NC Music Educator Conference Edition 2022

N O R T H C A R O L I N A 

MUSIC EDUCATOR 

Featuring 

(clockwise from 

top): Omar 

Thomas, Peter 

Boonshaft, and 

the U.S. Air 

Force Heritage 

of America Band 

Volume 73 Number 2 Conference 2022 

NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 1

ANNOUNCING THE 

$6 MILLION 

CHAUNCEY 

SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT 

It’s time to start a 

Tri-M Music Honor 

Society chapter. 

Strengthen your school’s Music. Honor. And Society. 

Starting a Tri-M Music Honor Society chapter will help show the value of your music 

program to the school. It will also benefit your students by allowing them to: 

e Build an impressive record for college 

APPLY AND AUDITION 

FOR SCHOLARSHIP CONSIDERATION 

SATURDAY, DEC. 3, 2022 • SATURDAY, JAN. 21, 2023 • SATURDAY, FEB. 11, 2023 

SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 2023* • SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2023 

EMAIL FOR MORE INFORMATION: musicadmissions@ecu.edu 

*Feb. 18, 2023: Last audition day for scholarship consideration 

East Carolina University ® • Greenville, NC • music.ecu.edu 

1. 

2. 

3. 

e Grow as leaders in music 

e Serve their community 

Ready to start a chapter? Follow these easy steps: 

Visit nafme.org/tri-m to download your chapter activation form or call 1-800-336-3768. 

Send in the activation form with your chapter activation fee ($50-$125 based on the 

size of your school) 

Receive a packet from NAfME with a guide to start your chapter – and get going! 

East Carolina University is committed to equality of opportunity and prohibits unlawful 

Music Education • Orchestrating Success 

discrimination based on the following protected classes: race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, 

national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual 

orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation and veteran status. 

2 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 1 

C.S. 23-0136

NCMEA Board Directory 

NCMEA Executive Director’s Message 

Susan Heiserman 

Conference Info 

NCMEA President’s Message 

Johnathan Hamiel 

Learn more about the N.C. Pathways to 

Excellence for Teaching Professionals 

Thanks 

NCMEA Past Presidents & Honorary Members 

Awards, Grants & Scholarships 

Collegiate Section 

IVfME 

Higher Education Section 

NC American Choral Director’s Luncheon 

Jazz Section 

Orchestra Section 

Technology 

Band Section 

Standard Course of Study Review 

Begins Fall 2022 

Brandon Roeder 

Middle School Choral Section 

Elementary Choral Section 

N O R T H C A R O L I N A 

MUSIC EDUCATOR 

Changed Schools? New Email Address? 

New Mailing Address? 

Stay in touch with NCMEA/NAfME 

Log in to the NAfME Member Portal and make 

your updates. 

www.nafme.org LOGIN then MEMBER PORTAL 

If you need assistance, call NAfME Member 

Services 800-336-3768 

Postmaster: Send address changes to: NC Music Educator, c/o 

NCMEA, 883-C Washington Street, Raleigh, NC 27605. 

Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization U.S. Postage Paid at Lubbock, 

Texas. ISSN Number 0400-3332 EIN number 

20-3325550 

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A special thank you to all our advertisers who 

support music educators and music education in 

North Carolina. 

Anderson University 

Brevard College 

East Carolina University 

Gardner-Webb University 

Guilford College 

Hayes School of Music 

Messiah University 

Methodist University 

NAfME 

Pfeiffer University 

Rosen-Schaffel Competition 

University of Charleston 

UNC Chapel Hill 

UNC Charlotte 

UNC Greensboro 

UNC Pembroke 

UNC School of the Arts 

UNC Wilmington 

Wachovia Winds 

Western Carolina University 

Editorial: All editorial content should be sent to: Kimberly 

Justen, Editor-in-Chief, at journal_editor@ncmea.net. 

Advertising: Information requests and ad orders should 

be directed to Kimberly Justen, Editor-in-Chief, at 

journal_editor@ncmea.net. 

North Carolina Music Educator is copyrighted. Reproduction 

in any form is illegal without the express permission of the 

editor. 

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Inside Front Cover 

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1, Back Cover 

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Pursue your 

calling at the 

Your Stage. 

Your Craft. 

Your Calling. 

South Carolina 

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We The believe South Carolina that intense, School transformative 

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Anderson University schoolofthearts.com 

| Knowledge for your Journey 

Anderson University | Knowledge for your Journey 

2 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 3

Board of Directors 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 

SECTION CHAIRS 

COMMISSION & COMMITTEE CHAIRS 

President: Johnathan Hamiel* 

Guilford County 

jhamiel@ncmea.net 

Immediate Past President: Carol 

Earnhardt* 

Forsyth County 

cearnhardt@ncmea.net 

President-Elect: Catherine Butler* 


cbutler@ncmea.net 

Recording Secretary: 

Carolina Perez* 

Durham County 

secretary@ncmea.net 

Member-at-Large: 

Jordan Lee* 


member-at-large1@ncmea.net 

Member-at-Large: Lorena Schakel* 

Stokes County 


Band: Jamie Bream* 

Scotland County 

band_chair@ncmea.net 

Band Section Delegate: 

Drew Carter* 

band_delegate@ncmea.net 

Collegiate NAfME: Destiny King* 


collegiate_president@ncmea.net 

Elementary: Dawn Wilson* 

Beaufort County 

elementary_section@ncmea.net 

High School Choral: 

Roman Brady* 


hschoral_chair@ncmea.net 

Higher Education: 

Jennifer Whitaker* 

Mecklenburg County 

higher_education@ncmea.net 

Jazz Education: Margie Harrison* 

Wake County 

jazz_chair@ncmea.net 

Jazz Section Delegate: 

Ana Bulluck* 

Haywood County 

jazz_delegate@ncmea.net 

Middle School Choral: 

Carla Reid* 

Caldwell County 

mschoral_chair@ncmea.net 

Orchestra: Ryan Ellefsen* 

Orange County 

orchestra_chair@ncmea.net 

Orchestra Section Delegate: 

Matthew Holt* 

Durham County 

orchestra_delegate@ncmea.net 

Exceptional Children & General 

Music: Rue S. Lee-Holmes 

Sampson County 

exeptionalchildren_generalmusic@ncmea.net 

Conference Chair: Barbara Geer 


conference_chair@ncmea.net 

Asst. Conference Chair: Adam Joiner 


conference_assistant@ncmea.net 

Mentoring: Windy Fullagar 


mentoring_program@ncmea.net 

IVfME: Lillie Allmond Harris 



AWARDS, GRANTS 

& SCHOLARSHIP CHAIRS 

Music In Our Schools Month: 

Tonya Allison & Lindsay Williams 

Forsyth and Onslow Counties 

miosm_chair1@ncmea.net (Tonya) 

miosm_chair2@ncmea.net (Lindsay) 

Music Program Leaders: 

Andrew Craft 


music_program_leader@ncmea.net 

Research: Tim Nowak 

Pitt County 

research_chair@ncmea.net 

Retired Membership: Libby Brown 

Watauga County 

retired_membership@ncmea.net 

Student Activities: 

Catherine Butler 



STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS 

Teacher Education: Jose Rivera 

Robeson County 

teacher_education@ncmea.net 

Technology Chair: 

Howell “Howie” Ledford 


technology_chair@ncmea.net 

Tri-M/ Young Professionals: 

Emily AsKew 

Davidson County 

tri-m@ncmea.net 

Webmaster: Mark Healy 

Wake County 

mhealy@ncmea.net 

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS 

DISTRICT PRESIDENTS 

Awards: Jordan Lee 



Grants: Jordan Lee & Lorena Schakel 

Guilford and Stokes Counties 

member-at-large1@ncmea.net (Jordan) 

member-at-large2@ncmea.net (Lorena) 

Scholarships: Lorena Schakel 

Stokes County 


Advocacy: James Daugherty 

Davidson County 

jdaugherty@ncmea.net 

Constitution: Maribeth Yoder-White 

Watauga County 

constitution_committee@ncmea.net 

Finance: Carol Earnhardt 


cearnhardt@ncmea.net 

Membership: Catherine Butler 



Publications: Kim Justen 

journal_editor@ncmea.net 

Collegiate NAfME Advisor: 

Lisa Runner 

Randolph County 

collegiate_advisor@ncmea.net 

Editor: Kim Justen 

journal_editor@ncmea.net 

Executive Director: Susan Heiserman 

Wake County 

sheiserman@ncmea.net 

Historian: Dr. John Henry, Jr. 


historian@ncmea.net 

District 1: Lisa Murray* 

Pitt County 

district1@ncmea.net 

District 2: Bob Norem* 

Pender County 


District 3: Andrew Childers* 

Wilson County 


District 4: Roosevelt Pratt* 

Cumberland County 


District 5: Ronald Forsh* 



District 6: Julia Winegardner* 



District 7: Janet Berry* 

Burke County 


District 8: Rachel Yates* 

Haywood County 


* Voting Member 

Counties listed reflect the county taught in 

883-C Washington Street 

Raleigh, NC 27605 

919-424-7008 

www.ncmea.net 

Executive Director: Susan Heiserman 

Wake County 

sheiserman@ncmea.net 

NCMEA OFFICE 

Communications Manager: 

Mark Healy 

Wake County 

mhealy@ncmea.net 

Music Industry Rep.: Adam Frank 


music_industry_rep@ncmea.net 

Parlimentarian: Dave Albert 

Wake County 

parlimentarian@ncmea.net 

NCDPI Rep.: Brandon Roeder 

Granville County 

brandon.roeder@dpi.nc.gov 

advancing music education by promoting 

the understanding and making of music by all 


Notes from the Executive Director 

Susan Heiserman 

Conference Info 

Conference To Do List 

Happy fall! I hope your school year has gotten off to a 

smooth start and you’re feeling good about what you’ve 

achieved so far this year. With the new fall season comes 

a feeling of electricity in the air – partly due to cooler temps, 

shorter days, and pumpkin spice – but also because of the NCMEA 

Professional Development Conference! I cannot wait for more than 

1,000 of the best people in the world to come together to connect, 

share experiences and knowledge, and have fun! 

The annual NCMEA Professional 

Development Conference will take place 

November 5 – 8 at the Benton Convention 

Center in Winston-Salem. Your section 

chairs have worked very hard to plan 

programming that is relevant and useful, 

and we hope you join us! 

Some conference highlights this year 

include: 

• A conference theme, Redefining 

Success, that inspires us to think 

outside the box. 

• Honors ensembles returning in person 

at the Stevens Center! 

• A keynote and two sessions by Peter 

Boonshaft, who has been called, “one 

of the most exciting and exhilarating 

voices in music education today.” 

• A performance by the Piedmont Wind 

Symphony, with special guest Omar 

Thomas, who is hailed as “one of the 

more important composer/arrangers of his time.” 

• A concert by the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band, 

who have entertained, educated and inspired millions. 

• T-shirt Day! We encourage you to purchase an NCMEA shirt 

from our website and show your NCMEA spirit by wearing it 

on Monday, November 7. 

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Visit the NCMEA website 

for complete details about the conference schedule, speakers, and 

exhibitors, and to register online. 

NEW SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM 

NCMEA is excited to offer opportunities to partner with us 

through sponsorships! Sponsorship helps businesses gain exposure 

to a variety of music lovers, from high school-aged students to 

active teachers and retired members, all while helping sustain 

NCMEA’s valuable programs and events. Sponsors receive the 

following benefits and acknowledgment throughout the year: 

$500 Applause level 

Clockwise: Peter Boonshaft, Omar 

Thomas, the U.S. Air Force Heritage of 

America Band 

• Banner ad on NCMEA conference mobile app 

• Acknowledgment in conference emails and signage 

• Hyperlinked company logo on NCMEA website year-round 

• Social media mentions 

$1,000 Bravo level 

• Banner ad on NCMEA conference 

mobile app 

• Acknowledgment in conference 

emails and signage 

• Hyperlinked company logo on 

NCMEA website year-round 


• 10% Discount on ad in the 

Conference edition of the Music 

Educator journal 

• Hyperlinked company logo in 

monthly NCMEA e-newsletters 

$1,500 Ovation level 

• Banner ad on NCMEA conference 

mobile app 

• Acknowledgment in conference emails 

and signage 

• Hyperlinked company logo on NCMEA website year-round 


• 10% Discount on ad in the Conference edition of the Music 


• Hyperlinked company logo in monthly NCMEA 

e-newsletters 

• Banner ad in two monthly e-newsletters (700x150px) 

• Sponsor acknowledgment in 4 annual issues of the Music 


For more information, visit www.ncmea.net/about/ 

sponsorship/. Thank you for helping us spread the word! 

Registration & Information Center 

Benton Convention Center – Upper Level Lobby 

Saturday, November 5 

Sunday, November 6 

Monday, November 7 

Registration Rate 

8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

8 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Aug 15 – Oct 15 Oct 16 – Nov 7 

Active Member $100 $130 

Introductory $75 $85 

Collegiate Members $50 $60 

Non-member $200 $250 

Retired No Fee No Fee 

Attendees will be able to track CEU credits on the mobile app. 

Pending approval from your school district or LEA, conference 

attendance hours may be used for credit toward your license 

renewal. Session length 50 min = 1 hr; 80 min = 1.5 hrs. 

FUTURE CONFERENCE DATES 

November 4 – 7, 2023 

November 9 – 12, 2024 

November 8 – 11, 2025 

NCMEA Exhibitor Expo 

Benton Convention Center Piedmont Hall 

Lower Level 

Sunday, November 6 

Monday, November 7 

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Make sure your NCMEA/NAfME membership is up-todate. 

You’ll need to enter your expiration date at the time you register. 

To check your membership status: visit the NAfME website 

(www.nafme.org), log in, and go to Manage Profile. Select 

Memberships on the left and you’ll see your paid-through date 

listed. You can also renew your membership here if needed! 

REGISTER! 

If you haven’t already done so, register! Register online before 

October 15 for the best price. If you procrastinate, register online 

before you arrive; it will save you time standing in line. 

Scan the QR code to register: 

Get familiar with the “NCMEA Conference” 

dropdown menu at www.ncmea.net. 

This is where you will find up-to-date information about the 

conference schedule, speakers, exhibitors, hotels, and more. All of 

this information will also be uploaded to the conference mobile 

app to help you navigate the event on-site. 

Remember to book your hotel room by early October 

at the Winston-Salem Marriott or Embassy Suites in order to get 

our group rate! 

Pack your bags and get ready for an inspirational professional 

development experience and celebration of music education! 

Plan a minimum of one hour to visit the Exhibitor Expo 

(you’ll probably need more!). You won’t want to pass up making 

contacts with music publishers, instrument sellers and makers, 

instrument repair experts, tour and travel operators, concert 

apparel reps, college and university reps, and more. Don’t forget 

to stop by the NCMEA booth to see what we’ve got going on! 


President’s Message 

Johnathan Hamiel 

UNC-Chapel Hill 

Department of Music 

Happy beginning of school! I am so excited to begin a new 

school year with new goals, objectives and aspirations. 

Personally, I’ve always enjoyed the beginning of the school 

year because it allowed me the opportunity to reinvent myself and 

my classroom. As fall is briskly approaching, I am eagerly awaiting 

our 2022 Professional Development Conference, Redefining 

Success! Your NCMEA leadership has worked countless hours to 

present a conference we think you will enjoy. 

In our classrooms, we might question what success looks 

like. Facing the daily challenges of student retention in the music 

class, unrealistic expectations set by administration, a decline of 

interest, lack of resources and financial support... The motivation 

to continue in the field of education is not as appealing as it once 

was. Teacher attrition rates are dismal and we are observing our 

friends and colleagues move to other states or leave the education 

profession all together. 

Our conference serves as an opportunity for our music 

educators to recharge their professional batteries and network 

with friends, classmates, and cohorts that many of us have not 

seen in quite some time. During this conference, we have ensured 

our sessions are centered on presenting alternative resources, 

strategies, and lessons to create a sense of success in any musical 

classroom, regardless of socioeconomic status. I am convinced 

there are multiple ways to gauge and assess student success, and 

the conference will be the culmination of how music teachers 

in our state have created an environment of success in their 

respective communities. 

This year we have a very special treat for 

conference attendees. We are so excited 

to announce our keynote speaker is Dr. 

Peter Boonshaft! He is a foremost expert 

in instrument and musical pedagogy and 

brings a wealth of knowledge and insight. 

His keynote, Is It Talent Or Is It Genius, 

will be shared with us on Monday. He 

will also present a number of sessions that 

can help all music educators during our day-to-day classroom 

procedures. We are eager for Dr. Boonshaft to share his knowledge 

and wisdom with the music educators of North Carolina. 

We are also proud to present special 

artist composer Omar Thomas at 

conference. Omar Thomas is one of the 

most notable musical composers today. 

The Piedmont Wind Symphony, under the 

direction of conductor Mark Norman, will 

perform a number of Thomas’ works on 

Sunday. He will also present a session that 

day, Inherently Political: A Conversation 

Around Activism, and Artivism in Concert Music. Please make 

sure you attend to give both of our special guests a heartfelt North 

Carolina welcome! 

