directors As-sociation, Phi Mu Alpha, The Technology Institute for Music Educators, and the Jazz Educators Network. Mr. Grimes lives in Marietta GA with his wife Sara, who is the Assistant Direc-tor of Orchestras at Walton High School, and their 2 year old son, Charlie.

Session-Proven Digital Marketing Techniques to Better Communicate with Your Ensemble and Supporters

CaSEY HALLMr. Casey Hall is the Music Spe-cialist at Love T. Nolan Elementa-ry School in South Fulton County. He is actively engaged in not only how technology can enhance the music classroom, but also how he can help improve classroom tech-nology implementation throughout

other content areas. As a member of Nolan’s iTeam and Fulton County’s Vanguard Team, he coaches other teach-ers in their pursuits of integrating technology into their own classrooms. He is currently pursuing a Master in Mu-sic Education degree at Georgia State University, where he will be creating a curriculum for the Johnny Mercer Foundation involving American popular music (1900-1950).

Session-App Smashing in the Elementary Music Classroom - Spice Up Your Classroom!

jaclyn hartenbergerJaclyn Hartenberger joined the Hugh Hodgson School of Music in 2013. She holds the Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in conduct-ing from The University of Texas at Austin under the tutelage of Jerry F. Junkin, Artistic Director/Conduc-tor of the Dallas Wind Sympho-

ny and Music Director/Conductor of the Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia. Jaclyn additionally studied at the University of North Texas, receiving her bachelor’s degree in Music Ed-ucation. While at UNT she studied French Horn with Pro-fessor William Scharnberg, Principal Horn of the Dallas Op-era, and performed and recorded with the prestigious UNT Wind Symphony. Jaclyn is an active guest conductor and clinician. This July, she will travel to Zlin, Czech Republic, to work with Larry Rachleff and the Bohuslav Martinů Philhar-monic. In April 2015, she was a visiting conductor for the Uni-versity of Missouri, St. Louis Wind Ensemble, where she also worked with undergraduate conductors. She has conduct-ed in concert the West Point Band on the historical military academy campus in New York (2010). Jaclyn was the Asso-ciate Director of Bands at Centennial High School in Frisco, TX (Frisco ISD) from 2006-2009. She served as Associate Director of Bands at Forestwood Middle School in Flower Mound, TX (Lewisville ISD) from 2004-2006. She has pre-sented many clinics nationwide including the Missouri State Music Educator’s Annual Conference, Independent School District In-services, and for the Music Educator’s National Conference for the Southwest Division. Her topics consist of ensemble concepts for the developing performer. Her pro-fessional affiliations are College Band Directors National As-sociation, Georgia Music Educators Association, and NAfME.

Session-Instilling Musicianship within the Beginning Band Class - Part 2

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Graham hepburnGraham Hepburn has a passion for igniting a love of music in the hearts and minds of young kids. He received an honor’s degree in Pia-no Performance from the Colches-ter School of Music and his musical career has ranged from solo recit-als to touring the world for six years

as a musical comedy performer. Music is a very important part of his life. As the Director of Music for Grindon Hall Christian School in England, his effervescence transformed a quiet program with 20 students to a heralded effort, which included a 90-piece orchestra, 3 choirs, 20 rock bands, a fid-dling group of 40 students, and a musical with a cast of 105.On moving to the states, he has served as an elementary music teacher in Illinois and is the heart and energetic force behind Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music. Graham has been very busy the last couple of years presenting work-shops and sessions around the United States and in Brit-ain. He has been warmly received at the National NAfME Conference, and state MEA conventions in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michi-gan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Ten-nessee and Texas.

Sessions-Teaching Can Be Fun Again with Quaver!-Do Mobile Devices and Music Class Go Together?

erik herndonErik Herndon is an educator and guitarist in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Herndon is currently the Orchestra Director and Guitar Instructor at Centennial Academy and a performing artist in Metro Atlanta. Mr. Herndon was featured in the book American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom

for his work with Little Kids Rock in the classroom. Mr. Hern-don earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Georgia State University and his Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Kennesaw State University.

Sessions-Simple Melodies for Beginning Guitar-Guitar Jam Session

Rhonda hinsonRhonda Hinson is a life-long edu-cator and teaches general music and chorus at Screven County El-ementary School in Sylvania, Geor-gia. Previously she taught music in Hall County, Georgia and Brenau University. She holds piano and music education degrees from

Wesleyan College and from the Florida State University. She researched learning styles with Dr. Victoria MacArthur, theory editor for Piano Adventures, through The Center For Music Research at FSU. Her students have performed at the GMEA In-Service, (2009, 2011), for the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals, and at the Georgia Mountains Center. Session-Work/Play: Using Learning Centers in the Elementary Music Classroom

Session-Everything You Wanted To Know About Contem-porary A Cappella But Didn’t Learn from Pitch Perfect

stephen hutchingsStephen Hutchings is the Director of the co-ed a cappella group, The Cat’s Meow, at Georgia College. He received his B.M. in Music Educa-tion from the University of Geor-gia and his M.M.E. from Georgia College. At UGA, he was an active member of the contemporary a

cappella community and a member of the co-ed a cappella group, With Someone Else’s Money (WSEM). During his time in WSEM, he recorded with Ben Folds and was featured on the CD, Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella! He was also a member and music director of the all-male group, The Accidentals, twice making the International Champi-onship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) Finals in NYC and placing 3rd in 2010. With over 100 arrangements, he is an active contemporary a cappella arranger for high school, collegiate, and professional groups.

Kevin JohnsonMr. Johnson is currently in his second year as Director of Bands at Rising Starr Middle School in Peachtree City, GA. His bands have been invited to perform at the Georgia Music Educators As-sociation In-Service Conference, the University of Georgia Middle

School Band Festival and at the Southeastern United State Middle School Band Festival. Mr. Johnson has received the Teacher of the Year award, has been named in Outstand-ing Young Men of America, listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers a total of five times, and most recently nominated for the “GRAMMY Music Educator Award.” He is recipient of the Phi Beta Mu “Outstanding Instrumental Mu-sic Educator Award” and the National Band Association’s “Citation of Excellence” on three occasions. His affiliations include Music Educators National Conference, GMEA and the National Band Association. He serves as evaluator for LGPE, is active as a clinician throughout the southeast and New York and has served as the middle school band rep-resentative on the GMEA music selection committee. Mr. Johnson is currently pursuing the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University. His research is concerned with investigating effective teacher behaviors in middle and high school band rehearsals. He resides in East Point, Georgia.

Session-Using Directives and Questioning in Middle School Band Rehearsals

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Donna KaganDonna Kagan attended the Royal Welsh College of Music and Dra-ma at the University of Wales and earned her degrees in Elementary Education and Music. She immi-grated to the U.S. in 1980. Kagan taught elementary music for 34 years before retiring to Florida in

2013. She was the Associate Director for the Pacific Youth Choir of Portland and the Assistant Director for The Oregon Children’s Choir and Youth Chorale. She has coached and directed recorder ensembles, steel pan groups, marimba ensembles, and numerous children’s choral groups. Kagan thoroughly enjoys adjudicating and conducting choral festi-vals, and earlier this year was the vocal clinician for the Lake Sumter County Honor Choir in Florida. As well as being an avid church musician, she plays the harp, piano, recorder and guitar, and is writing a children’s book entitled ‘Eddie, the Music Teacher’s Cat.’ She currently directs three choirs, and one adult marimba group in Florida, and volunteers in the choral department at her local high school. Kagan was the recipient of the Oregon Symphony’s Patty Veemer Mu-sic Educator of the Year Award, which honors those who have made significant contributions to music education and their community and who have served as an inspiration to their students. In 2014, she was awarded the Outstanding Elementary Music Educator by the Oregon Music Educa-tion Association. Now that she has retired from classroom teaching, Donna thoroughly enjoys working with adult music teachers and is excited to be presenting at this year’s con-ference!

Sessions-Something New on Monday’s Music Class-Library Books and Orff!-A Recorder/Orff Journey Through Europe

Leigh kallestadLeigh Kallestad is a Music Educa-tion manager at MakeMusic, the manufacturer of Finale and Smart-Music software. He works with K-12 music education programs, presents SmartMusic online clin-ics, as well as clinic presentations for music conventions, school

in-service and regional training workshops. Leigh holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and is an Adjunct Faculty member at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. Prior to coming on board with MakeMusic in 2003, Leigh taught vocal and instrumen-tal music in the Mound Westonka School District, Mound Minnesota. During his tenure at Westonka, he taught band at every grade level, directed jazz ensemble, choir, guitar and music technology.

Sessions-Getting Started with SmartMusic-SmartMusic Gradebook Tips and Tricks-Using Finale to Create SmartMusic Files

mavis kallestadMavis Kallestad is a Finale clini-cian/trainer, music engraver and piano accompanist in the Minne-apolis area. She has demonstrat-ed Finale and presented clinics for MakeMusic at many state music conventions. For the past fifteen years, Mavis has taught regional

hands-on Finale workshops and school in-services to over 1300 music educators, including workshops at VanderCook College of Music, the Wisconsin Center for Music Education and Minnesota Summer Music Technology Symposiums. Her textbook, Building Successful Finale ‘Chops’, (now in its 3rd edition) contains practical step-by-step tutorials that will help musicians and music educators learn the newest fea-tures, shortcuts and educator tools that Finale has to offer. Mavis holds a degree in music education from Dickinson State University and is an adjunct faculty member at Ham-line University, St. Paul, MN.

Session-Using Finale to Create SmartMusic Files

DR. JOANNA KIM DOYLEA native of Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Joanna Kim Doyle began her piano studies at age four and ad-vanced immediately. She present-ed her first piano recital at age seven and won first prize for the National Young Artist’s Competi-tion at age nine. Dr. Kim received

her Master and Doctoral degrees from the University of Georgia, studying with Dr. Evgeny Rivkin. She majored in Pi-ano Performance and minored in Collaborative Musical Art. While at WVU, she received the prestigious Herman Godes scholarship, was named as state winner for three consecu-tive years, and received an Honorary Performance Diploma from WVU. During her undergraduate studies at WVU, she also participated in Yale University’s summer music pro-gram. She attended prestigious St. Scholarstica’s College in Sydney, Australia, where she studied with Elizabeth Pow-ell at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in the Universi-ty of Sydney. She has performed in Korea, France, Austria, Germany, Australia, and the United States, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She has appeared with many or-chestras, including the Westmoreland Symphony Orches-tra, UGA Symphony Orchestra, WVU Symphony Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra (Korea), and North Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Australia). Dr. Kim serves as the direc-tor of Keyboard Studies at the University of North Georgia. She also maintains an active private piano studio and her students have won numerous awards on the regional and state levels. She is a nationally certified teacher of music and a group piano teaching specialist.

Session-Twice the Fun! Piano Duet for Intermediate and Early Advance Repertoire

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STEVE KOSMALASteve received his degree in Indus-trial Management from the Geor-gia Institute of Technology and his Masters of Business Administration from Mercer University with a con-centration in taxation and strategic management. He has thirty-seven years experience in industry with

positions in finance, accounting, administration, and opera-tions and just retired after thirty-one years with IBM. Steve has been an active volunteer with a number of organizations and was the founding president of the Peachtree Ridge HS Band Boosters Association. He and his wife, Jeanne, have two adult sons and reside in Duluth, Ga.

Sessions-Booster Club Essentials: Formation and Governance-Booster Club Essentials: Inspiring Leadership and Volunteerism

mindy krejciMindy has been teaching elemen-tary music in the Macon, GA, area since 2010. She spent two years in Bibb County Public Schools. She has been the elementary mu-sic teacher at First Presbyterian Day School in Macon since 2012. Prior to moving to Macon, Mindy

worked with a campus ministry at Georgia Tech in Atlanta and taught seventh through twelfth grade music classes in Melbourne, FL. She holds Level III Orff Certification and is a past presenter at the Georgia Music Educator’s Conference (GMEA) and the GISA Conference. In fall of 2013, her script, “Children of Bethlehem”, was published in the book Holiday Scripts published by Themes and Variations. Mindy is origi-nally from central Illinois and received her Bachelor of Mu-sic Education degree (B.M.E.) from Illinois State University in Normal, IL. She also holds a M.S. in Christian Psychological Studies from Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, GA.

Session-It’s Elementary, My Dear Music Teacher!: Clues to a Successful First Year

mary landMary Land is Director of Bands at Young Harris College in Young Har-ris, Georgia. Prior to her position at Young Harris, Mrs. Land was Di-rector of Bands at Pickens County Middle School in Jasper, Georgia, for 29 years. Mary is currently a can-

didate for the Educational Doctorate in Music Education from the University of Georgia. Mrs. Land, a native of North Augusta, South Carolina, received her Bachelors of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia and her Masters of Music Education degree from Vandercook Col-lege of Music in Chicago, Illinois. She has served the Geor-gia Music Educators Association in various state and local offices and is currently the immediate past president. She continues to make numerous appearances as adjudicator, conductor, and clinician throughout the United States. Mrs. Land is also on the faculty of the prestigious Interlochen Arts Camp as the conductor of the Intermediate Division Wind Symphony. Many professional awards and recogni-tions have been awarded Mrs. Land during her career. She

Sessions-Rehearsal Clinic-Breaking the Mold - Complete Guide on How Women Directors Can Communicate Effectively and Succeed

was featured in the April 2007 issue of the Instrumental-ist magazine discussing her teaching techniques and her band program at Pickens County Middle School. She has been presented the National Band Association Citation of Excellence on ten separate occasions and has been pre-sented the Women Band Directors International Scroll of Excellence four times as well as having been awarded the GMEA Music Educator of the Year Award for 2002, and the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of honor Award at the 2002 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic for her con-tributions to music education. She was selected by the na-tional publication School Band and Orchestra in their De-cember 2003 issue as one of “50 Directors Who make a Difference”. Mrs. Land’s band program was the recipient of the Georgia Senate Resolution 212, commending the suc-cess of the Pickens County Middle School Band Program. Mrs. Land and the Pickens County Middle School Band were the 2003 recipient of the Magna Cum Laude Award, a prestigious International Award for Middle School Bands.

caROLYN lANDREAUMrs. Landreau attended Florida State University, where she grad-uated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor degree in Music Edu-cation (2002). Carolyn earned her Masters of Music Education from the University of Colorado (2004), where she served as a Graduate

Teaching assistant. Landreau also completed an Education Specialist degree from Valdosta State University in 2014. Since moving to Georgia in 2004, Mrs. Landreau has both hosted and organized many GMEA events including District Five All State Orchestra auditions, District Five High School LGPE, and she has been the chairperson for the District Five GMEA string project in conjunction with the Atlanta Sym-phony Orchestra. She was instrumental in creating the Dis-trict Five Middle School Honor Orchestra as well as the new Statewide Honor Orchestra. In recent years, Mrs. Landreau has served as a judge for Large Group Performance Eval-uation, Solo and Ensemble Festivals, and Pre-Festival per-formances. Mrs. Landreau has also served as counselor, clinician, and conductor for various summer programs in-cluding the GA ASTA Camp, Encore, Upbeat!, Mercer Band and Orchestra Camp, and Bravo Camps. She has served in various capacities writing curriculum and Student Learn-ing Objectives, as well as serving as a new teacher virtual coach for Fulton County Schools. Prior to starting her cur-rent position as Director of Orchestras for Centennial High School in 2012, she taught middle school orchestra for eight years. Mrs. Landreau’s professional affiliations include ac-tive memberships in Georgia Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, and the American String Teachers Association. She has served on the state board of GaASTA as the newsletter editor, and State Trea-surer. Her leadership roles within the Georgia Music Educa-tors Association have included District Five Orchestra Chair, Statewide Honor Orchestra creator/ organizer/ host, 2015 GMEA All-State 11/12 Full Orchestra organizer, and current GMEA District Five Chairperson.

Session-ASTA Reading Session-Show, Grow and Excel!

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David lANGLEYDavid W. Langley is Assistant Pro-fessor of Music Education at Geor-gia Southern University. His duties include supervising student teach-ers, teaching courses in music ed-ucation, as well as directing the University Singers and the colle-giate-style a cappella group, Fer-

mata the Blue. Prior to his appointment at Georgia South-ern, Langley taught chorus and music theory at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia. During his eleven years of teaching high school, Langley guided a choral program of over 300 students, with individual students consistent-ly being selected for the Georgia All State Chorus and the Governors Honors Program in both voice and piano. Lang-ley was previously on faculty at Georgia Perimeter College and Crabapple Crossing Elementary School in Milton, GA. A native of Smyrna, Georgia, Langley holds bachelors and masters degrees in music education from the University of Georgia, as well as the Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning (Music Education) from Georgia State University. Langley has been published in such journals as American Music Teacher and serves on the Advisory Committee for the Music Educators Journal. Langley is a frequent clinician, presenter, and adjudicator. His research interests include incorporating creativity within the choral classroom as well as the effectiveness of music teacher mentoring programs.

Sessions-It’s in the BAG! Supplementary Recorder Ideas for The Elementary Music Room-Meanings of Creativity in Choral Music Education Candidates: Preliminary Findings of a Longitudinal Study

Dr. Charles LauxDr. Charles Laux is Assistant Pro-fessor of String Music Education at Kennesaw State University, where his duties include teaching string techniques, string pedagogy, tech-nology integration, supervising stu-dent teachers, conducting the KSU Philharmonic and serving as direc-

tor of the KSU String Project and Summer Music Intensive. In addition, he serves as conductor of the Georgia Youth Sym-phony Camerata Orchestra and as an Essential Elements cli-nician, consultant, and contributor for the Hal Leonard Cor-poration. Dr. Laux holds degrees in music education from Ohio University, the University of Nevada - Las Vegas, and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, where he was under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Gillespie. He directed award-win-ning public school orchestra programs for 15 years, with ex-perience in Nevada, Florida, and Ohio. Under his direction, the Winter Park High School Philharmonic Orchestra was chosen to perform at the 60th annual Midwest Band and Or-chestra Clinic. A D’Addario endorsed artist educator, Dr. Laux has presented educational sessions for the Midwest Clinic, American String Teachers Association, Technology Institute for Music Education, Association for Technology in Music Instruction, and many state music educator conferences. His performing experience includes performances with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Nevada Chamber Symphony,

SessionS-Technology-rich music assessment with the iPad-Selecting Repertoire and Programming Consider-ations for School Orchestras-Building the Strongest Foundation for Your Band or Orchestra Program

the Columbus String Quartet, and various freelance oppor-tunities. Mr. Laux remains in frequent demand across the nation as an orchestra clinician, conductor, and adjudicator.

dr. roy legetteDr. Roy Legette is Associate Pro-fessor of Music at the University of Georgia, where he specializes in Elementary/General Music Ed-ucation. Dr. Legette has served as chair of the research division of the Georgia Music Educators Association, chair of the Research

Advisory Review Panel of the American Orff-Schulwerk As-sociation, a member of the editorial committee of Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, and he is a current mem¬ber of the editorial board for Southern Music Education Research. Dr. Legette has presented his work at national and international conferences in the United States, Europe, and Canada. His work can be found in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Re-search in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Educa-tion, and Music Education Research. His research interests include music instruction and student self-concept, student motivation and achievement, and factors that influence teaching effectiveness.

Session-Successful Preparation for edTPA and the Meth-ods Class: Connecting the Dots

suzanne logueSuzanne Logue is the choral di-rector at Hightower Trail Middle School in the Cobb County School District. Twenty-five years of tak-ing students to LGPE and com-petitive events have kept her busy staying on top of new, challenging and successful repertoire in multi-

ple-voicings for the middle school choir. She is an active member of GMEA, continuing to accompany for district and state events, and has served in many leadership positions within the organization. She is currently advisor for the Fu-ture Music Educators Colloquim.

