North Carolina Music Educator Winter 2025

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

M US I C E D U CAT O R

Volume 75 Number 3 Winter 2025

VIMplementation:

How to Implement

the VIM Standards

into Courses

by Brandon Roeder

Dulcimers in the

Elementary

Classroom

by Jeannine DuMond

Putting the A in

STEAM

by Steven E. Chetcuti, Ph.D.

Everything You

Need to Know

About MIOSM!

The official

publication

of the

NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 1

East Carolina University ®

School of Music Announces the

Chauncey Scholarship Endowment

BOARD DIRECTORY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

FEATURES

SECTION UPDATES

2

4

6

12

18

30

8

9

16

20

26

28

34

38

39

40

Dulcimers in the Elementary Classroom

Jeannine DuMond

VIMplementation: How to Implement the VIM Standards into Courses

Brandon Roeder

Putting the A in STEAM

Steven E. Chetcuti, Ph.D.

Music In Our Schools Month

Middle School Choral Section

High School Choral Section

Higher Education Section

Jazz Section

Orchestra Section

Band Section

Across the Districts

Collegiate Section

Elementary Section

Apply and Audition for

Scholarship Consideration

• Saturday, Dec. 7 2024

• Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025

• Saturday, Feb. 8, 2024

• Saturday, Feb. 15, 2024*

Brevard College 27

East Carolina University

Advertisers

A special thank you to all our advertisers who support music educators and music education in North Carolina.

Inside front cover

Hayes School of Music 23

Meredith College 33

NAfME 41, 42

Music & Arts 33

NC Music 33

NC State University 5, 29

UNC Charlotte 15

UNC Greensboro 7

Editorial Board

UNC Pembroke 21

UNC School of the Arts 33

UNC Wilmington 17

Western Carolina University 25

Editorial: All editorial content should be

Catherine Butler

Tracy Humphries

Email for more information:

sent to: Cynthia Wagoner, editorial board

cbutler@ncmea.net

tracy.humphries@ucps.k12.nc.us

musicadmissions@ecu.edu

• Saturday, March 22, 2024

chair, at editorial_chair@ncmea.net.

Andrew Dancy

Kimberly Justen

dancya@gcsnc.com

journal_editor@ncmea.net

Visit us online:

*Last audition day for scholarship consideration Advertising: Information requests and ad

James Daugherty

Carolina Perez

music.ecu.edu

orders should be directed to Kimberly

jdaugherty@ncmea.net

cperez@ncmea.net

Justen, Editor-in-Chief, at

journal_editor@ncmea.net.

Joseph Girgenti

José Rivera

ADA Accommodation: 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu

j.girgenti@wingate.edu

jose.rivera@uncp.edu

ECU is located in Greenville, North Carolina

North Carolina Music Educator is copyrighted.

Reproduction in any form is illegal

jhamiel@ncmea.net

editorial_chair@ncmea.net

Johnathan Hamiel

Cynthia Wagoner

An equal opportunity/affirmative action university

C.S. 23-0941

without the express permission of the editor.

Susan Heiserman

Lindsey Bruner Woodcock

sheiserman@ncmea.net

lbrunerwoodcock@meredith.edu

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

NCMEA Board of Directors

Executive Officers

Section Chairs

Commission & Committee Chairs

Standing Committee Chairs

President: Catherine Butler*

cbutler@ncmea.net

Immediate Past President: Johnathan Hamiel*

jhamiel@ncmea.net

President-Elect: Carolina Perez*

cperez@ncmea.net

Recording Secretary: Dr. Cynthia Wagoner*

secretary@ncmea.net

Member-at-Large: Michael Henderson*

member-at-large1@ncmea.net

Member-at-Large: Demeka Kimpson*


District Presidents

District 1: Molly Griffin-Brown*

district1@ncmea.net

Band: Chris White*

band_chair@ncmea.net

Band Section Delegate: Steven Kelly*

band_delegate@ncmea.net

Collegiate NAfME: Cris Lim*

collegiate_president@ncmea.net

Elementary: Jeannine DuMond*

elementary_section@ncmea.net

High School Choral: Jenny Patchett*

hschoral_chair@ncmea.net

Higher Education: Fred Spano*

higher_education@ncmea.net

Jazz Education: Matt Howard*

jazz_chair@ncmea.net

Jazz Section Delegate: TBD*

jazz_delegate@ncmea.net

Middle School Choral: Angel Rudd Cuddeback*

mschoral_chair@ncmea.net

Orchestra: Veronica Biscocho*

orchestra_chair@ncmea.net

Orchestra Section Delegate: Corrie Tew*

orchestra_delegate@ncmea.net

Conference Chair: Barbara Geer

conference_chair@ncmea.net

Asst. Conference Chair: Adam Joiner

conference_assistant@ncmea.net

Exceptional Children & General Music:

Rue Lee-Holmes

exeptionalchildren_generalmusic@ncmea.net

Guitar: Jonathan Todd

guitar@ncmea.net

Mentoring: Carol Earnhardt

mentoring_program@ncmea.net

Music In Our Schools Month Co-Chairs:

Tonya Allison

miosm_chair1@ncmea.net

Lindsay Williams

miosm_chair2@ncmea.net

Music Program Leaders: Christy White

music_program_leader@ncmea.net

Piano: AmyBith Gardner Harlee

piano@ncmea.net

Popular Music Education Co-Chairs:

Jonathan Kladder

popular_music@ncmea.net

Andrew Beach

Advocacy Co-Chairs:

James Daugherty

jdaugherty@ncmea.net

Jeremy Tucker

advocacy@ncmea.net

Constitution: Maribeth Yoder-White

constitution_committee@ncmea.net

Finance: Johnathan Hamiel

jhamiel@ncmea.net

IVfME Co-Chairs:

Lillie Allmond Harris

ivfme@ncmea.net

Markiss Barnes

ivfme2@ncmea.net

Membership: Carolina Perez

cperez@ncmea.net

Editorial: Dr. Cynthia Wagoner

editorial_chair@ncmea.net

Ex-Officio Members

Collegiate NAfME Advisor: Christie Lynch Ebert

collegiate_advisor@ncmea.net

Journal Editor: Kim Justen

journal_editor@ncmea.net

District 2: Michael Palmer*

district2@ncmea.net

District 3: Shearon Miller*

district3@ncmea.net

District 4: Desiree Merriweather*

district4@ncmea.net

District 5: Ronald Forsh*

district5@ncmea.net

District 6: Douglas Rowe*

district6@ncmea.net

District 7: Andrea Evans*

district7@ncmea.net

District 8: Anna Morris*

district8@ncmea.net

Awards, Grants & Scholarship Chairs

Awards: Michael Henderson


Grants Co-Chairs:

Michael Henderson


Demeka Kimpson


Scholarships: Demeka Kimpson


* Voting Member

popular_music2@ncmea.net

Research: Jonathan Poquette

research_chair@ncmea.net

Retired Membership: Heidi Sue Ross

retired_membership@ncmea.net

Student Activities: Carolina Perez

cperez@ncmea.net

Technology Chair: Mindy Cook

technology_chair@ncmea.net

Tri-M: Riley Paulson

tri-m@ncmea.net

Young Professionals: Riley Paulson

young_professionals@ncmea.net

Historian: Dr. John Henry, Jr.

historian@ncmea.net

Music Industry Rep.: Adam Frank

music_industry_rep@ncmea.net

Parlimentarian: Dave Albert

parlimentarian@ncmea.net

NCDPI Rep.: Brandon Roeder

brandon.roeder@dpi.nc.gov

NCMEA Office

Executive Director: Susan Heiserman

sheiserman@ncmea.net

Webmaster: Mark Healy

mhealy@ncmea.net


NOTES FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Susan Heiserman

FIND YOUR PACK

Happy 2025! I hope you all found time over the holidays

to relax, rejuvenate, and spend time with loved ones. We

are excited to start the new year by warmly welcoming

these new Section Chairs and Delegates to the NCMEA

board:

Band: Chris White

Band Delegate: Steven Kelly

Collegiate: Cris Lim

Elementary: Jeannine DuMond

This year’s stats:

• 252 sessions, performances, and meetings

• 180 presenters and clinicians

• 1,357 attendees

• 101 exhibiting companies and schools

Very special thanks to our conference co-chairs, Barbara

Geer and Adam Joiner, for another year of incredible work

making sure you all have a seamless experience.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Musicianship-based scholarships are

available to support student musicians

who enroll in performing ensembles or

pursue a minor in music at NC State.

go.ncsu.edu/artstech-scholarships

Do something you love, continue

your artistic development and be a

part of our thriving dance and

music community when you enroll

in an NC State dance company or

music ensemble.

High School Choral: Jenny Patchett

Higher Education: Fred Spano

Jazz: Matt Howard

Middle School Choral: Angel Cuddeback

Orchestra: Veronica Biscocho

Orchestra Delegate: Corrie Tew

Welcome also to these new board members appointed

earlier in the fall to fill open positions:

Collegiate Advisor: Christie Lynch Ebert

Mark your calendar now and plan to attend our next

conference on November 8 – 11, 2025!

Looking Ahead

As new lawmakers take office on both the state and

federal levels, our advocacy team and lobbyists will keep a

close eye on issues affecting music education. But you don’t

have to wait until there are issues to contact your

legislators! Anytime is a good time to share your personal

experience and stories about the importance of music

education. The North Carolina legislative website is an

excellent resource and will enable you to look up your

legislators as well as committee chairs and members.

DANCE COMPANIES

ATHLETIC BANDS

CHOIRS

CONCERT BANDS

JAZZ ENSEMBLES

ORCHESTRAS

Music Program Leaders Chair: Christy White

District 5 President: Ron Forsh

I want to extend much appreciation to the Section Chairs

and Delegates who served for the past two years. They are

truly integral to the success of NCMEA as they work

tirelessly throughout the year on behalf of teachers and

students. Thank you for your service!

Conference Wrap-Up

It was wonderful to see so many of you at conference in

November! It was a lively, fun-filled four days and we hope

you made lots of valuable connections as we explored the

theme, Putting the Pieces Together.

Additionally, this year’s Music In Our Schools Month in

March is its 40 th annual celebration. With the theme

United Through Music, it will be a perfect opportunity

for music teachers to bring their programs to the attention

of the school and the community, and to demonstrate the

value that school music brings to students of all ages.

The value of music will also be on display all spring long

with a full lineup of NCMEA student events! Each year,

over 50,000 students participate in All-District, All-State,

large ensemble MPA, and solo/small ensemble MPA

events. If you would like to learn more about student

events, please reach out to your section chair and they will

connect you with the information you need.

Thank you for all you do daily to enrich students’ lives

through music!

No matter what you’re studying, you can continue to create and perform as you

find your campus community! Ensemble auditions are held during the first week of

classes, except for Marching Band auditions (including drum line and color guard),

which take place during the summer.

go.ncsu.edu/auditionartstech

performingartstech.dasa.ncsu.edu

performingartstech@ncsu.edu

@ncstateartstech

@ncstatedance | @ncstatemusic


NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT

TRANSFORM. EXPLORE. INSPIRE.