Conference Scholarships 

If you have not attended the NCMEA Professional 

Development Conference, there are scholarships available for 

first time participants. The application deadline is October 1. 

www.ncmea.net/ncmea-conference/professional-developmentconference-scholarships/ 

For collegiate members interested in attending conference, 

we are offering 28 new collegiate scholarships for conference 

registration. Please follow the NCMEA website and our collegiate 

NCMEA social media for further information. The scholarship is 

on a first come, first serve basis and open to all collegiate members. 

Link the for application is here: forms.gle/ysa5qZiZPCwJhf9j6 

Advocacy 

Pathways to Excellence Model 

In a recent NCMEA board of directors meeting, board 

members expressed membership’s concerns about the N.C. 

Pathways to Excellence for Teaching Professionals proposed by 

the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission 

(PEPSC). Recently, the Advocacy committee; NCMEA’s lobbyist; 

Dr. Susan Heiserman; and I collaborated to collect and report 

member concerns on the proposal. 

As a result, we created a document comprised of the concerns 

of music educators throughout the state to share with lawmakers. 

We also shared this document with N.C. superintendent, 

Catherine Truitt; N.C. Board of Education chair, Eric Davis; and 

PEPSC chair, Van Dempsey. 

I’m sure our membership wants to know what are we 

doing to communicate music educators’ displeasure with the 

recommendations. We are actively conveying the feelings 

expressed from our membership to the individuals and 

committees making these decisions. We are taking action to 

ensure all our voices are being heard. We will report back to you 

when we receive further information. That said, now is the time 

to begin to speak to your district presidents so they may relay any 

thoughts and concerns to the organization in a timely manner. If 

you are not sure who your district president is, or what district you 

belong to, please see the board list on page 4. 

I want to assure you, we are working diligently behind the 

scenes to ensure your voices and concerns are being heard by the 

right people, and we will do everything in our means to advocate 

for the health, well-being and professional respect for the music 

students and educators in North Carolina. If you have any 

questions feel free to email me at jhamiel@ncmea.net. 

Tradition. 

Innovation. 

Collaboration. 

PROUDLY OFFERING 

SCHOLARSHIPS IN 

brass, composition, jazz, 

percussion, piano, strings, voice, 

and woodwinds. 

AND THE 

KENAN MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP 

Our premiere award for music majors 

includes full tuition, room, board, plus 

additional study funds. 

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION 

DATES 

NOVEMBER 12 

DECEMBER 10 

JANUARY 7 & 14 

DEGREE OPTIONS 

Bachelor of Arts 

Bachelor of Music 

(with option for music education) 

Learn More 

@uncmusic 

music.unc.edu 

@MusicAtUNC 


Learn more about the N.C. Pathways to 

Excellence for Teaching Professionals 

Professional Educator Preparation and Standards 

Commission 

www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/educator-preparation/professionaleducator-preparation-and-standards-commission 

Public Schools First NC - NC Pathways to 

Excellence for Teaching Professionals (April 9, 

2022) 

www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org/nc-pathways-to-excellence-forteaching-professionals/ 

Presentation made to State Board in March 2022 

(subcommittee members listed on p. 5): 

www.ednc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/211215_licensureredesign-framing_v11_31687451qtr4iqvpjwoogfjqvckukt.pdf 

“PEPSC hears about updated teacher licensure 

and compensation reform model” (Sept. 9, 2022) 

https://www.ednc.org/09-08-2022-updated-teacher-licensureand-compensation-reform-model-presented-to-state-commission/ 

EdNC: “State Board of Education weighs in on 

draft teacher licensure model” (April 7, 2022) 

www.ednc.org/2022-04-06-state-board-of-education-weighs-inon-teacher-licensure-proposal/ 

• After the PEPSC subcommittees refine the model, it will go 

to the full commission for consideration. Only after PEPSC 

has signed off will it go to the state Board of Education for 

a hearing. 

• Patrick Miller, superintendent of Greene County Schools 

and former chair of PEPSC, has said he talked to legislators 

who expressed interest in the model and encouraged its 

development. 

• PEPSC is taking public comment on the model. 

NCMEA Wishes to Extend Sincere Thanks 

Barbara L. Geer, Professional Development Conference Chair 

Adam Joiner, Professional Development Conference Co-Chair 

Johnathan Hamiel, NCMEA President 

Susan Heiserman, NCMEA Executive Director 

Mark Healy, Communications Manager 

Kim Justen, Journal Editor 

Questions and comments can be directed to 

pathways.feedback@dpi.nc.gov. 

• “Feedback is our friend, and we welcome it,” said state 

Board of Education Chair Eric Davis at a recent state board 

meeting. 

Indy Week: “State Education Leaders Advance 

Controversial New Teacher Compensation 

Proposal” (August 10, 2022) 

indyweek.com/news/northcarolina/merit-pay-teacher-plan-truitt/ 

WUNC: “What’s in the proposal to change how NC 

teachers are paid and licensed?” (May 23, 2022) 

www.wunc.org/education/2022-05-23/qa-whats-proposal-changehow-north-carolina-teachers-paid-licensed 

NCAE Summary of Proposed Changes to Teacher 

Licensure & Compensation: 

drive.google.com/file/d/1xiuBHTJexiHFJfuXDjH6I5lzGOnOp9 

OR/view 

NCAE “Teacher Licensure and You” 

www.ncae.org/licensure 

North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher 

Education Position Statement (August 8, 2022) 

www.publicschoolsfirstnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_ 

NCACTE-Recommendations-for-Roundtable-Pathways-to- 

Excellence-Licensure-Proposal-August-8-2022-Final.pdf 

NC Policy Watch “State subcommittee 

recommends reinstating higher salaries for 

teachers with advanced degrees” (August 18, 

2022) 

ncpolicywatch.com/2022/08/18/state-subcommittee-recommendsreinstating-higher-salaries-for-teachers-with-advanced-degrees/ 

It takes numerous wonderful people to plan and present this outstanding professional development conference. This is just a small 

list of those who spent many hours planning for November 2022. We thank all of you! 910.962.3415 

Benton Convention Center and Staff 

Stevens Center for the Performing Arts and Staff 

Twin City Quarter and Staff 

Visit Winston-Salem and Staff 

Winston-Salem Embassy Suites and Staff 

Winston-Salem Marriott and Staff 

UNCW DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC STUDENTS 

uncw.edu/music 

MAKING MUSIC. 

MAKING A DIFFERENCE. 

UNDERGRADUATE STUDY 

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN MUSIC EDUCATION 

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC 

PERFORMANCE: 

instrumental piano vocal 

GENERAL MUSIC 

JAZZ STUDIES 

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY 

uncwmus@uncw.edu 

NCMEA Section and Committee Chairs 

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Music Teachers & Staff 

UNCW is an EEO/AA Institution. 

Music Industry and College & University Exhibitors 

Accommodations for disabilities may be requested 

by contacting the Disabilities Resource Center at 910.962.7555 at least seven days 

prior to the event.Questions regarding UNCW’s Title IX compliance 

10 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR NORTH CAROLINA should be MUSIC directed EDUCATOR to titleix@uncw.edu. | 11 

MINORS 

choral music · general music 

jazz studies · musical theatre 

AUDITIONS 

FALL 2022 - SPRING 2023 

Saturday, December 10 

Friday, January 6 

current and transfer students 

Saturday, January 14 

Saturday, February 4 

Saturday, February 25 

Saturday, March 18 

Saturday, March 25 

virtual auditions

PAST PRESIDENTS OF NCMEA 

NCMEA resulted from a merger that occurred in 1970 between two professional organizations: the North Carolina Music Educators 

Conference (NCMEC) and the North Carolina State Music Teachers Association (NCSMTA). The list of presidents which follows 

represents those who have served since the inception of NCMEA. 

Dance 

Design & Production 

Drama 

Filmmaking 


#PoweringCreativity 

1970 – 1971 James R. Hall 

1971 – 1973 Hortense N. Reid 

1973 – 1975 Homer Haworth 

1975 – 1977 William G. Spencer 

1977 – 1979 Robert B. Gaskins 

1979 – 1981 Billiegene Garner 

1981 – 1983 Mary Jane Crawford 

1983 – 1985 Ralph B. Shumaker 

1985 – 1987 Reta R. Phifer 

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS OF NCMEA 

David S. Albert 

Bob Alexander 

Teresa Allred 

Katherine Almond 

Renee Anders 

*Barbara B. Blair 

*Louis V. Bean 

Treda Berry 

Chrystal Bachtel 

Lucy M. Banner 

*Earl E. Beach 

*Julius A. (Sandy) Beam 

Edward D. Benson 

*Mary Earl Berger 

Duane Best 

*Maxine Blackwell 

Diane Brooks 

*Rebecca B. Carnes 

*Herbert L. Carter 

Elizabeth Chance 

*Richard G. Cox 

Mary Jane Crawford 

Jerry Cribbs 

Carol Crocker 

*Carl Cronstedt 

William S. (Bill) Crowder 

James Daugherty 

*Joe DiNardo 

*Katherine Detmold 

*James A. Dillard 

James E. Dooley 

Carol Earnhardt 

*Joe Fields 

*Bernard Foy 

*Judith Freeman 

*Paul B. Fry 

Billiegene Garner 

Patricia Garren 

*Robert B. Gaskins 

1987 – 1989 Charles H. Gilchrist 

1989 – 1991 Barbara B. Bair 

1991 – 1993 John R. Locke 

1993 – 1995 Frank E. Williams 

1995 – 1997 Barbara L. Geer 

1997 – 1999 Fran Page 

1999 – 2001 William Crowder 

2001 – 2003 Earl Taylor 

Barbara Geer 

*Charles Gilchrist 

*James R. Hall 

Dorothy Hampton 

*Captain James Harper 

*J. Kimball Harriman 

Lawrence Hart 

Homer Haworth 

*Herbert Hazelman 

*Samuel Hill 

*Bernard Hirsch 

*Arnold E. Hoffman 

*Lara Hoggard 

*Birdie Holloway 

Richard Holmes 

Karen Huey 

*Charles Isley 

*Ruth Jewel 

Evelyn Johnson 

*Thor Johnson 

*Mrs. Eugene Johnston 

*Richard E. Keasler 

Genevra Kelly 

*Doris Kimel 

*Robert Klepfer 

Barbara Koesjan 

John Locke 

*C.D. Kutchinski 

*Adeline McCall 

*L.O. McCollum 

*Thane McDonald 

Constance L. McKoy 

*Harold McNeely 

*Florine W. Marren 

*Margaret Marsh 

Nollie Mitchell 

James D. Morgan 

*Madeline H. Mullis 

*Gordon Nash 

2003 – 2005 Maribeth Yoder-White 

2005 – 2007 Constance L. McKoy 

2007 – 2009 Jerry Cribbs 

2009 – 2011 David S. Albert 

2011 – 2013 Sonja Z.M.Williams 

2013 – 2015 Richard Holmes 

2015 – 2017 James Daugherty 

2017 – 2019 Jazzmone Sutton 

2019 – 2021 Carol Earnhardt 

*Josephine Osborne 

Fran Page 

*Paul Peterson 

Reta R. Phifer 

Mary E. Phillips 

Walter E. Phillips 

Walter Plemmer 

*Bessie Ray 

*Hortense N. Reid 

*Blonza Rich 

Lee Rigsby 

*Edgar Q. Rooker 

Tammy Shook 

Ralph B. Shumaker 

Elaine Sills 

*Katherine Siphers 

*Earl Slocum 

*Richard Southwick 

*Zelma G. Spears 

*William G. Spencer 

*Glen Starnes 

Jazzmone Sutton 

Earl Taylor 

Lue Taylor 

Marie Teague 

Martha Thomasson 

Virginia Tull 

*Eula Tuttle 

*Walter L. Wehner 

Frank E. Williams 

Sonja Z.M. Williams 

Susan Williams 

*Margaret Wilson 

*Louise Winstead 

*Eva Wiseman 

Ruby Woolf 

Maribeth Yoder-White 

*Deceased 

“UNCSA provided the resources I needed 

to become an inspiring artist, serving 

my community through art. My professor 

and mentor Brooks Whitehouse challenged 

me on the artistic level, while creating a 

safe space to be vulnerable and heard.” 

— Josie Greenwald 

School of Music 

UNCSA.EDU/MUSIC 


Pat Hall Music Educator Advocate Award 

The Pat Hall Music Educator Advocate Award recognizes a 

person who has demonstrated exceptional visible support and 

advocacy for music and the arts in North Carolina. 

Awards, Grants & Scholarships 

James Daugherty has an established career 

and reputation as an educator, leader, 

mentor and advocate for music education. 

He regularly collaborates with educational 

leaders and decision makers to research 

issues and find solutions supporting both 

legislation and access to music education 

for our students. 

Along with collaborating, he lends 

his voice and words via numerous position statements that are 

utilized by NCMEA and other statewide arts and music education 

advocates. He has given numerous presentations to inform 

advocates on the state and national levels and often freely offers 

his work as a template for others to utilize. To this day, districts 

across the country have been positively impacted by his work. 

Daugherty is currently president of the Southern Division of 

NAfME. From 2015 – 2017 he served as president of NCMEA 

and is also a past president of the North Carolina Bandmasters 

Association (2012-2014). He was featured in the February 2009 

edition of Teaching Music in an article entitled, “Accentuate 

the Positive” and was also listed in December 2009 as one of 

“50 Directors Who Make A Difference” in School Band and 

Orchestra Magazine. He has adjudicated bands and served as guest 

conductor in multiple locations across the Southeast. 

NCMEA Honor Administrator Award 

The NCMEA Honor Administrator Award recognizes school 

administrators who are exceptionally skillful in their respective 

units and are uniquely aware of the cultural arts (particularly 

music) as an indispensable part of the school curriculum as 

indicated by their personal attitude and philosophy, opportunities 

for teacher growth, and financial support for the arts. This year 

NCMEA recognizes three outstanding administrators. 

Jeremy Tucker, director of K – 12 arts 

education for Durham Public Schools, was 

nominated by chorus teacher Jill Boliek. 

Tucker supervises 30 K – 5 music educators, 

50 grade 6 – 12 music educators (band, 

chorus, orchestra, guitar, and piano), and 

100 K – 12 visual arts, theater arts, and 

dance educators. Under his leadership, 

the 6 – 12 performing arts teachers receive the 

highest supplement in the state for compensation of work done 

outside of contracted hours. He has also worked with the district’s 

finance office to create a budget line item for each arts teacher at 

every level. He has worked hard to ensure every elementary school 

has a full-time music teacher and got the district to pledge that all 

music teachers will have a full-time teaching space that does not 

have to be shared or mobile by 2023. He has cultivated valuable 

community partnerships and serves as a strong voice for the arts 

at the district level. 

Elizabeth Moose, dean and instructor 

of humanities at North Carolina School of 

Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), was 

nominated by fine arts chair Scott Laird, 

and music instructors Chad Cygan and 

Carolina Perez. During her eleven-year 

tenure at NCSSM, Moose has been a fixture 

at all musical programs and performances 

and frequently jumps in at the end of the 

performance to help tear down the stage. 

She has been a supporter and catalyst for a variety of 

innovative initiatives including new online courses in piano and 

guitar and western music history, a partnership with the Moog 

Synthesizer Corporation, and numerous uses of technology in 

music education. She steadfastly supports faculty professional 

development and regularly advocates for the music discipline in 

meetings with the NCSSM Foundation and the NCSSM Board of 

Trustees. She works annually with the NCSSM registrar to ensure 

students have the best opportunities to enroll in music courses in 

the midst of NCSSM’s complex and rigorous academic schedule. 

She is truly a tireless champion of the arts and arts faculty at 

NCSSM. 

Charles Patton, assistant principal at 

Millbrook Magnet High School(MMHS), 

was nominated by director of choral 

activities Eddie Adams. Patton leads both 

the performing and visual arts teams at 

MMHS. He established a music production 

program to reach students who do not 

normally gravitate towards conventional 

music offerings and grew it to include a fulltime 

faculty member. As a former band director, he deeply cares 

for both teachers and students and constantly seeks to connect 

authentically and effectively with all stakeholders, while pushing 

them to be their best professional selves. 

He helped brainstorm fundraising opportunities and research 

classroom upgrades for the arts, and started a wildly successful 

weekly Facebook live chat with parents. Patton is fearless in tough 

conversations, quick to sit down and listen, and courageous 

when the going gets tough – in short, both a capable and beloved 

administrator. 

Music Program Materials and/or Project Grant 

The Music Program Materials and/or Project Grant program 

is intended to afford music teachers an opportunity to purchase 

materials and supplies (including consumables) or to develop 

special projects to increase the existing potential for a quality 

music education program. 

Laura Black, 

Rocky Point Elementary, was awarded 

$1,000 to purchase five new violins for the 

Rocky Point Strings Program to give more 

students access to string education in a 

county where orchestra is not taught in 

schools. 

Barbara McNeilly, Casar Elementary, 

was awarded $1,000 to purchase 

instruments to start a drum circle to 

develop and build rhythmic confidence and 

performance and empower strong leaders. 

Keena Moxley, Courtney Elementary, 

was awarded $1,000 for six rolling Orff 

carts, a glockenspiel table and extra mallets 

for barred instruments. This gives students 

quick access to instruments, encourages 

good technique, and will allow for proper 

spacing and cleanliness in the classroom. 