Session-A New LGPE Favorite for the Young Choir!

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kathy masonKathy Mason has taught at Louise Radloff Middle School in Duluth, Georgia, for the past five years of her nineteen year teaching career. Previously, she taught band in the Jackson County and Barrow Coun-ty public schools. Mrs. Mason re-ceived her Bachelor of Music and

Master of Music Education degrees from the University of Georgia. She has received a Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association, and she has served as a clini-cian and adjudicator throughout Georgia. In addition, Mrs. Mason has served on the faculty of numerous summer mu-sic and band camps in Georgia. Bands under Mrs. Mason’s direction have received consistent superior ratings at the GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation. She conduct-ed a guest band at the 2004 University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival and served as a guest conductor at the 2005 University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival. Mrs. Mason is a member of the Music Educators National Conference and the Georgia Music Educators Association. She resides in Hoschton with her husband, Erik, and their three children, Aria, Alie, and Clay.

Session-Oh, You’re At One of THOSE Schools...

michael mccallieAward- ‐winning guitarist Michael McCallie has distinguished him-self as one of the most promising young performers and teachers working within the classical guitar community today. As a perform-er, Michael has garnered sever-al awards including a prize in the

2004 Stetson University Concerto Competition and top prizes in both the Chattanooga, TN and Cleveland Young Artists’ Competitions. He has performed in concert halls throughout the United States, including Sprague Memorial Hall at Yale University, Historic Town Hall in Milford, CT and the Cohen- ‐Davison Theatre at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. In 2003, Michael was given the distinct honor of be-ing chosen by the eminent guitarist and composer, Roland Dyens, to perform the composer’s own Songe Capricorne for an audience of guitar luminaries at the Stetson Univer-sity International Guitar Workshop. Michael holds a Master’s of Music in Guitar Performance from Yale University where he was the recipient of a full- ‐tuition scholarship, as well as a Bachelor of Music from Stetson University. He is currently a Doctoral Candidate at Florida State University, where he is a scholarship student of the world- ‐renowned pedagogue, Bruce Holzman. In 2004, Michael was one of fifteen young guitarists chosen from around the world to perform for ac-claimed guitarist Manuel Barrueco in a week- ‐long summer masterclass at the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University. Michael’s principal teachers include Charles Evans, Dr. Stephen Robinson, Kevin Gallagher, Ben-jamin Verdery and Bruce Holzman. In addition to his skill as a performer, Michael has earned a substantial reputation as a teacher of young children using the Suzuki Method. From 2006- ‐2011, he transformed the fledgling guitar department at The Talent Education Suzuki School in Norwalk, CT from a studio of six students into one of the largest studios in the state of Connecticut. For his outstanding teaching at Talent Education Suzuki School, Michael was awarded two prestigious career development grants, for 2008 and 2009, from Home Box Office in New York City. Michael’s students

Session-Arranging for Guitar Ensemble - How to Create Arrangements That Cater to All Skill Levels

have received numerous accolades including top prizes in regional competitions and several have been selected performers at the Hartt School of Music’s Suzuki Institute. Michael is on the faculty at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA and Artistic Director of The Seven Hills Guitar Series in Tallahassee, FL.

Jennifer mcCarrenJennifer Clemmons McCarren graduated from Clayton Coun-ty Schools in 1997. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree and Honors Certificate in Global Stud-ies while on scholarship at the Cin-cinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the University of

Cincinnati. She has taught general music, chorus, band, and piano in Ohio and Georgia. Jennifer is a member of the Fine Arts Support Team in Atlanta Public Schools. During her ten-ure within the Fulton County Schools, Jennifer served on the Music Advisory Council and Fine Arts Support Team, direct-ed the Fulton County Children’s Honor Chorus, and was the Music Department’s web-master. Ms. McCarren has com-pleted Level I Orff Certification, is a recipient of the Hamil-ton E. Holmes Compassion Award for Exemplary Service to Children, and performed with the Southern Crescent Sym-phony Orchestra for five years. Ms. McCarren has presented numerous professional development sessions at the local and state level.

Sessions-Burned Out and Fed Up: How to Survive as a Music Educator in 2016

warren mcclellanWarren received a Bachelor of Sci-ence degree in Accounting from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Business Information Systems from Georgia State Uni-versity. He holds a CPA and a Se-ries 7 license. Warren is the sole proprietor of a CPA firm and is a

partner in a financial services company. He played Sousa-phone in the biggest high school marching band in South-western Virginia. He was the founding treasurer for the Peachtree Ridge High School Band Boosters Association and is involved in a number of church, civic and community organizations. Warren has an adult son and resides with his wife, Barbara, in Duluth, GA.

Sessions-Booster Club Essentials: Formation and Governance-Booster Club Essentials: Inspiring Leadership and Volunteerism

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Dr. dawn mccordDawn Harmon McCord, DMA, NCTM, is Professor of Music Ed-ucation and Organ Studies at the University of West Georgia. She has served on the boards of the Geor-gia Music Educators and Geor-gia Music Teachers Association (GMTA) and is current Past Presi-

dent of GMTA. McCord holds degrees from UGA, LSU, and FSU, with studies in Music Education, Choral Conducting, and Organ Studies. She regularly adjudicates piano events and her research interests include topics related to teaching and learning. She and Roy Legette presented their research entitled, “Preservice Music Teachers’ Perceptions of Teach-ing and Teacher Training”, at the 2015 American Educational Research Association Conference. The Legette & McCord study is scheduled for an upcoming publication of “Contri-butions to Music Education” (OMEA). Her teaching responsi-bilities include undergraduate and graduate courses in mu-sic education. McCord was instrumental in building a fully online graduate program in music education. As a national Quality Matters Certified Peer Reviewer, McCord designs and teaches courses for the Master Degree Program of Study.

Session-Successful Preparation for edTPA and the Methods Class: Connecting the Dots

lloyd mcdonaldC. Lloyd McDonald is the band di-rector at Feagin Mill Middle School in Warner Robins, Georgia. He re-ceived the Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from Georgia College, and the Master of Music Education degree from

the University of Georgia. During his teaching career, he has taught at the middle school, high school, and collegiate lev-els, returning to his hometown in 2008 to lead the band at Feagin Mill. As a professional musician, he remains active as a clinician, adjudicator, and performer at festivals and clinics throughout the southeast. His bands and students consis-tently perform at high levels of achievement, and the Feagin Mill Band was awarded the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award in 2013. He is a founding director of Camp Extrav-aBANDza, a summer camp for middle school band stu-dents. In his community, he serves as the vice-president of the Warner Robins Community Concert Association, and he is the conductor of the Wellston Winds, a local community band. In 2014, he was recognized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars as the VFW State Teacher of the Year for his commit-ment to the promotion of citizenship and patriotism through his teaching. His professional affiliations include Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, Professional Association of Georgia Educators, and Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. He currently serves GMEA District 11 as Chair and host for Solo & Ensemble festival. He and his wife, Sue, live in Warner Robins with their children, Cody and Bailey, and their dogs, Beey Weeny, Puck, Scout.

Session-Solo & Ensemble - The Secret Ingredient for a Fantastic Program!

dr. robert mcTyreDr. Robert McTyre is Assistant Chair of Media, Culture, and the Arts at Middle Georgia State College in Cochran. He completed his B.A. in Music at Kennesaw State College in 1995, his M.M. in Music Theory at Georgia State University in 1997, and his D.M.A. in Vocal Pedagogy

and Performance at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2005. He was a grader for the AP Music Theory exam with ETS the summer of 2012. He has taught ear training and sight singing at Middle Georgia State College since 2004.

Session-Ear Training, Sight-Singing, and AP Preparation

maria menendezMs. Menendez is the band director of the 5th and 6th grade band at Carrollton Middle School. Her other responsibilities include assisting at both Carrollton Junior High School and Carrollton High School as well as serving as assistant director of the high school marching band. A

native of Ontario, Canada, Ms. Menendez moved to Doug-lasville, Georgia, at the age of eight. She is a graduate of South Paulding High School and attended Columbus State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. Ms. Menendez was a member of the Columbus State University’s Trombone Choir and Octet, which just released their Debut CD, “A Beautiful Noise”, with Summit Records. “A Beautiful Noise” is a collaboration with some of the world’s top trombonists representing sympho-nies and other ensembles from Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Chi-cago, New York, and the Metropoli¬tan Opera. During her senior year, Ms. Menendez served as the president of CSU’s collegiate chapter of the National Association for Music Ed-ucation. In 2013, Ms. Menendez studied abroad in Copen-hagen, Denmark. Additionally, she spent seven weeks of her summer at Interlochen Center for the Arts, where she worked as a counselor in the High School Girls’ division. Ms. Menendez currently resides in Carrollton, Georgia.

Session-How to Swim in the Deep End: A Guide to Suc-ceeding in Your First Year

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Katie grace millerKatie Grace Miller has been an el-ementary school music teacher at Bonneville Elementary in Or-lando, Florida, for ten years. She received her bachelor degree in Music Education from the Univer-sity of South Florida and received her Masters degree in Teach-

er Leadership with a focus on curriculum development from the University of Central Florida. She teaches an af-ter school program named, “Bonneville Bravo”, to two sep-arate groups totaling 90 students twice a week. She was named Teacher of the Year at Bonneville in 2008. Katie is also one of the children’s choir directors at First Presby-terian Church of Orlando and teaches Musikgarten there during the summer. She has been the featured clinician at Florida Orff chapters and Florida Universities. She has many lessons featured in Activate magazine for music teachers and wrote “Get to the Point” with her aunt, Artie Almeida.

Sessions-Poems and Books with Musical Hooks-Magical Movement in the Music Classroom

JUSTIN MIRCHEJustin Mirche is an account repre-sentative and training expert with Charms Office Assistant, demon-strating the features of Charms at various MEA conferences around the country.

Session-Where’s all my STUFF? Cloud-based Inventory Management Using Charms Office Assistant

JOHN MLYNCZAKJohn Mlynczak offers an extensive range of experiences in music edu-cation. Mr. Mlynczak is the Director of Education for PreSonus Audio and provides professional devel-opment and training resources for all aspects of audio and music technology. John has taught music,

music technology, and music business at the elementary, secondary, and collegiate levels, and served as the chair-man of the Creative Arts Assessment Committee in Loui-siana from 2011-2013. He is an active performer, maintains a steady clinician schedule in music technology, and is the President-elect of the Technology Institute for Music Edu-cators. John is also a passionate advocate for music educa-tion. He serves on the NAMM Coalition of State Advocacy Leaders, the SupportMusic Capitol Fly-in Team, the NAfME Advocacy Leadership Force, and is Advocacy Chairman for the Louisiana Music Educator’s Association. Mr. Mlynczak holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Virgin-ia Commonwealth University, as well as Master’s Degrees in both Music and Educational Leadership from Louisiana State University.

SessionS-I Have a Degree in Music, Not Audio!-That IS What You Sound Like!-Advocating for a Music Technology Curriculum-Let’s Get Digital!

JOSHUA MOCKJoshua Mock is a musician from Springfield, Georgia. He began playing the guitar at age 15 and furthered his formal knowledge of the instrument by playing classi-cally at Georgia Southern Universi-ty. He majored in Music Education with an emphasis in classical guitar.

During his student teaching he used his knowledge of guitar to design and create the first ever ukulele program in Eff-ingham County. This program focused on teaching the ba-sics of ukulele, along with the addition of several advanced techniques. After graduating, he taught elementary school for one year at Brooklet Elementary. Currently, he is earning a Master of Music in Music Education at Georgia Southern University, while also serving as Lead Teacher for an out-reach program in guitar and world drumming.

Session-More Late 20th Century Music For Today’s Choral Classroom

harmony murphyHarmony Murphy is a conductor, singer, and clarinetist and current-ly serves as the Professor of Mu-sic in charge of the vocal area at Darton State College, the Artistic Director of the Albany Chorale, and the Music Minister at Putney Unit-ed Methodist Church. She holds a

Doctorate of Arts in Music in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance from Ball State University. While at Ball State, she toured with the Ball State Chamber Choir, conducted each of the choral ensembles, and performed in a master class with Daniel Teadt. She conducted the premiere of her edition of the “Misa de Cataluña” in March of 2013 and then sang the same work on a tour to Southern California in May of the same year. Before getting her doctorate, she spent 5 years teaching elementary classroom music, choir, and band in the California public schools and working with singers at the San Francisco Boys Chorus, Contra Costa Children’s Chorus, and San Francisco Girls Chorus. In ad-dition to teaching, Murphy performs every chance she gets and has many solo recitals, tours, and operas to her credit.

Session-Musical Play-Parties: the Desire to Dance!

Dennis NaughtonMr. Dennis Naughton is in his twen-ty-fifth year of teaching and fifth year as the Band Director at Flow-ery Branch High School. In his time at Flowery Branch High School, the band has earned consistent supe-rior ratings in marching and concert festivals. The Flowery Branch band

is made up of three concert bands, marching band, jazz band, percussion ensemble, two steel drum bands, winter drum line, winter guard, and pep band. In 2011, the band was invited to participate in the mass band halftime at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Naughton was voted teacher of the year in just his second year at Flowery Branch. The Flowery Branch Wind Symphony performed for the University of Alabama High School Honor band festival in February 2014 and will perform for the University of Georgia High School Band festival in January of 2015. They were also invited as a performing band at the Music for All Southeast-

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Session-The “Real” Dream Team!!!!

ern Concert Festival at Georgia State University in Febru-ary of 2015. Prior to coming to Flowery Branch High School, Mr. Naughton served for five years as the director of bands at North Springs High School. His duties at North Springs included conducting the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, the Jazz Ensemble, the “Tropical Springs” Steel Drum Band, and the Steel Band II ensemble. Prior to his appointment at North Springs, he was the assistant director of bands at Mil-ton High School and director of bands at Riverwood High School. Before going to Fulton County, Mr. Naughton was band director at East Coweta High School in Sharpsburg, Georgia. During his time at East Coweta, he conducted three concert bands, a pep band, the marching band, and per-cussion ensemble. In addition to his teaching experience, Mr. Naughton has also spent 14 summers as a staff mem-ber of the Encore Music Camps in Milledgeville, Georgia, and spent a year as a staff member of the Atlanta Olympic Band. Mr. Naughton’s symphonic and concert bands have consistently earned superior and excellent ratings at district festivals. Marching bands under Mr. Naughton’s direction have won numerous grand championships throughout the state of Georgia. His bands have also been finalist bands at the Bands of America regional competitions on several occasions. In 1996, members of the East Coweta Band were asked to participate in the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Atlanta, Georgia. Members of Mr. Naughton’s bands have also been invited to perform in prestigious events such as the Fiesta Bowl Parade, Fiesta Bowl Field Show Com-petition, The Sugar Bowl Mass Band Halftime Show, The Orange Bowl Mass Band Halftime Show, The Festival of States, St. Petersburg, Florida, Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Paralympic Games, The Bands of America Regional Concert Band Festival, and the 1994 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In February of 2004, his percussion ensemble performed at the Bands of America National Concert Band and Percussion Festival. Mr. Naughton is an active member of the GMEA ninth district and has remained active in the districts in which he has taught. He served on the GMEA instrumental council as a member of the sixth district as well as the fifth district, has hosted the GMEA large group performance evaluation, hosted honor bands, and hosted numerous All-State auditions. He has also presented clinics at the GMEA In-Service Conference. Currently, Mr. Naugh-ton serves as an adjudicator in Georgia and South Carolina. Mr. Naughton serves as the instrumental coordinator for the Southern Star Music Festival and has served in that role for 12 years. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University in 1990 and completed his Master of Music Education degree from the University of Southern Missis-sippi in the summer of 2008. Mr. Naughton has been award-ed the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence in marching band and concert band direction three times. The North Springs Wind Ensemble was been invited to perform at the University of Southern Mississippi Conductor’s clinic in 2006 and the University of Alabama honor Band clinic in 2009. Mr. Naughton is a member of MENC, the Georgia Mu-sic Educators’ Association, Percussive Arts Society, the Phi Beta Mu Honorary Bandmaster’s Fraternity and the National Band Association. He has two beautiful children, Marilyn (20) and Alex (17). He is married to Mrs. Christy Naughton, who is the band director at Northwestern Middle School in Fulton County. They have a child, Matthew, who is 10 years old.

Dr. patty nelsonDr. Patty K. Nelson earned her BA in Piano and Music Education from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, her MM in Church Music and Music Education from Southwest-ern Baptist Theological Seminary, and her Ed. D. in Curriculum and In-struction with an emphasis in Mu-

sic Education from Baylor University. Additionally, Dr. Nelson is Orff Certified. Dr. Nelson has taught in Northside ISD in San Antonio, TX, and Spring ISD in Houston, TX. She has also taught music education choirs in various churches in Tex-as, culminating in being the Director of Music Education at First Baptist Church in Keller, Texas, working with students ages three through 8th grade. Dr. Nelson has also taught private piano for more than 25 years and directed a Fine Arts Academy which offered lessons in piano, organ, voice, guitar, flute, horn, violin, and viola. Dr. Nelson has provided clinics for children’s choir workers, judged piano festivals, given numerous children’s organ demonstration recitals, and has been an invited performer on the Baylor University Halloween Recital. Dr. Nelson has presented at the National Association for Music Educators national research confer-ence, School Science and Mathematics Association national conference, Texas Music Teachers Association state con-ference, American Association for Teaching and Curriculum national conference, and the Association for Teacher Edu-cators national conference. Her research interests are piano curriculum, learning theory, and the application of learning theory to private studios and music classrooms. Dr. Nelson is currently Assistant Professor of Music/Director of Music Education at Shorter University in Rome, GA.

Session-edTPA: Tips for a Good Portfolio

rob opitzMr. Opitz holds the titles of Interim Director of Bands and Trumpet In-structor at Reinhardt University. He is the founding director of the Re-inhardt Screaming Eagle Band, and is responsible for its vision, perfor-mance, design, and execution. Rob has performed with jazz legends

Tito Puente, Louis Bellson, Marian McPartland, Rufus Reid, Hal Crook, Marshal Royal, Jon Faddis, Diane Schuur, Paquito D’Rivera, Cladio Roditi, and many more. Rob has performed in local groups in the metro Atlanta Area, including Orquesta MaCuba, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra Jazz Ensemble, the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, Yacht Rock Revue, US Beat, At-lanta Beat, the Joe Gransden Big Band and the Macon Pops Orchestra.

Sessions-Jazz Reading Session-Keep Making Music: The Importance of Making Music Outside the Classroom

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2 Marti ParkerMarti Parker teaches in Macon, Georgia, at Vineville Academy of the Arts. This is her 24th year of teaching music in Georgia and Florida public schools. Ms. Park-er received a B.M.E. from Stetson University and a Master of Edu-cation in Educational Leadership

from the University of South Florida. She completed Kodály levels I, II, and III at Silver Lake College of the Holy Family in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She has additionally completed Orff levels I, II, and III, Creative Drama for Creative Learn-ing levels I, II, and III, World Music Drumming levels I and II, Gifted and ESOL endorsements, Teacher Support Special-ist certification, and is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early and Middle Childhood/Music. She is currently pursu-ing a graduate certificate in Fine Arts Supervision through Fitchburg State University so she may continue to share her passion for arts integration and creative expression within arts standards.