The UNCG School of Music is pleased to welcome to the faculty:

Catherine Butler

I often find myself saying, “If I could just get to X date,

then everything is going to be smooth sailing…” At the start

of almost each month, I look at my calendar and tell myself

that if I can just get to the end, then it’ll all be okay. The

next month has to be easier, right?

Real talk – they are all insane. There is no month of the

school year that’s less crazy than another. It’s all just

different kinds of crazy. We start the year with a paperwork

explosion and picking repertoire and lesson planning. Then

move to registering for all the events, followed by picking

repertoire, and preparing students for auditions in

September and October. The new semester brings deciding

on MPA rep, planning a school-wide performance/musical,

hoping for a snow day but simultaneously not wanting to

miss rehearsal time in January and February. April and

May bring the downhill end of the year tumble, with kids

getting pulled for state/district testing, honor ensemble

events, final concerts, prepping graduation pieces, and

closing up your classroom. It’s all just different busyness.

And if we didn’t love it, we wouldn’t be music educators.

In the life of the NCMEA president, November is definitely

the busiest. While you’re reading this in January, I’m

writing it at the end of a much needed Thanksgiving break.

November was stressful, but rewarding at the same time.

We launched a nationwide campaign to help our colleagues

and the students in the western part of our state devastated

by Hurricane Helene. There are people all over the country

who want to help, not just those of us who live here. I

received the kindest email from an elementary music

educator in Illinois. His students have a benefit concert

each year and this year they decided they wanted to send

their money to music students in North Carolina who might

need it for instruments they lost in the hurricane.

We are so thankful for our partnership with Mr. Holland’s

Opus Foundation and American Music Education Network

(AMEN) through this process. Phillip and Carol Riggs,

retired North Carolina music educators and co-founders of

AMEN, have been so generous with their time and

professional connections to build the fund to help local

teachers. We are now moving into the phase of matching

needs with those who have the ability to help fulfill them.

We are continuing to look for ways to reach educators and

students who need assistance, so if you know someone who

thinks their need isn’t big enough, please encourage them to

apply.

We had a fabulous annual conference in the midst of the

November craziness! I loved meeting so many of you

in-person! I hope you were able to connect with old friends

and make some new ones. One of the highlights for me was

meeting, and getting to hear, our keynote speaker, Coty

Raven Morris, share stories and inspiration. She seemed to

radiate light and positivity everywhere she went and with

everyone she spoke to. It was heartwarming to watch the

number of young educators who felt a connection speaking

with her afterwards.

It was awesome to read the postcards written by you and

some of our students to North Carolina legislators. Thank

you to our advocacy co-chairs, James Daughtery and

Jeremy Tucker, for spearheading that project. I loved

walking into sessions that I honestly wouldn’t have stopped

in if I just had my high school chorus teacher hat on. I heard

stellar instrumental performances, learned to use scarves in

a general music session, gained ideas on how to build

inclusive classroom culture, acquired tips on avoiding hand

injury while playing piano, and more. I want to sincerely

thank the (now former) Section and Committee chairs for

all of their hard work in planning and executing all the

sessions. They work many long hours to make sure we have

a wonderful conference! It truly warmed my heart reading

your puzzle pieces in the convention center on what unique

quality/trait you bring to your classroom each day. We’re

already in the planning stages for next year’s conference – it

never stops!!

As you’re planning for the next crazy month of the school

year, I hope you’re able to take time to reflect on what

you’ve already accomplished this year. It’s easy to get

bogged down in To Do lists and calendars and forget to

acknowledge how much you’ve survived and thrived

through. So I encourage you to take a moment to look back

on everything you’ve accomplished this year. Yes, there are

still crazy months ahead that can often feel overwhelming

and impossible to get through, but if we’ve made it this far,

we can make it to the end!

Prof. Janinah Burnett

Asst. Professor of Commercial Voice

Dr. Zachary Hobin

Visiting Asst. Prof. of Double Bass

Dr. Clair Nguyen

Lecturer in Music Theory

Audition Dates for 2024–25

January 25, 2025

February 8, 2025

February 22, 2025*

Dr. Luke Ellard

Asst. Professor of Clarinet

Dr. Eric Laine

Visiting Asst. Professor of Voice

Dr. Dalia Razo

Asst. Professor of Music Education

*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

Prof. Billie Feather

Lecturer in Commercial Guitar

Dr. Gerardo Lopez

Asst. Professor of Music Theory

Prof. Kristopher Smalling

Asst. Prof. of Music Production & Tech.

Prof. Marissa Guarriello

Visiting Asst. Prof. of Music Education

Prof. Lindsay Kesselman

Asst. Prof. of Voice and Choral Music

Dr. Amy Zigler

Asst. Professor of Musicology

NEW! Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in

Music Teacher Licensure Prep

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Music

Teacher Licensure Preparation is designed to

help current teachers without a teaching license

pursue a teaching license in North Carolina. The

certificate is offered as an alternate pathway to

licensure for music teachers in North Carolina.


MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHORAL SECTION

Lindsay Williams &

Tonya Allison, Co-Chairs

Angel Rudd Cuddeback, Chair

The purpose of Music In Our Schools Month ® (MIOSM) is

to raise awareness of the importance of music education for

all children – and to remind citizens that school is where all

children should have access to music. MIOSM is an

opportunity for music teachers to bring their music

programs to the attention of the school and the community,

and to display the benefits that school music brings to

students of all ages.

In 2024, MIOSM in North Carolina partnered with the

North Carolina Concert Band Music

Consortium 2023 to promote brand

new band compositions by seven North

Carolina composers. Several of our

music educators were highlighted in the

MIOSM Monday Takeover on social

media platforms. The October 2024

Arts in Our Schools month

proclamation continues to highlight the

importance of music education.

In 2025, NAFME celebrates the 40 th

anniversary of MIOSM with the theme

United Through Music. As we know,

music transcends language barriers,

making it a universal form of

communication. People from different

cultural backgrounds can find common ground through

music, as it often conveys emotions and messages that

resonate on a human level. This acclaim allows music to

serve as a bridge between cultures, fostering appreciation

and understanding among diverse populations. In addition

to fostering human connection, music has therapeutic

effects that can enhance emotional well-being. The healing

power of music can strengthen community ties and promote

collective resilience. From its ability to evoke emotions and

foster empathy to its role in social settings and therapeutic

contexts, music serves as a powerful medium for building

relationships and enhancing emotional well-being.

MIOSM Websites & Contacts

NAfME: www.nafme.org/student-opportunities/music-in-our-schools-month/

NCMEA: www.ncmea.net/programs/music-in-our-schools-month-miosm/

North Carolina music educators understand how united

music can affect us all and heal us through tough times.

Between the COVID years and the devastating hurricanes in

2018 and 2024, we take comfort knowing our colleagues

and community will always lift up using art and music as

the venue. As our leadership changes in the state and

country, we must appreciate all the hard work we, as

teachers, put forth, and continue to support one another.

One of our newer committee's at NCMEA is Popular

Music. The MIOSM committee would

like to take a moment this year to

highlight all the wonderful ideas and

events coming from this committee.

Follow us on our social media accounts

in March to see more about the Popular

Music committee!

We will continue to work with NCDPI

partners and our lobbyist, Ashley

Perkinson, to schedule music

performances in March. Follow our

social media to learn how you can get

involved, or attend the performances.

We would also like to know how do

the people in North Carolina unite

through music? Do you have a local orchestra, church

group, musical theater group? Do you have students who

make music outside of the norm? How does this unite

them? If you would like to share how music unites your

community, click here!

Lastly, we will be holding a MIOSM 2025 Spirit Week! We

look forward to seeing participation from all teachers! For

more information about this year’s MIOSM activities, follow

our social media accounts, or check out the NAfME and

NCMEA websites!

NCMEA MIOSM Co-Chairs: Tonya Allison miosm_chair1@ncmea.net | Lindsay Williams miosm_chair2@ncmea.net

Committed to Advancing Music Education

I am Angel Rudd Cuddeback and it’s a pleasure to be your

Middle School Choral chair. I am thrilled to serve and work

alongside the dedicated music educators who make up our

association. For 16 years, I’ve had the joy of teaching in the

choral classroom, and I’ve been honored to serve on the

NCMEA board for 12 years. As I step into this new role, I

look forward to advocating for and supporting the

incredible work of music teachers across North Carolina.

Reflecting on a Successful Honors Chorus

I want to extend a huge thank you to each and every one

of you for making this year’s Honors Chorus a wonderful

experience. Your hard work, dedication, and passion for

music education shone brightly through your students, and

I am truly grateful for the effort you put in. Thank you to

Ben McKinnon, for your hard work to make sure this event

runs seamlessly every year. Thank you to the site chairs

Carla Reid, Catherine Butler, and Emily Turner for the

dedicated time you put in to make every audition site the

best experience for our students. Be sure to mark your

calendars for next year’s Honors Chorus auditions dates,

September 29 – October 1, 2025. Our students will be given

the opportunity to have a musical experience from the

esteemed conductor Victor C. Johnson. With his

exceptional talent, it promises to be a fantastic event that

will inspire our students and deepen their love for music.

Recognizing Excellence: Beth Witt Coldiron

Each year, we honor one of our own

who is outstanding in the teaching

profession. This prestigious award is

named after Richard Keasler, who

spent his career as a middle and high

school choral director. Our Middle

School Choral Teacher of the Year is

Beth Witt Coldiron. She is a graduate

of Virginia Tech, where she received

bachelor’s and master's degrees in

music education. Her choruses have

consistently received excellent and superior ratings in

performance at MPA festivals, participate in state and

county level events, and have been invited to perform as an

NCMEA performance choir.

Coldiron's love of music started early, coming from her

father's love of music and was strongly supported by her

choral teachers growing up. She shared, “In my choir

classroom, I prioritize creating a safe and inclusive

environment where students feel welcomed, valued, and

empowered to express themselves authentically. By

fostering a culture of acceptance and mutual respect, I

establish a space where students can take creative and

personal risks without fear of judgment. Central to my

teaching philosophy is the belief that mistakes are vital for

growth, enabling students to learn, adapt, and develop

resilience. Through meaningful relationships and a deep

commitment to their well-being, I cultivate a supportive

community that nurtures both individual potential and

collective harmony, making the classroom a haven for

personal and artistic development.”

We are incredibly proud of Coldiron for her unwavering

dedication and tireless efforts to elevate music education at

every level. From creating a nurturing and inspiring

classroom environment to her position on the Middle

School Choral board, her commitment is nothing short of

remarkable. Her passion and leadership serve as a

powerful example of how one educator can create lasting

change and inspire a brighter future for music education.

Keeping the Momentum: Upcoming

Opportunities and Engagements

I encourage you to take the energy you left conference

with and keep it going! There are plenty of ways to stay

connected and active within our community. Be sure to

view our website and sign up for All-State Chorus and MPA

and encourage your students to get involved. These events

are great opportunities for students to grow and challenge

themselves, and they remind us of the profound impact

music education has on young minds.