Erin Roper, Whitnel Elementary, 

was awarded $223.50 to purchase Basic 

Beat Mini Star Tambourines to complete 

her KidStix StickStations, which help to 

emphasize rhythmic readiness and reinforce 

musical skills, expression, and literacy. 

NCMEA Scholarship Program 

NCMEA awards three $2,000 scholarships annually to 

music education majors attending North Carolina Colleges and 

Universities. 

Barbara Bair Scholarship 

The 2022 Barbara Bair Scholarship 

was awarded to Apex High School senior 

Abigail Poirier to attend UNC Chapel 

Hill. Her experience as a section leader at 

Mini-Marching Band Camp solidified her 

desire to teach. She wants to be the educator 

who creates the environment students look 

forward to entering each day, and to be the 

educator who provides a fulfilling musical 

experience through concert band, marching band, jazz band, and 

more. She wants to uplift students, helping them discover and 

learn about all things music, as well as helping them to become 

well-rounded individuals. 

Bill McCloud Scholarship 

The 2022 Bill McCloud Scholarship was awarded to Crystal 

Barbour, a senior at East Carolina 

University. Her middle school band 

director encouraging her to try bassoon 

was a defining moment in her career as a 

future educator. In her county, there were 

no private bassoon teachers, so she had to 

teach herself and soon had to start teaching 

the next generation of bassoonists at her 

middle school. This is quite a lot of pressure 

to put on a middle schooler, but she rose to the challenge, and 

that is when she really began to cultivate her love of teaching. 

Her work with the faculty at ECU has refined her ideas of what 

music education can look like and inspires her to advocate for the 

evolution of music education. 

Ruth Jewell Scholarship 

The 2022 Ruth Jewell Scholarship was 

awarded to Destiny King, a senior at UNC 

Greensboro. For Destiny, music has been 

the foundation to her education, a pillar of 

hope in difficult times, and is the reason 

why she’s pursuing a career in what she 

used to see as a simple hobby. Looking back 

at her past educators, it is never the music 

making she remembers first, but the feeling, care, 

and compassion they had for her as an individual student. This 

is what she aspires to achieve with her future students. Destiny 

serves as the Collegiate NAfME president and she looks forward 

to continuing to serve NCMEA and NAfME as a first-year teacher 

and beyond. 

Professional Development Conference 

Scholarship 

In 2021, NCMEA initiated an annual Professional 

Development Conference Scholarship program. Members Katelyn 

Gil, Hank Hendrix, and Sam Boerboom each received funding 

assistance for registration and lodging, allowing them to attend 

the conference for the first time. At this year’s conference, they will 

host a roundtable discussion to share how they implemented what 

they learned last year. Join them on Sunday, November 6 at 9 a.m. 

in the Embassy Suites Shober Boardroom! 

NCMEA ANNOUNCES A NEW ANNUAL 

SCHOLARSHIP STARTING IN 2023 

The Hortense N. Reid scholarship will be awarded to a Non- 

Majority Minority Music Education major who is a resident of 

North Carolina attending a North Carolina college or university. 

Hortense N. Reid was the first full-term president – and the first 

minority president – of NCMEA(1971 – 1973). She graduated 

from, and served, Howard University, an HBCU in Virginia. 

Her service at Howard University assisted in developing 

several generations of music educators; and although it is not 

a requirement, students from HBCUs are encouraged to apply. 

The scholarship is a one-time award of $2,000 and will be paid 

in a lump sum to the college or university at the beginning of the 

recipient’s senior year. Applications will be available in early 2023. 


Collegiate 

Destiny King, Chair 

Gateways to Improvisation in Orchestra 

Traditional concerts and performances of canonical repertoire 

are the typical metrics for a “successful” orchestra program. But 

these metrics only account for a narrow field of repertoire and 

performance conditions. What if we broadened the definition of 

success in orchestra from outstanding technical performance 

in a large ensemble to empowering students to create and 

perform any music they want on string instruments? This session 

provides a gateway to – and the beginnings of – a path toward 

this definition of success for orchestra teachers. At the end of 

this session, teachers will be able to apply a process model for 

teaching improvisation in their classrooms. Teachers will be able 

to identify simple tunes (notated or aural) that might serve as a 

starting point for instruction. They will also be able to design a 

step-by-step lesson to guide students from a starting tune to an 

improvised companion melody and arrangement for performance. 

Dr. Tim Nowak 

Dr. Tim Nowak is assistant professor of string music education 

at East Carolina University, where he teaches string methods, 

large ensemble methods and supervises student teachers. His 

research interests include sociology in music education, music 

teacher education, string/orchestra pedagogy and the history 

of string/orchestra education in the United States. He earned a 

bachelor of music from Ithaca College, a master of arts from 

the Eastman School of Music and a doctor of philosophy from 

Arizona State University. 

Fill-osophy 

This session is all about your teaching philosophy. At a young 

age, and often very early in our careers, we’re asked one of the 

most deep and thought-provoking questions of a lifetime, “What 

is your teaching philosophy?” This session will allow attendees to 

delve into that space head on and break down the essence of their 

vision for their future classroom, word by word, phrase by phrase. 

JaQuan Wiley 

JaQuan Wiley currently serves as assistant director of bands 

at Asheville High School, where he conducts the Asheville 

High School Symphonic Band, directs Asheville High Jazz 

Ensemble 1, co-directs the Asheville High School Marching 

Cougars, co-teaches instrumental classes at the feeder middle 

schools, and frequently guest conducts the Asheville High 

School Wind Symphony. Prior to his arrival at Asheville High, 

he served as director of bands at Wheatmore High School in 

Trinity. In August 2022, Wiley was named the youth symphony 

conductor of the Western Piedmont Symphony Youth Orchestras. 

He graduated from Appalachian State University with a 

bachelor’s in instrumental music education. Throughout his 

time at Appalachian State, he was a two-year drum major of the 

Appalachian Marching Mountaineers, guest conductor of the 

Appalachian Concert Band, teaching assistant for beginning and 

intermediate conducting classes, representative on the Hayes 

School of Music Dean’s Student Advisory Council, and member 

of various concert and jazz ensembles. 

They are What You Feed Them: Maximizing 

Student Potential Through Repertoire Selection 

In every music classroom, effective repertoire selection 

is critical to student success. In this session, participants will 

establish a framework for more successful programming by 

defining their aesthetic values, identifying the best music 

available for their ensemble, and discussing the importance of 

variety and diversity in programming. Participants will explore 

a step-by-step programming strategy that will allow them to 

develop a personalized approach centered around musical goals 

they establish for themselves and their students. 

Jonathan Caldwell 

Jonathan Caldwell is director of bands and assistant professor 

of conducting at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, 

where he conducts the wind ensemble and symphonic band and 

teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting. Prior to his 

appointment at UNC Greensboro, he held positions at Virginia 

Tech, the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, and Garner 

Magnet High School. Ensembles under his guidance have 

performed for the College Band Directors National Association 

Southern Division, the National Band Association – Wisconsin 

Chapter, and in Carnegie Hall. Caldwell received a Doctor of 

Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Michigan and 

a Master of Music in instrumental conducting from the University 

of Maryland, College Park. He holds a Master of Arts in teaching 

and a Bachelor of Music in performance from the University of 

North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 


Don’t Throw Away Your Shot! Establishing a 

Culture that Produces Results! 

This session is geared for beginning teachers and 

undergraduate students. A concern for new teachers is how to 

hold high expectations while still keeping students excited. This 

session will explore ways on how music teachers can establish 

a culture that promotes discipline and responsibility while still 

being fun and productive for students. Ideas discussed in the 

session are meant to serve as a guide for new and future teachers 

to use once they return or enter the classroom. 

Defying Gravity: Conquering Your FEAR of 

Parents 

Parents are a great resource for building a successful culture 

in a music program, and provide valuable assistance throughout 

the year. During this session, attendees will discuss strategies 

for dealing with parents, including preventative measures and 

situational circumstances. Participants will leave with real-world 

approaches they can implement when they return to the classroom 

or begin their careers. For undergraduates and first year teachers. 

Dr. Brandon Meeks 

Dr. Brandon Meeks is from Charlotte, and is currently 

the director of athletic bands and assistant professor of music 

education at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. 

He is a graduate of Florida State University where he received 

his PhD and Masters in music education. He is also a 2009 

graduate of Western Carolina University where he received a 

Bachelor of Science in music education. While at WCU, he was 

a recipient of the prestigious North Carolina Teaching Fellows 

scholarship program. From 2009 – 2016 he served as the director 

of bands at East Lincoln Middle School in Iron Station, N.C. 

During his tenure at East Lincoln, the band program experienced 

growth, consistently received superior and excellent ratings at 

state festivals and maintained a culture of high expectations and 

musical excellence. 

An Introduction to Commonly Used Hand 

Drums for Educators 

This session is geared toward any band, choir, or general 

music teacher who wants to improve their hand drum technique, 

content knowledge, and pedagogy. It may be particularly helpful 

for the non-percussionist teacher who wants to refine (or learn 

for the first time) their technical approach to the most commonly 

asked for hand drums in school ensembles: djembe, congas, and 

bongo. It will cover topics on basic technique and set-up for 

each drum, brief historical and cultural backgrounds on each 

instrument, strategies for hand drum instruction, integration of 

the instruments into the standard ensembles, and opportunities for 

further hand drum study. 

McKayla Phillips 

McKayla Phillips is a percussionist and educator based out 

of Raleigh. They are currently a visiting lecturer of percussion 

at UNC Chapel Hill and an adjunct professor of percussion at 

Shaw University. They are currently pursuing a Doctorate of 

Musical Arts at UNC Greensboro, where they serve as a graduate 

teaching assistant. They earned a Masters of Music from Indiana 

University Jacobs School of Music and received Bachelors of 

Music Education and Bachelors of Music Performance degrees 

from UNC Greensboro. Phillips proudly endorses Black Swamp 

Percussion and Innovative Percussion. For more information 

about McKayla Phillips, visit their personal web site at 

www.mckaylaphillips.com. 

Acing edTPA: Lasting Effects of Contextual 

Understanding and Artistic Expression 

Dr. Alsop will focus on practical strategies for incorporating 

contextual understandings and artistic expression in secondarylevel 

instrumental ensembles. This session will benefit collegiate 

students who have yet to complete The Educative Teacher 

Performance Assessment (edTPA), as well as mentor teachers. 

By examining links between contextual understandings, artistic 

expression, and the national music standards, music teachers 

of all experience levels will develop strategies for cultivating 

lifelong music learners. 

Dr. Michael Alsop 

Dr. Michael Alsop is assistant professor of music education 

at the University of Louisville, where he teaches undergraduate 

and graduate courses in music education and supervises student 

teachers. He was previously lecturer of music education and 

athletic bands at UNC Pembroke. He completed his Ph.D. in 

music education at the University of Georgia, where he received 

the Director’s Excellence Award and the Outstanding Teaching 

Assistant Award. He earned prior degrees in music education from 

the University of Louisville (M.M.E.) and DePauw University 

(B.M.E.). Alsop previously taught middle and high school 

band and general music in Brazil, Ind. He has over a decade 

of experience working in the marching arts, including time on 

staff with three world class drum and bugle corps, Indiana state 

finalist and champion bands, and a Bands of America 3A national 

champion and grand national finalist band. 

Building Student Ownership of the Choral 

Program 

This session will provide teachers with information on 

establishing and building upon student ownership and leadership 

in the choral/general music classroom, focusing on opportunities 

created around peer-teaching and evaluation, section leader/ 

choir committee responsibilities, recruitment, and student-led 

performance groups. Other opportunities such as providing 

student choice and decision-making within the ensemble, 

designing t-shirts and concert program covers, creating quizzes 

and other assessments, will also be covered. “As we come 

out of the pandemic and start to rebuild expectations and 

standards for our programs, working in these opportunities for 

student ownership and leadership in our ensembles will help to 

reestablish engagement, success, and community.” 

Emily AsKew 

Emily AsKew is the chorus director at Ledford Middle School, 

where she has taught for the past five years. She received her 

Bachelor of Music from UNC Greensboro with a focus in vocal/ 

general music education, and is currently pursuing a master’s in 

music education from UNCG. She is the DCS Middle School 

All-County Chorus coordinator, and NC ACDA MiddleFest 

co-coordinator. She serves on the NCMEA Middle School 

Choral Board, and is the artistic director and conductor for the 

Lexington Youth Chorus. She taught chorus and general music in 

Union County 2017 – 2018, and student taught chorus at South 

Asheboro Middle School in 2016. She also has several years of 

experience teaching private voice and piano lessons, as well as 

musical theater. 

Strategies for Passing the Praxis 

Dr. Ran Whitley’s Strategies for Passing the Praxis, will 

provide insight into strategies for preparing to take the Music 

Praxis II, including how the test is constructed, how the test is 

scored and particular content areas most essential for review as 

the collegiate student approaches taking Music Praxis II. The 

session will review historical test statistics, sample multiple 

choice questions and sample constructed response questions, as 

well as resources to facilitate subsequent review. The ultimate 

goal of this session is to help alleviate apprehension and anxiety 

among collegiate students as they develop a practical personal 

strategy for taking and passing Music Praxis II. 

Dr. Ran Whitley 

Dr. Ran Whitley is a professor of music education at Campbell 

University, Buies Creek, where he holds the Alma Dark Howard 

Endowed chair of music. His course offerings include music 

theory, elementary music methods and children’s music ministry. 

He earned the DM in music ministry from Southeastern Baptist 

FOLLOW YOUR 

PASSION 

The Guilford College 

Music Department offers 

degrees in voice, piano, 

guitar, strings, woodwinds, 

brass, and percussion, plus 

degree tracks in classical, 

jazz, and recording/ 

production. 

For more information, contact 

Department Chair Drew Hays 

at haysa@guilford.edu. 

DEPARTMENT of MUSIC 

Theological Seminary, as well as a Ph.D. in music education from 

UNC Greensboro. He holds current teacher licensure in North 

Carolina in both Music Education (K – 12) and ESL (K – 12). 

His Orff training includes Orff Levels I – III and the Orff Master 

Class from the University of Memphis. He has over 45 years of 

experience in elementary music including public school teaching, 

children’s music ministry, theory/counterpoint instruction and 

teacher education. 

Trauma Informed Pedagogy for Music Teachers 

This session will focus on practices that can help a student 

re-engage with musical learning and experiences. What does it 

mean when a student in your classroom acts out in class? Are 

they misbehaving, challenging us, or are they telling us about 

something they need? The answers to these questions are often 

quite surprising. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than two thirds 

of children report having at least one traumatic experience by 

the time they reach the age of 16. At least one in seven children 

have experienced child abuse and/or neglect in a given year, and 

about one in five report being bullied on school property. These 

statistics tell us educators must learn about trauma, its impact on 

students’ lives and learning, and how to respond to trauma when 

we recognize it in our classrooms. 

Dr. Katy Strand 

Dr. Katy Strand is the Dottie Sink Sykes Distinguished 

Endowed Professor of Music Education. She taught K – 12 

WWW.GUILFORD.EDU 

18 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR Guilford College Music Dept_MusicEdJournal_Ad 2022.indd 1 

NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC 8/24/2022 EDUCATOR 10:30:01 | AM 19

music in rural and urban settings in Virginia and Chicago 

Public Schools. She served as the vocal/choir faculty for the 

Virginia Governor’s School for the Humanities and Visual and 

Performing Arts. She coordinated and developed curricula for a 

new elementary guitar curriculum in partnership with Templeton 

Elementary School in Bloomington, Ind. Her research interests 

include teaching for musical creativity, curriculum analysis and 

critique, and pre-service teacher preparation. 

Conducting as a Nonverbal Communication 

The art of conducting gestures is a deeply personal craft for 

the majority of ensemble leaders. While consideration of one’s 

gesture is imperative and necessary for effective ensemble 

leadership, prioritization of that process often leads to 

overcomplication of this innately human art. Dr. Joshua Cheney’s 

session intends to explore ways conductors young and old might 

best express their intentions to ensembles through consideration 

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of the realities of body language, basic shapes, the relationship 

between simplicity and clarity, and moderation and balance. 

Joshua Cheney 

Fayetteville native Joshua Cheney is assistant professor 

of music and director of choral activities at Gardner-Webb 

University in Boiling Springs. In addition to teaching, he 

currently serves as the interim music minister for First Baptist 

Church of Asheville. He is an active performer and has sung 

professionally with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber 

Choir, Bel Canto Company, the Red Shift Choir, and Coro Vocati. 

Cheney is a regular clinician, adjudicator, and presenter, having 

directed honor choirs, adjudicated choral festivals, and given 

lectures at professional conferences throughout the South. He 

holds the B.A. in music education from Campbell University, 

the M.M. in choral conducting and church music from Mercer 

University, and the D.M.A. in choral conducting from Louisiana 

State University. 

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I 

am the Vice President of the NCMEA Collegiate Executive Board. Recently, I was 

afforded the awesome privilege of becoming the Collegiate IVfME chair. As such, 

I would love to fill you in on the recent achievements of the IVfME committee, 

as well as the recent creation of, and accomplishments of, the Collegiate IVfME 

committee! 