Session-Connecting the D.O.T.S. - Using Drama, Orff, Technology, and Solfege in the General Music Classroom

Dr. Rob PethelDr. Rob Pethel is a guitarist, music educator, and researcher based in Atlanta, Georgia. He began his for-mal music studies at Georgia State University (GSU), earning a B.Mus. with a concentration in classical guitar under John Sutherland in 2002. Rob received a M.Ed. from

Auburn University in 2010, and a Ph.D. in music education in 2015 from GSU, where his research focus was guitar educa-tion. Rob is involved with guitar education on many levels. In 2009, he initiated a classroom guitar program at Sutton Middle School of the Atlanta Public Schools where he con-tinues to teach. In addition to middle school, Rob has taught undergraduate courses in music education at GSU, and is involved in teacher training as a clinician with the Teaching Guitar Workshop.

Sessions-Guitar Education Research-Collegiate Guitar Exchange

bOB PHILLIPSPedagogue, composer, and teach-er trainer, Bob Phillips is an inno-vator in string education. During his 27 years of teaching strings in Saline, Michigan, Bob built a thriv-ing string program of over 700 stu-dents and was honored as teacher of the year nine times by regional,

state and national organizations. A recognized expert in the use of large group pedagogy and alternative styles, he has presented clinics throughout North America, Europe, and Australia. Phillips has authored over 18 book series that in-clude 118 books for use in the classroom, including Alfred’s revolutionary new method, Sound Innovations for String Or-chestra and Sound Innovations for Concert Band, as well as the ground breaking Philharmonic series. He has had over 120 works published for orchestras and bands and is an award winning ASCAP composer. His conducting resume includes professional, All-State, and youth orchestras. Cur-rently the Director of String Publications for Alfred Music and the President of ASTA, in 2013 Bob was inducted into the University of Michigan School of Music Hall of Fame.

Sessions-Technique, Tone, and Literacy: Young String Player’s Guide to Success-Staying on Fire without Burning Out

-Strategies for Introducing and Developing Shifting

CHESTER PHILLIPSA native of Newnan, GA, Chester B. Phillips is in his seventh year as associate director of bands and director of athletic bands at Geor-gia State University. His primary responsibilities include conduct-ing the Wind Orchestra, estab-lis¬ing and directing the University

Marching Band, teaching conducting, and overseeing all facets of the Athletic Bands. In 2013, Dr. Phillips was present-ed the Dean’s Early Career Award by the College of Arts and Sciences for his outstanding work in teaching, service, and professional development. Under his leadership, the GSU Marching Band has received several honors and accolades, including participation in the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, marching in the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade, a national top-ten honor by the 2013 Col-lege Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), a top-five honor by the 2012 Southern Division of CBDNA. Prior to his appointment at GSU, Dr. Phillips taught for seven years as the associate director of bands at Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, and for two years in the Gwinnett County public schools at the middle and high school levels. Chester Phillips received the Bachelor of Music degree in music education from the University of Georgia, the Master of Music degree in music education from the University of Illinois, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind con-ducting at the University of Georgia. His principal conduct-ing teachers have been John P. Lynch and James Keene. He is affiliated with professional organizations that include the National Band Association, College Band Directors Na-tional Association, National Association for Music Education, and Georgia Music Educators Association. Chester currently lives in Atlanta, GA, with his wife, Megan, their two daughters and their dog, Bella.

Session-Fishing For A Job? Use The Right Bait!-Fifty Shades of Great!

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pam phillipsPam Phillips, manager, producer, graphic artist, publicist and string educator, plans and produces the string education activities under-taken in partnership with her hus-band, Bob Phillips. With Bob, the famous composer and teacher, she travels extensively, presenting

clinics for teachers and working with students. Pam brings a broad understanding of the classroom and public school atmosphere to the construction of the clinics and work-shops. This was most helpful when she served as Chair of the 2007 ASTA National Conference. She also coordinates projects and development of new materials. Currently working with promotion and development of Bob’s books and compositions for Alfred Publishing, Pam masterminds many activities. Pam and Bob also consult with various art-ists concerning school activities. Pam graduated from the University of Michigan and then ran a successful business for many years. With Mary Kay Cosmetics, she reached the level of Team Manager, earning the use of three cars. This experience in sales, training, and motivation became part of all future musical and educational endeavors. After spend-ing these years in business and raising three musicians, Pam turned her full time energies to the arts. Pam served as arts administrator for the performing ensemble, Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic, in Saline, MI, for the first eight years after the group’s founding. She also served as a substitute music teacher and assisted in program development for the Saline music program. One specialty of Pam’s is communi-cation between the community and the music department. Together with Bob, she founded a new string program in Tecumseh, MI, planning advocacy, interface with parents, classroom activities, and assembling a ten-year plan for the new program. Pam is responsible for the development, mar-keting and organization of the Phillips Family Fiddle Camps, which ran successfully from 1997-2000, reaching over 500 students. An earlier collaboration with Barrage resulted in the well-received Siring Alternatives Workshops for teach-ers. Pam has assisted in the graphic design and develop-ment of the Fiddlers Philharmonic, Jazz Philharmonic, String Alternative, and String Explorer series for Alfred Publishing. Pam served as producer, editor, writer, and graphic artist for the newly released DVD series, String Clinics to Go: The Art of Recruiting and Getting Started, distributed by Shar Prod-ucts. Recognized as Citizens of the Year by the City of Sa-line for their work in arts education, Bob and Pam were also honored in special ceremonies by both the House and the Senate of the State of Michigan for their work with the Saline Fiddlers. They have three daughters who have taught at the Phillips Family Fiddle Camps and the Michigan ASTA camps. Two daughters, who are string teachers, also give fiddle clinics in their regions. The third daughter, a math teacher, continues to teach at summer music camps and play bass on the side.Sessions-Copyright: What Can I Really Do?

Lanie radeckeLanie Radecke is Associate Direc-tor of Bands at Wando High School. A native of Elberton, GA, she is a 2001 graduate of the University of Georgia, where she received her Bachelor of Music in Music Educa-tion. In 2006, she earned a Master of Music in Music Education from

the University of South Carolina. She has studied clarinet un-der the late Dr. Theodore Jahn, Dr. D. Ray McClellan, and Jo-seph Eller. She has also studied conducting under Dr. John N. Culvahouse, Dr. F. David Romines, and Dr. Carol Krueger. During Mrs. Radecke’s tenure, the Wando High School Band program has performed at the Midwest Band and Orches-tra Clinic (2007), the University of South Carolina Band Clinic (2008), received the Sudler Flag of Honor presented by the Sousa Foundation (2007), received superior ratings for each of three Concert bands annually, placed over forty-five stu-dents in the South Carolina All-State band each year, were named Grand National Finalist (2009 & 2011), and have been South Carolina 5A Marching Band Champions (2007-2012). Most recently, the band performed at the South Carolina Music Educator’s Conference in February 2012 as a fea-tured ensemble. Prior to coming to Wando, Mrs. Radecke served as the Associate Director of Bands at Central Gwin-nett High School (GA) and as Director of Bands at Carolina Forest Middle School. While under her direction, students have consistently participated in individual and ensemble events at the regional, state, and national levels achieving top honors in each category. She is recipient of the National Band Association’s Certificate of Merit for Marching Excel-lence on three occasions and has served as a Region Chair-man for the South Carolina Band Director’s Association. Mrs. Radecke has been a member of the Cobb Wind Symphony (GA), Northwinds Symphonic Band (GA), Charleston Wind Ensemble, and Palmetto Concert Band (SC). She remains active as a private teacher and freelance musician in the Charleston area. Her professional affiliations include, South Carolina Music Educators Association, MENC, Sigma Alpha Iota, Kappa Kappa Psi, International Clarinet Association, and the National Band Association. Mrs. Radecke resides on Daniel Island with her wonderful husband, Joshua, a fellow music educator.

Session-YOU Teach High School Band! But How Can You, You’re A Woman?

Evgney RivkinEvgeny Rivkin was born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, receiving his early training and Bachelor of Music from the Nizhny Novgorod College of Music. He earned his Master of Music from the Moscow Conserva-tory and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the Moscow Conservatory. Dr.

Rivkin has won several awards for his playing, including top prizes in the Bavarian Radio Music Competition in Munich, the International Tchaikovsky Competition held in Moscow, the USSR National Piano Competition in St. Petersburg, and the Russian National Piano Competition held in Moscow. In 1998 he won the First prize in the International McMahon Piano Competition held in Oklahoma. Evgeny Rivkin came to the University of Georgia in 1995 as a professor at the School of Music. Before coming to UGA, Rivkin was a pro-fessor of piano at the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia. In addition to presenting master classes worldwide,

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Sessions-Piano Solo Masterclass 6th-8th Grade-Piano Solo Masterclass 9th-11th Grade-Piano Solo Masterclass 12th Grade-College

Rivkin continues to perform as a soloist and chamber mu-sician throughout the United States, Russia, Canada, Brazil and Europe to high acclaim, appearing as a soloist and with symphony and chamber orchestras in such venues as Weill Carnegie Hall in New York, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Great Hall of F. Liszt Hungari-an Academy of Music and others. “Music of Latvia” reviewed Rivkin’s style as “distinguished by its elegance, nobility, and high culture.” Rivkin has released ten compact discs, includ-ing one featuring some of his favorite solo piano music by Tchaikovsky, as well as a number of chamber music CD’s in collaboration with violinist Levon Ambartsumian, featuring masterpieces of Brahms, Bartok, Schubert, Chausson and Mendelssohn.

RUSSELL SAUVERuss joined IQ marketing agency in the Fall of 2014 and serves the cli-ents’ social media and digital strat-egy needs. He also leads all social listening projects and is passionate about new technologies and find-ing new ways to reach consumers. Previous to joining IQ Russ served

at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre for 8 years where he managed all interactive marketing initiatives including; search engine marketing, retargeting campaigns, social media, email mar-keting, and onsite digital signage. Outside of work Russ is passionate about craft beer, delicious food, Las Vegas, mu-sic, and the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

Session-Proven Digital Marketing Techniques to Better Communicate with Your Ensemble and Supporters

mary scarboroughMary Scarborough teaches chorus and music appreciation at Islands High School in Savanah, Georgia. Since the school’s opening five years ago, the chorus has regu-larly been a featured choir in the Savannah Sings choral festival and has travelled to perform at Carne-

gie Hall. As an active member of NAfME, Scarborough has organized the GMEA District One Honor Chorus for the past 3 years. Scarborough holds a bachelors degree in music education from Georgia Southern University and a masters degree in music education and conducting from Georgia Southern University.

Session-Sing What You Mean, and Mean What You Sing; Choosing Culturally Responsive Choral Repertoire

julian sconyersJay Sconyers is a graduate con-ducting associate with the Uni-versity of South Carolina band program, where he is currently pursuing the degree of doctor of musical arts in wind conducting. Prior to his time at USC, Jay served as the Director of Bands at Elbert

County Comprehensive High School in Elberton, GA. Jay re-ceived his Master of Music Education and Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Georgia, where he studied trumpet with Professor Fred Mills. While at UGA, Jay per-formed in a wide variety of instrumental and choral ensem-bles, performing throughout the United States, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Vatican, and China. Jay is an alumnus of Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, and he has served on the instructional staff of the University of Georgia Red¬-coat Band, University of South Carolina Marching Band, as a brass instructor with several open and world class drum and bugle corps, and currently serves on the brass staff of Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. Jay is an active mu-sic arranger, drill designer, adjudicator, and clinician in the eastern and southern United States. His past and present professional affiliations include the College Band Direc-tors National Association, National Band Association, Geor-gia Music Educators Association, Professional Association of Georgia Educators, College Music Educators National Coference, Phi Kappa Phi National Honors Society, Kappa Kap¬pa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Session-The First Step: Connecting Marching Techniques with Musical Concepts for the First Rehearsal and Beyond

DR. Laurie sCOTTLaurie Scott is Associate Profes-sor of Music and Human Learning at The University of Texas at Aus-tin. Additionally, she serves as the director of The University of Tex-as String Project. Previous to this appointment, Dr. Scott served as professor of violin and viola and

director of music education studies at Southwestern Uni-versity in Georgetown, Texas. Dr. Scott was co-director of the Armadillo Suzuki Organization, the Austin Metropolitan Suzuki School, and the Texas Suzuki Tour Group. She holds a master’s degree in applied violin from the University of Nebraska, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from the State University of New York at Fredonia. She received her Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Texas. Before moving to Texas, Dr. Scott taught in rural string pro-grams in Nebraska and performed with the Omaha and Lin-coln Symphonies and the Nebraska Chamber Orchestra. As a music educator in Texas, Dr. Scott has served as an officer of the Texas chapter of the American String Teacher’s As-sociation, taught for eight years for the Austin ISD at Lamar Middle School and Travis and McCallum High Schools, was co-conductor of the Austin Youth Symphony, and served as Region XVIII College Division Chair for the Texas Music Educator’s Association. Professor Scott was co-editor of the public school column in the American Suzuki Journal and was named chairman of the Suzuki in the Schools division of the 1998 International Teacher’s Conference. She has per-formed with the Austin Symphony, Austin Lyric Opera and Ballet Austin Orchestras. and received both the Teaching Excellence Award from the School of Music and from the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. She

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Session-Preparation, Pattern Play: Training Musicians to Read and Play Music Through a Holistic Pattern Recognition

is a registered teacher trainer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas and most recently received a Creating Learn-ing Community award from the SAA for her work related to Suzuki in the Schools. Dr. Scott is on the research editorial board for the American String Teachers Association and a guest clinician and conductor at state and national conven-tions. She is co-author with William Dick of the textbooks, Mastery for Strings, Level One and Two, and Learning To-gether: Sequential Repertoire for Solo Strings or String En-sembles, co-authored with William Dick and Winfred Crock. Her latest publication, From the Stage to the Studio: How Fine Performers become Great Teachers, is co-authored with Cornelia Watkins and was published by Oxford Univer-sity Press in April of 2012.

Session-Building a Better Back Row: Ideas for Getting Great Sounds Out of Your Low Brass

dR. cALE sELFCale Self is the Associate Director of Bands and Instructor of Tuba/Euphonium at the University of West Georgia in beautiful Carroll-ton, GA. Also serving as Director of Athletic Bands, Dr. Self has prima-ry responsibility for directing the UWG Marching Band “The Sound

That Lights the South” and the “Wolfgang” Basketball Pep Band. He also teaches studio tuba and euphonium, and conducts the UWG Symphonic Band and Brass Ensemble.During the summertime, Dr. Self serves as the Dean of Stu-dents at the Brevard Music Center in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. In that capacity, he administers the non-musical side of life at BMC, supervis-ing a staff of 4 assistant deans and 36 resident advisors as well as the 400 student musicians who study at the music center each summer. In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Self is an active performer at BMC in the chamber music, wind band, and orchestral programs. Dr. Self holds degrees in music education and instrumental conducting from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in euphonium performance from the Universi-ty of Georgia in Athens. His teachers include David Zerkel, John Lynch, Allen Crowell, Patrick Sheridan, Gary Garner, Joe Nelson, and Joseph Cox. He has participated in les-sons and masterclasses with Christian Badea, Marty Erick-son, Adam Frey, Sarah McKoin, Tim Northcut, Sam Pilafian, Demondrae Thurman, and Charles Villarubia. Dr. Self has performed for the Texas Music Educators and Texas Band-masters Associations, the College Band Directors National Association, the International Tuba Euphonium Association, the US Army Band Tuba Euphonium Conference, the BOA National Concert Band Festival, and the National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall. He has performed un-der Keith Lockhart, JoAnn Falletta, Thomas Wilkins, Steven Smith, Kraig Williams, Don Wilcox, James Keane, Harry Be-gian, Michael Haithcock, Manu Mallaerts, and Fred Mills, and has recorded on the Mark Custom and Naxos labels. He is a two-time concerto competition winner, and was a final-ist in the 2006 International Tuba Quartet competition as a member of the UGA Tuba Quartet. Dr. Self is a passionate advocate of new music for the euphonium and tuba, and has participated in consortiums that have commissioned composers across the country to write a dozen pieces for the instruments within the past six years. The latest com-mission, in conjunction with euphoniumist Chris Leslie, is for a three-movement sonata for euphonium and piano from Georgia composer John Hennecken.

cHRIS ShumickThe 2015-2016 school year is Chris Shumick’s fourth year as the Direc-tor of Bands at Milton High School in Milton, Georgia. Prior to his ap-pointment at Milton, he spent five years as the inaugural band di-rector at Woodland High School in Henry County and previously

taught for three years at Jonesboro High School in Clayton County. Originally from Alliance, Ohio, he holds a Bachelor in Music Education from Bowling Green State University (2004), and both Master’s and Education Specialist’s de-grees from The University of Georgia (2007, 2009). Ensem-bles under his direction have consistently received superior ratings at GMEA concert and marching band events and the Milton Band was the recipient of the 2014 GMEA Exempla-ry Performance Award. In recent years, groups he has led have received invitations to perform at the University of Al-abama Honor Band Festival, The University of South Caro-lina Band Clinic, The University of Georgia’s January Music Festival, Georgia State University’s “Bands of Distinction” Honor Clinic, and the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in Savannah. Mr. Shumick is a six-time recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence, and, as the conductor, was the recipient of the 2013 Shuler Hensley award for “Best Pit Orchestra” at the Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards. In addition to frequently serving as an adjudicator and clinician for march-ing and concert band events in the Atlanta area, he is a staff member for the Georgia Ambassadors of Music European tours. A former member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from Canton, Ohio, Mr. Shumick currently performs in the brass section of the Cobb Wind Symphony in Marietta, Georgia.

Session-So...You Got a Band Job. Now What? Setting Priori-ties In Your First-Year as Band Director

Paulette siglerPaulette Sigler has been an ac-tive music educator for over thirty years throughout the Southeast. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Southern Missis-sippi. She holds Masters of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and in Music Education from Georgia

State University. She has an earned doctorate in Music Edu-cation from Georgia State University. Current research inter-ests are access to musical opportunities for at-risk students and the effects of music participation on lifelong learning. Her choral career includes invitations to conduct featured choirs at the Georgia Music Educators Association in con-secutive years. Other conducting opportunities have includ-ed Honor Choirs in Georgia and Alabama. She has present-ed research at Music Education conferences in Georgia and Iowa on working with male voices and encouraging instru-mentalists to develop a comfort with singing. She is a cho-ral adjudicator for GMEA and holds membership in ADCA, GMEA, NAfME.

Session-Can You Hear My Voice? College Students’ Reflec-tions of Secondary School Music Experiences

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6 Parker smithForrest Parker was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia. He was la-beled as a special education stu-dent from 1st grade throughout his public school career. He joined his middle school band program in 6th grade and decided he wanted to be a music teacher. He attended

the Schwob school of Music where he earned a degree in music education. He has taught in every grade level, preK-12th as a music teacher. He has taught class guitar, class pi-ano, middle and high school choir, music appreciation, gen-eral music, middle school band, and music therapy at the Georgia Network of Educational and Therapeutic Supports (GNETS). He was the Teacher of the Year Honoree for the Woodall Psychoeducational Center in 2015. He is current-ly pursuing a Doctorate degree in Educational Psychology from Auburn University. His research interest include teach-er and student relationships, instructional strategies, and music therapy for students with behavior disorders.

Session-Jamming in the Classroom

joy jeehai songA native of South Korea, Dr. Joy J. Song is regarded as an innovator in the field of piano pedagogy. Her publications of educational piano materials and psychology books on personality types are widely acclaimed. Sonatine Secrets was introduced at MTAC 2013 by Hal

Leonard and was praised as an innovative, fun and effec-tive way for students to study essential repertoire. Ameri-can Music Teachers (Feb./Mar. 2014) described the book as providing first- rate musical concepts for younger students with a method utilizing fun, computer-style icons. 9 Gifts for Pianists, another steady-selling textbook, has been an asset for teaching beginners for fifteen years. Dr. Song started the piano at age five and received BM, MFA and DMA (ABD) in Piano Performance and DMA in Piano Pedagogy. She has also been certified in the fields of Early Childhood Develop-ment, Music Education, Psychology and Coaching.”