Supporting Western North Carolina: Hurricane

Helene Recovery

Lastly, I’d like to acknowledge the devastating effects


of Hurricane Helene on our friends and colleagues in

western North Carolina. Many of our fellow educators and

their communities have been impacted, and they need our

support now more than ever. If you have experienced

damage or loss to your classroom or music program, we

encourage you to share information at

https://bit.ly/NCMEAHelene. NCMEA is seeking to match

funders or donors with areas of need, and the information

you provide will be helpful to those who want to assist in a

Jenny Patchett, Chair

I hope you gained as many insights and takeaways from

our November conference sessions as I was able to. The less

measurable part of conference for me is connecting and

reconnecting with new and old friends and colleagues each

year. As conference approaches, I always tell my students

it’s like a kid anticipating Christmas morning for me! They

also know when I come back to the classroom, I’m going to

have new ideas and exercises to share with them.

The High School Choral Section had so much to celebrate

this year. Along with seeing friends from western North

Carolina and hearing of their joys of going back to school,

we were able to celebrate with our Teacher of the Year, Hall

of Fame, and Young Composer Showcase winners. As you

celebrate with our recipients, let it also serve as a reminder

to nominate High School Choral educators for the Teacher

of the Year Award and Hall of Fame awards for 2025, and

encourage budding high school composers to submit their

compositions. All information is found on our website:

sites.google.com/ncmea.net/ncmeahschoral/.

High School Choral Teacher of the Year

This year’s NCMEA High School Choral Section Teacher

of the Year is Jill Boliek. She has not only demonstrated

unparalleled commitment to her students' growth, but has

also excelled in the vital role of fostering collaboration,

adaptability, and leadership within the arts at the county,

district, and state levels. She holds both bachelor's and

master’s degrees in music education from UNC

Greensboro. She has been the choral director at Riverside

targeted way. Together, as a unified association, we can

make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment and passion for

music education. I am excited to work with all of you to

continue advancing the impact of NCMEA. Let’s make this

year one of growth, connection, and success!

HIGH SCHOOL CHORAL SECTION

High School, in Durham Public County

Schools since 2004. Boliek is an

accomplished pianist at Pleasant Grove

UMC, a collaborative pianist for

Durham Children’s Choir

“Cantare,”and is the past accompanist/

children’s choir director at Aldersgate

UMC, and past collaborative pianist for

voice majors at UNC Greensboro and

for the voice studio of Catherine

Charlton. She has held a piano and voice studio in Durham,

since 2017.

She writes the following in her teaching philosophy

statement, “What I love about music is that it creates a

space for people of all different backgrounds and life

experiences to come together and be creative, musically,

and emotionally. Singing in an ensemble teaches us how to

connect our emotions and life experiences with others.

Being part of an ensemble teaches us how to be part of a

team. I coach my students to be better versions of

themselves. While individual musical skills may not apply

to other professions, the emphasis on relationships within

the ensemble, self-motivation, emotional response, and

personal accountability are all desirable and necessary

characteristics in any workplace.”

High School Choral Hall of Fame Recipient

The NCMEA High School Choral Section Hall of Fame

award was created to honor exceptional deceased or retired

choral directors in North Carolina. This

year we celebrate and honor an

individual whose contributions have

left an indelible mark on the North

Carolina choral community, Susan

Powers.

Powers has exemplified the very

essence of excellence and dedication

throughout her career. She has had a

profound impact on the lives of young people during her

37+ year career. She went to Miami University with a full

scholarship in voice and flute, and received her master’s

from Meredith College and East Carolina University. She

taught in Wilson, at Rock Ridge and Springfield, grades

K – 12. She then taught at Hunt High School in Wilson for

32 years. She was Outstanding Young Educator for Wilson

County. She was also the selected choir director from North

Carolina to travel to Greece with Peter Tiboris. She was

voted as Outstanding High School Choral Director of

NCMEA. There has been a scholarship set up in her honor

for Hunt seniors majoring or minoring in music. The Hunt

High School auditorium was named for her in 2023.

Powers led the first North Carolina High School choir to

sing in Carnegie Hall under the direction of John Rutter.

Her choir was chosen to represent our state and country in

Normandy, France for the 50 th anniversary of D-Day. Her

choir sang for three governor inaugurations in Raleigh, as

well as at the NCMEA Professional Development

Conference in 2007. They have 31 National Championships

in the U.S. and Canada, never earning lower than superior.

Powers held many leadership roles in her career, hosted

Large Choral Festival MPA at her school, and judged and

was a clinician for many choral festivals and All-County

Choirs. She taught music theory for IB students. She also

served on the choral board for NCMEA and served as fine

arts chairman for her school.

Her choirs participated in All-State, Honors Chorus and

music festivals, and went to the East Carolina University

choral festival annually. They participated in Summer

Music Institute in Chapel Hill and Appalachian State and

they participated in Hinshaw Summer Music Workshops in

Chapel Hill.

Friend and colleague, Andrew Childers wrote, in his

nomination, “Susan H. Powers served as a music educator

in North Carolina for over 30 years. She spent the majority

of her career at James B. Hunt High School in Wilson. She

was the first director of Hunt High School choirs starting in

1979 when the school opened and continued to teach and

serve the Hunt High School community until 2005. Her

first memories of teaching at Hunt were from the parking

lot, where she and her students rehearsed while watching

the choir room be built in front of them. During her time

there, she developed a powerhouse program in eastern

North Carolina. Her choirs consistently demonstrated

superior singing at MPAs and have won numerous awards

throughout the United States and internationally. Through

her leadership and commitment to musical excellence, she

reached more than 10,000 students in Hunt Chorus and

built relationships with each that endure to this day. Due to

her amazing career and love of music, she changed the

trajectory and direction of not only James B. Hunt High

School, but also Wilson County Schools as a whole. Wilson

County continues to embrace and nurture the arts due to

the foundation Powers laid during her career. The ripples of

her legacy and impact can be felt each day in the choir

room, hallways, and theater at Hunt High School (a theater

that now bears her name).”

High School Choral Young Composer Showcase

Winner

In an effort to find another means for furthering its

mission to encourage and promote choral music in North

Carolina, the High School Choral Section of NCMEA began

the Young Composers Student Composition Contest in

2014. The objectives of the showcase are to acknowledge

and reward outstanding high school student composers by

presenting the selected piece(s) at the NCMEA conference.

Anna Bossert is an aspiring musician

and composer. She has been playing

piano since 2011 and has studied voice

since 2018 with instructors Katy

Bridges and Rachel Stenbuck. As a

vocalist, Bossert has performed with

the North Carolina Honors Choir and

the All-Carolina Select Choir. As a

pianist, she has been awarded Highest

Honors at both regional and state-level

NCMTA piano competitions for several years. In spring

2023, she performed as a piano accompanist with the AFHS

choir at the WorldStrides Music Competition in Orlando

and won the Maestro Award for an outstanding

instrumental solo. Bossert enjoys many genres of music and

has a particular dream of earning a doctorate in music and

writing and composing musicals to be performed around

the world. She currently attends the University of Georgia

and studies composition.

Of her song, she says, “The lyrics of ‘A Place in My Mind’

are about a special, safe place in my mind where I can rest

when the real world is too overwhelming. I wrote this piece

during a time in my life that was extremely busy and

stressful, and writing it was an outlet for stress and

negative emotions.”


by Jeannine DuMond

Dulcimers in the

Elementary Classroom

Reprinted with permission from Iowa Music Educators Association (IMEA). The

original article was published in Iowa Music Educator, 77(2), pp. 26-27, and it is

available at: www.iamea.org/iowa-music-educator-archives.html

North Carolina provides a rich background for teaching young musicians

dulcimers. The Blue Ridge Mountains are nearby, and old-time, country,

bluegrass, and folk music are popular genres in my area and at nearby festivals.

The Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer is a natural fit and easily accessible to

elementary students. Once students learn the playing fundamentals, the dulcimer

can enhance your music curriculum and your students’ musical experience.

If you are familiar with the mountain dulcimer, you know what an incredible

instrument it is to teach young students the joy of playing music. My students

enjoy playing the dulcimers because they are relatively easy to play, and because

they can create and play simple tunes right from the start.

In addition to students playing their

songs on the barred instruments,

students can easily play their songs on

a dulcimer. Having students play the

songs they have been singing in class

allows students to experience their

music on a deeper level. When frets on

the dulcimers are numbered, it is easy

for even Kindergarten students to slide

the noter — a small wooden dowel —

back and forth between the numbers to

create melodies.

To introduce the mountain dulcimer, we play Name That Tune. I play


songs the class has been singing and songs they know like

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Students watch videos of

musicians playing the dulcimer and discuss, in small

groups, what they have observed from my playing and from

the videos. The goal of this discussion is for students to

discover how both hands have different jobs, how the

dulcimer is laid on the lap to play, and that melodies and

chords are possible on the dulcimer. Once students explore

the dulcimer and learn a few songs, they can articulate that

the left hand provides the notes or melody, and the right

hand provides the rhythm or steady beat. Both jobs are

needed — and must work together — to play a song.

Next, students work in pairs and

share the strumming and noter

responsibilities. When playing alone,

the left-hand player presses the strings

or chords on the fretboard, and the

right-hand player strums the beat or

rhythm pattern. To build muscle

memory and prepare them to play

independently, I stress using the left

hand for the noter and strumming with

the right. I also ask that their free

hands — the noter's right hand and the

strummer’s left hand — hold the

dulcimer in place as the dulcimers are

primarily lightweight cardboard and can shift or slide when

playing. Sharing the responsibilities makes it easier for

students to concentrate on the rhythm of the words or the

pitches.

Choosing songs students are familiar with is crucial to

early success. As I have numbered each fret, I ask my

students to review each song through both its lyrics and by

echoing the numbers while sliding their left index fingers

through the air to each number. Then, students will slide

their finger on the dulcimer without their partner

strumming. This provides students with a safe place to

make mistakes. Next, students practice strumming away

from their bodies, using the rhythm of the words or a steady

beat. After playing a song, students switch noter/strummer

positions. Finally, we add the noter once students

understand how to slide from one fret to another.

In my classroom, Kindergarten through second grade

students sit on the floor to play dulcimers with a partner;

third through fifth grade students sit in chairs and play with

a partner and independently. Traditional songs, (e.g.,

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “Hot Cross Buns,” and “Row

Your Boat”) and songs learned in class are fun and easy for

students to play. When they hear simple songs that they

know, students are eager to figure out the tunes and play

them on the dulcimer. After students can play a short and

familiar tune and understand the basics of the dulcimer, I

give them time to explore and make up a new tune with

their friends. My advice is to start and stop on the same fret

or number. Students are excited and eager to share their

new songs with the class.

I like introducing the dulcimer as early as Kindergarten.

Students can explore strumming and pressing down the

strings at different numbers with the left index finger or the

noter. Students can easily create a melody after practicing

sliding the noter between the numbers. “Frog in the

Meadow” is a favorite for Kindergarten students. The first

graders learn the first phrase of

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” by

echoing and playing the numbers by

rote. Then, with their partner, they

discover the second phrase. “Closet

Key,” “Shosheen Sho,” and other do,

re, mi songs have also been easy for my

second and third grade students to

transfer from the barred instruments

to the dulcimer.

As students move through the

grades, they review the songs they

learned in previous years and add at

least two or three new songs. Third

through fifth grade students begin the dulcimer unit by

playing with a friend. By the second or third lesson,

students want to play alone. For the older students, we

review their previous songs at the beginning of the unit and

choose a song from a dulcimer songbook to perform for the

class.