The purpose of NCMEA’s Inclusive Vision for Music Education (IVfME) 

Committee is to help ensure inclusivity, equity, and diversity are encouraged and 

implemented, not only within NCMEA, but in musical classrooms across the state 

of North Carolina. It is the belief of the IVfME committee that North Carolina’s 

music educators should have access to the necessary education needed to help them 

approach their students in such a way that they feel seen, heard, and represented. 

This applies not only in the interpersonal interactions they experience within the 

classroom, but also in the repertoire and curriculum which they are exposed to 

during the span of their musical education. 

It is the belief of the IVfME committee that music educators are in a unique 

position to greatly impact the lives of their students, and that it is the responsibility 

of the educator, especially educators who come from a position of power and/ 

or privilege, to provide a musical education which is equally representative of all 

their students, and takes into consideration their racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, 

socioeconomic, gender, and sexual orientation identities, as well as the specific and 

unique needs of the students. 

Often, doing this means working through one’s own internal biases, and 

decentering oneself in order to listen to and learn from the lived experiences of 

others. Such opportunities are provided by the IVfME committee in the form of 

educational opportunities, such as workshops and webinars regarding equity and 

inclusion. 

The Collegiate IVfME committee was created to present this same goal to the 

collegiate members of NCMEA, and to help guide them to the tools and resources 

they need to grow in their awareness of these issues as pre-service music teachers. 

It is our hope they will be empowered to one day incorporate this work of creating 

equitable, musical spaces for their students into their own future classrooms. In 

creating this new committee, however, Collegiate President Destiny King and I found 

ourselves faced with the task of articulating what we felt to be the backbone of this 

new committee. 

After meeting with current and past members of the NCMEA board in our first 

collegiate chat in April 2022, Developing an Inclusive Vision for Music Education, we 

decided to begin with creating our own vision statement. The collegiate IVfME vision 

statement will be available in its entirety soon. 

To leave you with a thought regarding the heart of the IVfME mission, I’ll close 

with a line from the Collegiate IVfME vision statement, to summarize its essence: 

“In every student, there is a potential beyond measure, and music beyond 

imagination; and in every student, there is an inherent value which it is the 

responsibility of the music educator to draw out and encourage.” 

20 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 21 

I 

nclusive 

Vision for 

Music Education 

by Sabina Blue 

UNC WILMINGTON 

FRIDAY, MARCH 24 · 2023 

CLARENCE PENN 

CLINICIAN • MASTER CLASS 

KATE McGARRY 

GUEST ARTIST • VOCALIST 

FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL 

JAZZ COMBOS AND BIG BANDS 

clinics · master classes · performance 

NO REGISTRATION FEES 

REGISTRATION DEADLINE 

Monday, March 7, 2023 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT 

Jerald Shynett FESTIVAL DIRECTOR 

shynettj@uncw.edu 

uncw.edu/music 

UNCW is an EEO/AA Institution. 

Accommodations for disabilities may be requested 

by contacting the Disabilities Resource Center 

at 910.962.7555 at least seven days prior to 

the event. Questions regarding UNCW’s TitleIX 

compliance should be directed to titleix@uncw.edu.

H 

igher Education 

Jennifer Whitaker, Chair 

The Higher Education Executive Council and I are pleased 

to share highlights planned for this year’s NCMEA 

Professional Development Conference. As chair of the 

committee, I am excited to announce Dr. Mackie Spradley will 

be our special guest presenter. Dr. Spradley is the immediate 

past president of NAfME, director of enrichment education and 

programs for the Texas Education Agency, and CEO of Forest 

Educational Group, LLC. She is published in various journals and 

books, and has presented sessions throughout the United States 

and internationally. 

She will present two sessions on issues related to equity in 

music education. We look forward to her sharing her knowledge 

and expertise on this important topic with us. In addition to Dr. 

Spradley’s presentations, Drs. Andrea VanDeusen and Cindy 

Wagoner will present Music Teacher Professional Development 

Cohort: Agents of Social Change (details provided below). 

Additionally, we hope you will also attend and/or participate in one 

or both Research sponsored sessions: Student Research Lightning 

Talks and the Research Poster Session. 

Our annual Higher Education Section business meeting will 

take place the morning of Monday, November 7. As my and Debbie 

O’Connell’s terms expire at the end of this year’s conference, we 

will elect a new chairperson-elect (two year term followed by 

a two year term as chair) and secretary (two year term) to the 

Executive Council. A sub-committee of the Executive Council 

is working to identify possible candidates for these positions. 

If you are interested in serving in this capacity or would like to 

nominate someone else (with their permission), please contact me 

at higher_education@ncmea.net. Nominations from the floor will 

also be solicited at the meeting. 

I appreciate the work of our Higher Education Executive 

Committee: Timothy Nowak (research chair), Debbie O’Connell 

(secretary), José Rivera (chairperson-elect and teacher education 

chair), Fred Spano (member-at-large), and Katy Strand (memberat-large). 

They offered excellent advice and recommendations that 

will result in a meaningful and energizing conference for all. Their 

contributions to our section and NCMEA have been outstanding. I 

look forward to seeing you at the conference! 

Music Teacher Professional Development 

Cohort: Agents of Social Change 

In this presentation, we will share findings from a study in 

which we examined the perceived impact of a music teacher 

professional development cohort (MTPDC) on participants’ 

understandings, beliefs, attitudes, and practices toward issues 

of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in music 

education and in their classrooms. In-service music teachers 

currently serving as cooperating teachers for our institution were 

invited to participate. We were also interested in the ways that a 

community of practice might impact how the cohort perceives 

their roles as mentors to their students and/or their university 

interns. Data collection is ongoing. Findings and implications for 

music education will be discussed. 

Dr. Andrea VanDeusen 

Dr. Andrea VanDeusen is assistant 

professor of choral music education and 

conductor at East Carolina University, 

where she teaches music education courses 

and conducts the University Chorale. 

Prior to joining the faculty at ECU, she 

completed her doctoral studies at Michigan 

State University, where she studied music 

education and choral conducting and taught 

and assisted courses in music education. VanDeusen is a charter 

member of mirabai, a twenty-eight voice professional level women’s 

ensemble under the direction of Dr. Sandra Snow. She has held 

teaching positions in public, private, and international schools in 

Michigan, New Jersey and Switzerland. 

Dr. Cindy Wagoner 

Dr. Cindy Wagoner is an associate professor 

and department chair of music education 

at East Carolina University, specializing 

in instrumental music instruction and 

pre-service music teacher education. Her 

research focus is music teacher identity, 

mentoring new teachers, and teacher 

pedagogy, with publications appearing 

in Teaching Music Through Performance 

in Jazz, Teaching Music, Psychology of Music, Research Issues in 

Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, and several 

book chapters. Her heart still lies in teaching music through 

instrumental performance, and she travels extensively providing 

clinics for bands, conducting, and presenting research. 


2022 NC ACDA Fall Luncheon 

& 55 th Anniversary Celebration 

by Anne Saxon, NC ACDA Luncheon Chair 

Monday, November 7, 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. 

Centenary United Methodist, 

NEW LOCATION!!! East Wing Commons 

A time to Gather, Connect, & Celebrate! 

Each November, as musicians and music educators alike make 

their annual pilgrimage to Winston-Salem, we gather and break 

bread together during the NCMEA Professional Development 

Conference to connect and catch up on current events. Since 

a large majority of NC ACDA members are also members of 

NCMEA, we host a luncheon to connect as a body of people 

who work in the choral field, and invite others to come and learn 

about our organization. Our state chapter of the American Choral 

Director’s Association is ready to serve you, as we are YOUR choral 

resource right here in North Carolina. 

The majority of NC ACDA’s leadership will be at this event to 

get to know you better. A highlight of the luncheon – besides the 

opportunity to visit with each other and meet new people – will 

be to witness the announcement of our next Lara Hoggard Award 

recipient, and the second annual N.C. Choral Impact and Artistry 

Award. We will also be celebrating NC ACDA’s 55th Anniversary! 

Free church shuttle service makes it easy to get to the event, 

especially if the weather is bad or your conference schedule is tight, 

or you can walk the 1-1/2 blocks to the church. The new East Wing 

meeting space is even closer to the Benton Convention Center than 

before! The Steven’s Center is equidistant from the church and 

convention center to attend the choral concert immediately after 

the luncheon. Also, as a perk for non-members to attend, we are 

holding a drawing for some free memberships! 

We hope you will plan to come – and invite a friend or 

colleague to join you! Food will once again be catered by Mrs. 

Pumpkins. You can order your lunch online ahead of time for $15 

each; lunches also sold “at the door” for $20 per person (as space 

allows and food is still available). All payments are final and there 

are no refunds. 

Online Registration is open through Wednesday, November 2; 

however, we encourage you to join us and pay at the door in case 

you forget. Cash, check, or card will be accepted. 

DEGREE OFFERINGS 

› B.A. in Music 

› B.M. in Music with Emphasis 

in Business and Music Industry 

› B.M. in Music Composition 

› B.M. in Music Education 

› B.M. in Music Performance 

› B.M. in Worship Leadership 

The Department of Music at Gardner-Webb University 

provides instruction by experienced professionals alongside 

opportunities to share musical talent through a variety of 

choral and instrumental ensembles. 

Scholarships are available for music 

majors and non-music majors. For 

further information, please contact 

the GWU Department of Music at 

gwumusic@gardner-webb.edu or 

(704) 406-4448. 

Located in the foothills of North Carolina, Gardner-Webb 

University’s rigorous and innovative degree programs, 

hands-on learning opportunities, and supportive and 

diverse Christian community shape students into 

thinkers, doers and world-changers. 


Jazz 

Margie Harrison, Chair 

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 

SCHOOL OF MUSIC IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE 

Welcome back to what I hope is turning out to be a great year 

for everyone! I know we have lots of building and rebuilding 

happening as we get farther away from the COVID-19 years, but I 

hope it is going well for you! 

I would like to celebrate last year from the Jazz perspective. We 

had a fantastic All-State Jazz Band in April! Several of our students 

were accepted into the NAfME All-National Jazz Ensemble 

and will be performing with the honor groups this fall! Special 

thanks to Dr. Wes Parker and the 

music department at NC State 

University for once again hosting 

this event for us. Next year, All- 

State Jazz will be held April 14 – 

15 at NC Central University. 

Congratulations to our regions 

for hosting successful MPA events 

as well. I’m sure you received 

lots of good feedback from your 

judges and hopefully your kids 

had a great time preparing and 

performing! 

As you know, the NCMEA 

Professional Development 

Conference is coming this 

November, and we have tons of great 

performances and sessions to give you some tools to take back 

to help your students, and hopefully some inspiration for you! 

Great performances 

will include Enloe 

High School, UNC 

Charlotte, UNC 

Greensboro and NC 

Central University 

jazz ensembles. 

There are even a few 

All-National Jazz 

performers playing 

this year with the 

Enloe band, so 

come and celebrate the hard work of those kids! 

In addition to the awesome performances, we have what I 

hope will be valuable sessions that feature some of our best jazz 

educators from around the state. Dr. Will Campbell will be hosting 

a session on building improvisational skills, Erik Riggs will 

discuss how to manage woodwind doubling for your advancing 

musicians, Wes Parker and faculty from NC State University will 

provide resources and ideas for using combos in your program, 

Dr. Natalie Boynik from UNC 

Wilmington will provide some 

practical ideas for helping your 

bass player play great bass lines, 

Matt Didonna will demystify the 

drum set, and much more! We 

will also see the return of what 

we hope will continue to be an 

annual tradition, the Director’s 

Jazz Band headed by Michael 

Capps. This year, the band will 

be featuring trombonist Joe 

Fiedler! The Director’s Jazz Band 

performs Sunday night right after 

the Bandmasters meeting, so stick 

around and enjoy some great 

music! 

As always, we are looking for educators to get involved in 

the jazz section, so please be sure to reach out to your region 

chairs, or email me directly if you are interested! You can find all 

of this information on our website that you can access through 

ncmea.net. Be sure to sign up for the Jazz listserv so you can be 

kept up to date! 

I also want to take this opportunity to celebrate Dr. Wes Parker 

and the NC State Jazz Orchestra for being selected to perform 

at the 2022 Midwest Clinic! I hope we will have lots of North 

Carolina jazz educators there to support his group! 

I wish all of you the best during this fall semester and look 

forward to seeing you all at conference November 5 – 8 in 

Winston Salem! 

WCU SCHOOL OF MUSIC AUDITION DATES 

JANUARY 21, 2023 • JANUARY 28, 2023 

WCU is a University of North Carolina campus and an Equal Opportunity Institution. 

DR. JEANANNE 

NICHOLS 

CAROL GROTNES BELK 

DISTINGUISHED 

PROFESSOR OF 

MUSIC EDUCATION 

Dr. Nichols’s research has been published in the Journal of Research 

in Music Education, The Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music 

Education, Research Studies in Music Education, The Music Educator’s 

Journal, The Mountain Lake Reader, and The International Journal of 

Education and the Arts. She is a member of the Research Studies in Music 

Education editorial board and has served as guest editor for two issues of 

the Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education. 

Dr. Nichols has presented keynote addresses for Nacional Educación 

Artística in Copiapó, Chile, and Kunstfag mot verden, hosted by the 

Center for Arts, Communication and Culture at Bergen University College 

in Bergen, Norway. She has presented research throughout the United 

States and internationally in Canada, China, France, Greece, Norway, and 

the United Kingdom. Dr. Nichols maintains an active schedule as guest 

conductor, clinician, and adjudicator of bands. 

Prior to joining the faculty at Western, she was Associate Professor 

of Music Education at the University of Illinois where she taught 

undergraduate courses in instrumental methods and graduate courses 

in research, current issues in music education, and advanced wind band 

pedagogy. Dr. Nichols was Associate Professor of Music and Director of 

Instrumental Studies at Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan. Dr. Nichols 

also taught middle and high school band in the Tattnall County schools in 

Georgia and the Roane County schools in Tennessee. 

AUDITION SNOW DAY - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 

The WCU Catamount Singers will perform 

at the NC Music Educator’s Annual conference 

in Winston Salem November 7 - 2:30 p.m. 

Stevens Center • Downtown Winston Salem 


O 

rchestra 

Ryan Ellefsen, Chair 

uncp.edu/music • music@uncp.edu • 910.521.6230 

I 

hope you are all off to an incredible start to your school year. I 

always liken the beginning of the year to a ship leaving harbor. 

The preparation for a safe journey can be tedious and repetitive, 

but knowing you are ready (but never done!) brings a reassuring 

calm to one’s mind. Those first days of laying the foundation, 

going over the handbook and establishing classroom norms can 

seem mundane, but that feeling is offset by the energy of students 

buzzing in the hallways. Slowly, but surely, the ship pushes off and 

though slow at first, the momentum of the school year picks up 

and before you know it, you’ve settled into a groove that allows you 

to focus on the students. 

As we look at the music many of us will prepare for our 

students, I challenge all of us to be sure we are programming 

music that is reflective of our student body and our communities 

as a whole. While you might feel like you have to program entire 

concerts of underrepresented populations, that certainly isn’t the 

case. 

If you haven’t thought about programming in this way before, 

start small and build up your library so that you’ll have options 

in the future. Lean on your colleagues for quality literature 

suggestions that are composed by diverse composers. Ask a trusted 

colleague to look at your plans for the year and to offer alternatives 

to your current pieces. We inspire the next generation of music 

educators – seeing a composer’s name on the music in front of 

them that is representative of a class’s diversity can inspire a young 

musician to continue in music. 

Fortunately, there are some wonderful resources at our disposal 

as we select new music. The Composer Diversity Database works to 

encourage the discovery, study, and performance of music written 

by composers from historically excluded groups. The site includes 

works for not only orchestra, but for wind band and choral 

ensembles too. 

Dr. Kaitlin Bove has created an incredible program called 

…And We Were Heard which has a database of composers as 

well as consortium opportunities for new music to be regionally 

premiered by participating groups. You can read more about it 

here: ... And We Were Heard. Once you have the music in the 

students hands, it’s up to you how much or little you want to talk 

about the composer, but we all know that when a connection is 

made, sparks can fly and personally, I love to see it when sparks fly. 

I also truly love the time that I am able to spend with my 

colleagues at the NCMEA Professional Development Conference. I 

do hope you will attend this year, starting with our board meeting 

on Sunday afternoon, November 6, and the North Carolina All- 

State Orchestra at 4:30 that same afternoon. 

On Monday, we have some fantastic sessions lined up featuring 

a variety of musical styles. As is tradition, our NCHO All-State 

director, Dr. Hardwick, will join us Monday morning, followed by 

a wonderful slate of presenters with sessions ranging from Musical 

Selections from the African Diaspora, to Old Time Music, along 

with performances by the Myers Park High School Orchestra, 

the East Henderson High School Orchestra and the Triangle 

Philharmonic Orchestra. Other sessions include Katie LaBrie 

with How to Win Rehearsals and Influence Students, Kimberly 

Zimmerman on Creating Classroom Culture, Tim Nowak on 

Improv and Janice Swoope with Operation Connection: Connect 

B4 Curriculum. I think there is a little here for everyone and I 

can’t wait to see you all enjoy these days with me. 

Finally, this is my last article as your Orchestra Section chair. 

It’s been a wonderful experience to serve in this role and I hope I 

have served the section well. For those who have been here before, 

you know that two years is not nearly enough time to complete 

all that you want to accomplish. Your new section chair starting 

in November is Joseph Walker, associate orchestra director at 

Durham School of the Arts. 