Sessions-Pianist‘s Secret weapon: Smooth and Fast Scale Playing-Why Do We All Sound Different on the Same In-strument?-A New Approach to Develop of Technique and Mu-sicality for a New Generation

aSHLEIGH sPATZAshleigh Spatz has seven years of experience teaching elementary school general music. She current-ly teaches at Burgess-Peterson Academy and Benteen Elementary in Atlanta Public Schools, and she is an intern director for the Georgia Singers professional choir, under

her mentor, Dr. Franklin Green. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Mercer University and her Master of Music Education from Texas Tech University. Ms. Spatz has been sought after as a clinician for the Fulton County Choral Clinic as well as the Fulton County Art and Music Exposition. She has co-presented previous clinics at GMEA In -Ser-vice conferences including, “How to Implement the New Movement Standard in the General Music Classroom” and “Connecting the Dots: How to Use Research in Music Ed-ucation.” She served as president of the Delta Tau chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, which received the “Outstanding Chap-ter in Service to Community” award under her leadership. She was also the recipient of the “2007 Summer Disserta-tion/Thesis Research” award from Texas Tech University.

Session-Burned Out and Fed Up: How to Survive as a Music Educator in 2016

Dr. Laura stambaughLaura A. Stambaugh is Associate Professor and Director of Music Education at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA. She teaches courses in music educa-tion and music cognition. In addi-tion, she supervises Field Experi-ences and oversees an afterschool

outreach program. Prior to joining the faculty of GSU, she taught at Western Washington University, WA, and spent 11 years in New Hampshire teaching elementary and mid-dle school band and chorus. Currently, she serves as the College Division Chair of GMEA and for District I of GMEA. She has presented at state, national, and international con-ferences. Her publications appear in Journal of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Psychology of Music, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Music Educators Journal, and Teaching Music.

Session-Aloha! Ukuleles in Your Classroom

Scott stewartScott Stewart is on the Instrumen-tal Music faculty at the Westmin-ster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Music Director and Con-ductor of the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony. He served as the Di-rector of Wind Studies at Emory University from 1999-2013, where

he conducted the Emory Wind Ensemble and taught cours-es in conducting, wind band literature and history, and film music. A native of Cicero, Indiana, Stewart holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Doctor of Music in Conducting from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and a Mas-ter of Music from the Butler School of Music at the Universi-ty of Texas at Austin. Stewart’s instructors include Ray Cram-er, Stephen Pratt, David Woodley, Eugene Rousseau, Robert Duke, and Jerry Junkin. Stewart has served as Conductor of the Emory University Symphony Orchestra, Principal Con-

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ductor of the Star of Indiana Brass Theatre, Assistant Con-ductor of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Guest Lecturer and Conductor at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts, Director of Instrumental Music for the West Virginia Governor’s Honor Program, and instrumental music instructor at McCallum High School and Lamar Mid-dle School in Austin, Texas. A passionate advocate for new music and living composers, he has commissioned and re-corded wind band/ensemble premieres, including music by Jennifer Higdon, Bruce Broughton, John Mackey, Ste-phen Paulus, Steven Bryant, Jonathan Newman, Libby Lars-en, Carolyn Bremer, Kevin Kaska, Todd Stalter, Jim Bonney, Roger Cichy, Kevin Walcyzk, William Pitts, Jonathan Hoff-mann, Peter Child, and others. In November 2012, NAXOS released CD of Christmas music by the Emory Symphonic Winds (“In the World of Spirits”) for wind band/ensemble on the “Wind Band Classics” label. An active saxophonist, he is founder and member of the Emory Saxophone Quartet, which has performed at the Rome Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum, and throughout the city. Stewart has per-formed on American Public Media’s “Pipedreams Live” hosted by Michael Barone, with the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, and at St. Phillip’s Cathedral (Atlanta) and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (New York City) with organist David Lamb. Two recent CDs feature his playing: “Beyond the Horizon, volume 2” with Adam Frey, euphonium; and Mi-chael Finnerty, piano; and “Gothic Chills and Reverberating Thrills” with David Lamb. Surrounding his students with some of the world’s great musicians is an embedded goal at both Westminster and AYWS. Stewart’s artistic collabora-tions have included projects with Frank Ticheli (composer, University of Southern California), Christopher Theofanidis (composer, Yale University), Michael Gandolfi (composer, New England Conservatory), Ron Nelson (composer), Chris Martin (principal trumpet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Richard Stoltzman (clarinet), Robert Spano (Atlanta Sym-phony Orchestra), Eugene Rousseau (saxophone, University of Minnesota), William Ransom (piano, Emory University), Jeff Nelsen (horn, Indiana University), Mark Scatterday (con-ductor, Eastman Wind Ensemble), Richard Prior (composer and conductor, Emory University), Susan Rider (cornet, U.S. Marine Band), Mark Clodfelter (trumpet, University of Ken-tucky), Scott McAllister (composer), Jennifer Marotta (trum-pet), Michael Metzger (percussion, U.S. Marine Band), Peter Burkholder (musicologist, Indiana University), Lois Reitzes (program director, WABE), Carl Hall (piccolo, ASO), Laura Ar-dan (clarinet, ASO), Carl Nitchie (bassoon, ASO), Dane Philipsen (oboe), Richard Deane (horn, ASO), Brice Andrus (horn, ASO), Mark Yancich (timpani, ASO), Oysten Baadsvik (tuba), Adam Frey (euphonium), Tim Jansa (composer), Ber-nard Flythe (tuba), David Gillingham (composer), Jan Baker (saxophone, Georgia State University), Lori-Gene (visual art-ist), the Vega Quartet (Emory), the Zagreb Saxophone Quar-tet, Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, Theater Emo-ry, Emory Dance, Emory University Chorus, Emory Concert Choir, Kennesaw State University, the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Pope High School, Brookwood High School, and the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony. Stew-art has conducted the Georgia All-State Band and perfor-mances by the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony at the GMEA State In-Conference in Savannah, Carnegie Hall in New York City, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, the national MENC con-ference in Milwaukee, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, as well as broadcast on Public Radio International’s acclaimed radio show, From the Top and featured regularly on WABE 90.1’s “Atlanta Music Scene.” The Emory Wind En-semble performed at GMEA in Savannah as well as two per-formance tours of Europe (Rothenberg, Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Lucerne, Vienna, Prague, and Graz) and a concert tour of Greece. He is the founder and on-air host of “Sum-

Session-iConduct: Improving Conducting Technique for the 21st Century Multi-tasking Musician

mer Winds,” a program devoted to wind band music on At-lanta’s National Public Radio affiliate, WABE 90.1 FM, which begins national syndication in the summer of 2014. Stewart is also heard frequently on the air “pitching” during the bian-nual fund drives with WABE program director Lois Reitzes.Stewart is a contributing research associate for volumes 2-9 of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, as well as Teaching Music Through Performance of Marches, all pub-lished by GIA. He has presented scholarly papers at the Ha-waii International Conference on the Arts and Humanities and the Internationale Gesellschaft zur Erforschung und Förderung der Blasmusik in Oberwelz, Austria. He has also published in The Instrumentalist and Music Educators Jour-nal. To serve the greater Atlanta community in music educa-tion outreach, Stewart co-founded and facilitated outreach programs which are still running, including Saxophone Day, Bassoon Day and the Summer Bassoon Extravaganza, At-lanta Percussion Symposium, International Euphonium Insti-tute, and the Atlanta Trumpet Festival. Stewart founded the Emory Summer Concert Band in 2010 as part of the Emory Pre-College Program and to model an integrated, diverse community ensemble, which will resume activities at West-minster in the Summer of 2014. With Dr. Laurie Scott at the University of Texas, Stewart is co-founder and director of Bend the Twig, Inc., a non-profit organization which pro-motes the integration of character education in music class-rooms. In this capacity, he has appeared nationally at edu-cation and music conferences, presents in-services for teachers and administrators, and frequently writes on topics of character and ethics in the performing arts. An active sax-ophonist, he is founder and member of the Emory Saxo-phone Quartet, which has performed at the Rome Sympho-ny Orchestra, the High Museum, and throughout the city. Stewart has performed on American Public Media’s “Pipe-dreams Live” hosted by Michael Barone, with the Amelia Is-land Chamber Music Festival, and at St. Phillip’s Cathedral (Atlanta) and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (New York City) with organist David Lamb. Two recent CDs feature his playing: “Beyond the Horizon, volume 2” with Adam Frey, euphonium; and Michael Finnerty, piano; and “Gothic Chills and Reverberating Thrills” with David Lamb. Stewart is the former Manager of the Indiana University Summer Music Clinic for High School Students, where he continues to serve on the faculty. Professional memberships include the Con-ductors Guild, College Music Society, National Band Associ-ation, National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC), Georgia Music Educators Association, and the Col-lege Band Directors National Association. At Emory Univer-sity, he was departmental liaison for the PACE advising pro-gram and coordinated the undergraduate recruitment initiative for the Department of Music. He served on the Emory Scholars Selection Committee for eleven years, as well as the Emory Scholars Advisory Board, Emory College Admission and Scholarship Committee, Pre-College Pro-gram Advisory Board, PACE Advisory Board, the Emory Col-lege Honor Council, and freshman advisor for twelve years. He was honored by the Emory University student body by being selected to present the annual “Last Lecture,” has been a “faculty spotlight speaker” for Family Weekend for the past two years, and was faculty convocation speaker in 2011, received the Winship Award for Senior Lecturers in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences for 2011-12 and the Fac-ulty Appreciation Award from the Office of Admission in 2009. He is an active guest conductor, teacher, clinician, au-thor, speaker, and saxophonist.

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aNDREA sTRAUSSAndrea DeRenzis Strauss, Con-ductor of Tara Winds, has taught elementary, middle, high school, college, and adult community bands, and has taught at both pub-lic and private schools in Georgia. A native of Clarence, New York, Dr. Strauss earned both the Bachelor

and Master Degrees in Music Education from the University of South Carolina and attained a Ph.D. in Music Education with a minor in Conducting from the University of South-ern Mississippi. In addition, Dr. Strauss completed the Edu-cational Leadership Certificate Program at Kennesaw State University. Dr. Strauss served as Director of Bands and As-sociate Professor of Music at Shorter University, where she made significant contributions to the development of the instrumental music education degree program. At Shorter, Dr. Strauss taught conducting, various instrumental music education methods and pedagogy courses, and directed the marching band, wind ensemble, and chamber orches-tra. As former Director of Bands at the Georgia Institute of Technology, ensembles under her leadership performed in Australia, Ireland, and China for such events as the Shang-hai International Arts Festival. While serving Georgia Tech for sixteen years, the Symphonic Band commissioned nu-merous works and performed for Southern Division Col-lege Band Directors National Association/National Band Association Conferences, and Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conferences. In addition to sustain-ing a teaching career at Georgia Tech, Dr. Strauss served as Associate Director of the 1992-1996 Atlanta Olympic Band and Associate Conductor of the Cobb Wind Symphony. She retired in 2013 from the Cobb County School District. Dr. Strauss is an active clinician and adjudicator, and has con-ducted All-State Bands in California, Florida, Georgia, Mich-igan, North Dakota, and South Carolina. She has conducted in Italy, adjudicated in Canada, and presented clinics on var-ious aspects of teaching and conducting for the Eastern and Northwestern Division NAfME In-Service Conferences, the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, and numerous GMEA In-Service Conferences and university symposiums. Dr. Strauss has had articles published in the Music Educa-tors Journal and the National Band Association’s Journal. As a member of the National Band Association’s Board of Directors, Dr. Strauss has served as the Music Education Research Chair, Mentor Director, and State Chair. In addi-tion, she has served as a National Representative for Tau Beta Sigma, State Chair for the CBDNA, Board of Directors Representative for the Georgia Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, and Ninth District Officer for GMEA.

Session-Breaking the Mold - Complete Guide on How Women Directors Can Communicate Effectively and Succeed

Session-Music Teacher Training in Georgia

DR. SKIP TAYLORClinton (Skip) Taylor is associate professor of music in string edu-cation. Prior to his appointment at UGA, he taught middle school and high school orchestra in the Char-lotte Mecklenburg Schools and Forsyth County Schools in North Carolina. He was the conductor and

director of the Winston-Salem Youth Symphony from 1997-2001 and was the founding conductor and director of the Greensboro Symphony Junior Strings from 2000-2001. At UGA, he teaches secondary instrumental music education courses and string methods, supervises student teachers, conducts the University Philharmonia, and serves as direc-tor of the UGA Summer Camps Program. Taylor has con-tributed articles to The Journal of String Research, Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra, The Instrumen-talist, and Georgia Music News. His compositions and ar-rangements for string orchestra and percussion ensemble are distributed by C. Alan Publications, Greensboro, NC. An active clinician and adjudicator throughout the southeast, Taylor has conducted numerous all-state and all-county or-chestras. He is a member of ASTA, NSOA, MENC, GMEA, and Phi Mu Alpha.

rob thomas & Tanya gerardThe multi-talented duo of Rob Thomas and Tanya Gerard are true didgeridoo pioneers in the U.S., having played and made didges for 20-plus years. They’ve performed through-out the country, have recorded several CDs, and have produced music for numerous

films, including the IMAX movie Sacred Planet. Tanya grew up in Australia, and both she and Rob have traveled exten-sively abroad. They lived in Santa Fe, N.M., for 22 years be-fore moving to North Carolina in 2013 to work full-time with Didgeridoo Down Under. They’re especially excited to help kids become better global citizens through motivational messages about character building, environmentalism and literacy. Tanya has written a children’s book, The Adventures of the Wild, Wild Wolf. She and Rob live with their five dogs deep in the enchanted forests and mountains of western NC.

Session-Aussie Funk Jam: Learn How to Play the Didgeridoo!

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Nicole ThompsonMrs. Nicole Thompson serves as Director of Orchestras at Tay-lor Road Middle School in Johns Creek, Georgia, where she was se-lected as Teacher of the Year for 2009-2010. Under her direction, the TRMS Orchestras have consis-tently earned superior ratings on

Georgia Music Educator’s Association Large Group Perfor-mance Evaluations and have been selected to perform at the 2006 and 2011 GMEA Conferences in Savannah, Geor-gia. Mrs. Thompson conducted the String Orchestra with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestras of Atlanta for several years, and under her direction, they, too, were selected to perform at the GMEA Conference in 2007. Mrs. Thompson served as the GMEA District V Orchestra Chair from 2008-2010 as well as the organizer for the District V Atlanta Symphony Orchestra-GMEA String Project from 2005-2007. Additionally, she has served as coordinator for the GMEA Middle and High School All-State Orchestras and as Orchestra Division Chair for 2013-2015. At Taylor Road Middle School, she served two terms on the Local School Advisory Counsel and currently serves on the Leadership Team. Mrs. Thompson began her study of the violin at the age of eleven. At the age of fifteen, she was accepted into the violin section of the Cobb Symphony Orchestra, a posi-tion she held for 10 years. Mrs. Thompson earned her Bach-elor of Music Education Degree at Georgia State Universi-ty. She earned her Master of Music Education Degree and Specialist in Education Degree at the University of Georgia. Mrs. Thompson began her career in 1996 as Music Direc-tor at Faith Lutheran School in Marietta, Georgia, where she taught Band and Chorus before she became Director of Orchestras at Taylor Road Middle School in 2000. She has conducted orchestras at the American String Teachers As-sociation conferences in Dallas, Texas and Reno, Nevada, as well as the Smokey Mountain Music Festival in Gatlin-burg, Tennessee. Mrs. Thompson has also taught seminars in Budapest, Hungary, as well as being an active adjudica-tor and clinician throughout the Metropolitan Atlanta area. Her summers include working with students at Florida State University Summer Music Camps in Tallahassee, Florida and Upbeat Music Camp in Alpharetta, Georgia. Mrs. Thompson has maintained an active performing career, as well. She has a private violin studio, plays violin full time with Mount Paran, and is a freelance violinist. Her professional affiliations include MENC, ASTA, and GMEA. Mrs. Thompson resides in Alpharetta, Georgia, with her husband, Bill, and their dog, Max. Her hobbies include hiking, biking, running, and trav-eling.

Sessions-Copyright: What Can I Really Do?

SEAN THROWERA native of middle Georgia, Sean is a performing concert musician and teacher with an arsenal of playing styles in hand. He performs reg-ularly as a solo classical guitar-ist, holding both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in classical guitar performance from the University of

Georgia, where he also held an assistantship and taught a course on guitar methods. Notable performances include master classes with David Russell, Jason Vieaux, Pepe Romero, Sheron Isbin, Eduardo Meirinhos, as well as a per-formance as solo guitarist with the UGA Symphony Orches-tra and combined choirs, and as guitarist for the UGA Men’s Varsity Singers. Another outlet for his musical creativity comes as singer and songwriter, developing and perform-ing music that showcases his diverse musical background. He has fronted several bands and jazz ensembles and has performed before a variety of crowds in many different mu-sical settings. Sean is currently on staff as Adjunct Professor of Guitar at Berry College and Georgia Highlands College in Rome, Georgia.

Session-The CAGED System: An Approach to Teaching the Fretboard

JIM TINTERJim Tinter is a composer, clinician, publisher and retired public school music educator from Medina, Ohio. He has presented dozens of work-shops for The National Association for Music Education, The American Orff-Schulwerk Association, The American Recorder Society and

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. His five publi-cations have received rave reviews from American Record-er, and the Jazz Education Journal as well as from teachers and students in the U.S., Canada and Taiwan. Jim’s dynamic and interactive presentations incorporate moving, singing, and playing instruments, in addition to an inspiring and en-tertaining multi-media presentation with audio and video clips of his students in action.

Session-GarageBand Goodies

CHRISTY TODDChristy Todd is the choral director at Rising Starr Middle School in Fayetteville, GA, where she teach-es approximately 300 students in six non- ‐auditioned choirs. In addition to performing traditional choral music, her classroom ini-tiatives include a career based

rock program with community mentors, and a special mu-sic education collaboration that engages students with special needs at the middle and high school level. She is in demand as an honor choir clinician and presenter, lec-turing frequently on topics of special music education, re-cruitment strategies, and technology integration, present-ing previously at in- ‐service conferences for GMEA, Florida ACDA, and NAfME. She holds degrees in music educa-tion from Florida State University and Shorter University.

Session-Recruiting Strategies for Choral and Instrumental Programs

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SHELLEY TOMICHShelley Tomich has been teach-ing elementary band, chorus, and general music in Fulton County Schools for 13 years. During this time she has won Teacher of the Year at her school, served as the lead teacher for her grade level, and currently serves on the tech-

nology leadership team in Fulton County. She has a BME in instrumental music education from the University of Ala-bama, MME in vocal and general music from the University of Georgia, and the Ed.S. degree in Technology in Schools from the University of Missouri. She started her publishing company, Pitch Publications, in 2014 in order to share Pitch Hill, and other teaching resources with fellow music edu-cators.