I was gifted five dulcimers from my first school's

Academically Gifted (AG) teacher in 1996. As a project, the

AG class built the dulcimers from a kit. I wrote a grant in

2010 to purchase ten preassembled three-stringed

dulcimers. I am still using the same original dulcimers with

my students each year. They stay in tune remarkably well,

are durable, and produce a pleasing sound. If dulcimers are

missing from your classroom instruments, I highly

encourage you to purchase a set for your students to play,

create simple melodies, and enhance your music program.

Jeannine DuMond is the music

specialist at Northern Guilford

Elementary in Guilford County. She

earned her BM and MM in music

education at UNC Greensboro. She is

Level III Orff-Schulwerk and World

Music Drumming Level II certified. She

is the NCMEA Elementary Chair.

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Fred Spano, Chair

Happy New Year! I am excited to be serving our state’s

community colleges and universities as your

representative. An important item that will have an impact

on what we do in higher education concerns the New 2024

NC Music Standards and Course of Study for Music, Dance,

Theatre Arts, and Visual Arts (go.ncdpi.gov/AE-HUB).

The conference edition of the North Carolina Music

Educator contained a substantial article regarding the new

standards, their connection of the standards to National

Standards for Artistic Processes, and resources for the

K – 12 educator. I highly recommend reviewing it for help

in understanding and implementing these new standards;

it is the first of a three-part series. These will be in effect for

the 2025 – 26 school year for K – 12 music programs, and I

will be using these new standards in my methods classes

beginning with the spring semester.

Discussing the concept of research replication, a highly

respected colleague recently mentioned that music

education does not replicate enough quantitative studies.

Prince, in 1970, advocated for the importance for

replicating quantitative research stating,“replication of

experimental studies should be the rule rather than the

exception” (p. 1). Replication is intentional repetition of

previously performed research “to corroborate or

disconfirm the previous results” (Köhler & Cortina, 2019).

For research to be credible, studies that are repeated and

under the same or similar conditions yield similar results.

When this occurs, both reliability and validity of the

knowledge are strengthened (Viera, 2024; Zwaan et al,

2017).

As I searched for replications in published music

education research, I entered “replication” into the title

field and “music education” in the any field of Sage’s online

database. Seventy-six entries popped up, much to my

surprise. While not an exhaustive search, I found that low

number surprising. When I looked for studies using just

“replication” (title) and “education” (anywhere), I found

1,141 entries in Sage, and with just the keyword

“replication” in the title field, 1,935 entries. Again, this is

one database, but 76 entries specifically for music

education still seems low considering.

This raises many questions. Why does music education

research have such a lower number of replications in its

research base? What replications have been published and

in what areas? What could and should be replicated? What

are priorities for the music education research community

for replicating studies? Would replicating studies help with

advocacy? As you can see, I wondered about many things,

and am curious how my colleagues think about this issue.

As I think about how new music consortia allow for new

commissions, published music, and performances, I

wonder if researchers in higher education can also create

“replication consortia.” While we all are committed to

creating highly qualified music educators, quantitatively

replicated research will bring robustness to research-based

methods for teaching and learning. This seems like a new

avenue open for collaboration among our higher education

community. With interdisciplinarity (a major thrust among

campus research communities), it may also serve our aims

of preparing music educators for tomorrow’s schools.

Again, I look forward to serving you. If there is a topic you

would like discussed in this section, contact me at

higher_education@ncmea.net. Have a wonderful semester!

References

HIGHER ED SECTION

Köhler, T., & Cortina, J. M. (2021). Play It Again, Sam! An

Analysis of Constructive Replication in the Organizational

Sciences. Journal of Management, 47(2), 488-518.

doi.org/10.1177/0149206319843985

Prince, W. (1970). Fulfilling The Need For Replication In

Music Education Research. Bulletin of the Council for

Research in Music Education, 21, 22-31. www.jstor.org/

stable/40317079

Roeder, B. (2024). Aligning artistic practices: The new

2024 NC music standard course of study. North Carolina

Music Educator, 75(2), 17-19. Accessed online at

www.yumpu.com/en/embed/view/LmqchjABurxnZMwi

Viera, C. (2024). Why is replication in research

important? American Journal of Experts. Accessed at

www.aje.com/arc/why-is-replication-in-researchimportant

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by Brandon Roeder

VIMplementation: How to

Implement the VIM Standards

into Courses

This is the second in a three-part series on the changes to the Music SCOS. The spring

article will cover Unpacking Documents/Moving into 2025 – 26.

TThe music field made it known that general music is now much more

widespread in middle and high school than it was in 2010, and a data pull of

music courses revealed the ensemble-based 2010 music standards were

insufficient to meet the needs of music teachers and students in courses like

digital music production, songwriting, music theory, music appreciation,

beatmaking lab, etc. Therefore, the Data Review Committee recommended

making K – 8 general music Standard Course of Studies (SCOS) by grade level,

and a high school general music course as well. Just as with the technical theater

SCOS, we thought it prudent to offer an honors level course in addition to the

standard level. Schools are more than welcome to teach an intermediate and an

advanced level of general music as local electives.

The music pathway most similar to the 2010 Essential Standards is this one:

K – 5 general music, and moving into the Vocal and Instrumental Music (VIM)

proficiency through middle and high school. VIM has five levels which mimic the

world language standard proficiency levels. All new VIM students should begin

with Novice standards, and they can progress through the standards from there,

regardless of whether they are a middle school novice or a tenth grade novice.

What follows are excerpts from the VIM Implementation Guide found at

go.ncdpi.gov/VIMplementation-Guide. Please note there are additional scenarios

in the guide in addition to those shared in this article.


PLEASE NOTE: Images are for illustrative purposes

only. They are in NO WAY intended to be prescriptive.

It is imperative for administrators, scheduling staff, and

arts teachers at both the middle and high school levels to

create a plan appropriate to the local needs of specific

student groups as well as to fit with arts staffing and course

offerings.

What are Exploratory Courses?

Exploratory courses are used for either:

1. Elementary school VIM programs that meet less than

90 minutes per week, or

2. Middle School VIM programs that do not meet in a

year-long course.

These introductory experiences may be offered as a brief

introduction to voice and/or instruments and are not

designed to build proficiency; they are sometimes referred

to as part of a wheel and are often used to spark interest in

more intensive proficiency-based vocal or instrumental

study later in a student’s education.

Scenario 1a: In this scenario, an elementary exploratory

course is offered where the elementary teacher chooses to

focus on primarily the Present strand during once a week

instruction with simple repertoire. The middle school

teacher then begins students on the novice standards in

sixth grade, continuing through the first two quarters of

seventh grade, and then moving to the developing standards

for the rest of seventh grade and throughout eighth grade.

Course Name Connect Create Present Respond

Exploratory

5th Grade

First-Year MS

6th Grade

Second-Year MS

7th Grade

NA NA Novice NA

Novice

Novice

Developing

Key Takeaway 1: Exploratory courses do not teach the

entirety of the VIM SCOS, and therefore, do not satisfy the

Arts Education Graduation requirement. The way to

navigate the remaining middle school years of instruction

should be up to the licensed arts educator in the room;

meeting the needs of the students in the room is imperative

to effectively navigating the VIM SCOS.

Course Coding Note: Middle school exploratory

courses have the local elective code 52972Y0. Elementary

VIMexploratory courses can be coded as their VIM name.

For example, Band Exploratory is 52952Z0, Orchestra

Exploratory is 52932Z0, Vocal Ensemble Exploratory is

52912Z0, or Individual Instruments (ES Exploratory) is

52962Z0.

What do we do with Middle Schoolers?

Scenario 2a: In this scenario, the middle school teacher

starts students on the novice standards in sixth grade,

continuing through the first two quarters of seventh grade,

and then moves to the developing standards for the rest of

seventh grade and throughout eighth grade.


First-Year MS

6th Grade

Second-Year

MS

7th Grade

Third-Year MS

8th Grade

Novice

Novice

Developing

Developing

Scenario 2b: After instructing all students in the novice

standards in sixth grade, some students are ready to move

to developing standards in seventh grade, and some need to

continue to attempt to master the novice standards.

Because of this, there are two sections of seventh grade

ensembles: one meets in the morning working on the

developing SCOS, and one meets in the afternoon working

on the novice SCOS. In eighth grade, all students are

working on mastering the developing SCOS.

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Third-Year MS

8th Grade

Developing

Scenario 1b: In this scenario, the exploratory course is a

wheel offered in sixth grade. The wheel teacher focuses on

the Present and Respond strands for one 9-week quarterlong

course. The VIM teacher then starts students on the

novice standards in seventh grade with new repertoire and

then the developing standards for eighth grade.


Exploratory

9-week 6th Grade

Course

First-Year MS

7th Grade

NA NA Novice Novice

Novice

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

All sixth graders in Novice VIM

Some seventh grade students in

Novice VIM

Some seventh grade students in

Developing VIM

All eighth graders in Developing VIM

Scenario 2c: In this scenario, the middle school teacher

has strong feeder programs at every elementary school and

has a high school teacher who is prepared to take on

freshman who have mastered the intermediate level VIM

SCOS (Scenario 3b). Therefore, the middle school teacher

meets the needs of their students by teaching the novice

SCOS in sixth grade, developing in seventh, and

intermediate in eighth. This scenario requires constant

conversation between the middle and high school VIM

teachers (see table, next page).

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Second-Year MS

8th Grade

Developing

Key Takeaway: Schedules for middle school may look

more like previous high school schedules, where

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First-Year MS

6th Grade

Novice

Grade Fall Semester Spring Semester

9 Accomplished Accomplished

NEW Bachelor of Music Performance with a

Concentration in Jazz Studies, starting Fall 2025

Second-Year

MS

7th Grade

Third-Year MS

8th Grade

Developing

Intermediate


11 Advanced Advanced


“stacking” might occur within the class time (part of the

enrollment is addressing the novice level SCOS and part is

addressing the developing SCOS). This is becoming much

more accessible with the prevalence of musical flex scores,

which are written in a variety of voicings and difficulties, but

can be performed together. Trusting the licensed arts

educator in the room to meet the needs of the students in

the room is imperative to effectively navigating the VIM

SCOS.

What about High Schoolers?

Courses for high school credit are intended to develop

proficiency in the instrument of a students’ choice (voice,

piano, guitar, trumpet, violin, etc). Credit earned from these

courses satisfy the Arts Education Graduation requirement

and apply toward the Arts Education Diploma

Endorsement. Advanced courses provide the opportunity

for students to be competitive in postsecondary pursuits.

Note: Course levels are not synonymous with grade levels.

Accomplished and Advanced courses are inherently honors.

If students studied in Middle School

Scenario 3a: In this scenario, the student was prepared

through the developing level (Scenarios 1a, b and 2a, b, c),

and therefore begins in intermediate as a ninth grade

student. It takes this student two semesters to master the

intermediate SCOS, three semesters to master the

accomplished SCOS, leaving three semesters studying at the

Advanced level.


9 Intermediate Intermediate


If students did NOT study in Middle School

Scenario 4a: In this scenario, the student did not study

VIM in middle school. This scenario is applicable to those

students who had no middle school arts education, or those

who studied middle school dance, theatre, visual arts,

general music, or a different VIM discipline (for example,

this student might have studied choir in middle school and

wants to begin clarinet in high school band).