That also means we will need to 

elect a new NCHO/Orchestra Section 

chair at conference during our board 

meeting on Sunday. Please join us and 

consider nominating either yourself 

or a colleague for this role. It’s very 

rewarding. And be on the lookout 

for nomination forms for the 2022 

Teacher of the Year, as well as the Hall 

of Fame/Lifetime Achievement Award. 

I hope you all have a fulfilling 

school year and I look forward to 

seeing you all in November. 

UNCP is one of the most affordable universities in 

North Carolina. With NC Promise, undergraduate tuition 

at UNCP is $500 per semester for in-state students and 

$2,500 per semester for out-of-state students. 

MUSIC EDUCATION 

MUSICAL THEATRE 

BACHELOR OF ARTS 

MUSIC INDUSTRY EMPHASIS 

SCAN THE 

QR CODE TO 

APPLY NOW! 

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music 

This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact the Accessibility Resource Center, Oxendine Administrative Building, Room 110, or call 910.521.6695. 


Technology 

Howie Ledford, Chair 

Greetings friends! I hope this letter finds you well, and 

having a great start to your school year. When you read 

this, it will be conference time. The Music Technology 

Committee has a great line up for you this year. It is as wide and as 

varied as normal. 

Music First will be coming back again. Dr. Jim Frankel 

is the head of digital education for Wise Music and director 

of MusicFirst. Previously, he was the managing director of 

SoundTree, and before that he was the instrumental and general 

music teacher for 15 years in New Jersey Public Schools. Frankel 

is a widely published author in various state, national and 

international journals of music education. He is the author of The 

Teachers Guide to Music, and Media & Copyright Law, co-author 

of YouTube in Music Education, contributing author for Critical 

Issues in Music Education and co-author of Making Music with 

GarageBand & Mixcraft. In addition to his writing, he is a highly 

sought-after clinician and keynote speaker in the local, national 

and international music education community. He is on the board 

of directors for TI:ME and is the past president of ATMI. 

Another interesting topic of conversation this conference will 

be the discussion about Starting a Modern Band Program at 

your school. Dr. Rachyl Smith from ECU will be discussing her 

experiences with Aycock Middle School in Greenville. Modern 

Band is rock band with teeth. This means students make music 

using the non-traditional band, choir, orchestra, and general 

music model. This is becoming a standard. 

Along those same lines, Dr. Mark Dillon and Liz May- 

Campbell from GTCC are going to be doing a workshop entitled 

So Your Principal Asked You to Turn on the Microphone. This 

clinic takes anyone through the basics of live sound. This is super 

useful for the beginning teacher and veteran alike. 

Also on the docket, we will have clinics that will enhance 

your basic knowledge of Learning Management Systems (LMS) 

such as Canvas and Google. Amber Mattatall from Burke County 

always has new and fresh ideas that work. Her colleagues in 

her district think she is a model teacher. Her clinic on Google 

Forms should prove to freshen up an old topic. Amber Houk 

from McDowell County will be giving a clinic on Google Slides 

and how to do more with them. She is going to give you some 

innovative tips that level up your Google Slide game. 

Julian Wilson is going to take the power of Canvas up a level. 

Wilson is from York Chester Middle School in Gaston County. 

As well as being the band director, he is working on a Master’s in 

instructional technology. He is brining practical knowledge on 

how to make Canvas work harder for you. 

Justin Dickson is a conference favorite. His clinics are always 

well attended. Dickson is the band director at Carroll Middle 

School for Leadership in Technology Magnet in Raleigh. His clinic 

on GarageBand seems like it will be amazing. His philosophy is 

students should have fun playing music. He is going to teach you 

how to make super fun tracks for your kids that will help them 

learn. 

Mindy Cook is going to take a look at MIDI keyboards in 

your classroom. She is the chorus and general music teacher 

at Heritage Middle School in Burke County. She is presently 

working on a Master’s in music education with a concentration 

in Peacebuilding and Social-Emotional Learning. This piece of 

equipment is often overlooked in our classroom, but it can make a 

huge difference in a learning environment. She will also be using 

the power of Garage Band to help you understand what they can 

do for us. 

Chad Cygan will also be looking at the synthesizer from a 

completely different perspective. He is the director of choral 

activities at the North Carolina School of Science and Math and 

will be talking about synthesizers, Garage Band, and making 

vocal tracks for your chorus classroom. He has served as faculty 

at the Juilliard School, City College (N.Y.), Maine South High 

School, Ohlone College, the Amherst Early Music Festival, and 

many other organizations. Cygan completed his Bachelor’s of 

Music Education (Illinois), and Master’s in Music (Juilliard), and 

will complete his Doctor of Musical Arts at the Graduate Center 

(CUNY). He is a certified K – 12 teacher. 

Finally, if you have not checked out the NCMEA Podcast, you 

really should. This podcast takes on a diverse number of topics the 

organization is grappling with right now. You can find it on Apple, 

Spotify, and Anchor. I, and the Music Technology Committee, 

look forward to seeing you at conference this year. 

MOUNTAINEER 

Audition Required • Auditions in January and February 2023 

Save the Date for the 55th Cannon Music Camp • June 24–July 15, 2023 

PERSPECTIVE 

music.appstate.edu 


Band 

I 

hope your year is off to a great start. The beginning of the year 

is always a whirlwind, full of chaos and excitement! Rodney 

Workman said it best, “From the first month of beginner band 

to the six-day work weeks with marching band, music teachers do 

more work in the first semester than some of our colleagues do in 

an entire year!” 

This year is no exception, with everyone still feeling the effects 

from virtual teaching and quarantines. Bands across North 

Carolina are redefining what success looks like. This may be 

increasing numbers through increased recruiting efforts, refining 

ensemble skills after, or getting an entire marching band show on 

the field for the first time in two years. Whatever your goals, we 

need to refocus our efforts on growth and make sure to celebrate 

the small milestones! 

The planning for NCMEA’s conference has been underway 

since spring, with sessions planned to help you navigate this 

school year. We are excited to offer a diverse group of clinics from 

internationally renowned clinicians. There are clinics to help with 

recruitment, engagement, pedagogy, diversity, and ways to expand 

your programs. Several of the finest ensembles across the state 

and country will perform at every level from middle to collegiate/ 

community bands. We will also take time to honor several 

directors for induction into the NCBA Hall of Fame, each district’s 

Award of Excellence and elect new members to the NCBA board. 

Please make plans to attend so you can rejuvenate and socialize, all 

while sharpening your saw and redefining your success. 

Election 

Secretary 

Karen Williams Lanning serves as the 

band director for Swain High School in 

Bryson City. She is a 2002 graduate of 

Western Carolina University earning a 

Bachelor of Music Education as both a 

saxophone major and piano minor. During 

her tenure as director, Swain County band 

students have participated in: District, 

State and Honor Band Clinics, Solo and 

Ensemble, Asheville Youth Orchestra, All-American Army Band, 

Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall, International Tuba 

& Euphonium Conference, and NC Governor’s School for Music. 

Swain High ensembles participate annually in MPA events where 

Jamie Bream, Chair 

Swain High has received consistent superior ratings. Swain County 

concert and marching band students have performed in New York, 

Washington D.C. and Hawaii. 

Lanning is an active member of Women Band Directors 

International (WBDI) where she has served as scholarship 

chair, recording secretary and conference presenter. At the 

2013 Chicago Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Swain High 

School was awarded the Summa Cum Laude Award from WBDI, 

which recognizes outstanding achievements in music education, 

specifically within small high schools. She is also actively involved 

with the Western District Bandmasters having served as district 

chairperson. 

Within the Swain County School System, Lanning has served 

on the Arts Center advisory board, serves as certified mentor for 

beginning teachers, member of the Covey High School leadership 

team, and school improvement team chair for Swain High. She 

was named Swain County Schools Employee of the year in 2008 

and County Teacher of the Year in 2013 and 2022. She is currently 

enrolled in East Carolina University’s graduate program for 

music education and in the process of pursuing National Board 

Certification. 

President-Elect 

Chris White is the director of bands at 

Hickory Ridge High School, a post he has 

held since the school opened in 2007. In 

addition to conducting the Wind Ensemble, 

he oversees the entire music program at 

Hickory Ridge. He was the Hickory Ridge 

Teacher of the Year and a Cabarrus County 

Schools Top 5 Teacher of the Year finalist in 

2014. 

White is a National Board Certified teacher, and has served as 

department chair, mentor teacher, student teaching cooperating 

teacher, and a member of several school district committees. He 

has served the South Central District as former district chair, 

member of the board of directors, MPA site host, and the SCDBA 

representative to the NCBA MPA committee. He has been a guest 

conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for concert marching events 

throughout the U.S. and serves as a consultant with Youth Music of 

the World. Ensembles under his direction have performed across 

the United States and in China, England, and Italy. 

White became artistic director of the Piedmont Prime Time 

Community Band in January 2022. The ensemble is comprised of 

approximately 60 adult musicians from Concord, Kannapolis, and 

the surrounding Charlotte metropolitan area. He is a member of 

ASBDA, NAfME, NCMEA, NCBA, SCDBA, Phi Mu Alpha, and 

Omicron Delta Kappa. 

Eddie Deaton currently holds the 

position of director of bands at his alma 

mater, Walter Hines Page High School 

in Greensboro, a post he has held since 

August 2008. He directs the school’s concert 

bands, jazz band, percussion ensemble and 

marching band, as well as the pit orchestra 

for the annual spring musical. 

While at Page, Deaton’s band students 

have consistently earned spots in honor bands in central North 

Carolina and achieved multiple superior ratings at MPA events. 

His marching and jazz bands have performed at numerous 

community events in Greensboro, including parades, football 

games, professional conferences and corporate events. Prior to his 

appointment at Page, he was the band director at Jordan-Matthews 

High School, Chatham Middle School and Silk Hope School in 

Chatham County, from 2005 – 2008. 

Deaton previously served as the president of the Central 

District Bandmasters Association, a subdivision of the North 

Carolina Bandmasters Association that coordinates and runs 

honor band auditions, concert band festivals and other professional 

and student opportunities throughout the year. Previous to his 

election, he served for several years as an at-large member of the 

executive board of directors, and currently serves as the district’s 

high school auditions chair. He has been honored to receive the 

district’s “Band Director of the Year” award twice (2017 and 2021), 

as voted on by his peers. While at Page High School, Deaton has 

been the recipient of the schools Teacher of the Year Award (2016 – 

17) as well as the Page Spirit Award (2015 – 16), given annually to 

the faculty member that best exemplifies dedication to promoting 

a positive school culture at Page High School. He serves on, and 

chairs, the school’s leadership team, a post he has held for eight 

years over the past decade. 

A native of Greensboro, Deaton grew up as a musician in 

the bands at Mendenhall Middle School and Walter Hines Page 

High School, under the direction of Keith Burroughs and Edwin 

Kimbrough. He holds a Bachelor of Music (with distinction) in 

music education with a second major in United States history from 

UNC Chapel Hill, where he regularly performed as a member 

of the university’s Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony 

Orchestra, Marching Band and in the Crown Royals Brass 

Quintet. He studied horn performance with Pamela Halverson 

and Kimberly Van Pelt, as well as conducting with professors Tonu 

Kalam and Michael Votta. Deaton also received a Master of Arts 

in teaching from UNC Chapel Hill, during which time he interned 

with Steven Lytle at East Chapel Hill High School. 

Band Delegate 

Laura Burrell graduated in spring of 2015 with a double 

Bachelor of Music in music education and flute performance from 

Appalachian State University. After graduating, she served as the 

middle school band director at Hilburn Academy in Raleigh. In 

January 2021, Burrell became the band director at Davis Drive 

Middle School in Cary. She is also currently working on her 

Master’s through the American Band College. She is passionate 

about beginning pedagogy and advocating for the importance of 

music education in our schools. Outside of band, she enjoys being 

outside, reading, and spending time with friends and family. She 

resides in Raleigh with her husband, Bryan, and their chocolate lab, 

Mia. 

Steven Kelly is currently in his eighth year as band director 

at Gray’s Creek Middle School and 20 th year of teaching overall. 

He has previously taught in Bladen County, Caswell County, 

and Fairfax County, Vir. He attended UNC Pembroke as a North 

Carolina Teaching Fellow and graduated with a Bachelor of Music 

in 2001. While at UNC Pembroke, he performed with the concert 

band, pep band, and brass quintet. 

Kelly has served as winds arranger for numerous high school 

marching bands in North Carolina and Virginia over the last 20 

years including Apex High School, Apex Friendship High School, 

George Washington High School (VA), and Jack Britt High 

School. He currently serves as the middle school band team lead 

in Cumberland County and the Cumberland County All-County 

Clinic chair. He also is the N.C. Southeastern District Bandmasters 

Association Middle School All-District Clinic chairman and the 

president-elect. 

Students from his program regularly audition for, and attend, 

County, District, and State Honor Band Clinics. He lives in Hope 

Mills with his dog, Helio. 

O’Shae Best is an avid music educator, musician, and 

conductor. He is currently in his ninth year as a music educator 

and serves as the director of bands at Crestdale Middle School in 

Matthews, where he serves in many leadership roles within the 

school community such as fine arts team leader. Along with these 

duties within Crestdale, he serves as the 9 – 10 All-State auditions 

chair for the N.C. Bandmasters Association (NCBA). He has been a 

guest clinician for schools in both North Carolina and Wisconsin, 

giving master classes on beginning band and beginning brass 

pedagogy. 

Best is also the assistant artistic director for the Charlotte 

Pride Band, a performing arts group dedicated to providing an 

open, inviting environment for musicians of all ability levels while 

promoting the value and respect of LGBTQIA+ people in the 

Charlotte metropolitan area through quality musical performances. 

Sessions 

Inherently Political: A Conversation Around 

Activism and Artivism in Concert Music 

In this session, Omar Thomas will discuss the activism that is at 

the core of a number of his works, and considerations that should 

be taken when composing and commissioning such music. 

Omar Thomas 

Born to Guyanese parents in Brooklyn, Thomas studied music 

education at James Madison University and received a Master of 

Music in jazz composition at the New England Conservatory. He 

studied under Ken Schaphorst, Frank Carlberg, and composer/ 

bandleader Maria Schneider. His music has been performed by 

such diverse groups as the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble, the San 


Francisco and Boston Gay Mens’ Choruses, 

and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. 

Hailed by Herbie Hancock as showing “great 

promise,” Thomas has also created music 

in the contemporary jazz ensemble idiom. 

His first album, I AM, debuted at #1 on 

iTunes Jazz Charts and peaked at #13 on the 

Billboard Traditional Jazz Albums Chart. 

His second release, We Will Know: An LGBT 

Civil Rights Piece in Four Movements, earned him a 2014 Lavender 

Rhino Award by The History Project, acknowledging his work as 

an activist in the Boston LGBTQ community. He has served on the 

faculties of Berklee College of Music and The Peabody Institute 

of Johns Hopkins University. He is currently assistant professor of 

composition at The University of Texas at Austin. 

Warm-up and Ensemble Development Exercises 

that Work! 

This session offers specific exercises you can use to develop 

ensemble performance. These focused warm-ups isolate and target 

improvement in the areas of balance, blend, intonation, rhythm, 

rhythmic subdivision, listening, articulation, dynamics and 

virtually every aspect of large ensemble playing. Useful for band 

and orchestra directors of any grade level. 

Peter Loel Boonshaft 

Peter Loel Boonshaft has been invited 

to speak and conduct in every state in the 

nation and around the world. Honored 

by NAfME and Music For All as the first 

recipient of the “George M. Parks Award 

for Leadership in Music Education,” 

Boonshaft is director of education for Jupiter 

Band Instruments. He is the author of the 

critically acclaimed best-selling books Teaching 

Music with Passion, Teaching Music with 

Purpose, and Teaching Music with Promise. He is also co-author of 

Alfred Music’s method book series Sound Innovations. As well, his 

weekly “Boonshaft’s Blog” for music educators continues to inspire 

teachers everywhere. 

Habits of a Significant Band Director- Sponsored 

by GIA 

The Habits Synergy Model focuses on how knowledge, 

communication, experience, heart energy, physical energy, 

musicianship and effectiveness create synergy to produce a 

successful music educator. Scott Rush explores how musical and 

personal significance lasts for generations as we address the social, 

emotional, and musical needs of our students and teachers. 

Creating Habits of Success in the Young Band- 

Sponsored by GIA 

A strong pedagogical and musical foundation is crucial to the 

artistic development of young bands. Scott Rush will address the 

first days of instruction, transitioning to the “small instrument,” 

basic solfege instruction, rhythm vocabulary, first-time challenges, 

developmentally appropriate musical teaching strategies, 

fundamentals time and necessary supplemental materials. 

Participants will also discover new ways to effectively use multiple 

technologies as we “Redefine Success” in the full-ensemble setting 

to develop comprehensive musicianship in every student. We will 

conclude with discussions on acceptance, significance, and culture. 

Scott Rush 

Scott Rush is the team lead for the 

Habits series (GIA Publications, Inc.) 

and is the former director of bands at 

Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, 

S.C. He is a graduate of the New England 

Conservatory of Music and the University 

of South Carolina. He currently serves 

as co-conductor of the Charleston Wind 

Symphony. Under his direction, the Wando 

Symphonic Band performed at the 2007 Midwest International 

Band and Orchestra Clinic and were recipients of the 2007 Sudler 

Flag of Honor administered by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. 