Session-Pitch Hill: Teaching Solfege through Children’s Literature

debra traficanteDr. Debra Traficante serves as Kennesaw State University’s As-sociate Director of Bands/Director of Athletic Bands. In this position, Dr. Traficante guides and directs all aspects of the KSU Marching Band (“The Marching Owls”), pre-miered in the Fall 2015, as well as

the KSU Basketball Pep Band. Professor Traficante also serves as the Conductor of the KSU Concert Band, teach-es beginning instrumental conducting, wind band literature, arranging and pedagogy, and marching band technique courses, while also advising Music Education students. She also serves as the Kappa Kappa Psi (Nu Mu) and Tau Beta Sigma (Iota Psi) chapter advisor. Dr. Traficante serves on the brass staff for the Boston Crusaders. Dr. Traficante former-ly served as Assistant Professor of Music/Assistant Director of University Bands at the University of Oklahoma where she conducted the Symphony Band, assisted in directing the “Pride of Oklahoma” Marching Band, taught conducting lessons to graduate and undergraduate students, taught graduate wind literature courses, served as the lead teach-er for the undergraduate conducting and methods course, and oversaw music education students. She also served as the School of Music: Music Minor advisor, Honors College Music Coordinator, faculty sponsor for Sigma Alpha Iota, and faculty sponsor for the Delta Chapters of Kappa Kap-pa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. Professor Traficante earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education, cum laude, from the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL), a Master of Music de-gree in Wind Band Conducting from the University of Flor-ida, and earned a Fellowship to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Band Conducting degree from the University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK). She served as Director of Bands for five years at New Smyrna Beach High School, Florida and Assistant Director of Bands for two years at Buchholz High School, Florida. Dr. Traficante frequently judges, guest conducts, and clinics ensembles across the United States, and has conducted at the International World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Conference in Singa-pore in 2005. Professor Traficante is the immediate past Na-tional Vice President of Professional Relations for Tau Beta Sigma, and an Honorary Member of the Delta Chapters, Al-pha Eta Chapter, and Beta Xi Chapter of the Kappa Kappa

Session-Teaching Percussion Pedagogy through the Wind Band

Psi National Band Fraternity and Tau Beta Sigma National Band Sorority. Additionally, she was honored in 2010 as a Distinguished Member in Sigma Alpha Iota and has been awarded the Martha Starke Memorial Scholarship for Wom-en Conductors.

bRANDON tuCKERBrandon Tucker is a native of Stockbridge, Ga and has served as band director for Taylor, Mill-er, and Atkinson Counties. He currently is employed by the Chatham County Board of Ed-ucation as Teacher Specialist for Performing Arts, coordinat-

ing all performing arts programs in Chatham Coun-ty. Mr. Tucker holds an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership.

Session-Understanding, Writing, and Administering the S.L.O.: A Practical Approach for Teachers

Carolyn TuttleMs. Tuttle earned her Bachelors degree in Music Education in Choir and Piano from the University of Florida and her Masters of Music Education from The Florida State University. While there, she studied conducting with Dr. Andre Thom-as and Dr. Kevin Fenton. Ms. Tut-

tle is honored to be the treble choir director for the Jack-sonville Children’s Chorus and she is beginning her eighth year as the Choir Director at Oceanway Middle School. In 2013, she was nominated for Teacher of the Year at Ocean-way and was chosen as one of the top 15 Teacher of the Year finalists in Duval County. As a result, her teaching was filmed for the county’s “Teaching for Excellence” series.

Session-Overcoming Obstacles: Creative Ways to Start and Grow a Thriving Program

jODY uNDERWOODJody has been working in the field of music education technol-ogy for nearly 15 years. His cut-ting-edge product knowledge (of music, audio, video and computer technology) is evident in his dai-ly interactions with teachers. Be-cause of his love of music, Jody

also devotes many non-working hours to utilizing his mu-sical gifts at church. In addition to leading the church band from the piano during weekly services, he also writes and records new worship songs in his home studio. Jody re-sides in Murfreesboro, TN with his wife, Roxanne, and 2 beautiful daughters, Ryley and Delaney. Jody earned his BA in Commercial Keyboard with a Technology Em-phasis at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Session-Technology Tools for the K-12 Music Instructor - including iPads!-Four Simple Ways To Record Your Students

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Dr. David VandewalkerDr. David W. Vandewalker is the as-sistant director of bands at Georgia State University. During his tenure at GSU, the marching band has received several honors and ac-colades including an invitation to march in the 2014 Macy’s Thanks-giving Day Parade, participation in

the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade, and a national top-ten honor by the 2013 College Band Directors National As-sociation (CBDNA). He taught for many years in both middle and high school settings in Texas and Georgia. He is a recip-ient of the Sudler Flag of Honor, nine-NBA Citation of Ex-cellence Awards, three National Wind Band Honors Awards, is recognized in multiple editions of Who’s Who Among American Teachers, and in 2013, became an elected mem-ber of the American Bandmasters Association. Vandewalker has led concerts before esteemed audiences such as the College Band Directors National Association/National Band Association Southern Division and the Midwest Clinic. He is published in numerous volumes of the Texas Bandmaster Review, multiple volumes of the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band book series published by GIA, and Foundations for Wind Band Clarity- Arrangements for Con-cert Band, Foundations for Wind Band Clarity- Instructional DVD, Everyday Stuff Every Director Needs to Know, Boost-ers to the Rescue, and Strategic Plans for a Successful Booster Club published by Vision Publications. David and his wife, Pamela, reside in Marietta, Ga. She is Minister of Cre-ativity and Worship Programming at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church where she has over 900 children actively involved in music making each week.

Session-Instrumental Rehearsal Techniques and Strategies for LGPE

Eric vogelEric Vogel is in his first year as Director of Bands at the Taylor County School District. Mr. Vogel earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music Education from Georgia State University in 2013. As a stu-dent at GSU, he studied tuba per-formance and chamber ensemble

under teachers Eric Bubacz, Adam Frey, Corey Mixdorf, and Michael Moore. Mr. Vogel enlisted in the Georgia Army Na-tional Guard in 2010 and is still serving today. He is an E-5 (Sergeant) in Georgia’s only National Guard Band, the 116th Army Band.

Session-Small Town BIG SOUND

Caryn volkCaryn Volk is the Director of Guitars at North Gwinnett Middle School in Sugar Hill, Georgia (Gwinnett County). Ms. Volk developed the guitar program in 2010 and was instrumental in creating the Gwin-nett County guitar class curriculum standards, based on the Geor-

gia Performance Standards for guitar. Ms. Volk has been a music educator for nineteen years, with positions including elementary and secondary general music, chorus, guitar, orchestra, and band. In her positions at schools throughout the country, she has demonstrated growth in various pro-grams through recruitment and retention. Ms. Volk holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and a Master of Arts from The University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. She has performed at Carn-egie Hall and toured the mid-west United States, Germany, Italy, and Austria as a member of both vocal and instrumen-tal ensembles. She began teaching in Gwinnett County in 2007 and has been a proud member of the North Gwin-nett Middle School faculty since the school opened in 2009.

Session-Levels in Guitar Performance: A Reading Session

JOHN WARRENJohn Warren joined the Kennesaw State University faculty in 2006. After a national search, KSU se-lected him for the the Professor of Clarinet position in 2011. His previ-ous university affiliations include Armstrong Atlantic State Universi-ty in Savannah, Georgia, and The

University of Nebraska at Omaha. For fifteen years, he was the principal clarinetist of the Savannah Symphony Orches-tra and, prior to that position, the principal clarinetist of the Omaha Symphony. He served as principal clarinetist of the Des Moines Metro Opera for many summers prior to arriving in Atlanta. At KSU, Mr. Warren teaches studio clarinet, wind chamber music, and Woodwind Techniques. Mr. Warren is a member of the Atlanta Opera Orchestra, the IRIS Orches-tra of Memphis, TN, as well as performing frequently and recording with the Atlanta Symphony. His playing can be heard on the Telarc, Naxos, Albany, and New World labels. He has performed as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orches-tra, the IRIS Orchestra, the Curtis Institute Orchestra, and the Symphonies of Savannah, Omaha, Hilton Head, and Beau-fort, SC. As a recital¬ist and chamber musician, Mr. Warren has appeared at the Aspen Music Festival, the Evian Festival and the Highlands Chamber Music Festival. He performed the American premiere of selections from Kurt Weill’s opera, Der Protagonist, in Carnegie Recital Hall. He was a featured recitalist at the International Clarinet Association’s 2005 con-ference. Originally, from Shreveport, Louisiana, Mr. Warren holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College/Conservatory of Music and The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. His most influential teachers include Donald Montanaro, L. Thomas LeGrand, and Richard Waller.

Session-Don’t Go Claricrazy! Teaching Your Clarinet Ensemble Through Performance of Wind Band Literature

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Alfred WatkinsAlfred L. Watkins was Director of Bands at Lassiter High School for 31 years. For six years prior to joining Lassiter, Watkins served as Director of Bands at Murphy High School in the Atlanta Pub-lic Schools. Bands under Wat-kins’ direction have performed

four times at the Midwest Band Clinic, six performances at the Bands Of America National Concert Band Festival and four performances at the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. The symphonic band has performed on the college campuses of the Universi-ty of Georgia (4), Florida State University, the University of South Carolina and Troy State University. The Lassiter Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir, Trumpet Ensemble, Trombone Choir, and Percussion Ensemble have all performed on the national stage. The Lassiter Percussion Ensemble has per-formed twice at the Midwest Clinic, PASIC, three times at the National Percussion Festival and four times at the Geor-gia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. The Lassiter Marching Band was the 1998 and 2002 Bands of America Grand National Champion and the band also won nine BOA Regional Championships. Under Watkins’ leadership, the band also participated in four Tournament of Roses Parades, three times in the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade, twice in the Orange Bowl Parade and once in the Florida Citrus Bowl Parade. During Mr. Watkins’ Lassit-er tenure, all four (or five) Lassiter concert bands received consecutive Superior Ratings from 1993 until his retirement in 2013, with the top two bands consistently performing in Grade VI. The band program is one of only fourteen high bands in America to have received both the Sudler Flag of Honor for concert and the Sudler Shield for march-ing. The Lassiter Winter Color Guard was named 1996 and 1997 Winter Guard International World Champions.Mr. Watkins has been selected as a member of the Flor-ida A & M University Gallery of Distinguished Alumni, the American Bandmasters Association, the Georgia Chapter of the Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame and the Bands of Amer-ica Hall of Fame. He has received sixteen Certificates of Excellence from the National Band Association, the Sud-ler Order of Merit from the John Philip Sousa Foundation and the Band World Magazine Legion of Honor. In 2002, he was honored in the U.S. House of Representatives Con-gressional Record for outstanding achievement. Mr. Wat-kins is Co-Founder, Conductor and Musical Director of the Cobb Wind Symphony, an all-adult community band based in the Atlanta area, which in 2009, earned the Sudler Silver Scroll Award presented to outstanding community bands in America and has performed twice at the Midwest Clinic. The $1.5 million Alfred L. Watkins Band Building at Lassiter High School bears his name. In 2009 and 2010, two doc-toral dissertations were written (Sue Samuels, Auburn Uni-versity and Matt Thomas, FSU) centered around his life and work surrounding the Lassiter Band Program. In 2013, he was awarded the Distinguished Career Award from GMEA. In 2014, Watkins’ former students and friends commis-sioned composers Mark Camphouse and James Curnow to write works honoring Mr. Watkins and his career: Sec-ond Essay for Symphonic Band and Lexus for Solo Trum-pet, Winds and Percussion. In 2014, Watkins received the Edwin Franko Goldman Award from the American School Band Directors Association for outstanding contribution to the advancement of school bands. He and his wife for 32 years, Rita, live in Marietta. They have two adult sons.

Session-Skills: They’ve Got to Have Skills

STEVEN WATSONMr. Watson holds degrees in both performance and education. Cur-rently, Steven is the director of bands at Jasper Middle School in Jasper, Georgia. He is also on the brass instructional staff of Atlanta CV Drum and Bugle Corps. Prior to these positions he held an Artist

in Residence position at Kennesaw State University, where his responsibilities included directing the jazz ensemble and combos, as well as teaching jazz improvisation classes. In addition, Mr. Watson has also been an adjunct faculty trum-pet instructor at Reinhardt University. On top of his teaching responsibilities, Steven is an active performer, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the southeast. Mr. Watson is a proud alumnus of the Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners and the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps.Session-Keep Making Music: The Importance of Making Music Outside the Classroom

Dr. Daniel WelbornDaniel Welborn is Assistant Pro-fes¬sor in instrumental music edu-ca¬tion at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He holds a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Southern Mississippi, a Masters of Education in educational lead¬er-ship and administration from Geor-

gia State University and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Welborn has been involved with music education at the collegiate, sec¬ond-ary, and elementary levels for over 20 years. Thirteen of these years involved teaching and helping to develop the band program at Mabry Middle School in Marietta, Geor¬-gia. The Mabry Band is a feeder program for the Lassiter High School Band program. Under his direction, the Mabry Middle School Band program achieved great success. Most significantly, the band enjoyed an invitational performance at the internationally renowned Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Ill., in 2007. The band also performed at the Georgia Mu-sic Educators Association Convention in Savannah, Georgia that year. Prior to his appointment as a Visiting Lecturer at Georgia State University in 2011, he spent two years as a doctoral conducting assistant with the University of South-ern Mississippi Wind Ensemble, where he studied with Dr. Thomas Fraschillo. Dr. Welborn’s research interests include instrumental music pedagogy, music psychology, and adult musicians as lifelong learners. His interest in adult music learning and involvement stems from his own participation in adult community bands for many years. Dr. Welborn has performed as a hornist with both the Cobb Wind Symphony in Marietta and the Tara Winds in Atlanta. Both ensembles have earned a fine reputation and have performed at nu-merous national conventions and conferences including the Midwest Clinic, American Bandmasters Association and the College Band Directors National Association.Midwest Clinic,

Session-So...You Got a Band Job. Now What? Setting Priori-ties In Your First-Year as Band Director

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Dr. Anne WittDr. Anne C. Witt is an instructor in the School of Music at the University of Alabama, where she teaches Music Education classes, String pedago-gy and String Literature. She also teaches string classes for adult be-ginners and private cello lessons. Dr. Witt earned the Bachelor’s de-

gree from the University of Alabama, and M.M. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. While in Texas, she taught middle school and high school strings for 15 years, and played cello in the Austin Symphony. She also taught at the University of Texas at Austin and at UT-Arlington. Dr. Witt served as President of the Tex-as Orchestra Directors Association, President of the Al-abama ASTA chapter, and National President of ASTA. Soon after returning to her home city of Tuscaloosa, she led a community initiative to bring string instruction to the Tusca-loosa City Schools. Through a significant fund raising cam-paign, the program, called Strings in Schools, was provided initial start-up funding for its first 3 years. Now it is com-pletely funded through the City Schools budget, with four full time teachers, and over 250 students are participating.Dr. Witt has presented educational sessions for orches-tra and band directors in many states, at all ASTA national conventions and at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. Her presentations include “student tested” teaching strat-egies on such topics as classroom management, reper-toire selection, communication, and motivation. She has been a guest conductor for many All-Region orchestras in Texas, festival orchestras and All-State orchestras. Dr. Witt is author of A Rhythm a Week, used by school band and orchestra classes and private students nationwide. While in Texas, she was a frequent adjudicator at UIL Orches-tra Festivals. She has also judged Large Group Performance festivals in Georgia. In 2014, she served as an adjudicator for the ASTA National Orchestra Festival. She continues to play cello professionally in a quartet called “Four Strings Attached.”

Session-LGPE Preparation Advice from an Experienced Adjudicator: Selecting Music, Rehearsal Structure, Uniforms, Stage Warm Up

dR. bRIAN wESOLOWSKIDr. Brian Wesolowski is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Georgia, Hugh Hodg-son School of Music. He earned his Ph.D. in music education from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Mu-sic in music education and jazz per-

formance as well as a Master of Music Education from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. In addition, he holds a Master of Music in jazz studies from the University of North Texas.Wesolowski is former associate band director at J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, FL, a Grammy Signature, Mark of Excellence, and National Wind Band Honors program. Dr. Wesolowski’s research interests include educational assess-ment and the cognition, action, perception, and pedagogy of improvised jazz performance. He continues to present re-search papers internationally and nationally and has articles forthcoming or published in Musicae Scientiae, International Journal of Music Education, Psychology of Music, Psycho-musicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, Research Perspectives in Music Education, Music Educators Journal, Saxophone Symposium, Florida Music Director, and Georgia Music News.

SessionS-Quality Music Assessment Rubrics On-Line-An Introduction to Japanese Wind Band Methodology

myra wheatMyra Wheat has been an ele-men¬tary general music teacher for 34 years so far. After graduating from James Madison University with a vocal music education de-gree in 1980, she taught music in Crawford County, Georgia, for two years. She returned to her home

state of Virginia for a year, performed professionally in “The Sound of Music”, and then returned to teaching music in the Ful-ton County school system. She earned a Master’s degree in educational leadership from Georgia State Uni-versity, served on the judging panel for the Schools of Ex-cellence program for three years, worked with the South-ern Asso¬ciation of Colleges and Schools (SACS) one year, was the GMEA district V elementary chairperson for three years, be¬came a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) in 2005, and served on Fulton County’s fine arts leadership team for over ten years before she retired in May of 2012. Today, she still works part-time for the Fulton County school system, which also gives her time for other pursuits, such as driving her mother all over the country to see her favorite singing group, The Oak Ridge Boys, and taking classes for seniors at Emory University through their OLLI program.

Session-Kicking it Up a Notch - What’s the Big Deal about Rigor??

Session-Using Music in the Classroom

Dr. Kathryn whiteKathryn White is the Assistant Pro-fessor of Music History and joined the faculty at the Townsend School of Music in Fall 2013. She has taught at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the Ja-cobs School of Music at Indiana University, where she completed

her Doctorate of Philosophy in Musicology. She earned her Master of Arts from Indiana University and her Bachelor of

Musical Arts from the University of Michigan. In her first year of teaching at Mercer University, she received the Townsend School of Music Outstanding Teacher Award. A member of the American Musicological Society, Society for Ameri-can Music, and College Music Society, she has presented at the annual meetings of the Society for American Music and the College Music Society. An active violist, Dr. White directed the Middle School Strings program at The O’Neal School in Southern Pines, NC and maintained a private stu-dio where she taught violin, viola, cello, and piano students. She has performed with the Green Bay Symphony, Fox Val-ley Symphony, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, and Long Bay Symphony. She has developed online courses in mu-sic theory and music appreciation for North Carolina Virtual Public Schools. Recently she was invited to contribute to a discussion forum for The Partially Examined Life, a philoso-phy podcast and blog. Currently she is the program notes annotator for the International Chamber Artists in Chicago. She contributed to program notes for Yale University’s Bren-tano Quartet—featured in the movie A Late Quartet—when they visited Mercer University in Fall 2013. Midwest Clinic, American Bandmasters Association and the College Band Directors National Association.

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Dr. Lauren denney wrightDr. Lauren Denney Wright is cur-rently Director of Wind Ensemble activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Berry College, where she conducts the wind ensemble, teaches clarinet and conducting, as well as music education courses. A native of Marietta, GA, Dr. Denney

Wright earned her bachelor of music degree in clarinet per-formance from Vanderbilt University, the master of music degree in clarinet performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and the bachelor of music degree in music education from Kennesaw State University. Dr. Den-ney Wright completed her doctoral studies in instrumental conducting at the University of Miami Frost School of Music under the mentorship of Gary Green, where she conduct-ed the Frost Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Chamber Winds, and Concert Band. In addition, she taught conduct-ing courses, worked with the Band of the Hour marching band and ran the men and women’s basketball pep bands. Dr. Denney Wright has worked with such composers as John Corigliano, David Maslanka, Michael Daugherty, John Mackey, and Steven Bryant. Dr. Denney Wright made her international debut conducting chamber music with mem-bers of the Berlin Philharmonic in Aix-en-Provence, France in 2012. Dr. Denney Wright holds professional memberships with College Band Directors National Association, College Music Society and Music Teachers National Association. In addition, she is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, Tau Beta Sigma, a founding member of Sigma Alpha Iota at Vander-bilt University, and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Session-Decomposing: There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Score (Scalpel Not Required!)