9 Novice Developing




Scenario 4b: In this scenario, the student did not study

VIM in middle school. This scenario is applicable to those

students who had no middle school arts education, or those

who studied middle school dance, theatre, visual arts,

general music, or a different VIM discipline (for example,

this student might have studied choir and wants to begin

violin in high school orchestra). Whereas the previous

scenario described a student who slowly mastered the

content, this scenario shows a student who begins in tenth

grade and quickly masters the SCOS at each level and

moves into the Advanced level for two semesters.


9 NA NA

10 Novice Developing

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11 Accomplished Advanced

11 Intermediate Accomplished



Scenario 3b: In this scenario, the student was prepared

through the intermediate level (Scenario 2d), and therefore

begins in accomplished (inherently honors) as a ninth grade

student. It takes this student four semesters to master the

accomplished SCOS, leaving four semesters studying at the

Advanced level.

Key Takeaway: Students may start the VIM sequence at

any grade and advance at the rate in which they master

content. It is possible for high school students to progress

through the levels more quickly than middle school

students due to developmental maturity. Progression

through courses and SCOS levels is independent of student

grade level.


So what does this all mean?

Overarching Takeaway: Regardless of the grade level

at which a student starts VIM instruction, everyone starts as

a Novice and has the opportunity to progress through the

five stages of VIM, allowing moving down a level in

subsequent semesters.

Key Takeaway 1: Exploratory courses do not teach the

entirety of the VIM SCOS and therefore do not satisfy the

Arts Education Graduation requirement. The way to

navigate the remaining middle school years of instruction

should be up to the licensed arts educator in the room;

meeting the needs of the students in the room is imperative

to effectively navigating the VIM SCOS.

Key Takeaway 2: Schedules for middle school may look

more like previous high school schedules, where “stacking”

might occur within the class time (part of the enrollment is

addressing the novice level SCOS, and part is addressing the

developing SCOS). This is becoming much more accessible

with the prevalence of musical flex scores which are written

in a variety of voicings and difficulties, but can be

performed together. Trusting the licensed arts educator in

the room to meet the needs of the students in the room is

imperative to effectively navigating the VIM SCOS.

Key Takeaway 3: Placement of ninth graders is

dependent on conversations between the middle school and

high school VIM teachers. Locally developed procedures for

placement can include placement tests (auditions) at the

end of eighth grade.

Key Takeaway 4: VIM students can take honors classes

as ninth graders by enrolling in accomplished coursework.

The only prerequisite for accomplished courses is the

mastery of the Intermediate SCOS.

Key Takeaway 5: VIM students may move up or down a

level in subsequent semesters.

Key Takeaway 6: Students may start the VIM sequence

at any grade and advance at the rate in which they master

content. It is possible for high school students to progress

through the levels more quickly than middle school

students due to developmental maturity. Progression

through courses and SCOS levels is independent of student

grade level.

Key Takeaway 7: To ensure the seamless continuation

of learning, middle and high school VIM teachers must be

in communication about the proficiency of every class

transitioning from eighth to ninth grade.

What Courses Will I Teach Now?

Course code crosswalks can be found on pages 21 – 26 of

the VIMplementation guide, but are shown in a condensed

form here. Whereas middle school options were graded for

music ensembles, now three proficiency levels (and a local

elective exploratory) are options for middle school students.

In high school, whereas four proficiency levels were

previously available, now all five new levels are options for

high school students.

Middle School Generic Ensemble

Old Course Options

●Ensemble Grade 6

●Ensemble Grade 7

●Ensemble Grade 8

High School Vocal Ensemble

Old Course Options

●Ensemble (Beginning)

●Ensemble (Intermediate)

●Ensemble (Proficient) (Honors)

●Ensemble (Advanced) (Honors)

What’s Next?

New Course Options

●Ensemble Exploratory (Local Elective)

●Ensemble (MS Novice)

●Ensemble (MS Developing)

●Ensemble (MS Intermediate)

New Course Options

●Ensemble (HS Novice)

●Ensemble (HS Developing)

●Ensemble (HS Intermediate)

●Ensemble (Accomplished Honors)

●Ensemble (Advanced Honors)

The Installation timeline, found at

go.ncdpi.gov/AEInstall, is where you’ll find the registration

links for the fall webinar series unpacking the framework

and each artistic practice. Register now so that you’ll be in

the loop, but know that they will also be archived in the PD

Catalog in the Arts Ed Hub for later reference. The Arts Ed

Hub will be the home for unpacking documents, including

crosswalks, glossaries, lesson plans and assessment

examples, vertical alignment documents, and more.

Western Carolina University

School of Music is proud to announce

two new voice faculty

Dr. Andrea M. Price

Dr. Isaiah M. Feken

A former Patricia and Dr. Carl S Hoveland Opera Fellow, Dr. Isaiah Feken

is a sought-after teacher and performer across the U.S. Dr. Feken has

appeared with Central City Opera, Des Moines Metropolitan Opera,

Des Moines Ballet, Crested Butte Music Festival, Pittsburgh Festival

Opera, Athens Choral Society, and was an artist in residence with

Opera Colorado for their 19-20 and 20-21 seasons. Dr. Feken is also an

active researcher; his article, “The Voice Divided,” was featured in the

Journal of Voice in January 2023. Previously, Dr. Feken was a Teaching

Associate of Voice at Drake University and served as the Artistic

Director and Principal Conductor for Drake Opera Theatre. A native

of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Feken received his B.M. from the University of

Tulsa, later completing his M.M. and D.M.A. at the University of Georgia

where he served as a principal baritone for UGA Opera Theatre.

Dr. Andrea M. Price happily joins the School of Music at Western

Carolina University after 16 years at Piedmont University in Demorest,

GA, where she was Professor of Music and most recently, Chair of the

Department of Music. She holds a BM in Voice Performance and Music

Education from Meredith College, an MM in Voice Performance from

Appalachian State University, and a DMA in Voice Performance from

the University of South Carolina. Dr. Price has also held positions on

the faculties of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Meredith College,

and Peace College, in addition to having taught music in the public

schools of North Carolina.

Dr. Price has performed the roles of Mrs. Ford in Nicolai’s The Merry

Wives of Windsor and Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. She has

performed in Italy twice in conjunction with the NC Young Artists’

Program of Raleigh, first as the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica

(Sansepolcro) and then as La Contessa in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro

(Tiber Sinfonia Festival, Monterchi). Additionally, she performed the

song cycle Orpheus and Euridice by Ricky Ian Gordon in Mykonos,

Greece and was a guest artist with duo per se, presenting a concert by

American composers in Christchurch and Auckland, New Zealand. She

has been a featured soloist with the South Carolina Philharmonic and

the Monroe Symphony Orchestra of Louisiana and has done various

solos in conjunction with the Piedmont University Great Composers

series. She was a winner of the 2010 Georgia National Association of

Teachers of Singing Artists’ Awards competition

WCU School of Music audition dates

January 25th & February 1st, 2025

music.wcu.edu (828) 227-7242


Matt Howard, Chair

Greetings all! I am Matt Howard, and it is my pleasure to

serve as the new chair for the Jazz Section. I am so thankful

for all of the work Tina Robinett did as chair for the past

two years and I look forward to continuing to work with her

as we move forward. I also want to thank Margie Harrison

and Josh Cvĳanovic for their work

as chairs before her.

I am in my 12 th year of teaching at

J.H. Rose High School. I had the

incredible – and intimidating –

opportunity to start my career at a

school with an already established

jazz program with two jazz bands.

As a tuba player, I had not really

had any formal jazz experience

before and I had no idea where to

start. My first four years were with

our beginning group, which allowed

me to get my brain around jazz

instruction. Thankfully, I was able

to work with veteran teacher Russell

Knight, who gave me all sorts of

advice and support while I also

fumbled my way through the third

trombone book as a member of the

440th National Guard band out of

Raleigh.

I have been teaching our top jazz ensemble for the past

seven years and in that time I have learned so much about

style, improvisation, and general jazz pedagogy. That

growth has included many incredible students and

ensembles and we were fortunate enough to perform as part

of this year’s NCMEA Professional Development

Conference. I know the prospect of starting a jazz band from

scratch (or walking into an established program) can be

daunting, but taking on that challenge can be incredibly

rewarding. I am looking forward to the opportunity to

support educators across the state as they start, maintain,

or extend their jazz program.

JAZZ SECTION

One of the first places a director might start to incorporate

jazz into their programs is with our Regional Jazz auditions.

We recently finished reworking the audition process (which

started way back in 2017) and are still tweaking the

material. Students do not have to be in a jazz band class at

school to participate, they just have

to be registered in a band class and

audition. All three regions (East,

Central, and West) have moved to

online auditions since COVID. This

has given directors and students a

little more flexibility in completing

auditions without having to give up

another weekend for in-person

auditions. I recently had

conversations with directors who

are trying to learn the jazz audition

process and prepare their students

and they are finding the material

rather dense.

Again, I understand that this can

be overwhelming! Please know that

I am committed to helping in any

way that I can so students can

participate in these opportunities.

We are working with college

professors around the state to

record the audition material along with explanations (like

what was done with Honors Band material in the last few

years). We won’t have those recordings ready for this year’s

auditions, but hope to have next year’s rotation recorded by

the beginning of the 2025 – 26 school year so that it’s

available as a resource for everyone in the near future.

In addition to jazz auditions, we have a plethora of

performance opportunities available across the state. These

include our Jazz MPAs sponsored by each region in the

spring. We had considerable growth in the East Region in

the past three years, and I’m excited to keep that trend

going both in my home region and across the state. There

are also a number of jazz festivals at universities across the

state which are a great place to play and hone our craft

with other outstanding musicians and educators.

Award of Excellence

Speaking of great teachers, I would like to take a moment

to recognize this year’s regional Award of Excellence

recipients.

Central Region

This year’s Central Region recipient is Matt DiDonna. He

taught at Githens Middle School in Durham for several

years and is now with Guilford County Schools. DiDonna

has a vast repository of knowledge in all things jazz and has

been instrumental in updating the drum set auditions for

the past two years, writing the drum etudes for “There Will

Never Be Another You,” “Cotton Tail,” and “Au Privave.”

West Region

The West Region recipient this year is our outgoing chair,

Tina Robinett. I had the great fortune of working with her

for eight years while she taught at one of our feeder schools,

C.M. Eppes. A great deal of our success at J.H. Rose is

thanks to her caring, thoughtful, and thorough instruction

in her time there, along with her leadership in the East

Region. She has continued that great work at Asheville

Middle School and has been incredible in her role as the

state chair the past two years.

East Region

I was humbled to have been awarded the East Region

award this year by my colleagues and I look forward to

continuing to support jazz education in every program

across the state.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you as

you pursue jazz in your programs. I can’t promise I have all

the answers, but I will be tireless in helping you in any way

that I can.

Save the Date

Mark your calendars now

for the 2025 NCMEA

Professional

Development Conference

in Winston-Salem

November 8 – 11, 2025

Music.

Mountains.

Magic.

Join us.