His marching bands were two-time BOA Grand National finalists. 

Everyday Teaching Activities to Improve your 

Conducting- Sponsored by NBA 

features lab band ECU Symphonic Wind Ensemble 

Most teachers believe improving their conducting would 

improve their teaching, but often despair over how to achieve such 

improvement in the limited minutes available to the busy teacher. 

This three-part clinic is based on the belief that every teacher can 

teach themselves to conduct better by strategically utilizing the 

activities routine to each workday. Session one shows how teachers 

can use the warm-up routines that they already do to improve their 

conducting communication, especially as it pertains to influencing 

the tone of musicians. It stems from my belief that simply using the 

time we already spend with musicians in a more strategic way can 

improve the teacher as well as the students. Session two focuses 

on how we influence time as a conductor. Most of us already have 

great success in teaching time through groups that don’t require 

conducting. This session aims to point out how teachers can use 

skills that they already possess to improve their skills when trying 

to teach/conduct rhythm and time in the conducted rehearsal. 

Session three focuses on how strategic score study can build and 

focus how we listen in rehearsal. It is built on the belief that score 

study can be done strategically in short amounts of time that fit 

within a teacher’s schedule. 

Tim Robblee 

Tim Robblee is the director of bands 

and associate professor of conducting at 

Shenandoah Conservatory, where he guides 

all aspects of the wind band program, 

teaches conducting, and conducts the 

Wind Ensemble and EDGE Ensemble. 

Prior to this, he was associate director of 

bands at Northwestern University and 

also music director and conductor of the 

Contemporary Music Ensemble. He has also served as director of 

bands at Washington State University in Pullman, and Willamette 

University in Salem, Ore. He holds a Ph.D. in wind band 

conducting and music education from the University of Minnesota, 

an MM in conducting from Northwestern University, and a BA in 

music education from Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash. 

Developing Ensemble Skills through Ensemble 

Games 

features lab band Hickory Ridge High School Wind Ensemble 

This practical rehearsal clinic will focus on fostering artistic 

curiosity through ensemble “games.” We will explore ways to 

develop ensemble skills throughout the rehearsal that not only 

encourage deeper student engagement, but also maximize 

inspirational opportunities. Games will focus on music 

fundamentals such as listening, pulse, articulations, and intonation. 

The clinic will be divided into three parts. The first part will 

demonstrate ways to incorporate games into the warm-up routine, 

and focus on ensemble pulse, intonation, and articulations. The 

second part will explore practical ways to engage students in 

the rehearsal process using games that focus more on listening 

and alignment. The third part will discuss how to implement 

these games into the overall curriculum. By the end of the clinic, 

attendees will have new tools to add to their rehearsal toolkit they 

can immediately incorporate into their rehearsals that will engage 

their students in a different and deeper way. 

Dr. Margaret Underwood 

Dr. Margaret Underwood is director of 

bands and associate professor of music at 

Western Carolina University where she 

conducts the Wind Ensemble, guides all 

aspects of the wind bands, and teaches 

courses in music education. In addition 

to her presentations at numerous state 

conferences, she has also presented her 

research at the College Band Directors 

National Association regional and 

national conferences, the World Association of Symphonic Bands 

and Ensembles International Conference, the US Navy Band 

International Saxophone Symposium, and the International Society 

for Research and Promotion of Wind Music. Her research on 

Robert Kurka’s The Good Soldier Schweik Suite is published in The 

Journal of World Association of Band and Symphonic Ensembles. 

Diversifying Your Concert Program – Band New 

Music Reading Session 

Representation matters! It is imperative our students see 

themselves represented in the music we study and perform in 

our classrooms. This session will explore up to twenty new and 

diverse works for concert band (Grades 1 – 5) which are written 

by underrepresented composers, including those who identify as 

women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+. Our intent is to expose band 

directors to quality new works by wind band composers who are 

not regularly programmed in efforts to help educators diversify 

their concert programs. This session will introduce attendees 

to several wonderful pieces and composers, and also provide 

resources for further research on diverse and talented composers 

who are writing music today. All attendees are welcome to sit and 

play in the ensemble. Bring your band instrument and come learn 

about some amazing new works for concert band! 

Carolina Perez 

Carolina Perez is an instructor of music at the North Carolina 

School of Science and Mathematics, where she teaches Wind 

Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and music theory. 

Carolina Perez, Brian Myers and Page Newsome 

Brian Myers 

Brian Myers is the current president of the East Central District 

Bandmasters Association. He has served as the director of bands at 

Green Level High School since the school opened in 2019. 

Page Newsome 

Page Newsome has served as director of bands at Middle Creek 

High School since 2020, and earned the NCECDBA Band Director 

of the Year Award in 2021 

Musical Nourishment: Designing Your Daily 

Instructional Menu 

Middle School Band is where students begin the foundational 

development that supports their musical journey. This session 

will focus on the ways we organize our instructional time – 

are we stuck in a rigid and linear approach or do we foster an 

environment that encourages flexibility with a three-dimensional 

array of choices? Attendees will have the opportunity to re-imagine 

ways to allow for creativity within the structure of each class for 

optimal musical nourishment. 

Dominic Talanca, Kathy Johnson and Asa Burk 

Dominic Talanca 

Dominic Talanca is director of bands and associate professor of 

music at UNC Wilmington. 

Kathy Johnson 

Kathy Johnson, adjunct professor of woodwind and brass 

techniques at the University of North Texas, has led a distinguished 

career of 40 years teaching music education in Texas. 

Asa Burk 

Asa Burk is recently retired from a 30-year career where he 

taught in middle and high schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. 

Culture Building: Redefining Success through 

Excellence and Community 

Among the many losses we have endured as a result of 

COVID-19 is the loss of community and the erosion of the culture 

of our program. Students and directors have felt this loss deeply. 

As we continue emerging from the pandemic, it is time to focus on 


e-imagining, redefining, and rebuilding our culture. The culture 

of any group deeply affects its members and impacts its success. 

The culture pervades all aspects of the program. It determines how 

people interact with one another, how problems are solved, and 

how everyone works toward goals. In music ensembles, cultures are 

particularly important. Negative energy, low standards, apathy, and 

drama severely limit potential and success, as well as enjoyment. 

Directors must be very intentional and persistent to cultivate a 

positive atmosphere and culture – something that has never been 

more important than now. Over the years, I’ve learned building 

a great culture begins with a few fundamentals and principles 

that attendees can implement immediately to restore a sense of 

community and create a culture of excellence. 

Dr. David Montgomery 

Dr. David Montgomery is associate 

professor of instrumental music education at 

Baylor University where he teaches courses 

in band music education and observes 

student teachers. Prior to Baylor, he was 

associate director of bands and director 

of the Bronco Marching Band at Western 

Michigan University for 14 years, and taught 

high school band in North Carolina. He is 

published in The Instrumentalist, The National Band Association 

Journal, Texas Bandmasters Review, The Southwestern Musician, 

and The Journal of Band Research and has given numerous 

presentations at music conferences across the south and midwest, 

including College Band Directors National Association and the 

Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. Additionally, he served as 

state chairperson of the Michigan chapter of the National Band 

Association. He is the founder and director of Serviam Leadership 

Academy, a high school marching band leadership camp. 

middle and high school bands as well as serving as director of the 

Duke University Wind Symphony. 

Success in the First Few Years – 

a Conversation 

This session will focus on how beginning and young teachers 

can define and experience success in their band programs. 

Attendees will have opportunities to write down goals and work 

them from the goal backward to the teaching and then the 

planning stages. Ideas will be shared for defining success and 

how to achieve it through building a band program and from the 

daily teaching strategies and skills needed to have bands playing 

at a high caliber. Question and answer format will be used in the 

session via technology. This session will be a great chance for 

young teachers to develop a repertoire of teaching skills to try out 

in the classroom and to develop specific goals tailored for their 

band rooms. 

Katie Ebert 

Katie Ebert is the director of bands at 

Cuthbertson Middle School in Waxhaw, 

having served in this capacity since the 

school’s opening in 2009. The Cuthbertson 

Middle School concert bands have 

consistently earned superior ratings at 

local, district and regional music festivals. 

Under her baton, the middle school 

program has grown to a current enrollment 

of approximately 220 music students. Ebert also serves as the 

assistant director of bands at Cuthbertson High School. She holds a 

Bachelor of Music Education and a Bachelor of Music Performance 

from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga., and a 

Master of Music Education from Western Carolina University. 

has presented trumpet and brass clinics at Mars Hill University, 

Charleston Southern University, The University of Kentucky, and 

UNC Greensboro. He is also the inventor and US patent holder for 

Voca, the flat folding trumpet mute. 

Help! How Can I Organize my Band Program? 

In this session you’ll learn strategies, tips, and tricks for 

organizing your school band program in one digital swag bag. 

Every participant will leave with information they can take 

back to their program and potentially with administrative tasks, 

recruitment, advocacy, finances and much more! 

James Daugherty 

James G. Daugherty, a native of Ashe 

County, currently serves as the arts 

education and digital learning specialist for 

Davidson County Schools and is the director 

of Cannon Music Camp at Appalachian 

State University. Prior to these appointments 

in 2015, he served for twenty-one years 

as band director and instructor of music 

theory at Central Davidson High School 

in Lexington, assisting daily with the band instruction at Central 

Davidson Middle School. In 2022, he completed his thirty-second 

summer on the faculty/staff of Cannon Music Camp, previously 

having served as the dean of men for twenty years. He holds a 

bachelor’s and master’s in music education from Appalachian State 

University with additional certification in education leadership/ 

school administration from High Point University. Daugherty 

currently serves as Southern Division president of NAfME, 

representing eleven state music education associations within the 

Division. 

Eight to Nine – Crossing the Threshold to High 

School Band! 

Eight to Nine provides strategies and resources for band 

directors in approaching students, parents and administrators 

about staying in band from middle school to high school and its 

importance for their education and lives. Clinicians Mark Norman, 

Tim Heath and Philip Riggs will present multiple strategies in how 

to inspire students to continue their band involvement; inform 

parents how high school band has many benefits for their child and 

their family; and gives concrete evidence to school counselors and 

administrators to why advising a student to stay in band can be 

valuable to the student’s academic career and social development. 

This session will present data demonstrating the state of retention 

from middle to high school band students in N.C. and address 

solutions in keeping our students making music through all grades! 

Mark A. Norman, 

Phillip Riggs, & 

Dr. Tim Heath 

Mark A. Norman 

is the music director 

of the Piedmont 

Wind Symphony and 

has enjoyed a career 

spanning over thirty-five 

Mark A. Norman, Phillip Riggs 

Contour Through Chorales: a Tangible Guide 

to Shaping Phrases and Ensemble Training for 

High School Band 

features lab band Millbrook High School Wind Ensemble 

After virtual learning during the pandemic, our ensembles 

have lacked ensemble experience and training. This session will 

demonstrate use of chorales as a tangible method to teach and 

reinforce ensemble performance, as well as a means to create 

musical contour within your ensembles. Chorales are essential 

tools to heighten students’ awareness of tone, pitch, balance, 

volume control, and envelope of sound. Chorales are excellent tools 

to teach our ensembles how to create phrasal contour through 

variation in volume and tempo, and responding to the conductor’s 

musical interpretation. 

Tom Jenner 

Tom Jenner is a recently retired North 

Carolina school band director. Most of his 

career was spent at Millbrook and William 

G. Enloe High Schools in Wake County. At 

those schools he directed the concert band, 

symphonic band, wind ensemble, jazz band, 

and marching band. He began teaching 

in 1986 and is a National Board Certified 

Teacher with extensive experience working with 

Playing to Win: Game Theory and Beginner 

Band 

This session is designed to help band directors by offering a 

broad introduction to game theory, and how to use those ideas 

as a lens to create better engagement for beginner musicians. 

Game theory is a developing area of study used to analyze how 

individuals interact with systems. This field has yielded remarkable 

results in the development of the internet, and related technologies. 

These ideas are now being used to improve instruction in many 

areas of education. In this session, the presenters will apply game 

theory concepts to the beginner method book and first year. 

Andrew Washburn, Ben Jones, R. Cole Hairstoin & 

Kevin Clary 

Andrew Washburn is the director of 

bands at Kings Mountain High School, in 

Kings Mountain, N.C. Under his direction, 

the KMHS Blazer Band was one four bands 

from across the country to participate in the 

2018 President’s Cup, an annual invitational 

concert band competition sponsored by the 

US Army Band (Pershing’s Own). 

Washburn was recently honored to be 

accepted as a member of ASBDA. He is a regular clinician, 

composer, and arranger for bands throughout the Carolinas. He 

Audition Dates for 2022–23 

December 3, 2022 

January 28, 2023 

February 11, 2023 

February 25, 2023* 

April 8, 2023 (virtual) 

*priority deadline for scholarship/assistantship consideration 

Degree Programs 

Bachelor of Arts 

Bachelor of Music 

Music Minor 

Master of Music 

Doctor of Musical Arts 

Doctor of Philosophy 

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate 

Post-Masters Certificate 


years as a conductor and tuba performer. 

Phillip Riggs, 2016 Grammy Music Educator of the Year, 

retired after teaching more than 30 years in North Carolina. He is 

a music instructor emeritus at the NC School of Science and Math, 

Durham. 

Dr. Tim Heath is currently the director of athletic bands and 

assistant teaching professor of music at Wake Forest University in 

Winston-Salem. 

Beginning Band Pacing: When the Shine Wears 

Off the Penny 

This session will explore beginning band pacing with a focus 

on how to keep students engaged after the initial excitement 

of starting band may have worn off. Topics include diverse 

student progress reports, systematic warm ups, scale builders, 

sight-reading, rehearsal techniques and literature selections for 

beginning bands. 

Chris Ferguson 

Chris Ferguson is the band director at the 

Braxton Craven School in Trinity, N.C. and 

has taught instrumental music education 

for over 20 years. He has been named both 

“Teacher of the Year” and “Distinguished 

Educator of the Year” by his colleagues in 

addition to achieving his National Board 

Certification. He often appears as a guest 

clinician and has conducted bands at the 

UNC Greensboro Summer Music Camp 

for many years. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University 

(B.M.) and the UNC School of the Arts (M.M.), where he studied 

with Jim Miller of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

Do You Hear What I Hear? Lessons Learned 

from Master Musicians 

As much as we are all teachers, we are, first and foremost, 

students – called to pass on what we learn to each other. In this 

session, Jeff King shares the lessons learned from other master 

musicians on his 36-year quest to develop exercises for superior 

tone, flexibility, range, articulation, dynamics, technique, listening 

skills, and more. Application of these exercises takes place during 

the “daily drill”— that time between the first note of rehearsal to 

the working of literature—where students warm-up both physically 

and mentally, and where new concepts and skills are introduced 

and reinforced. What makes this time genuinely effective is 

thoughtful application to the repertoire being studied. This leads 

to better music-making in every performance setting, regardless of 

students’ experience or ability. 

Jeff King 

Jeff King is a Texas music educator, 

conductor, author, and clinician with 

over 35 years of experience covering all 

levels and disciplines. Prior to his current 

position as a member of The University 

of Texas at Arlington music faculty, he 

served as the director of fine arts for the 

Irving Independent School District, where 

he oversaw all aspects of the district’s fine 

arts programs. The majority of his teaching career was spent in 

Duncanville ISD, culminating as director of bands. 

Practicing with Purpose: What’s The Big IDEA? 

Practicing is not an inherent skill; it’s something that must be 

learned. The Big IDEA (Identify, Decide, Execute, and Analyze) is a 

method created to teach that skill and enhance musical knowledge. 

Using these steps, students become more successful in individual 

practice, classroom rehearsals, and performance. By implementing 

The Big IDEA students will: Identify a small section of a piece that 

needs work; Decide on an Obtainable Musical Goal; Execute that 

goal; and Analyze how they improved. In order for students to use 

The Big IDEA they must first acquire background knowledge on 

the main concepts of music (tone, intonation, rhythm, articulation, 

etc…). During the presentation teachers will participate in an 

interactive demonstration, explore a variety of practice strategies, 

and share ideas. 

Katie O’Hara LaBrie 

Katie O’Hara LaBrie is a composer, 

conductor, clinician, and cellist from 

Northern Virginia. An educator at heart, she 

spent the first 15 years of her career teaching 

orchestra in Fairfax County, Vir. She holds 

a Bachelor of Music in music education 

from St. Olaf College and Masters of Music 

in instrumental conducting from George 

Mason University. In 2022, she was honored as 

one of Yamaha’s “40 Under 40,” for her action, courage, creativity, 

and commitment to growth in the music education field. She is the 

founding conductor of the Fairfax Chamber Players, and co-creator 

of “the Big IDEA” practice method. 

Real Time Teaching Techniques – Beginning 

Band Edition 

features lab band Newport Middle School Sixth Grade Band 

In this session, Newport Middle School band director David 

Stroud, and his sixth grade band will have an open rehearsal to 

allow other educators to see beginning band teaching strategies 

and techniques in the classroom setting with students in their 

eighth week of instruction. Often when bands perform, educators 

do not have the opportunity to see how students attained their 

current level of achievement. This session will give insights 

on purposeful instruction that promotes excellence from the 

beginning. Techniques demonstrated in this session will include 

proper pacing, tone development, pitch matching, music literacy, 

and student engagement. 