Patrick WrightPatrick Wright is in his 8th year teaching at High Meadows School in Roswell, GA. High Meadows is an independent PS-8th grade pro-gressive school. Patrick teaches music with Paula Williams to all grades at High Meadows. Patrick also works on staff at Pope High

School as the visual coordinator, a position he has held since 2007. Patrick instituted the first High Meadows iPad Ensem-ble in 2014, as well as the inaugural Pope High School iPad Ensemble in 2015. He is also a curriculum writer for Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music, an interactive K-8 cloud-based music curriculum. Patrick lives in Powder Springs, GA with his wife, Autumn, and two children; Ryan, 4, and Brooklyn, 1.

Session-iPad Ensemble: An Additional Approach to Music Education

Trey wrightTrey Wright is a jazz guitarist, com¬poser, and recording artist based in Roswell, GA. Initially in-spired by the blues, Trey was ex-posed to jazz early in his develop-ment by a pri¬vate instructor. While studying So¬ciology at the Univer-sity of Geor¬gia, Wright furthered

his study of jazz improvisation with pianist and composer Steve Dancz. In 1994, he co-founded the Athens/Atlanta based jazz band, Squat. The group is a six-time winner of Best Jazz Band at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards and has been a featured artist at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Bel Chere, the Twilight Athens Jazz Festival, the Cherry Blossom Festival, Harvest Midtown, and Athfest. Several of Trey’s compositions with the group have received international air-play and have been featured on Sirius radio and NPR’s All Things Considered. Trey also performs freelance in the Ath-ens and Atlanta area and has performed with Yellowjack-ets bassist, Jimmy Haslip, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Corey Christiansen, and Darmon Meader of the New York Voices. Trey has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazz A Vienne, and the World Sacred Music Festival in Bangalore, India. As a solo guitarist and with his trio, Trey has been a featured performer at the Athens Music and Arts Festival, the Lake Oconee Jazz Festival, and the Atlanta Jazz Festival. In early 2008, Trey began playing with the Georgia Sympho-ny Jazz Orchestra. In December of 2002, Trey completed a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies at Georgia State Uni-versity, and he currently teaches Applied Jazz Guitar, Jazz Theory and Composition, Jazz Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Histo-ry, Jazz Improvisation, and The History of Rock at Kennesaw State University. Trey has also taught at LaGrange College, Gainesville College, the Atlanta Institute of Music, and was a Jazz Artist in Residence at the University of Georgia. In ad-dition, Trey writes a column on Jazz Harmony for the Guitar for the quarterly print magazine, Just Jazz Guitar. In 2006, Trey released his first CD, Where I’m Calling From, receiving rave reviews and airplay throughout the United States, New Zealand, England, Australia, Germany, Italy, Canada, Lux-embourg, Scotland, and the Netherlands. The Trey Wright Trio released, Thinking Out Loud, in the summer of 2009 on Blue Canoe Records. In 2010, The CD was included in the first round Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. In the fall of 2012, the Trey Wright Trio’s version of Thom Yorke’s, “Analyze”, was included on the compilation Head Radio Retransmissions: A Tribute to Radiohead on the German label ESC records. Trey’s long awaited collabora-tion with Grammy winning saxophonist, Mace Hibbard, The Hibbard/Wright Project, was released in May 2013. His most recent CD, Songs From Oak Avenue, was released on Blue Canoe Records in the spring of 2015.

Session-Jazz Guitar Resources and Essential Listening

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DR. SOOHYUN YUNSoohyun Yun, Korean-born pianist, is Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of the piano area at Kennesaw State University (KSU) in Georgia. Dr. Yun has explored solo and chamber music from Baroque to Contemporary and performed in venues in Germany, Korea, and the

US. New York Concert Review said, “Yun unleashed much passion and color along the way..”, at her solo debut recital at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, NY, in 2008. Dr. Yun was again in-vited to perform at the same hall in April, 2009 upon winning First Prize in the 2009 American Protégé International Piano Competition. Other awards include the Pro-Mozart Schol-arship Competition Award, Artists International’s Special Presentation Award, 21st Century Piano Commission Award, NY Dorothy MacKenzie Award and prizes at the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition. Yun’s enthusiasm for contemporary music brought her to perform a piano solo, Cloches d’adieu, et un sourire... in memoriam Olivier Mes¬-siaen, by Tristan Murail, who was a pupil of Messiaen, at the composer’s presence at Krannert Center for Performing Arts (2002). From the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Yun received her D.M.A. piano degree and two master degrees (piano pedagogy and piano performance) working with professors Ian Hobson and Reid Alexander. Her BM in Piano Performance was under Myung-Won Shin at Yon-sei University in Seoul, Korea. Additional summer study in-cludes the International Keyboard Institution and Festival at the Mannes School of Music (NY) and the Hochschule “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy,” in Leipzig, Germany. As an educa-tor and clinician, Dr. Yun is a devoted teacher who has been actively involved with Music Teachers National Association state and local associations throughout her career. Prior to her appointment at KSU, she taught at the University of Idaho at Moscow, Millikin University in Decatur, IL, and also served as Coordinator for the UIUC School of Music Piano Laboratory Program. At KSU, she teaches applied piano les-sons to majors, piano literature and piano pedagogy, small chamber groups and accompanying classes, and oversees undergraduate group piano instruction.

SessionS-Piano Ensemble Masterclass-Twice the Fun! Piano Duet for Intermediate and Early Advance Repertoire

mike zaremMike Zarem is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended the Uni¬versity of Wisconsin at Mad-ison, where he received his BA in Journalism. He spent a number of years in the hotel industry after he came to Georgia back in 1984. Af-ter receiving his MBA from Georgia

State University, he began his 20-year government career with the Georgia Merit System in 1994, starting with the State Health Benefit Plan as a Communications Specialist. He went on to hold a number of positions with the Merit Sys-tem and the Department of Community Health, including a number of years as a Publications Manager. In 2003, Mike started working for the Teachers Retirement System, and he now manages a staff of nine, responsible for TRS outreach services. Mike resides in Marietta, GA.

Sessions-TRS Pre-Retirement Show-TRS Update

David ZerkelDavid Zerkel is Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Georgia. His students have dis-tinguished themselves by winning international and national compe-titions and attaining positions with professional performing organi-zations. David has performed with

many orchestras, to include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Sym-phony, National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. He is also a proud member of the Brass Band of Battle Creek. He began his performing career as a member of the United States Army Field Band and The United States Army Band, both located in Washington, D.C. David has performed as a featured solo-ist at many workshops, including the Leonard Falcone Festi-val, several International Conferences, and the United States Army Band Tuba Conference. His first solo CD, Something Old, Something New: American Music for Tuba, was select-ed as the recipient of the inaugural ITEA Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording. David has served as President of the International Tuba Euphonium Association.

Session-Why Great Music Teachers Must Be Great Musicians

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�ey’re coordinating the group’s performance

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MIP_PerfSchedule_SPgAd_8.3x11.75.pdf 1 10/9/2015 3:19 PM

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NEW YORKVOICES 2013 marked New York Voices 25th Anniversary and they show no signs of slowing down. This critically acclaimed vocal group has refined their musical story to a high art. They are known for their close knit voicings, inspired arrangements and unparalleled vocal blend. Their chameleon-like musicianship allows them to move seamlessly from setting to setting, be it orchestral/big band to the intimate trio lineup. With deep interests rooted in jazz, Brazilian, R & B, classical, and pop, their music mixes traditional sensibilities with more than a dash of the unexpected. They are first call from great arrangers and conductors like Don Sebesky, Michael Abene, Keith Lockhart, and Rob Fisher who all know and admire the complexity of what they do and want something out of the ordinary, something extraordinary. Like the great jazz vocal groups that have come before — Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Singers Unlimited, and The Manhattan Transfer — they are firmly a part of that legacy and arededicated to passing it on to generations to come.

The anniversary year opened with the release of New York Voices Live with the WDR Big Band Cologne on Palmetto Records. This project is a collection of past favorites, current in-rotation tunes, and brand new arrangements. The Big Band charts were all done, except for one, by the incomparable Michael Abene, the producer of their debut CD

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on GRP. The WDR — the highly respected Big Band based in Co-logne, Germany — pairs perfect-ly with NYV’s musicality and might. They closed 2013 with the much-anticipated and rave-ly reviewed Holiday project, Let it Snow. The recording is chock full of holiday favorites and a few lesser known gems present-ed in a wide variety of settings; a cappella, big band, orchestral and trio. Darmon Meader co produced it with the great Elliot Scheiner (also the producer of NYV’s studio big band CD, Sing, Sing, Sing ). Jazz Times’ Scott Al-bin wrote, “Let it Snow is one of the best jazz-related Christmas CDs in many a year.”

In addition to their own CDs, NYV has made many guest appearances on recordings and live performances that have earned them critical acclaim and demand in a variety of settings. You can find their performances on such CDs as the Grammy Award winning Count Basie Orchestra with New York Voices, Live at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCG Records), the Latin Gram-my Award winning Brazilian Dreams with the great Paquito D’Rivera, the contemporary classical Visions Within (Robert Lepley - EarthBeat Records), Heirs to Jobim (BMG Records), Don Sebesky’s, I Remember Bill (BMG), Jim Hall’s By Arrangement (Telarc), A Love Affair - the Music of Ivan Lins (TEL-ARC), Louisiana Purchase (DRG), and many more. They have had the pleasure of performing with a number of influential jazz artists including Ray Brown, Bobby McFerrin, Nancy Wilson, The Count Basie Orchestra, George Benson, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, The Manhattan Transfer, the Boston Pops, The Metropole Orchestra, Ivan Lins, Paquito D’Rivera, and many more.

In early 1997 they traveled down a different road, paying tribute to Paul Simon with New York Voices Sing the Songs of Paul Simon. They ex-plored a variety of styles to express new turns on this singer/songwriter’s rich songbook. All Music Guide said, “The arrangements are brighter and brassi-er than Simon’s originals, but there’s a real charm to the performances that makes it a thoroughly entertaining experience.”

In 2001, New York Voices released their sixth CD, Sing, Sing, Sing . After many years of performing with the Count Basie Orchestra, the group wanted to address the great Big Band songbook and offer their own spin. With Darmon doing the lion’s share of the vocal and big band arrangements, they hired the producing talents of Elliot Scheiner to capture the music and mix it with his exquisite precision and ears. As reviewed by Don Heckman of the LA times, “The title track quickly lays down what to xpect from the balance of the program: complex, interwoven vocal lines, interactive improvising and brisk ensemble accompaniment. And revivalist swing fans -- both players and listeners -- would do well to check out the Voices’ capacity to bring a contem-porary quality to classic material without sacrificing the essence of either.”

Formed by Darmon Meader, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian, Caprice Fox, and Sara Krieger, New York Voices had their first performances in 1988. Darmon, Peter, Kim, and Caprice attended Ithaca Col-lege in NY and were part of an invitational alumni group formed to tour the European Jazz Festival cir-cuit in the summer of ‘86. In 1989 they would sign their first record deal with GRP Records and release their self titled debut album, New York Voices . The group received rave notices and quickly received domestic and international recognition in the jazz world. From ‘89 to ‘94, they released four CDs on the GRP label, New York Voices, Hearts of Fire, What’s Inside , and The Collection.

While recording for GRP, they underwent personnel changes. In 1992, Sara Krieger retired her chair, and after auditioning over 60 vocalists from all over the United States, the group found Lauren Kinhan. There was an immediate chemistry, allowing the group to make a quick transition and be-come the “new” New York Voices. Lauren’s first musical contributions can be heard on NYV’s third CD, What’s Inside, released in May 1993. In early 1994, Caprice Fox left the group, forever fixing NYV as the quartet it is today.

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In the last eight years, the Pops Symphony culture has called upon them to develop programs. The Boston Pops knocked first and commissioned a few big band- style adaptations. Then a full-length holiday show followed that toured extensively in 2005. Fi-nally, the Boston Pops got the Baby Boomer program started and the rest is history. NYV has added to all these programs over the years allowing them to dive into the gorgeous landscape of symphonic settings and build a new following of music appreciators. Janelle Gelfand of the Cincinnati Enquirer said, “The group’s incomparable blend, hip delivery and great arrangements resulted in one swinging party. Their four-part harmonizing was so close, it was hard to tell where one voice end-ed and another began.”

2007 marked the release of their sixth studio CD, A Day Like This . They went back to their roots of mixing things up; Brazilian influences, swinging trio numbers and a couple big band romps. They also included a handful of original songs from the members: that has always been a strong suit for this multi-talented ensemble. All About Jazz LA said, “a sumptuous collection of vocal harmonic heaven... the vocals are a Whitman’s Sampler of various flavors and tastes, rich-er than a dark chocolate bon bon.”

NYV has traveled the globe with their elegant music, amazing audiences the world over with their impeccable voices and stunning arrangements. “Live, they’re just as impressive to wit-ness,” says Mathew Lurrie of Time Out Chicago. “We dare say there may be no better way to un-derstand the wit and wink of jazz harmony than via these Voices.”

Along with their extensive concert performances and recording schedules, NYV also works in the field of education, giving workshops and clinics to high school and college music students throughout the world. In 2009, they opened the New York Voices-Bowling Green State University Vocal Jazz Camp. It is a wildly successful venture that admits students from all over the world at different ages and stages in their musical lives. NYV have cultivated a philosophy of teaching over their storied career and have designed a roster of electives that students choose from while also participating in one of four jazz choirs directed by one of the New York Voices and theall camp piece directed by Greg Jasperse. It is a six-day summer intensive that is instructive while also being personal and nurture based.

Individually, the four members are involved in a variety of projects including solo perfor-mances and recordings, teaching, writing and arranging. To learn more about NYV or the individ-ual members, please visit Newyorkvoices.com.

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1562 The Collins Hill Symphonic Winds

is the flagship ensemble of the Collins Hill High School Scream-in’ Eagle Band Program. Winds is comprised of 65 student-musi-cians, ranging in age from 13 to 18, representing the very finest musi-cians that Collins Hill has to offer. In its 21 year history, Winds has made superiors at each and every LGPE performance. The ensemble has

been invited to and has performed at the University of Georgia January Music Festival on three occasions including 2015, as well as the Georgia Music Educators In-Service Conference in January of 2006. Winds has also performed at the Georgia State University Georgia Bands of Distinction, the Kennesaw State University Concert Band Invitational, and the inaugural Music For All Southeast Regional Concert Band Festival.

The music program is a fun-damental element in the educational experience at Dickerson Middle School. Dickerson Middle School offers band, orchestra, and chorus to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students; over 95% of sixth grade students elect to participate in a mu-sic class. Around 350 stu-dents participate in one of the 10 band classes during each school day: 8th Grade Symphonic Band, 8th Grade Concert Band, two 7th grade band classes, two jazz bands, two percussion ensembles, and two periods of 6th grade beginning band. The Dickerson Band Program holds the honor of being the first band to be awarded the Georgia Music Educa-tor’s Association (GMEA) Exemplary Performance Award. In 2009 and 2014 the Symphonic Band was a com-mended winner of the National Wind Band Honors Project. The Symphonic Band has been a featured band at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival (2014 and 2010), the University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival (2013, 2009 and 2009) the GMEA In-Service Conference (2006), and represented the State of Georgia in celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of World War II in New York and Washington, D.C. The Percussion Ensemble has performed at the GMEA In-Service Conference twice, the NBA/CBDNA Southeastern Division Conference, PAS, the Music for All National Percussion Festival (2010), and the Mid-West Clinic (2014 and 2008). The Percussion Ensemble holds the honor of being the first Middle School Percussion Ensemble invited to the Music for All National Percussion Ensemble Festival, and the only one to be invited for a second time. Students from Dickerson Middle School feed into Walton High School. Many band students continue their musical education in the award-winning and nationally recognized Walton Band Program.

cOLLINS hILL high school Symphonic WindsDaniel Treuman, Director

Ebenezer Middle School is located in Rincon, Georgia, near Ebenezer Landing on the Savannah River. The Ebenezer Landing is a his-torical site that preserves Georgia and Effingham County history, as well as the original settlement for the Salzburgers in 1734. Ebenezer Middle is one of

three middle schools in Effingham County. The school opened its doors in 2002 and has maintained a repu-tation as one of southeast Georgia’s best middle schools. Ebenezer Middle has a student population of 800 students. Students from Ebenezer Middle School attend both Effingham County High School and South Eff-ingham High School. The EMS Band Program consists of over 250 students in grades six through eight. Bands are divided into woodwind and brass/ percussion classes that meet every other day for 75 minutes. The Eagle Winds Honor Band is comprised of seventh and eight grade students determined by individual auditions. The Eagle Winds meet before and after school for rehearsals. Members of the Eagle Winds are routinely se¬lect-ed to perform in the GMEA All-State Bands, District One Honor Band, and local festivals and clinics. The Eagle Winds performed as a guest band for the 24th Annual University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival in December 2014.

Dickerson Middle School Symphonic BandJohn Palmer, Director

Ebenezer Middle School Eagle WindsKenza Murray, Director

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The Georgia College Jazz Band has a long tradition of excellence and continues to amaze audiences with its entertaining and ener-get¬ic performances. The jazz band students come from all across the state and rep¬resent a variety of major fields of study. This varied interest represents the lib¬eral arts mission of Geor¬gia College and includes majors such as Accounting, Biology, Eco-nomics, English, Exercise Science, Outdoor Educa-tion, Physics, and Mu¬sic. Each semester, the jazz band performs for the university and Milledgeville communi-ty in Russell Auditorium on the Georgia College campus. Their varied repertoire is aimed at pleasing everyone in the audience. In January of 2015, the band hosted internationally renowned trombonist, Bill Watrous, for a pair of concerts. In May of 2015, the Georgia College Jazz Band completed a 19-day performance tour/study abroad experience in the Czech Republic, including a performance at the Prague Spring Festival. These con-certs are just the most recent accomplishments of this fine ensemble that tours and performs with top level jazz artists on a regular basis.

Georgia college jazz BandCliff Towner, Director

Since opening in 2002, the Kell High School band program has quickly established a rep-utation for musical excellence. The 51-member Wind Ensem-ble is the top-performing en-semble within a three-tiered concert band program, which includes the Symphonic Band and the Concert Band. Each of these ensembles meets for 52 minutes a day in a traditional 7-period schedule. Students in the Kell band program are consistently members in the District 12 Honor Band, Georgia All-State Band, ASYO, AYWS, GYSO, and the Georgia GHP. With the concert bands at the core of the music curriculum, students also have the oppor-

tunity to participate in a variety of extracurricular ensembles. These include the 130-member marching band, full symphony orchestra, a pit orchestra for the spring musical, numerous chamber ensembles, two jazz bands, a percussion ensemble, and a nationally renowned “Stomp” Ensemble. The Kell Band Booster Association (KBBA) sponsors an after-school private lesson conservatory with an outstanding faculty of professional musi-cians. Since its opening in 2002, the Kell Band program has grown to over 200 total students in grades 9-12. The Kell High School Wind Ensemble has performed recently at the 2008 Music For All National Concert Festi-val, the 2010 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and the 2013 UGA January Music Festival (JanFest) and has received straight superior ratings at all LGPE evaluations since the schools’ opening in 2002.