For more information:

brevard.edu/music

musicinfo@brevard.edu


ORCHESTRA SECTION

programs, with highlights including

performances at NCMEA Professional

Development Conference,

Worldstrides Nashville Heritage

Festival, and most recently, at Festival

Disney.

IVfME Webinar Recordings Available

Veronica Biscocho, Chair

One of my favorite parts of conference is recognizing a few

of the many talented and dedicated teachers in our state.

I’m inspired by the time and energy orchestra teachers

expend to provide high quality and creative musical

opportunities in schools, youth orchestras, counties, and

regions across the state. While I wish we could acknowledge

all the deserving educators, it is special to award Regional

Teacher of the Year and Hall of Fame/Lifetime

Achievement Awards at the NC Honors Orchestra concert

each year.

Hall of Fame/Lifetime Achievement

Donald J. Walter teaches orchestra at

Northwest Guilford Middle and High

Schools in Greensboro. He is a National

Board Certified Teacher and holds

Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music from

UNC Greensboro.

He has presented teaching clinics at

state, national, and international

conferences. Additionally, he has

published articles in the North Carolina Music Educator

and the Music Educators Journal. In 2024, he conducted

the NWHS Chamber Orchestra and, with Beth Hurley, the

NWMS Orchestra in performance at the ASTA National

Orchestra Festival in Louisville, Ky.

Walter has been a clinician for many All-County

Orchestras and NCMEA Regional Orchestras. For more

than 25 years, he has taught at the UNCG Summer Music

Camp. In 2015, he was the NCMEA Orchestra Section

Western Region Orchestra Director of the Year. In 2021, he

was a finalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award. He

is a 2025 GRAMMY Music Educator Award semifinalist.

He is active in the NCMEA and the American String

Teachers Association. For NCMEA, Walter served as

Orchestra Section chair, board delegate, secretary,

webmaster, and All-State Honors Orchestra chair. For the

Western Region he has served as Section chair and Music

Performance Adjudication chair. He is currently the

president of NCASTA.

Eastern Regional Teacher of the Year

Janice Swoope is a native of Long

Island, New York. She is currently the

lead orchestra teacher for Cumberland

County Schools, the orchestra director

at Reid Ross Classical School, and the

co-conductor and founder of the

Cumberland County Schools Middle

School Youth Orchestra. She has been

a music educator for 48 years, 40 of

which she taught in North Carolina.

Swoope holds a Bachelor of Music from Keene State College

with a major in voice and minor in violin and piano, and has

performed as a violinist with many community orchestras.

She has been an active guest clinician across the state of

North Carolina.

Under her direction, the Reid Ross Classical Orchestras

has received 34 consecutive years of superior ratings at

Music Performance Adjudications and have earned top

honors and recognition at state and national competitions.

Swoope is an active member of the NCMEA Orchestra

Section. She has served the Eastern Region as Junior

Eastern Region Orchestra chairman and Audition Site chair,

and assisted Music Performance Assessment. She served

the Western Region as an assessment adjudicator and as

conductor for the Junior Repertory Orchestra. She

presented several sessions at the NCMEA Professional

Development Conference, curriculum facilitator at the

North Carolina Middle School Conference and the

Collaborative Conference for Achievement.

Swoope earned many personal recognitions, such as the

2017 North Carolina Digital Global Award, Reid Ross

Classical School Teacher of the Year, and E.E. Smith District

Teacher of the Year.

Western Regional Teacher of the Year

Amanda Tant is a Western North Carolina music educator

and violist. Since 2014, she has been the orchestra director

at Hendersonville Middle and Hendersonville High Schools,

constructing notable growth and achievement in both

Tant serves as musical director for

the Hendersonville High School

senior play, coaching vocals and

conducting the pit orchestra of a full-length Broadway

musical every spring. She most enjoys conducting

ensembles in a variety of settings including youth

orchestras, All-County festivals, musicals, and summer

camps. Outside of her school ensembles she conducts the

Sinfonia String Orchestra of the Asheville Symphony Youth

Orchestras.

Tant holds a Bachelors of Music Education from

Appalachian State University and performs regularly as a

section violist with the Brevard Philharmonic and

Hendersonville Symphony. She is a North Carolina

Teaching Fellow alumna and an active member of NAfME.

Since 2021, she has served on the Hendersonville

Symphony Board and currently chairs the Education

Committee.

MUSIC

TECHNOLOGY

go.ncsu.edu/musictech

BECOME A MAKER

OF MUSIC MAKERS

The Music Technology degree

at NC State prepares students

to develop new technologies for

the music industry and related

sectors by combining rigorous

professional training in music

with intensive interdisciplinary

study in electrical engineering,

computer engineering, design

and arts entrepreneurship.

This is not a program in music

production, sound engineering,

or music editing. Our goal is to

train you to be inventors and

designers of new music

technologies rather than

users of existing technology.

Did you miss one of our fall webinars? Watch them

at your convenience. Recording links are on the

IVfME webpage.

Universal Design for Learning

for Inclusive Music Classrooms

Presenting Native American Music to

Various Ages in Music Education

Grant Writing 102: Writing Persuasive Proposals

and Budgets

Grant Writing 101: From Idea to Application

African Music and Music Education

in the United States

From Folk Song to Choral Literature

WHY MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

AT NC STATE?

Technology has evolved to play

a vital role in the music industry.

Our program will help you build

a foundation of theoretical and

practical skills in both music and

the related fields of engineering.

DEPARTMENT OF PERFORMING

ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

performingartstech.dasa.ncsu.edu

performingartstech@ncsu.edu

@ncstateartstech

@ncstatedance | @ncstatemusic


by Steven E. Chetcuti, Ph.D.

Putting the

in STEAM

Integrating the Arts into STEM (turning STEM into STEAM) is a powerful way

to foster creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration among students. The

purpose of this article is to help us grasp something that often feels intangible –

STEAM. STEAM is a concept that brings up many connotations, expectations, and

beliefs. Yet, despite our understanding of the STEAM initiative’s origins, we have

struggled to define its purpose in the classroom, how it can transform learning,

and how it prepares students for their futures.

When I first became a teacher, some 42 years ago, I did not fully comprehend

the potential of the arts as an educational conduit to connect the many disciplines

in a learner's academic career. Over the years, my journey as an educator and

lifelong learner has taught me that everything I needed to know as an educator

and instructional leader, I learned through the arts.

My insight into the power of STEAM came from my development of the

Performance Driven Instruction (PDI) protocol. PDI transforms the 4 Cs (Critical

Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity) into a reflective, multisensory,

student-centered learning strategy. Here’s how these concepts translate

within the realm of music and the arts:

Critical Thinking through Applied Music Analysis

Encouraging students to delve deeply into the structure, theory, and emotional

impact of musical compositions allows that student to understand the “why” of a

composition that he/she has endeavored to master. Students should be able to

articulate how their struggles have made them not only a better musician, but a

better problem solver.


Collaboration through Harmonizing

something bigger can leave a

student with a life-long memory of

accomplishment. I remember my

first rehearsal at my All-State

Festival in 1979 and being the only

baritone saxophone in the All-State

Band and the conductor pointing

out to the group that I was the only

one “so play out,” and I did.

Through

performance groups,

fostering teamwork

and collective

creativity, students

develop a sense of

personal contribution

to a greater purpose.

The process of

collaboration

provides our students

with the “how” of the

performance process.

Working together to

achieve a common

goal can give even the

most reserved student

a voice. The pride of

being a part of

society, finding our performance voice, and embracing the

importance of audience engagement through personal

expression. This is the “what” of the performance process.

The entire performance in and of itself is in perfect

alignment of Blooms Taxonomy for creating higher-order

thinking opportunities for our students.

The challenge of STEAM education is not that the arts

cannot be integrated into other disciplines, it is that we as

music educators need to provide samples of how to

effectively unleash the transformative influence that the arts

can provide to increase engagement, enjoyment,

understanding, and a deep learning experience for all

students.

A resource for STEAM integration can be found in my

website: Putting the “A” in STEAM:

//sites.google.com/view/puttingtheainsteam

The purpose of this website is to help educators identify

ways to incorporate the arts into

daily classroom instruction. There

you will find strategies and

instructional theories that I employ

in my classroom. I have also

provided many examples of how the

arts can be integrated into other

disciplines including ELA,

mathematics, world languages,

history, and physical education.

Ovation Level Sponsors

NCMEA would like to thank the following

Ovation Level sponsors of the NCMEA

Professional Development Conference.

Thanks for helping us put the pieces

together!

Creativity through Artistic

Expression

I believe that we are teaching

Creativity out of our students. I

can’t tell you how many students

have asked me, “What do I have to

do for an A?” In the Performance

Driven Instruction Protocol,

students know what their goal is.

But teachers are just as blind to

creativity. I knew a student who was

asked to create a project about the

evolution of a character in a book the class was reading. The

student created a song, played a simple four-chord

progression, alternated the accompaniment, and told a

story of the character growth of the main character in the

book. When she went to present her project, the teacher

informed her that this project was not acceptable, “becasue

she didn’t make anything” to present to the class. She

encouraged the student to make a poster or a diorama, or

something of the like. This teacher admitted that she didn’t

have any way to grade this project because she was “not a

music teacher.”

Communication through Performance

Communication is centered on sharing our message with

Many educators do not fully

comprehend the potential of the

arts as an educational conduit to

connect the many disciplines in a

learner's academic career. It is our

challenge, not as a music educator,

but as an educator, to provide an

understanding that everything we

need to know can be learned

through the arts.

Dr. Steven Chetcuti has 42 years of

teaching experience as a music and

technology teacher with a

demonstrated history of integration

and implementation of

interdisciplinary technology to

enhance all curricula in education.

Coupled with his strong professional

skills in Microsoft Office 365,

computer literacy, and motivational

speaking, Dr. Chetcuti is a crusader in the fusion of the arts

into the STEAM initiative.

For information about upcoming

auditions for Fall 2025 Entry

& Scholarships, go to:

@meredithcollegemusic

Meredith College Department of Music

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A

MUSIC DEGREE?

At Meredith, students have the opportunity to

Going

experience a tailor-made

Forte

degree program that allows

them to pursue careers in performance, education,

music therapy, music technology, composition, arts

administration, music business, and research.


Chris White, Chair

I hope winter break afforded you the opportunity to enjoy

time with friends and family, and you found a quiet

moment to rest and reflect after a busy start to the school

year. As we look back on a fall defined by monumental

challenges for many communities across our state, I want

to extend a special thank you to all who attended our

annual conference and those who played a role in making it

possible. Thank you to outgoing NCBA president Jim

Kirkpatrick for organizing the band section sessions for the

past two years, and to all the NCMEA conference planners,

clinicians, sponsors, performing groups, and volunteers for

your time and hard work to make conference so successful.

I would also like to thank Jamie Bream for six years of

service and leadership to NCBA, and the entire NCBA

board for both logistical support at the conference and for

their time and dedication to the organization throughout

the year. Thanks to our District chairs: Kelly Saunders,

Western District; Terry Reid, Northwest District; Ashleigh

Cook, South Central District; Beth Hurley, Central District;

Page Newsome, East Central District; Steven Kelly,

Southeastern District; and Karen Matthews, Eastern

District. Rodney Workman and Fran Shelton work

meticulously as our finance officers, and Ruth Petersen is

also an invaluable member of our team, updating changes

on the NCBA website and promoting our organization

through the NCBA Facebook page.