David Stroud 

David Stroud, a native of Kinston, 

received his Bachelor of Music Education 

in 1998 from East Carolina University. He 

is the director of bands at Newport Middle 

School and has been there since the school 

opened in 2001. There, he had the honor of 

being selected as the 2003 – 2004 Newport 

Middle School Teacher of the Year. He is 

also a National Board Certified Teacher 

and a member of the prestigious American School Band Directors 

Association. 

Promoting Injury-Free Performance: Teaching 

Posture And Mindfulness From The Podium 

Musicians are small-muscle athletes who may experience 

injuries caused by poor posture and technique, muscle overuse, 

and through performing with excess tension. The Healthful Band 

Technique incorporates breathing, stretching and mindfulness to 

teach and reinforce relaxed, efficient posture and playing technique 

to prevent potential injuries. In this clinic, directors will learn 

quick physical warm-ups, mental focus exercises, and postural 

cues based on biomechanics. These techniques guide students 

to become aware of their physical and mental tendencies during 

performance. Students utilizing this practice perform smarter, 

more relaxed and avoid common playing injuries. Students 

perform better and feel better, both in and out of the band room. 

Robin Gorham 

Robin Gorham retired from Fuquay- 

Varina Middle School after a successful 

25-year career. Her ensembles earned 

superior and excellent ratings at concert 

band festivals while both her classroom and 

private students consistently earned seats in 

district- and state-level honor bands. After 

retiring from the classroom, she completed 

her 200-hour yoga teacher certification from the 

Asheville Yoga Center. She received additional training in Yoga for 

Athletes, Yoga for Teens, Anatomy for Musicians through Peabody 

Conservatory and Johns Hopkins University, as well as earning a 

certificate in Essentials of Performing Arts Medicine. Her Healthful 

Band Technique program incorporates the benefits of yoga into 

both concert and marching ensembles while boosting the general 

health and well-being of young musicians. 

Saxophone Tune-up: Techniques for Improving 

Your Saxophone Section 

Dr. Ben Still and Dr. Andrew Schoen address common sound 

and ergonomic issues that are experienced individually and 

collectively on the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. 

Educators commonly regard the saxophone as a particularly 

easy instrument on which to produce a sound, especially when 

compared to the other woodwind family members. However, 

there are still many cumbersome aspects to the saxophone’s overall 

sound concept and ergonomics that can be difficult to address in 

a large classroom setting and are vulnerable to the development 

of fundamental bad habits in the young saxophonist. This 

presentation will discuss required air support for tone production, 

equipment needs and recommendations, and technical studies for 

each of the four saxophone family members to address ergonomic 

concerns. 

Dr. Ben Still and Dr. Andrew Schoen 

Dr. Ben Still 

and Dr. Andrew 

Schoen 

Ben Still currently 

serves on the faculties 

at Lenoir-Rhyne 

University and UNC 

Charlotte, where 

he teaches applied 

saxophone, chamber music, and courses in musicianship. 

Andrew Schoen is an active performer, chamber musician, and 

educator based in San Antonio, Texas. He currently maintains a 

private studio of middle school, high school, and adult saxophone 

students. 

Successful Low Brass: An Essential Foundation 

for Successful Bands 

The North Carolina Tuba Consortium (a quartet of tubaeuphonium 

instructors from four North Carolina universities) 

presents best practices in low brass pedagogy while also 

performing some example literature for tuba-euphonium 

ensembles. The session focus is on promoting the fundamentals 

of teaching and performing techniques for tuba and euphonium 

that middle and high school teachers can use in their band 

rooms. They will also share example literature, exercises, and 

transcriptions appropriate for a range of age and experience levels. 

Beginning by emphasizing fundamentals, (e.g. buzzing, breathing, 

and posture) session topics will also include ways to range 

extension, tone quality, and clarifying articulation. They will make 

recommendations about instruments, mouthpieces, and other 

equipment to promote musical growth and successful low-brass 

players. 

Dr. Daniel Johnson, Dr. Joanna Hersey, Joseph 

Skillen and Donald Palmire 

Daniel Johnson, Joanna Hersey, Joseph Skillen & Donald Palmire 

Daniel Johnson is professor of tuba, euphonium and music 

education at UNC Wilmington. 

Joanna Ross Hersey serves as associate dean of student success 

and curriculum, for the college of arts and sciences at UNC 

Pembroke. 

Joseph Skillen is the chair of the music department at UNC 

Charlotte and professor of tuba and euphonium. 

Donald Palmire recently began his appointment at East 

Carolina University as the teaching instructor of euphonium. 

Bassoon 101: Tips and Suggestions for Band 

Directors 

An interactive discussion and demonstration for band directors 

of some best practices, tips, and suggestions for band bassoonists. 

Burns has compiled a list of topics of most interest to aid students 

and band directors. Topics include: embouchure, posture and 

hand position, intonation, technique, response issues (and possible 

solutions), and starting or switching to be a bassoon player. 

Michael Burns 

Michael Burns is professor of bassoon at UNC Greensboro 

and is a Moosmann Bassoon Artist. He plays principal with 

the Asheville Symphony and North Carolina Opera and is a 


frequent performer with the Charlotte, North 

Carolina and Greensboro Symphonies. 

In the summers, he is faculty of the Clazz 

International Music Festival in Tuscany, 

Italy. An avid and enthusiastic teacher, he is 

also active as a solo and chamber musician 

in the EastWind and Blue Mountain 

Ensembles, performing recitals and 

master classes throughout North America, 

Germany, China, Italy, and the South Pacific. Burns has an 

extensive discography and is an active composer with many pieces 

published by TrevCo Music and others. He is archivist for the IDRS 

and was co-host for the IDRS 2003 Conference in Greensboro. 

Best Practices for Teaching the Beginning or 

Developing Horn Player 

This session on horn pedagogy will focus on the best practices 

for teaching horn that are essential to successful development. 

Benjamin Lieser 

Benjamin Lieser is the horn professor 

in the school of performing arts at the 

University of Central Florida. He is 

currently principal horn of the Brevard 

Symphony Orchestra (Melbourne, Fla.), and 

second horn of the Bach Festival Society 

Orchestra. He has performed with the 

Walt Disney World Orchestra, the Florida 

Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony, the 

Cincinnati Opera, the Orlando Philharmonic and the Tallahassee 

Symphony Orchestra. He is the Florida area representative for the 

International Horn Society and hosts the annual Florida French 

Horn Festival. 

Middle and High School Percussion Ensemble 


Members of the North Carolina Chapter of the Percussive 

Arts Society will perform and discuss percussion ensemble music 

appropriate for middle and high school students. With a focus 

on unconducted small groups, a variety of styles, techniques, and 

instruments will be covered. 

Joseph Van Hassel 

Joseph Van Hassel is a North Carolinabased 

percussionist specializing in 

orchestral and chamber music. An active 

educator, he is on the percussion faculty at 

the UNC Pembroke, and previously taught 

at Ohio University and Blue Lake Fine Arts 

Camp. He is a member of the Percussive 

Arts Society’s new music/research 

committee, and co-owner of Media Press 

Music. He earned degrees from the Hartt School, the Cincinnati 

College-Conservatory of Music, and Ohio University. He also spent 

time studying music and dance in Ghana, West Africa. He endorses 

Yamaha Percussion, Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, 

Black Swamp Percussion Products, Sabian Cymbals, and Remo 

Drumheads. 

Concerts 

Hickory Ridge High School Wind Ensemble 

Since opening in 2007, the Hickory Ridge High School band 

program has grown to include three concert ensembles, jazz 

ensemble, marching band, several chamber ensembles, musical 

pit orchestra, winter guard, and winter percussion. The wind 

ensemble, comprised of students in grades 9 – 12, is the premier 

performing ensemble at Hickory Ridge and has earned consistent 

superior ratings in grade VI/MW over the past 15 years. The 

ensemble has performed for concert festivals in New Orleans, 

New York City, Washington, D.C., and Orlando. In 2018, the wind 

ensemble participated in a 10-day performance tour of China at the 

invitation of the US-China Cultural and Educational Foundation. 

They will travel to Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague in the spring of 

2023 to present a series of concerts and performances in each city. 

Chris White 

Chris White has been director of bands 

at Hickory Ridge High School since the 

school opened in 2007. He is a National 

Board Certified teacher, and has served as 

department chair, mentor teacher, student 

teaching cooperating teacher, and a member 

of several school district committees. He has 

served the South Central District as former 

district chair, member of the board of directors, 

MPA site host, and the SCDBA representative 

to the NCBA MPA committee. He has been a guest conductor, 

clinician, and adjudicator for concert marching events throughout 

the U.S. and serves as a consultant with Youth Music of the World. 

Ensembles under his direction have performed across the United 

States and in China, England, and Italy. 

Piedmont Wind Symphony 

Founded in 1989, the Piedmont Wind Symphony consists of the 

finest professional musicians in the Piedmont Triad area. Known 

for their energetic and innovative programming, PWS consistently 

brings headlining performers to its audiences such as Ben 

Folds, Aaron Neville, The Capitol Bones, Demondrae Thurman, 

and Arturo Sandovol. Thousands of concertgoers enjoy PWS 

performances and its Piedmont Pops concerts each year. Serving as 

a leading ambassador for N.C. bands, PWS frequently works with 

today’s composers and music educators in producing recordings 

and providing inspiration to band participants of all ages. To 

learn more about Piedmont Wind Symphony and its upcoming 

performances and events, visit www.piedmontwindsymphony.com. 

Mark A. Norman 

Mark A. Norman is the music director 

of the Piedmont Wind Symphony and 

has enjoyed a career spanning over 35 

years as a conductor and tuba performer. 

During his tenure with PWS, he has led the 

professional ensemble in critically acclaimed 

performances and in producing recordings 

including new works by Brian Balmages, 

John Mackey, and Randall Standridge. He 

serves as the director of instrumental ensembles at UNC School of 

the Arts where he conducts the wind ensemble, chamber winds, 

Music at Charlotte 

UPTOWN PERFORMANCES EXCITING GUEST ARTISTS 

Charlie Parker at The Jazz Room Composer/Performer Pamela Z 

Backstage at the Eagles concert 

@clt_coaa 

BOLD IDEAS. 

BIG CITY. 

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS 

Carlisle Floyd’s opera, Susannah 

Holocaust Remembrance Day Concert 

At UNC Charlotte, studies go beyond the 

university and into Charlotte's creative community. 

With bold ideas and broad connections, our talented 

faculty, students, and alumni are shaping the civic 

imagination of this fast-growing city. 

Renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis 

music.charlotte.edu 


and serves as the resident conductor for the orchestra. He also 

teaches courses in conducting and music entrepreneurship and 

leads the graduate conducting program at UNCSA. He is a former 

member of several orchestras and was a tuba instrumentalist with 

the U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C. 

Hoke County High School Wind Ensemble 

The Hoke County Wind Ensemble was spearheaded by director 

of band DeVon Pickett. The ensemble is comprised of the top 

students in the band program and averages around 40 participants. 

It started out with after school rehearsal once a week and grew 

to an honors class after the curriculum was written by Pickett 

and approved by the district. Over the last three years, the wind 

ensemble has strived to reach new heights in the band program, 

traveling to almost every major university within North Carolina, 

and performing as the opening act as well as traveling throughout 

the east coast gaining performance experiences. 

DeVon Pickett 

DeVon Pickett, a 2011 Fayetteville State 

University graduate, officially fell in love with 

music during the beginning of his collegiate 

years. Although general music was not his 

first declared major, it would become the 

focus of his career. After changing his major 

from biology to music, he knew that he made 

the right choice. 

Pickett began as a middle school band 

director in 2012 in Hoke County at East Hoke Middle School. In 

2013, he was transferred to the new Sandy Grove Middle School, 

where he built a rich program from the ground up within two 

years. His students exhibited high measurements of achievement 

and helped coin what is now the annual middle school battle of 

the bands. In 2015, he was promoted from the SGMS director 

of bands/Mighty Marching Bucks percussion instructor to the 

director of bands at Hoke County High School. Under Mr. Pickett’s 

direction, The Hoke County High School Band program has won 

several accolades to soar the program to new heights. 

East Carolina University Symphonic Wind 

Ensemble 

The East Carolina University Symphonic Wind Ensemble is 

the premiere wind band at ECU. It is comprised of the strongest 

undergraduate and graduate wind, brass and percussion 

performers in the ECU School of Music. This ensemble has 

performed throughout the state and region, including at the 

Southern Division Conference of the College Band Directors 

National Association and the NCMEA Conference. 

William Staub 

William Staub has been a member of 

the faculty at East Carolina University since 

2012. He serves as the director of bands; his 

duties include oversight of the ECU Band 

program, directing the ECU Symphonic 

Wind Ensemble, teaching sections of 

undergraduate and graduate conducting, 

and teaching music education classes. He 

also currently serves as conductor for both the 

gold band at the ECU Summer Band Camp and the Symphonic 

Band at the New England Music Camp in Sidney, Maine. 

Hanes Magnet School 

Hanes Magnet Middle School is one of WS/FCS’s magnet 

schools that specializes in both STEM and gifted education. Their 

diverse student body comes from the far stretches of Forsyth 

County as well as our neighborhood in downtown Winston- 

Salem. The Hanes Band program is divided into three grade level 

ensembles and an after school jazz ensemble, The Jazzin’ Dragons. 

About 300 students are in the band at Hanes on a yearly basis. 

Students have band every other day in 6 th and 7 th grade for 45 

minutes, and have band everyday in 8 th grade for 45 minutes. The 

8 th Grade Band has earned superior ratings at the NW District 

MPA in both grade III and IV since 2014, while under the 

direction of Mrs. Choat. Students in the Hanes Band consistently 

earn placements in district and state level honors concert and jazz 

ensembles on a yearly basis. This will be the second appearance of 

the Hanes Band at the NCMEA Conference. 

Mary Kathryn Bowman Choat 

Mary Kathryn Bowman Choat is 

in her eleventh year as the director of 

bands at Hanes Magnet Middle School 

in Winston-Salem. She received her BM 

Education degree from Appalachian State 

University and her MM degree in trombone 

performance from the University of 

Texas. She has received numerous awards 

throughout her years at Hanes including the 

American School Band Directors Association 

(ASBDA) Encore Award in 2016 and “Band Director of the Year” 

for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in 2017. She frequently 

serves as a guest clinician for honors ensembles throughout the 

state. Additionally, she performs regularly throughout N.C. and is 

a member of the Piedmont Wind Symphony and Camel City Jazz 

Orchestra. 

Millbrook Wind Ensemble 

The Millbrook Wind Ensemble is the premier instrumental 

performance ensemble at Millbrook High School in Raleigh. 

Consisting of 50 students, this audition-only ensemble meets daily 

on a block schedule for the duration of the school year. For the past 

ten years, the Wind Ensemble has earned only superior ratings at 

the Central and East Central District MPA, all while performing 

high quality, challenging wind band literature. In addition to 

performing this fall at the NCMEA Professional Development 

Conference, the Millbrook Wind Ensemble will be a featured 

performer at the 2023 President’s Cup in Washington, D.C. 

Avery Payne 

Avery Payne is entering his seventh 

year of teaching and his fifth year as the 

director of bands at Millbrook High School 

in Raleigh, where he guides all aspects of 

the band program. A 2016 graduate of the 

University of South Carolina, he served as 

the director of bands and orchestra at North 

Forsyth High School for two years prior to 

leading the Millbrook Band Program. He is a 

member of NAfME, NCMEA, the North Carolina Bandmasters 

Association, and of Kappa Kappa Psi. He has served as a district 

representative on the NCBA marching band committee since 2019 

and is chair elect of the Central NC Region Jazz Section. 

United States Air Force Heritage of America Band 

For nearly 80 years, the USAF Heritage of America Concert 

Band has entertained, educated and inspired millions. The band 

has performed at thousands of high-profile community outreach 

and military events, produced over 55 highly-acclaimed recordings 

and collaborated with many world-renowned artists. The band is 

often featured on television, radio and social media, conveying the 

Air Force core values of integrity, service and excellence. 

The Concert Band is comprised of 45 professional Airmen 

who captivate audiences by telling the Air Force story, and also 

performing numerous renditions of great symphonic classics, 

marches, Broadway hits, jazz standards, movie music and patriotic 

favorites. In addition to performing standard repertoire, the 

Band is also a champion of new music, embodying the spirit of 

innovation that is inherent in today’s Air Force. 

Through the universal language of music, they honor all 

who have nobly served in the United States Armed Forces past 

and present – both at home and around the world. They inspire 

Americans by displaying the highest level of professionalism, 

military precision, artistry and excellence. They recruit our nation’s 

best and brightest, spotlighting the vast opportunities available in 

the Armed Forces. Finally, they connect with audiences by building 

lasting community partnerships, instilling pride and patriotism in 

audiences, and demonstrating American values to the world. 