Kell high school Wind EnsembleDavid Roth, Director

Band Division

want to presentat the 2017

conference?Application available March 1, 2016

on www.gmea.org

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1564 The percussion program

at Lassiter Lassiter has 35 students that comprise the Lassiter Marching Trojan’s Drumline, two large per-cussion en¬sembles, as well as several small chambers groups. All of the percus-sion ensem¬bles at Lassiter are extracurricular and re-hearse entirely after school. The percussion students at Lassiter are trained in a variety of aspects of per-cussion and have an oppor-tunity to perform with not only the above mentioned ensembles, but also one of

four concert bands and a jazz band. Each year, “An Evening of Percussion” concert features the various percus-sion ensembles and student soloists, along with special guest artists. Some past guest soloists and clinicians for the percussion program include Tom Aungst, Jack Bell, Dr. Adam Blackstock, Michael Burritt, Glen Caruba, Lalo Davila, Clint Gillespie, Lynn Glassock, Thom Hannum, Ralph Hardimon, Scott Herring, Steve Houghton, Jeff Kershner, John Lawless, Tony McCutchen, Chris Moore, Dr. John Parks, Rafael Pereira, Tom Roady, Charles Settle, Tom Sherwood, Paul Vaillancourt, Bill Wilder and Mark Yanich. The ensemble was invited to perform at the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2009. In 2000, 2002, and 2015, the ensemble performed at the Music For All Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival in Indianapolis, In-diana. In 2005 and 2011, the ensemble performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. In 2007, they performed at the Percussive Arts Society International convention in Columbus, Ohio.

The McEachern High School Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Anthony Cananzi, is an active per-forming ensemble in the Cobb County area. The en-semble has performed at numerous Percussive Arts Society’s “Georgia Days of Percussion”, as well as local percussion ensemble fes-tivals, including the Lassit-er Percussion Symposium. The McEachern Percussion Ensemble will be hosting the first “McEachern Day of Percussion” in May 2015 with guest artists to include Blake Tyson, Tony McCutch-en, and Jonathan Ovalle. McEachern has had the privilege of performing for artists and educators including Dr. Omar Carmenates of Furman University, Dr. Scott Herring of the University of South Carolina, Dr. John Parks of Florida State Univer-sity, and Professor John Lawless of Kennesaw State University.

Lassiter High School Percussion EnsembleMike Lynch, Director

McEachern High School Percussion EnsembleAnthony Cananzi, Director

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want to presentat the 2017

conference?apply by MAY 1, 2016

Application available March 1, 2016on www.gmea.org

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There are 400 students enrolled in the band pro-gram at North Gwinnett Middle School. At the conclusion of the school’s first year, the band pro-gram was awarded the Georgia Music Educa-tors Association (GMEA) Citation of Excellence for middle school bands. Bands from North Gwin-nett Middle have earned superiors over the past six years in the Large Group Performance Evaluations sponsored by GMEA as well as earning superiors for the Seventh and Eighth Grade Jazz Bands in the GMEA Jazz Performance Evaluation. The North Gwinnett Eighth Grade Symphonic Band performed at the 2011 University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival and has commissioned three band pieces, as well as an arrangement featuring flute choir. Students have also been selected to the GMEA District 13 Honor Bands, participated in Solo and Ensemble Performance Evaluation, and have been selected to the GMEA Middle School All-State Bands each year. The NGMS Percussion Ensemble also participates in the Lassiter Percussion Ensemble Symposium each year held at Lassiter High School in Marietta, Georgia. The NGMS Percussion Ensemble was was selected to perform at the 2015 Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival, part of the Music for All National Festival presented by Yamaha.

North gwinnett middle school 8th grade symphonic bandTravis Downs, Director

Starr’s Mill High School is located in south Fayette County. The Starr’s Mill High School “Swingin’ Starrs” Jazz Band is conducted by Scott King. The band plays a wide variety of jazz music and styles, many of which are fronted by a singer from Starr’s Mill’s “An Octave Above” Jazz Choir. Some students are in a newly-created jazz class which focuses on improvisation, combo music, and individual tech-niques. The band primarily performs at the SMHS Spring Sampler, a school fund-raising event, as well as commu-

nity events. In 2011, the jazz band presented a collaborative clinic with our jazz singers at the GMEA convention.

STARR’S MILL HIGH SCHOOL SWINGIN’ JAZZ BANDScott King, Director

Band Division

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The Woodland Wind Sym-phony is the premier con-cert ensemble at Woodland High School. Under the di-rection of Eric Willoughby, this 64 member ensemble has been honored with in-vitations to perform at the GMEA In-Service Confer-ence (2011 and 2016), The University of Georgia High School Band Festival “Jan-fest” (2013), and The Uni-versity of Alabama High School Honor Band Clin-ic (2014). The Woodland

Band was awarded the 2012 Exemplary Performance Award form the Georgia Music Educators Association and was also recognized as a 2013 Regional Winner of the National Band Association Program of Excellence “Blue Ribbon” Award. Students from this ensemble have been selected to membership in the Georgia All-State Band, GMEA District 7 Honor Bands, Governor’s Honors Program, the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Woodland High School Wind SYmphonyEric Willoughby, Director

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The Hodgson Wind En-semble has earned an international reputa-tion for its artistry, pre-cision, sensitivity, and musicianship. Member-ship, determined each semester by blind audi-tion, includes the most accomplished graduate and undergraduate UGA music majors. Employ-ing flexible scoring, the Wind Ensemble (one musician per part) per-forms chamber works as well as large scale compositions, fresh ink and classics, and music from around the world. Championing the performance of new music, the ensemble has a rich history of commissioning emerging and established composers. In addition to commissioning and premiering new works, the Wind Ensemble tours nationally and internationally, hosts acclaimed guest artists, and records on the Naxos label. Most recently, the ensemble performed at the 2009 national CBDNA conference in Austin. Under the direction of Cynthia Johnston Turner, the Wind Ensemble adds service-learning and performing to its touring regimen.

University of georgia hodgson wind ensembleCynthia Johnston Turner, Director

want to perform at the 2017Conference?apply by MAY 1, 2016Application available March 1, 2016on www.gmea.org

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want to perform at the 2017Conference?Application available March 1, 2016on www.gmea.org

Dr. Kevin Hibbard, Director of ChoirsDr. Dawn Neely, Director of Opera Workshop

CONCERT CHOIRCHAMBER SINGERSOPERA WORKSHOP

AUDITIONSSaturday, January 23, 2016Monday, February 15, 2016 – Destination: MusicSunday, March 6, 2016

Sunday, April 17, 2016

UWG PREVIEW DAYSSunday, November 1, 2015Sunday, January 31, 2016Sunday, April 10, 2016

UWG Department of Music

(678) 839-6516 • music@westga.edu • westga.edu/music

An Accredited Institutional Member of the National Association of Schools of Music

CHOIRSDEPARTMENT OF MUSIC SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

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DON’T MISS THE

AT THE CONFERENCE

Lobby Performances

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The Academy for Classical Education (ACE) is a public charter school that opened its doors in August 2014. It is located in Macon, Geor-gia. The enrollment is 1,120 students in grades K-9. ACE will add a new grade each academic year with the first graduating class in 2019. The Academy for Classical Education Treble Choir is a non-auditioned choir in grades 7-9. They received straight superior ratings for their stage performance and sight reading at their initial performance at LGPE in 2015. Additionally, they received the Southern Star Music Festival Gold Level Sweepstakes Award for the highest scoring middle school choir. The additional cho-ruses at ACE have grown in size from 85 in inaugural year to 185 this year with 49% of the student population in grades 6-9 enrolled in chorus.

Academy for Classical Education Treble choir Cliff Towner, Director

The Creekview High School Men’s Chorus is the school’s only male choral ensemble. Comprised of 9th-12th graders, this non-audi-tion ensemble meets daily and is made up of students deeply in-volved in all facets of school culture. Creekview choirs consistently earn Superi¬or ratings at GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation in perfor¬mance and sight-reading. Addi¬tionally, several of the gentle-men in this ensemble have partici-pat¬ed in the GMEA All-State Choirs, GHSA Literary, and various honor choirs around the region and state, since the school’s opening in 2002.

Creekview high school men’s chorusScott Martin, Director Choral Division

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1570 The Duluth High School Se-

lect Women’s Ensemble is one of six choirs at Duluth High School. It is a small, au-ditioned group of no more than 25 girls, grades 10-12, who have demonstrated great sight reading and musical skill. Select Women’s Ensemble is a truly gifted group of young women. Through vocal inflec-tion and facial expression, the group strives to give special meaning to all music they per-form. Since the group was cre-ated in 2011, they have been invited to perform on concerts with Georgia State Universi-ty, Louisiana State University,

and Georgia Southern University. Additionally, the group is often invited to perform for ceremonies, events, or lunches in their hometown, and has even been invited to sing at a wedding! Duluth High School has a tradition of excellence in the Fine Arts. The chorus program features 250 students divided into six choirs who perform four concerts each year, fall, winter, pre-LGPE and a pop music variety show called, “Peach Jam”. In the past five years, the choirs have received Superior and Excellent ratings at Large Group Performance Evaluation, a group performed the Faure Requiem, and students have participated in the All-State Chorus and Georgia Honor Chorus programs. The choirs have also gone on tour to Michigan, Washington, D.C., Athens, and Six Flags. Duluth Choirs live by the phrase DPTL: Discipline, Patience, Tradition, and Love. Choir is more than just a class, it’s a family!

The Mercer Singers, an au-ditioned ensemble of 45 voices, is the primary tour-ing choral ensemble of Mer-cer University. The choir includes undergraduate and graduate students and performs a wide range of choral music spanning from the Renaissance to works written by composers of our time. The Mercer Sing-ers have sung on programs for the Georgia Music Ed-ucators Association, the Southern Division of MENC, and the Southern Division of American Choral Direc-tors Association. The choir has toured extensively and performed throughout the United States and Europe. Since 2000, the Mercer Singers have experienced highly successful international tours of England and Wales (May 2000), Italy (2002), Austria & Czech Republic (2004), Germany, Poland, Slovakia, & Hungary (2006), Japan (2007), and Russia (2011), with performances in many of the world’s grand concert halls and cathedrals including: Notre Dame (Paris), St. Paul’s (London), Ely Cathedral (Ely), St. Vitus (Prague), St. Peters (Vatican), Matthias Church (Budapest), Hibiki Hall (Kitakyushu), and Cappella Hall (St. Pe-tersburg). The choir has also collaborated with several international choirs, including the Warwick University Chamber Choir (England), St. Petersburg University Chamber Choir (Russia), the Gnessins Chamber Choir (State Music College, Moscow), and Claudio Monteverdi Choir (Castelfiorentino, Italy). In 2012, they collabo-rated with the McDuffie Center for Strings to film “A Grand Mercer Christmas”, distributed nationally to Public Broadcast Stations throughout America. Additionally, the ensemble has gained a regional following with its annual performances of “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols”, held each December. The choir is widely acclaimed for its spirited performances, breadth of repertoire, and dedication to singing repertoire of the a cappella idiom.

Duluth high school Select Women’s ensembleCatherine Lykins, Director

Mercer university singersStanley L. Roberts, Director

Chor

al Div

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Comprised of 18 auditioned singers, the Riverwood International Charter School Riverwood Singers is one of five performing ensembles in the RICS De-partment of Choral Arts. Consistently scoring Su-perior ratings at GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation in performance and sight reading, their high standards of musical excellence have gained them notoriety throughout the state. Members of the RICS Choral Program have performed in metro-politan Atlanta, The Grand Bahama Islands, and sev-eral European countries. Ladies in this ensemble have participated in the GMEA All-State Choirs, the Governor’s Honors Program, All-State Reading Cho-rus, and numerous state and national honor choirs.

Riverwood international charter school riverwood singersGreg S. Smith, Director

This select women’s ensemble was founded by Dr. Broman in fall 2001 and was invited to perform during the 2006 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in Savannah, Georgia. At that time, daughters Elizabeth and Jessica, were in the group, making that partic-ular GMEA performance extra special for Dr. Broman. The choir is open to any female through a rigorous audition process, sight singing serving as the main criterion for being admitted into the ensemble. LBV rehears-es twice a week and is offered for one hour of academic credit. The choir specializes in performing women’s music spanning a wide variety of musical genres and tours on odd-numbered years with the University of North Georgia Singers, having visited the United Kingdom in 2005, 2009, and 2013. The group typically numbers between 15 and 25 vocal-ists.

uNIVERSITY OF nORTH gEORGIA lE bELLE vOCIDr. John Broman, Director

The Concert Chorale of Vet-erans High School is an en-semble of advanced singers in grades 9-12. The achieve-ment of these singers is recognized through con-sistent superior ratings at Large Group Performance Evaluations as well as the Southern Star Music Festi-val. Individual achievement in this choir is also shown through membership in the All-District Honor Choir, All-State Choir, All-State Read-ing Choir, the UGA Summer Music Institute, and the Governor’s Honors Program. Many of these students are also extremely active in the school’s musical theater and drama programs as well as both concert and marching bands.

Veterans high school concert chorale Jeremy Williams, Director

Choral Division

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1572 The Buford Academy Chorus

has grown from just 47 mem-bers in 2002 to last year’s nearly 200 energetic singers. Students are not auditioned, but must maintain good grades and excellent behavior.Under the direction of Mr. Gary W. Lenz, our chorus has sung in a variety of languages, in-cluding latin, hebrew, german, and spanish. Our list of songs performed include pieces by great composers like Bach, Faure, Mozart, Beethoven and Rutter.

The Stephenson Area El-ementary School Band is under the leadership of Mr. Curtis Sanders. The stu-dents are primarily begin-ners in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades in the Stephenson Community in DeKalb Coun-ty School District. The band is one of the few elementa-ry bands that perform for ratings in the state at LGPE. The band has made a su-perior rating every year at festival under Mr. Sander’s leadership. The group has 95 members. The motto of the band is “Music is fun, and band is the way we express it.”

Buford Academy ChorusGary Lenz, Director

Stephenson area elementary school bandCurtis Sanders, Director

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want to perform at the 2017Conference?apply by MAY 1, 2016Application available March 1, 2016on www.gmea.org

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Whether it is for a large audience in Beijing, China, or an in-timate audience in their hometown of Athens, Georgia, the Athens Guitar Duo (AG¬) is becoming known for leaving “a deep impression on the audience with their passionate, me-ticulous, and masterful artistry.” Dusty Woodruff and Matthew Anderson met while studying at the University of Georgia with the late John Sutherland. They were formerly a part of the Athens Guitar Trio, but after that group dissolved, Woodruff and Anderson decided to continue performing together. Both play a guitar built by master luthier, Kenny Hill, including a rare 11-string guitar. With this unique combination, the AG¬ explores the expressive capabilities of their instruments through diverse repertoire selections and creative arrangements. Their debut recording, Magellan’s Playlist, has received many positive re-views and has been featured on NPR’s “Classical Guitar Alive!,” BBC Radio’s “Late Junction with Nick Luscombe,” and other radio stations throughout the world. The AG¬ has performed and taught throughout the United States, Europe, and China. They have also been invited to perform for an impressive list of distinguished guests including Jimmy Carter, William Bolcom, Simone Fontanelli, and the world-renowned guitarist, Chris-topher Parkening. The AG¬’s explorations into the depth and wealth of the guitar repertoire, along with their dedication to producing great performances, will open to new audiences the joys to be found in this music. In the words of St. John Brown, of MeridianFM (in the UK): “I’m not really a great fan of the guitar, but I thought [their CD] was wonderful, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it!”

Athens Guitar Duo

The Atlanta Guitar Orchestra is a community-based guitar ensemble in Atlanta, Geor-gia. It serves as the main outreach component of the Atlanta Guitar Guild, which is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization. The mission of the Atlanta Guitar Guild is to promote and support the ar-tistic performance of music on guitar in all of its stylistic variety. The Atlanta Guitar

Guild is dedicated to the presentation of the guitar as a unique vehicle for the artistic expression of Atlanta’s diverse musical culture. The Guild exists to facilitate all aspects of the study, performance and appreciation of the guitar and its music. In pursuit of these goals, the Guild sees its mission in three broad areas:Education: The Guild seeks to further the study of the guitar and its music through education and outreach. Additionally, the Guild seeks to promote the study of the guitar in middle and high schools with curricula that align with the Georgia Performance Standards for current music education programs for band, orchestra, jazz band and choir. Appreciation: The Guild will sponsor concerts by professional guitarists. Events will be open to the public at large. Venues and events will be selected and presented in a way that heightens musical expression and grows the audience for similar events. Professional Development: The Guild seeks to develop and sustain Atlanta’s existing professional guitarists through concert promotion, recognition of excellence, and an online teacher directory. The Atlanta Guitar Guild is a community of Atlanta guitarists, teachers, students and music lovers, and as such, it reflects the interests of its members and contributors.

Atlanta Guitar OrchestraMary Akerman, Director

Guitar Division

The KSU Jazz Guitar Ensemble features the unique instrumentation of five electric guitars, bass and drums and plays a diverse repertoire including jazz standards, latin jazz, reduced big band charts, original modern jazz compositions and contemporary rock songs by artists such as Radiohead. The ensemble, formed in 2006, is led by KSU Jazz Guitar professor Trey Wright.

Kennesaw State University jazz gUITAR eNSEMBLETrey Wright, Director

want to perform at the 2017Conference?Application available March 1, 2016on www.gmea.org

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in the fall of 2004 with 48 stu¬-dents enrolled in the orches-¬tra program and 37 students enrolled in the band program. The current enrollment for the entire music program exceeds 500 students. The Symphony Orchestra, formed during the 2007-2008 school year, has consistently earned superior ratings at GMEA LGPE. The AHS Orchestra and Chorus were se-lected to perform for the open-ing ceremonies of the 70th Commemoration of D-Day at Vierville Sur Mer, near Omaha

Beach in France on June 5, 2014. Other concerts in Europe include a concert at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, La Madeleine in Paris and the Cathedral in Bad Isch, Austria. The Orchestra students at Al-pharetta High School are active in many youth orchestras in the metro Atlanta area, including MYSO, Emory Youth Symphony and ASYO. Musicians from AHS Orchestra and AHS Bands have been selected as Governor’s Honors Program participants for the past eight years. AHS music students have earned placement in the GMEA All-State ensembles every year since the school’s opening in 2004.

The Dickerson Middle School Chamber Orchestra is an au-ditioned group comprised of students in grades six through eight. The Chamber Orches-tra was created in the 2014-15 school year to meet the needs of high performing students and performance requests from the community. The en-semble consists of 35 students who meet twice weekly be-fore school. Over the last three years, the Dickerson Orchestra program has grown from 250 to 410 students in grades six through eight. Students begin daily string instruction in the sixth grade and continue through the eighth grade. Dickerson Orchestra students are members of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Metropolitan Youth String Orchestra. Students also participate in summer string camps and private string instruction. The Dickerson Orchestra program is under the direction of Tricia Laux and Jacob Bitinas.