2025 NCBA

ALL-STATE BAND CLINICIANS

CHERYL

FLOYD

Middle School Band

DR. MYRA

RHODEN

9/10 Band

DR. DAMON

TALLEY

11/12 Band

BAND SECTION

Preparations are already underway for our 2025

conference. The application form for performance

ensembles is due May 1, and can be found on the NCBA

website. Also consider putting together a proposal for

presenting a session.

As you prepare for our many spring NCBA events, please

visit ncbandmasters.org to become aware of updated

procedures for NCBA Honors Band and MPA events. Read

over the bylaws, policies, and procedures of our

organization and adhere to deadlines and your professional

obligations. Our NCBA website is full of information that

you can use every day. Please make a habit of visiting our

website regularly, as it will make your job much easier. If

you ever have any concerns or questions, please contact

any NCBA board member. We are here to help!

As we turn the corner to the second half of the school

year, please consider working in some opportunities for

professional development. One of the most valuable

opportunities available coincides with All-State Honors

Band – the ASBDA sponsored Band Director Symposium,

coordinated by Ruth Petersen. This event is open to all

directors, regardless of whether or not you have a student

participating or ASBDA membership. All are welcome. Also

consider the plethora of conducting symposiums offered by

university bands throughout North Carolina. Each

opportunity to come together and grow through our

professional network is an opportunity to re-energize and

help our students grow too.

Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do

for band students across North Carolina.

Award of Excellence

The Award of Excellence is the most prestigious award

from the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, and is

given to one director from each NCBA district who is

currently teaching in the profession. The recipient is

selected by peer vote, and is presented in recognition of

exceptional teaching, district and state service, and other

contributions to the profession.

Western District

Kevin Young is a native of

Weaverville, and a graduate of North

Buncombe High School and Mars Hill

University. He is a sought out

trumpeter, adjudicator and teacher

throughout all of Western NC.

Young is in his 12 th year teaching

and his eighth at Enka High School,

where he is only the fourth band

director in the history of the program. During his time at

Enka, the band earned the first superior rating in grade VI

music in over 30 years. In addition, the Enka jazz bands

have also received consistent superior ratings, and the

Enka band program continues to be one of the most wellrounded

in the state. Prior to Enka, Young was the director

at Asheville Middle School, where his ensembles received

superior ratings in concert and jazz MPA events. In 2016,

his jazz band at Asheville Middle School performed for the

NCMEA Professional Development Conference.

Central District

Eddie Deaton has been director of

bands at Walter Hines Page High

School in Greensboro since 2008. He

directs the school’s concert bands, jazz

band, percussion ensemble and

marching band. While at Page, his

band students have consistently

earned spots in honor bands and

achieved multiple superior ratings at

MPA events. Prior to his appointment

at Page, Deaton was the band director

at Jordan-Matthews High School, Chatham Middle School

and Silk Hope School in Chatham County, NC from

2005 – 08.

Deaton previously served as an at-large member and

district chair of the Central District Bandmasters

Association. He received the district’s Band Director of the

Year award twice, and the Award of Excellence in 2024.

While at Page High School, he has been the recipient of the

school’s Teacher of the Year Award, and the Page Spirit

Award, 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 twelve of

the past fourteen years. He is currently in his sixth year as

the lead band director for Guilford County Schools.

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

the bands at Mendenhall Middle School and Walter Hines

Page High School. He holds a Bachelor of Music (with

Distinction) in music education with a second major in

United States history from UNC Chapel Hill. He 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.

East Central District

Steve Kuni, a National Board Certified

Teacher, joined Wake County Public

Schools 2001, after teaching in Vance

and Granville counties. He was the

director of band and fine arts

department chair at Alston Ridge

Middle School in Cary prior to his

retirement.

Kuni was born in Harrisburg, Pa.,

where he attended primary and secondary school. He

began his musical endeavors by taking up the piano at age

eight and the trumpet at nine. He began his collegiate

career at Pennsylvania State University in 1990. While at

Penn State, he studied trumpet with Rob Howard and John

Daniels as well as performing in the symphonic wind

ensemble, concert band, jazz bands, orchestra, brass choir,

university choir, Phi Mu Alpha Brass Quintet, and the

Nittany Valley Symphony. Since graduating in 1994, Kuni

has taught middle school and high school bands in

Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In 2002, he earned a

Master of Music in music education from UNC Greensboro.

Beginning his teaching career in 1995, his bands have

performed at the North Carolina MPA event, earning

consistently high ratings as well as at concert and jazz band

festivals in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Virginia and North

Carolina. His students have participated in All-County, All-

District and All-State Honors Bands, and some have grown

to become her colleagues as music educators in North

Carolina and across the U.S. He has served as Wake County

staff development chair for instrumental music, All-County

Band auditions host for Wake County, Central Region Jazz

MPA host, NC Bandmasters MPA committee, Central

District Band Member-at-Large, and an NCBA chief judge

for marching competitions throughout North Carolina.

Northwest District

Mary Kathryn Bowman Choat is in

her 12 th year as director of bands at

Hanes Magnet School in Winston-

Salem. She grew up in Winston-Salem

and actually first began her musical

career at Hanes Magnet School many

years ago.

Choat received her Bachelor of Music

Education from Appalachian State

University, where she played on the

ASU women’s varsity golf team. She received her Master of

Music in trombone performance from the University of

Texas. While there, she traveled with the UT Trombone

Choir to Paris to perform in the 2012 International

Trombone Festival.

Since her return to Hanes in 2012, Choat's bands have

consistently earned superior ratings in grade III and IV at

the Northwest North Carolina District MPA and


the West Region Jazz MPA. She has created a culture of

high performance standards at Hanes, as evidenced by the

notably large number of students placed in auditioned

honors ensembles each year including All-County, All-

District, All-State Honors, West Region Jazz, and All-State

Jazz bands. In the fall of 2022, the Hanes Band was

selected to perform at the NCMEA Professional

Development Conference.

Choat has received numerous awards throughout her

years at Hanes including the American School Band

Directors Association Encore Award in 2016, Band Director

of the Year for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in

2017, and the Outstanding Jazz Educator Award for the

West Region Jazz section of North Carolina in 2019. She

frequently serves as a guest clinician for honors ensembles

throughout the state.

In addition to her position at Hanes Magnet School,

Choat is also the assistant director of athletic bands at

Wake Forest University. She performs regularly throughout

North Carolina in many professional ensembles including

the Camel City Jazz Orchestra, the Piedmont Wind

Symphony, and the North Carolina Brass Band.

South Central District

The South Central District Award of

Excellence winner is the late Ian

Faires. After graduating from Garinger

High School in 1995, he earned his

Bachelor's of Music Education from

Appalachian State University. In 2000,

he began his teaching career spanning

nearly 23 years and across four school

districts. During his time teaching for

Union County Schools, Faires was a

recipient of the Teacher of the Year

award for Porter Ridge High School. He was instrumental

in building the marching band program to one of the

largest in the state. Under his direction, the Band of Pirates

received many accolades and traveled to Hawaii to perform

in the annual Pearl Harbor Day Parade.

Growing up in a musical family, he was a lifelong church

musician. He attended Robinson Presbyterian Church from

the time he was born, singing in choir, playing piano and

handbells, until after high school graduation. For the past

17 years, Faires attended Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in

Weddington, where he was the accompanist for Sunday

worship and all other special services and cantatas. He

played piano and organ for many weddings, funerals,

school choirs, All-State performances and was always

happy to play in the pit orchestras for local high school

musicals.

Faires’ infectious personality, love of family and friends,

dedication to serving the Lord with his gifts, ridiculously

loud laugh, ability to embarrass you at any moment, love of

game shows, sweet tea, Star Trek, late 80’s teen tv shows

and demand for excellence from his students and himself

are the things that will be missed most.

Southeastern District

Ben Edwards has dedicated over 24

years to teaching band at South

Brunswick Middle School in

Southport. Before teaching there, he

spent several years teaching in

Sampson County at Lakewood High

School and Salemburg Middle School.

Edwards was born and raised in

Fayetteville and is a proud graduate of

Cape Fear High School. After high

school he attended Appalachian State University where he

earned his degree in music education and Master of Music

in euphonium performance.

Learning to adapt to the ever-changing needs of his

students, Edwards has developed teaching techniques that

incorporate technology with effective musical techniques to

engage modern students and make learning a musical

instrument enjoyable. Using these methods led his bands

to receive excellent and superior ratings at MPA and

Carowinds, and to individually excel at both district and

state competitions. One of his highest honors, however, is

knowing that several of his former students have gone on to

become band directors or study music beyond high school.

Eastern District

Matt Howard is in his 12 th year of

teaching at J.H. Rose High School. He

completed his Bachelor of Music as a

Teaching Fellow at East Carolina

University. He then went on to earn

his Master of Music from ECU, where

he was a graduate teaching assistant

with the ECU Marching Pirates under

Dr. Bill Staub.

Under Howard's direction, the

ensembles at J.H. Rose consistently earn superior ratings

in Grade V/VI at MPA and Jazz MPA. The J.H. Rose Wind

Ensemble performed at the NCMEA Professional

Development Conference in 2016 and the top jazz

ensemble performed at conference this year. Howard is an

active leader on the campus of J.H. Rose, serving on the

scheduling and scholarship committees and as a beginning

teacher mentor. He serves as the lead teacher for the Pitt

County Schools High School Band PLN and regularly hosts

student teachers from ECU. He also serves as the Eastern

District High School Auditions site host and is East Region

Jazz MPA chair. He has served as both the chair and

auditions chair for East Region Jazz and is the NCMEA

Jazz Section chair. Howard served in the North Carolina

National Guard as a member of the 440 th Army Band and

maintains an active performing schedule in the eastern

part of the state.

NCBA Hall of Fame Inductees

Founded in 2002, the NCBA Hall of Fame honors retired

or deceased NCBA members who made significant

contributions to the improvement of music education and

betterment of the teaching profession. Criteria includes

active service in North Carolina for a period of not less than

ten years, demonstration of excellence in the teaching of

music, consistent maintenance of a well-balanced band

program with active participation in various activities of

the organization, and fulfillment of the highest ideal and

professional integrity during the time of service.

Congratulations to this year’s inductees!

Dr. Scott Carter

Dr. Scott Carter is the former director

of bands and instrumental music chair

at East Carolina University. He was

elected to membership in the

American Bandmasters Association.

He earned his DMA from the

University of Cincinnati, College-

Conservatory of Music; and his MM

and BM from East Carolina University.

He is the former director of bands at

Campbell University, and was a

doctoral conducting associate at the University of

Cincinnati. His extensive public school experience has

included teaching instrumental music in Rocky Mount,

where his marching band won the Marching Bands of

America Grand National Championship three times.

Carter was active in the NC music education community

and was a frequent clinician adjudicator for marching band

and concert band events across the state.

Samuel Gudger

Samuel “Buddy” Gudger, a native of

Candler, completed his secondary

education at Enka High School and

earned a bachelor's in music education

from Mars Hill College in 1985. In

2013, he earned a Master of Arts in

educational leadership from Gardner-

Webb University.