Captain Christina Muncey 

Captain Christina Muncey is a flight 

commander for the United States Air 

Force Band, Joint Base Anacostia Bolling, 

Washington, D.C. She serves as the Officerin-Charge 

of the Concert Band, the Airmen 

of Note, Productions, and Resources and 

Supply. She is responsible to the Band 

Commander for oversight of equipping and 

training a 184-member unit to accomplish 

more than 1,600 missions annually. 

Muncey commissioned from Officer Training School at 

Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., in April 2015. Prior 

to joining the Air Force, she served as director of instrumental 

music at Wheat Ridge High School in Colorado. 

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in wind conducting from 

the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, and two 

degrees from Colorado State University: a Master of Music with a 

concentration in orchestral conducting, and a Bachelor of Music in 

music education. 


Standard Course of 

Study Review Begins 

Fall 2022 

by Brandon Roeder, N.C. Department of Public Instruction 

You heard correctly – it is finally time for standards review 

in arts education, guidance, and world languages! Though 

we may be incredibly comfortable with the standards 

we’ve been teaching for over a decade, it is imperative the state 

standards are updated on a regular basis to ensure we are serving 

our students. How can you get involved? Read on for a description 

of the three-year review and revision cycle with entry points for 

educators of varying commitment levels. 

NC State Board Policy SCOS-012 (NCSCOS, Process for the 

Review, Revision, and Implementation of the NC Standard Course 

of Study) governs how standards are revised. It states that NCDPI 

will review the standards to ensure the NCSCOS consists of clear, 

relevant standards and objectives. The standards review, revision, 

and implementation process provides a comprehensive study of 

each content area organized by grade level, proficiency level, and/or 

course. To promote transparency and stakeholder engagement in 

every standards review, revision, and implementation, NCDPI will 

use a uniform and formalized system 

built on four guiding principles: 

implementation. The steps included in each phase are 

outlined below, with bold sections denoting where you can get 

involved. 

NC Standard Course of Study Review Phase 

The review stage will begin in the fall of 2022. The review 

process is designed to ensure clear, rigorous, and measurable 

standards that are easily understood by teachers, parents, and 

students, and are articulated K – 12 by grade, proficiency level, 

and/or course. Steps in this process include: 

• Collecting and reviewing feedback from stakeholders, 

including, but not limited to, educators, administrators, 

parents, community members, students, institutions of higher 

education, business/industry, education agencies in other 

states and/or national organizations for the specific content 

area. You can be a part of the process by filling out this survey! 

• Establishing and convening a data review committee to review 

current data on enrollment, stakeholder responses, and current 

standards. You can be a part of the process by applying for the 

data review committee. 

• The NCDPI team will also analyze contemporary and current 

research on standards in the content area being reviewed. 

NC Standard Course of Study Revision Phase 

If the data review committee recommends changes to the 

existing content standards and the state board of education 

approves revision, NCDPI will continue the revision process into 

the 2023 – 24 school year by: 

• Establishing and convening a Standards Writing Team. (Please 

note: an individual may not be on the data review committee 

and the standards writing team.) You can be a part of the 

process by applying for the standards writing team. 

• Sharing all drafts of standards with local districts, charter 

schools, and other stakeholders for review and input. You can 

be a part of the process by reviewing and giving input on the 

drafts. 

• Engaging the data review committee to compile feedback and 

share with the writing team. 

• Finally, the NCDPI team will submit the revised standards 

to the state board of education for their review and potential 

approval. 

NC Standard Course of Study Implementation Phase 

Once the state board of education approves the standards, 

NCDPI will support standards implementation in the 2024 – 25 

school year by: 

• Launching and disseminating a state-level standards 

implementation plan to local districts and charter schools. 

• Facilitating statewide training and support for educators on 

the revised standards. 

• Collecting data and evaluating the implementation of the 

revised standards. 

If you have any opinions on how the standards can be improved 

upon, get involved! Be on the lookout for an invitation to apply to 

the data review committee in the second semester of this school 

year or apply for the standards review committee when the time 

comes. 

If you are unable to make such a large commitment, be sure 

to engage with providing feedback in the surveys and on the draft 

standards. For more information about the standards revision 

process, visit the Office of Academic Standards webpage at: www. 

dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/academicstandards. 

There are so many ways to be involved – choose what 

fits you best! 

Welcoming our new 

• Feedback-Based: Formal 

collection of feedback from 

community, K – 16, and national 

stakeholders. 

• Research-Informed: NCDPI will 

review contemporary and current 

research on teaching and learning 

in arts education. 

• Improvement-Oriented: 

NCDPI will provide the state 

superintendent and state board 

of education an annual report 

summarizing feedback received 

from stakeholders about standards 

and implementation. 

Director of Bands, 

Dr. Cole Hairston 

Presenting at the fall conference: 

“Game Theory and Interactions 

with the Band” 

Auditions and information: 

brevard.edu/music 

• Process-Driven: The system 

process includes three 

phases: review, revision, and 


Middle School Choral 

Carla Reid, Chair 

I 

hope your school year has gotten off to a great start! 

Hopefully, most of us have started our school year in a 

normal manner for the first time since the pandemic began. 

Normal brings a lot of wonderful things, but it also means the 

added stress of all of the student activities that have been gone for 

a couple years. It means more after school commitments, more 

concerts, etc. and that can feel a little overwhelming. I have good 

news! Conference is just around the corner! It’s a time to come 

together with our colleagues to renew our spirits and feel inspired 

to go back to our classrooms refreshed with new information that 

will benefit our amazing students. 

This is the first conference since 2019 that will be fully back 

to the traditional conference format. The N.C. Middle School 

Honor’s Chorus is back this year and there will be no COVID 

restrictions on conference attendees this year. Yay! As always, 

there are middle and high school choral sessions throughout 

conference. Roman Brady, the High School Choral chair, and I 

planned our conference schedules together in an effort to make 

sure both tracks have crossover options for everyone. If the 

middle school session scheduled at a particular time isn’t one 

you’re interested in, please check out the high school session at 

the same time. 

We will kick off the weekend with the Middle School Honors 

Chorus, conducted by Ryan Main. I am sure he will provide a 

positive, energetic, and rewarding experience for our young 

singers. He will also present Pick Up The Pace: Strategies for 

More Fun, More Focus, and Less Management in the Choral 

Classroom. The session will focus on classroom/rehearsal pacing 

and management (Please make sure you note the location for 

Honors Chorus rehearsals again this year. We will be back in 

Benton Convention Center in the Winston Ballroom 2.) 

Over the course of the weekend, you will be able to attend 

sessions on procedures and planning specifically for middle 

school chorus classes, sessions on collaborative artistry and 

programming, using movement to energize a choral rehearsal, 

choral blending, building community within your program, 

and singer spacing and formation. There will also be three 

reading sessions: one designed specifically for middle school 

singers, one targeted for successful rehearsing and the third 

one is a reading session on SATB music that could be used in 

the middle school choral program. The schedule is packed with 

opportunities for you to learn and grow into the best teacher you 

can be! 

We are going to try a different format for getting information 

to new teachers this year by having breakout sessions following 

the Middle School Choral General Meeting. After taking a trip 

through the exhibits, head on over to the Stevens Center for the 

middle and high school choral concerts. The two middle school 

choirs selected this year are Enka Middle School conducted by 

Amy Almquist and Harris Road Middle School conducted by 

Rachel Juliano. 

In closing, this is my last journal article as Middle School 

Choral chair. Thank you so much for your patience and support 

as I served in this capacity. It has been a tremendous challenge 

to chair this incredible section of inspiring teachers during a 

pandemic, but it has also been very rewarding. I think we have 

all made it through the darkness to that light at the end of the 

tunnel, and we’ve emerged stronger and more resilient than 

before. Keep doing what you are doing for our students of N.C. 

What you do matters, and you’re doing an amazing job! 

Middle School Honors Chorus Clinician 

Ryan Main 

Composer, director, and clinician, Ryan 

Main’s compositions are performed 

internationally and frequently featured at 

national and regional American Choral 

Directors Association Conferences, 

festivals, Carnegie Hall, and other events 

around the world. 

He holds a Master of Music in music 

composition and a Master of Music in 

music education from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins 

University. He holds a Bachelor of Music in music composition 

from the University of Missouri – Kansas City’s Conservatory of 

Music and Dance. 

He is passionate about quality music education for all. He 

founded, and serves as artistic and executive director of, the 

Youth Chorus of Kansas City, a non-profit organization serving 

youth of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds throughout 

the Kansas City metro area. 

PERFORMING ARTS 

For program information, 

scan the QR Code or visit 

methodist.edu/performing-arts 

WHERE 

MUSIC IS 

PERSONAL 

While our choirs, 

orchestra, and bands are 

amazing, the best part of 

MU Music is our people. 

At MU, you’ll have the opportunity to 

travel and perform in our community, 

state, country, and internationally, but 

you don’t have to be a music major to 

participate. All students – regardless of 

major – are encouraged to experience the 

transformative nature of the arts at MU! 

Whether you are a future artist, academic, 

or athlete who just loves to play, we 

welcome you to MU Music! 

methodist.edu | 910.630.7000 

5400 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville, NC 28311 


Main is a member of the American Choral Directors 

Association, the Missouri Choral Directors Association, the 

National Association for Music Education and the American 

Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He currently 

serves on the National Association for Music Education’s Council 

on Music Composition. 

Conference Performance Choirs 

about teaching beginner choir students and preparing them for 

high school choir. 

In her years at Enka, Almquist’s students have been regularly 

chosen for the North Carolina Middle School Honors Chorus, 

the North Carolina Middle School All-State Chorus and the 

Buncombe County Schools All-County Chorus. Under her 

direction, the choirs also consistently earn excellent and superior 

ratings at the North Carolina MPA in performance and sight 

reading. 

Elementary 

Dawn Wilson, Chair 

Almquist grew up in Mississippi, Kentucky, Texas, and 

North Carolina, and currently lives in Leicester, just outside of 

Asheville. She is a member of NAfME and NCMEA. She also 

teaches private piano and voice lessons. 

Enka Middle School Eighth Grade Advanced Choir 

The Enka Middle School Eighth Grade Advanced Choir has 

been in place since before Amy Almquist arrived 24 years ago. 

This group has performed at the local nursing home, feeder 

elementary schools and intermediate school, the Biltmore House, 

Chattanooga Lookouts game, Grove Park Inn, and various other 

smaller venues. 

The work ethic in this choir is outstanding because they love 

a challenge. These students eagerly tackle difficult music, not 

giving up until they have achieved their goal. Students from this 

choir are regularly chosen for NCMEA Honors Chorus, NCMEA 

All-State Chorus, and Buncombe County Schools All-County 

Chorus. This group is also consistently awarded excellent and 

superior ratings at MPA every year. 

Enka Middle School was founded in 1986 and serves grades 

seven and eight with an enrollment of just over six hundred 

students. It is a comprehensive middle school that emphasizes 

academic excellence, student engagement and school safety. 

It is a great school with wonderful students, a dedicated and 

hard-working faculty/staff, and a supportive community. With 

continuous improvement as the goal, paying attention to details 

will result in all students reaching their full potential as they 

prepare for their future in education and beyond. 

Amy Almquist 

Amy Almquist graduated from Mars Hill College in 1997 with 

two bachelor degrees in music performance and music education. 

In 2005, she finished a third degree in middle grades language 

arts, also from Mars Hill College. She has been the director of 

choirs at Enka Middle School for 24 years, and is passionate 

Harris Road Eighth Grade Mixed Chorus 

The Eighth Grade Mixed Chorus performance history during 

Rachel Juliano’s time at Harris Road is MPA superior ratings in 

2018, 2019, and 2022 

Harris Road Middle School opened its doors in 2002, with 780 

students, 56 certified staff members, and 35 support staff. Due to 

population growth in the area, Harris Road experienced a major 

increase in the number of students enrolled. In 2016, Harris 

Road was named a Global Ready School. In 2017, it was named a 

Model School. 

Rachel Juliano 

Rachel Juliano graduated from Lock Haven University of 

Pennsylvania in 2013, and started working for Cabarrus County 

Schools. She started her teaching career at Concord High School. 

In 2017, she moved to Harris Road Middle School where she 

currently teaches. While at Harris Road, her ensembles 

have accumulated eight MPA superior ratings. 

They have also traveled and received superiors at 

Carowinds Festival of Music and Music in the 

Parks Festivals. 

Our Professional Development Conference, Redefining 

Success, has been planned with you, the elementary music 

teacher, in mind. Are you in a larger city with plenty of 

materials? In a rural district with few resources and little space? 

Lucky enough to have lots of space and materials? On a cart? Have 

less than 5 years experience? More than 15 years? Do you talk with 

other music teachers often? Are you isolated and feel alone? 

Our sessions will appeal to everyone, as we continue to work on 

connections – with other music teachers, with students, and with 

curriculum. The elementary board worked hard to provide you 

with a variety of beneficial and enjoyable sessions, no matter your 

teaching location, situation, or experience. 

Saturday will include instruments, dance, and some clarification 

on utilizing African music in our classrooms. Will Ulrich 

(Wauwatosa School District, WI) will present Ukulele Strum 

and Hum: Introducing Ukulele to the Young Musician in the 

morning, and World Drumming Basics in the afternoon. Although 

both of these sessions are titled as introductory, he will go through 

next steps and share more advanced ideas as well. 

Anzhelika Surratt (Phoenix Academy) will present Russian 

Folk Songs from her home country; be ready for lots of energy 

and dancing! Dr. Georgiary Bledsoe (GIA Publishing) will address 

America is Not Europe: Making Space for Africentric Music. 

Composer Andy Beck (Alfred Music) will present some of his 

pieces with Just Add Kids. 

Sunday will begin with Dr. Ran Whitley (Macie Publishing), 

ESL in the Recorder Classroom; learn strategies for reaching 

all students, and how to simplify instruction and ensure student 

success. We will go from playing recorder to moving with Katie 

Grace Miller’s (Lorenz Corporation) Magical Movement in the 

Music Classroom. Marla Butke (Music is Elementary) will help us 

incorporate more SEL with Uniting Dalcroze Eurhythmics with 

Social Emotional Learning. 

of songs from sweet ballads, to silly and fun, adding some holiday 

pieces in there as well. 

Monday is packed with sessions. Dr. Katy Strand (Appalachian 

State) and Mazie Sullivan will begin our day with More Musical 

Adventures in SEL with Children’s Literature, followed by Dr. 

Ran Whitley with Recorders Around the World: Incorporating 

Cultural Diversity in the Classroom Through Orff. Katie Grace 

Miller will present Awesome Books with Musical Hooks, using a 

variety of instrumentation, and then an important topic for all of 

us, Care of the Music Educator: Redefining Vocal Success in the 

Classroom by Dr. Rebecca Loar from UNC Pembroke. 

If you haven’t already done so, visit the exhibits and stop by the 

clinician sponsor booths on Monday, as they close at 5 p.m. After 

lunch, please attend the Elementary Section Business Meeting. 

Come be a part of the decision-making process, volunteer to be a 

part of our outreach throughout the year, and help elect new officers 

for the board. Do you know an outstanding teacher who is also 

organized and willing to run as chair-elect? Could it be you? Send 

your nomination to elementary_section@ncmea.net before Nov 1. 

Katie Grace Miller will present her last session Monday 

afternoon, Beginners at the Bars, followed by Miranda Walker’s 

(Level Cross Elementary) Show Me What You Know. This session 

will include how to incorporate projects for upper elementary 

students to showcase their knowledge, including small group work. 

We will round out the afternoon with the dynamic duo, Dr. Zadda 

Bazzy (Onslow County) and Janae Copeland (W-S/Forsyth County) 

presenting More Bang for Your Book: Literature in the 3 – 5 

Music Classroom. Don’t miss keynote speaker Dr. Peter Boonshaft 

at the end of the day, with his inspiring words for music educators! 

Tuesday finishes the conference strong: Creative Movement 

Through the Laban Efforts by Kelly Poquette (Alamance Virtual 

School) and Empowering Students Through Music Composition 

by Joseph Girgenti and Douglas Rowe (Union County Schools). 

The Elementary Honors Chorus will perform live this year, so 

please do not miss that noon concert! Even if you do not teach 

chorus, come and be inspired! Sunday afternoon will bring us 

Places, Please! Reader’s Theatre in the Music Classroom by Dr. 

Karen Thomas (Winston-Salem State University), a session with 

Honors Chorus Clinician, Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins, giving us teaching 

strategies and choral conducting techniques. Andy Beck will lead us 

in a reading session New 2 Part Choral Repertoire with a variety 

It’s been a busy summer and a great (normal!) start to the new 

school year. I look forward to seeing all of you at Conference. Bring 

a colleague (or three!) and we’ll have a fun weekend with friends 

singing, dancing, playing, and learning new teaching techniques. In 

the meantime, please reach out with any questions you may have; 

that’s what NCMEA is for. If you have ideas for mini-conference in 

the spring, or the 2023 conference, let us know that, too! 


883-C Washington Street 

Raleigh, NC 27605 

NAfME 

GRASSROOTS 

ACTION CENTER 

Add Your Voice to the Legislative Process 

On the NAfME Grassroots Action Center page, you can: 

• Support music education in federal education policy 

• Get involved with the legislative process 

• Engage your members of Congress 

Go to bit.ly/NAfMEgrassroots (case-sensitive) and 

take action today. 

NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 50

NC Music Educator Conference Edition 2022

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