Alpharetta high school SymphonySheldon Fisher, Director

Dickerson Middle School Chamber oRCHESTRATricia Laux, Director

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The Union Grove Middle School Orchestra Program was established in 2003 and has the distinction of being the first orchestra program in Henry County. Students begin string instruction in the sixth grade and have an opportunity to continue their studies throughout the seventh and eighth grades. The program currently en-rolls 200 string players, and orchestra classes meet dai-ly for forty-five minutes. In 2005, the orchestra was the recipient of a Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation grant. The Union Grove Middle School Orchestra regularly participates in GMEA District VI Orchestra Large Group Performance Evaluations and has consistently earned superior ratings in concert as well as sightreading. Select members of the orchestra have participated in GMEA All State Orchestras, District VI Honor Orchestras, Solo/Ensemble Performance Evalu-ations, and holiday performances at the Governor’s Mansion. The orchestra was recognized for outstanding performance in all GMEA sponsored events in 2010 as the recipient of the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award. In addition to regularly scheduled concerts throughout the year, the orchestra has also performed at the Carowinds Festival of Music, the Universal Stars Performance Program, and the Walt Disney Instrumental Performance Workshop.

Union Grove Middle School OrchestraKathy Saucier, Director

Founded in 1975, the Walton Orchestra has estab-lished a traditional of excellence. Dr. Perry Holbrook was named Director of Orchestras at Walton in 2001. Since 2010, he has been assisted by Sara Grimes. To-gether, they provide a comprehensive string educa-tion for 345 orchestra students on a daily basis. The orchestras receive a tremendous amount of encour-agement and support from their parent volunteers, the Walton community, and the administration of Walton High School. The Walton Chamber Orchestra welcomes the opportunity to perform at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference for the ninth time. The orchestra program has been honored to perform four times at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. The orches-tra has performed at the American String Teacher Association National Convention twice and have giv-en four European concert tours. They are a 2014 and 2015 national winner for the Mark of Excellence Award given by the Foundation for Music Education. Please

visit our website: www.waltonorchestra.org

Walton High School Chamber eNSEMBLEDr. Perry Holbrook and Sarah Grimes, Directors

Orchestra Division

(678) 839-6516

music@westga.edu

westga.edu/music

AuditionsSaturday, January 23, 2016

Monday, February 15, 2016 Destination: Music

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Sunday, April 17, 2016

UWG Preview DaysNov. 1, 2015

Jan. 31, 2016

Apr. 10, 2016

Bachelor of Music• Music Education

• Performance- opt. Piano Pedagogy Emphasis

- opt. Jazz Studies Emphasis

• Composition

Initial Certification

Master of Music• Music Education - 100% online!

• Performance

Minor in Music

School of the Arts

Departmentof Music

College of Arts and HumanitiesMusic

An Accredited Institutional Member of the National Association of Schools of Music

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DR. BETSY COOK WEBER

ALL COLLEGE CHORUSge

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Betsy Cook Weber is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. In addition, she serves as Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus, pre-paring major choral-orchestral works for some of the world’s leading conductors. She is also highly active international-ly as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer. In 2013, Dr. Weber became the 13th recipient and 1st woman to re-ceive the prestigious Texas Choirmaster award from the Texas Choral Directors Association (TCDA.)

The University of Houston Moores School Concert Chorale, which she directs, has performed for the Texas Music Educa-tors Association (TMEA) in 2005, 2008, and 2013; they were featured at the na-tional ACDA convention in Miami in 2007. Internationally, Chorale has received acclaim at four prestigious international competitions —the Eisteddfod in Wales in 2009, winning or placing in every cate-gory in which they were entered and the Florilége Vocal in Tours, France in 2011. In the spring of 2013, she led Concert Chorale to a first place finish in the pres-tigious Marktoberdorf Chamber Choir Competition in Germany, and in July 2015, Chorale competed in the Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg, Germany earning the title of World Champion in Youth Chorus (under age of 24) as well as two other gold medals.

Before coming to the University of Houston, Dr. Weber was a successful music teacher in the public schools at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels, during which time choirs under her direction flourished and won numerous competitions and awards. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas, Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ), and the University of Houston.

DON BRADEN

ALL STATE JAZZ ENSEMBLE

Don Braden is a Jazz musician of the high-est caliber. For over 30 years he has toured the world leading his own ensembles on saxophone and flute, as a special guest, and as a sideman with Jazz greats Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, and many others. He has composed music for ensembles rang-ing from duo to full symphonic orchestra, in many styles, for recordings (including 19 CDs as a leader and over 80 as a sideman), film, and the television networks NIckelode-on and CBS. Braden is a leading arrang-er of contemporary standards, and has built a solid collection of newer American songs into his Jazz repertoire. He is also a world renowned educator, having spent over two decades giving master classes at countless schools and universities, and run-ning first class educational programs such as the Litchfield Jazz Camp, NJPAC’s Wells Fargo Jazz For Teens, and most recently, the Harvard University Monday Jazz Band. He is an imaginative, technically excellent, soulful saxophonist, and his harmonic and rhythmic sophistication give him a unique approach to improvising as well as com-posing and arranging. Most important of all: he has a beautiful sound, and he swings! All this combines with his joyous yet disci-plined personality to make him one of the most important musicians working today.

DR. ALISON MANN

ALL STATEREADING CHORUS

Alison Mann is Associate Professor of Choral Music Education and Program Coordinator for Music Education at Kennesaw State Univer¬s-ity, where she teaches coursework in Cho¬ral Methods, Foundations of Music Education, Choral Conducting, and Vocal Pedagogy for Ensemble Singing.Mann also supervises student teachers and serves as Conductor of the KSU Women’s Choir and KSU Chorale. She founded and directs the Middle and High school Georgia Youth Sym-phony Orchestra Chorus in conjunc¬tion with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra.

A native of Florida, Mann taught in the Orlan¬-do public schools as director of choral activ-i¬ties at William R. Boone High School and was also the assistant conductor of the Orlando Chorale. While in Orlando, choirs and soloists under her direction received top honors at the district and state levels.

Dr. Mann received her Ph.D. in Music Education and Choral Conducting from the University of Oregon and a Masters of Choral Music Educa-tion and Bachelors of Choral Music Education from Florida State University. Dr. Mann has studied conducting and music education with André Thomas, Kevin Fenton, Sharon J. Paul, Judy Bowers, and Harry Price. Dr. Mann is cur-rently the Southern Division ACDA Women’s Choir Repertoire and Standards chair and the Georgia state ACDA Membership Chair. Mann has also served as the ACDA Multicultural and Ethics Repertoire and Standards Chair for the states of Georgia and Oregon and the Georgia Wom-en’s Choir Repertoire and Standards Chair. The KSU Women’s Choir was selected to perform for the Georgia Music Educators State In-Service Conference in 2014. Additionally in 2011, Dr. Mann per-formed the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s composition, “How Soon”, with Grammy-award winning ensemble 8th blackbird and the KSU Women’s Chorus. Her professional affiliations include the Amer-ican Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, National Collegiate Choral Organization, and the International Society for Music Educa-tion. Her research has been presented at the state, regional, and international levels. Dr. Mann is an active conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and researcher.

thursday - 5:30pmthe classic centerjanuary 28

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s musicians and music teachers, we are frequently admonished to only perform “good music”. What does that mean? Sometimes we just use

the, “I don’t know much about art, but I know what goes with the drapes” approach, AKA, “I can’t de-scribe it, but I recognize it when I hear it”.

Other than making an arbitrary decision based on personal likes and dislikes, how does one approach making that decision? I believe there are several somewhat objective criteria upon which an unfamiliar piece of music can be judged that might be helpful.

Let’s start by saying that there are examples of good and bad music available in most genres and at all difficulty levels, and they can all be eval-uated against the criteria I am about to list. Please bear in mind that a lot of these standards apply more directly to music that is tonal and utilizes tra-ditional forms and rhythmic structures.

Let me apologize in advance for the fact that some of this applies more directly to wind mu-sic than to string and vocal. Hopefully, some of the principals will be universal enough to benefit every-one.

Content: The piece should be based on melodic, motivic, and/or thematic material that is organized into phrases that flow into larger forms and displays a unity of construction. It is helpful if the piece is interesting to listen to.

Other than notes and rhythms, the piece should utilize elements such as dynamic contrast, varied styles of articulation, and well placed silenc-es. It should not rely on musical “cheap shots” that have no other purpose than to prop up mediocre musical content. Remember, some of the best mu-sic uses the fewest notes.

This material should lend itself to interesting and varied harmonic content.

Structure: The amount of melodic, rhythmic, and har-monic material in the piece should be sufficient to allow development while being concise enough to provide a sense of unity. The greater the degree of

economy of material, the more creative and inter-esting the piece is likely to be. Remember, Beetho-ven composed the better part of a major sympho-ny out of just four notes and one simple rhythm.

The piece should flow between moments of tension and climax and moments of calm and relaxation in what seems to be a natural sequence and that will keep listeners engaged.

Transitions from section to section should be navigable without undue angst. Remember, in mu-sic as in life, most of the problems occur at transi-tions (traffic lights, class changes et al). This circum-stance is what brought you block scheduling. But I digress.

The piece should be no longer than neces-sary to say musically what needs to be said. Mate-rial needs to be really good to warrant a second hearing. Da capo and dal segno are techniques that should not be used to satisfy a publisher’s re-quirement for length. Beware the composer who was paid by the note.

Craftsmanship: The piece should reflect a thorough under-standing of the instruments, their ranges, their abili-ty to perform technically demanding material with relative ease, the other instruments with which they do or do not blend well, the amount or air required to produce a tone, and the amount of sound they are capable of generating without becoming dis-torted (at both ends of the dynamic spectrum).

Every individual part should be interesting to play and listen to and should make a mean-ingful contribution to the music. It is not necessary to state every harmonic moment with sustained chords played by instruments whose practitioners usually feel put upon when called on to provide this service more often than is absolutely neces-sary. As in other aspects of life, things implied are often more interesting, even exciting, than those which are blatantly and overtly stated or shown.

No parts should be gratuitously difficult. This goes back to how well the composer knows the instruments.

Given a reasonable instrumentation within the ensemble, all sections of the piece should be written to sound balanced without extensive re-writes on the part of the conductor.

written by Cecil Wilder

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Emotional quality: A piece of music should move the lis-tener emotionally, intellectually, and/or spiri-tually. The very best music does all three, but we are not blessed with a Mozart very often. As music educators, we owe it to our students not to waste their time with materi-al of obviously inferior quality. That would be tantamount to a literature teacher assigning the reading of comic books. To put it anoth-er way, teaching inferior music is like planting flowers in a dry bed of rocks and expecting them to grow and blossom. As I stated earlier, there is music in most genres that meets all or most of the criteria I have listed here. It should be said that there exists more wonderful mu-sic than you can perform in a lifetime, so why would you waste your time on anything less?

We live in a time when, thanks to Fina-le, Sibelius, and high speed copiers, it is easy for publishers to produce large quantities of music like they are throwing Jello against the wall and seeing what sticks. Music teachers are responsible for making informed decisions

about the music they select as to not waste their students’ time and their school’s money on what I have heard referred to as “band (or orchestra or chorus) fodder”. Given the capitalist state of American economics, you would be amazed at how quickly inferior music would disappear if it did not sell.

Please do not succumb to the temptation to perform inferior music for the sake of a rating or to please an audience. Your students and the rain forests of the world will thank you for it.

And that, folks, is just the way I see it.

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When the musicians of “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band aren’t hailing the chief at the White House, honoring fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery, performing con-certs in the DC metro area and across the country on tour, or in a practice room honing their craft, they can be found in schools, both live and virtually. The following educational re-sources are available for free from the Marine Band:

“The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, in conjunction with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, hosts an annual Concerto Com-petition for high school students. The winner will appear as a guest soloist with the U.S. Marine Band and receive a $2,500 cash prize from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. The runner up will receive a $500 cash prize. The deadline for applications is Nov. 16, 2015. Please visit http://bit.ly/ConcertoCompeti-tion2016 for more information.

This year, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band released its first volume of “The Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa.” This multi-year recording project, initiated by Director Lt. Col. Jason K. Fettig, is the Marine Band’s first comprehensive collection of Sou-sa’s marches since the 1970s. The collection is in chronological order, and Volume 1 contains his first 17 marches, covering the years 1873 to 1882. Volume 1 is available for free down-load exclusively on the Marine Band website, along with scrolling videos and PDFs of the full scores that include historical and editori-al notes about each piece. Each march has been carefully edited and corrected by Lt. Col. Fettig and Music Production Chief Mas-

complete marches of jps

ter Sgt. Donald Patterson using some of the earliest known publications and incorporate performance practices employed by the Marine Band that are modeled on those of “The March King” himself. Download Volume 1 here: http://bit.ly/CompleteMarchesSousa1. Volume 2 will be available in April 2016.

When it comes to the historical knowledge and performance of marches, especially for those written by John Philip Sousa, the United States Marine Band is considered a prime re-source. That’s why during the month of March, “The President’s Own” will be hosting “Sou-sa’s March Mania,” a tournament pitting 32 marches against each other for the Marine Band online community to determine which one is the favorite. Each day, marches will compete head to head while fans vote which ones advance in the tournament. Participants can listen to the competing marches, down-load and print a tournament bracket, and vote for favorites on the Marine Band Face-book page. The winners of “Sousa’s March Mania” will be named “The March King” for a day! Please visit www.marineband.marines.mil in December for more information.

The Marine Band produces an annual CD recording, which is made available free of charge to schools, radio stations, and librar-ies. This year’s CD is “Elements,” a record-ing that Director Lt. Col. Jason K. Fettig built around the four classical elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Music is often the representa-tion and inspiration of the world both around and within us and this concert explores the classical elements in classical music, from fire in Igor Stravinsky’s Fireworks to water in Leon-ard Bernstein’s Symphonic Suite from On the

Marine Band Concerto Competition for High School Students

sousa’s march mania

Educational Discography

MARINE BANDOffers NationwideEducational Resources

UNITED STATES

written by Master Sargent Kristin duBois

Skip Taylor, Ph.D.

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Waterfront, and earth with Darius Milhaud’s depiction of the genesis of the planet itself in La Création du monde. These elements are all tied together by the very wind that powers this grand acoustic ensemble called the con-cert band. While the ancient Greeks first pre-sented the concept of the four elements, the Eastern Asian cultures transformed the idea into a belief in the transmission of energy be-tween elements, to include wood and met-al. These elements are represented in grand fashion in Jennifer Higdon’s virtuosic Percus-sion Concerto. For more information, please visit: www.marineband.marines.mil/AudioRe-sources/EducationalSeries.aspx.

Each #MusicMonday the Marine Band releas-es streaming albums and recordings of live performances on its YouTube channel, as well as interviews with band members and histor-ical vignettes. The online collection includes many out-of-print educational recordings, which have previously only been available to schools and libraries. Future releases in-clude The Bicentennial Collection, a 10-disc set which traces the recorded history of “The President’s Own” from rare wax cylinders and early radio broadcasts to recent performanc-es captured with the latest digital technolo-gy. None of the recordings on the set were

previously released on compact disc and many are live recordings never previously released in any form. Please visit http://bit.ly/USMBYouTube.

The Marine Band live streams all performances from the Chamber Music Series at www.marine-band.marines.mil and www.youtube.com/usmarineband. Programs will be posted on our online calendar usually two weeks before the performance: http://www.marineband.marines.mil/Calendar.aspx.

Youtube

LIVE STREAM PERFORMANCES

MARINE BANDOffers NationwideEducational Resources

UNITED STATES

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Bachelor of MusicMusic EducationPerformance

Post-BaccalaureateCertificatePerformance

Master of MusicCompositionConductingMusic EducationMusic TechnologyPerformance

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1. Please tell us a bit about your musical back-ground and teaching experience.

My family was not made up professional musicians, but they loved music and music was a part of our daily lives. I began piano lessons at age 5 and started playing clarinet in band in 5th grade. I thoroughly enjoyed the band experience especially participating in Solo and En-semble Festival, District Honor Band, and Large Group Performance Evaluation, so GMEA influenced me from a young age. After gradu-ating from UGA with a degree in Music Education, I began my teach-ing career at Hephzibah Middle School as a band director. After tak-ing a two year sabbatical to stay home with a new born, I also added a Masters in Middle Grades Education and continued teaching Band at Langford Middle School. After attending an Orff Workshop staff development, however, I became very interested in teaching at the elementary level. I finished my public school teaching career at Green-brier Elementary school in 2012. After one year of retirement, I went back to the elementary music classroom, teaching music part-time at Heritage Academy of Augusta until moving to Birmingham at the end of 2015. Of course, along the way, I served as a children’s choir direc-tor, Praise Team leader, and keyboardist for my church, and, outside of my teaching career, became heavily involved in Musical Theater as an accompanist and Musical Director.

2. What first drew you to music education?

I believe what drew me to music education was the incredible feeling of gratification in making music and the desire to share that with others. I always knew I was probably going to be a teacher, but wasn’t sure what subject area. Being as heavily in-volved in music as I was as a student, it just seemed a natural progression to become a music educator myself.

3. Who has been the biggest influence on your teaching career? What lessons did that person teach you?

One of the biggest influences on my teaching career was my high school band director, Dr. John Bradley. While we were in high school, my classmates and I took for granted his in-credible passion and drive for us to be the best musicians we could be. We wrongly assumed that all band directors were like him. It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized the in-credible work ethic that he had instilled in us. The passion and drive to be the best had become a part of me without my even realizing it.

4. What have been the biggest changes to music education in the course of your ca-reer?

The biggest change in music education during my career has been the proliferation of technology into the music education process. When I started, you recorded with a bulky cheap cas-sette recorder and now you can hold a digital recorder with almost professional sound quality in the palm of your hand. Instead of handwriting charts on lined staff paper, you can use Finale or Sibelius to create a professional quality piece of music! And that doesn’t even count the incredible power of keeping records and data using a computer, tablet, or iPhone!

5. How has your teaching philosophy evolved throughout your career?

Early on in my career, I was focused on teaching the notes and the skills so that my students could make music playing their instruments. But, when I began teaching at the elementary level, I wanted students to learn how to experience music, to

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JeannieMorrisButler

learn how to love music the way I did. Realizing that children come from so many different backgrounds, I wanted us all to have that common link or experience and to understand how music, above all else, can change the way you feel.

6. What has been the proudest moment of your teaching career?

Seeing your students be recognized for their successes through festival evaluations, etc. is always validating, but I am most proud of the many students I’ve taught who are now peers in music education and performance. Whenever I see or hear a former student perform, there is great satisfaction in knowing that you had a hand in their development and that they are continuing the legacy I received from Dr. Bradley.

7. What wisdom/experience/skills do you hope students gain from their time in your program?

I hope that that students gain the passion and drive to make and share music wherever their life takes them. Even if they don’t become performers, I hope they understand and appreci-ate the power of music and how important it is to the quality of life.

8. Is there a particular musical work or com-poser to which you feel all students should be exposed?

I have always been a big Beethoven fan. The emotional power of his music seems to transcend time and his music is as rele-vant now as it was over 200 years ago.

9. What advice would you offer teachers be-ginning careers in music education?

My advice to future music educators would be to show your students and parents how committed you are to providing a quality musical experience for them. Be a cheerleader for your program and realize that you must advocate and educate ev-eryone involved. Be involved in the community so that every-one can see and hear your talent. Join a professional organi-zation (like GMEA) that will provide leadership opportunities, peer support, and help keep you connected to the newest and latest trends in music education.

10. What still inspires you about teaching?

The thing that still inspires me is the joy on a student’s face when they have that first meaningful musical experience. You couldn’t buy a feeling like that if you were the richest person in the world.

BESAYSomething

SEND YOURARTICLE TOVICTORIA_ENLOE@GWINNETT.K12.GA.USVictoria Enloe

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Know an experienced teacher that should be featured in a future article of The Veteran 10? Send an email to the GMN Editor, Victoria Enloe: victoria_enloe@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

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Share Your Moments & Memories with Us

Georgia Music News

Spring IssueDeadline February 20Send to Ryan Barbee at the GMEA Officeryanb@gmea.org

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