WINTER OKLAMUSIC 12 13 II small file.pdf - Oklahoma Music ...

Z OMEA HONORS FOR 2013 Z
2013 EXEMPLARY TEACHERS
Jana Gorham 2013 OMEA Exemplary
Teacher
Julie Hester
2013 OMEA Exemplary Teacher
Marilynn Meyers
2013 OMEA Exemplary Teacher
Jana Gorham has been giving the
gift of music to students for thirty–four
years, including the last twenty–four
in Owasso. She began her teaching
career in McAlester, where she worked
with Jerry Hull and Frank Zugelder
for three years. In 1984, Jana and
her husband, David, began teaching
together in Van Buren, AR, where she
served as beginning brass teacher
and seventh grade band director
before moving to Owasso in 1989.
For the first fifteen years in Owasso,
Jana served as assistant director
at the high school, conducting the
Symphonic Band. During that time,
the Symphonic Band received
straight Superior ratings and OSSAA
Sweepstakes Awards each year, as
well as competing in contests around
the country including Atlanta, Chicago,
St. Louis, Orlando, and Washington,
D.C.
Since 2004, Jana has shifted her
emphasis from high school to the
younger grades. She currently teaches
the sixty–five–member beginning
trumpet class, and seventh–grade
band. Her seventh–grade bands have
consistently received the “Outstanding
Achievement Award” for Superior
ratings in district concert and sight-
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Julie Hester, a native of Little Rock,
Arkansas, received her Bachelor of
Music Education degree from the
University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
She has taught vocal music to all age
levels in public and private schools,
churches and studios in Arkansas,
Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Hester is
currently in her twelfth year at Jenks
High School. The choirs and show
choirs at Jenks consistently score
superior ratings in state, region and
national competitions.
Hester initiated the formation of the
AP Music Theory program at Jenks,
and has been selected the past three
years by National Testing Services to
serve as a reader for AP Music Theory
Exams.
Recognized for her contagious
enthusiasm, encouragement to staff
and students, and accomplishments in
the vocal music program, Hester was
selected as a recipient of the 2008
Vision of Excellence Award for Jenks
Public Schools
She is proud to be a member of the
Voice Care Network, NAfME/OMEA,
and ACDA/OCDA, where she serves
as Repertoire and Standards Chair for
Women’s Choirs.
22 OKLAHOMA MUSIC, Winter, 2012-2013 OMEA web site: www.okmea.org
Marilyn Meyers is the choral
director for Chandler Public Schools,
where she teaches junior high and
high school choirs and sixth grade
general music. In her twenty–nine
year music education career, she
has taught k–12 vocal music, band,
humanities, and piano lab. Her BME
degree was earned at Oklahoma
State University and her MM degree
from Southwestern Oklahoma State
University.
Prior to teaching in Chandler, she
taught twenty–seven years in Beaver,
where her choirs won sweepstakes
awards at state contest and performed
as honor choirs for OMEA. Her band
received superior ratings in concert
and sight reading. She is extremely
proud of her students selected for
All-OMEA and All-OCDA honor
choirs, and those that have gone
on to become music educators in
Oklahoma. She has also taught K–12
music in Forgan School, accompanied
for Turpin School, and maintained a
private studio for piano and flute.
Meyers has been honored to receive
the OCDA Director of Distinction
Award, the Western OCDA Director of
Distinction Award, and to be the guest
conductor for WOCDA and COCDA
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