Gudger's teaching career began in

Duplin and Brunswick counties. During

that time, he served on the board of directors and as

district chair of the Southeastern District Bandmasters

Association. He was Teacher of the Year (1996 – 97) for

South Brunswick High School. In 2000, he returned to

western North Carolina to teach at Hendersonville Middle

School until his retirement in 2018. Gudger was the HMS

Teacher of the Year for 2005 – 06, and received the NCBA

Award of Excellence for the Western District in 2009.

His commitment to excellence in music education is

evident through the consistently superior ratings achieved

by his bands at middle and high school MPA events. His

students achieved regular placements in All-County, All-

District, and All-State ensembles and superior ratings at

Solo and Small Ensemble Festivals. In 2014, the

Hendersonville Middle School Eighth Grade Band was

invited to perform at the NCMEA Professional

Development Conference.

Band Directors Symposium

Thank you to Fuller's Music and ASBDA-NC, which have

sponsored the last three symposiums held in conjunction

with All-State Band. The 4 th Annual Band Directors

Symposium will also be held in conjunction with the NCBA

All-State Honors Band Clinic at UNC Greensboro. The

symposium will be from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the UNC

Greensboro School of Music on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

All band directors are welcome! You do not need to have a

student participating in All-State Band in order to

participate in the symposium. This is a great place to

connect with other band directors and earn professional

development credit. You can attend one session or observe

an All-State Band rehearsal each hour (if a rehearsal is

being held at that time.) You can also attend the All-State

Band rehearsals and/or the concert for credit hours on

Sunday.

Sessions will include content relevant to new and veteran

teachers. We have a marching band track and a concert

band track. An option to order a box lunch will be provided

for Saturday. Registration will be open March 11 – April 11.

banddirectorsymposium.rsvpify.com

Band Directors Symposium

UNCG - May 3, 2025: 9am-2pm

Earn credit hours for PD!

Network with band directors in NC!Held

in conjunction with All-State Band!


ACROSS THE DISTRICTS

COLLEGIATE SECTION

Cris Lim, Collegiate Chair

Christie Lynch Ebert, Advisor

District 5

District 5 saw many successes in 2024. Our music

educators kept students first, exemplifying best practices in

advocacy, leadership, collaboration and pedagogy. They

facilitated several performance experiences for their

students in the calendar year. Brent Davis’ band students at

Mendenhall Middle School participated in a master class

with international jazz vocalist and tenor saxophonist

Camille Thurman, sponsored by Music in a Great Space.

Our music educators actively sought to improve their

practice last year. Martin Pruitt and Tonya Allison attended

the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) National

Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. We also celebrated many

accolades and retirees in District 5 this year. Anna Wade

(Forsyth) received the Musicians Award from the North

Carolina Symphony. The Wachovia Winds and North

Carolina Composers Consortium commissioned new pieces

written by state composers. The compositions were written

for each grade level of difficulty.

Greetings, collegiate music educators! We want to

introduce your collegiate state officers and let you know we

are grateful you are choosing to enter the music teaching

profession! We have many exciting opportunities and

resources to share with you, your advisors, and others

involved with collegiate music education over the course of

the next year.

Lisa Runner, who served as Collegiate Advisor for the last

nine years, and honored her posthumously with the

Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Education.

The Cash and Piney Grove Elementary School choruses

joined the Hanes Magnet School chorus and orchestra to

perform a Christmas Stocking Benefit Concert in

Kernersville. They raised over $2,000 for families in the

area. Cash also performed in conjunction with Sedge

Garden Elementary. They collaborated with Heart of the

Triad Choral Society to premiere a work by North Carolina

composer Adam Mitchell, the chorus director at Cash

Elementary School.

Oakwood Elementary School performed Finding Nemo

Jr. under the direction of music teacher Julia Fair. They

also had an after school group of students, staff and

homeschoolers from the community, the Cardinal Carolers,

who performed at the fall farmer’s market and Christmas

tree lighting ceremony.

Clemmons Middle and Diggs-Latham Elementary Schools

had students perform in their board of education meetings

under the direction of Ron Forsh and Tonya Allison. The

music department at Meadowlark Middle School took

band, chorus and orchestra students to Disney World for

their Soundtrack Session Workshop. Students got to work

with Disney teaching artists in a recording studio

environment and were treated as professionals in the music

industry. The music teachers at Meadowlark are Andrew

Litten (band), Theresa Kennedy (chorus) and Fabrice

Dharamraj (orchestra).

Many of our District 5 communities were affected by

Hurricane Helene. Support from across the state was

provided to those areas to help with food, clothes, shelter

and the like. Our district rallied to help music teachers

replace instruments and equipment so students continued

to have a meaningful learning experience beyond the

storm.

Ron Forsh

District 5 President

District5@ncmea.net

District 6

The music programs across District 6 have been very

active during the fall semester. From adjudicated marching

band competitions, to All-State Orchestra, to the

Elementary Honors Chorus, our schools have been well

represented. To note, Cuthbertson High School Blue Note

Winds performed at the NCMEA Professional Development

Conference in Winston-Salem. The Union Academy

Charter School Marching Cardinals performed in Hawaii

for the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade on December 7,

2024. In addition, the Hickory Ridge Bands were recently

recognized as one of the “Best Communities for Music

Education” (SupportMusic Merit Award). It is apparent

that the teachers in District 6 have had a positive impact on

music education in North Carolina.

Please meet our outgoing and new 2024-25 State Officers

(pictured from left to right: Caroline Fortune (outgoing

corresponding secretary); Isaac Reyes (past president);

Mallory Young (recording secretary); Cris Lim (president);

Caleb Todd (corresponding secretary); and Annie Pinto

(vice president/president-elect).

We extend our congratulations to all Collegiate officers

for a very successful NCMEA Professional Development

Conference! The Collegiate Section helped “put the pieces

together” with 18 sessions and three pop-up performances;

held the annual business meeting with special guests

(Jazzmone Sutton, James Daugherty, and Jeremy Tucker);

elected new officers; hosted a social for Collegiates with a

DJ and snacks; shared appreciation to outgoing officers;

and recognized Gardner-Webb University with the Chapter

of Excellence Award for service!

Honoring Dr. Lisa Runner with collegiate member Caroline Fortune

accepting the plaque on her behalf and with members of the

Appalachian State University community.

We have many exciting plans for the current year,

including opportunities to connect across our state as we

focus on the Blueprint for Strengthening the Music Teacher

Profession with a major emphasis on communication and

visibility for all stakeholders. We will do this through

virtual opportunities beginning with a webinar for chapters

and advisors in January; connecting with other sections

and committees, (such as mentoring, young professionals,

teacher education, advocacy, and the Inclusive Vision for

Music Education committee); promoting national and state

resources for busy college students that you can use now;

and sending delegates to North Carolina’s Arts Day this

spring and Hill Day in June.

Please reach out to us, and be sure to follow Collegiates

(both NCMEA and NAfME) on social media:

Instagram instagram.com/collegiatencmea

The East Forsyth Middle School Band and Chorus

performed at the Kerners Ridge Assisted Living facility for

Community Service Day. Students were led by Ric Sigler

(band) and Jamie Shear (chorus).

Douglas Rowe

District 6 President

District6@ncmea.net

Gardner-Webb Collegiate members and advisor, Dr. Eric Johnson,

receive the Chapter of Excellence Award for Service

Facebook facebook.com/cncmea21

Instagram instagram.com/nafmecollegiateofficial/

Facebook facebook.com/cnafme

The Collegiates and NCMEA community recognized Dr.


Jeannine DuMond, Chair

Greetings! I am Jeannine DuMond, and I look forward to

serving you as the Elementary Section chair for the next two

years. I have taught elementary music for over 35 years with

the past 30 years in Guilford County. I received my

Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in music education

from UNC Greensboro. I have maintained my National

Board Certification since 2006 and am Level III Orff-

Schulwerk and Level II World Music Drumming certified.

Mentoring novice teachers

is a passion of mine, and I

coordinate our New to

Guilford and Beginning

Elementary Music Teachers

and Mentors program for

Guilford County. I have been

an Elementary All-County

clinician for several counties

in North Carolina and work

closely with UNC Greensboro,

Greensboro College, and

Appalachian State University

to host student teachers and

students early in their music

education journey.

As a musical director at The

Community Theatre of

Greensboro for 15 years, I

have directed many wellknown

musicals such as The

Lion King JR., Hairspray Jr.,

Shrek, Beauty and the Beast JR., Godspell JR., The Wizard

of Oz, Newsies JR., and Matilda. Since joining the

production team in 2014 for the award-winning Centerstage

Youth Performing Troupe, we have won the prestigious Best

Overall Performance and Excellence in Music six times at

the Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Ga., and Sacramento,

Calif. I also serve on the board of directors for The

Community Theatre of Greensboro.

As your section chair, I aim to ensure all 100 North

Carolina counties have a voice. The elementary board is

ELEMENTARY SECTION

here to help and be a resource for you. Please consider

being a contact for your county and connect with your

District Rep. Elementary Board. Get involved with NCMEA

and let your voice be heard.

Conference Highlights

(from top) Shaun Howe and the Vienna Elementary School Chorus;

Christy Royal and the Oak Ridge Elementary Colts Chorale

After a successful NCMEA Professional Development

Conference, I trust you have been able to implement some

of the ideas and techniques

you learned and are excited to

start 2025 with renewed

energy and engage your

students in all sorts of music

making. Folk Dancing Tricks

with Dr. Rachel Grimsby, and

Traveling the World through

Song with John Jacobson got

us up and moving with enough

dances to finish the year on

our feet! Dr. Rachel

Giebelhausen's session on

Audiation in the Elementary

Classroom, learning new

repertoire with Andy Beck, and

drumming with Steve

Campbell were some of the

highlights of the conference.

Thank you to everyone for

your help with moving

instruments and making this

year's conference a success.

This year, we had 429 students audition for the

Elementary Honors Chorus. Congratulations to the 188

students selected and the 76 schools represented to perform

under the direction of Maria Peña. The concert always

brings joy and excitement; this year's concert was

exceptional. Thank you, Sarah Gray and Janae Copeland,

for your dedication to providing our students with a

memorable experience.

Congratulations to our two student performances! The

Vienna Elementary School Chorus, under the direction of

Shaun Howe, and the Oak Ridge Elementary Colts Chorale

with Christy Royal. Both groups delivered brilliant and

exceptional performances.

Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Dr. Zadda Bazzy,

our 2024 Elementary Teacher of the

Year! She has been in education for

more than 25 years, and teaches

general music at Queens Creek

Elementary School in Swansboro.

Bazzy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

in musical theatre, and a master’s and

Ph.D. in music education, as well as a

second master’s in educational leadership. She has

maintained her National Board for Professional Teaching

Standards certification since 2003, and completed her post-

Level III certification in the Orff-Schulwerk approach to

music education.

In addition to teaching, Bazzy regularly presents

professional development to her colleagues across the

district and state. She writes lessons for the North Carolina

Symphony’s Education Concerts and the Sarasota

Orchestra’s Young Persons Concerts. For the past two years,

she has worked closely with the North Carolina Department

of Public Instruction by serving on the Data Review

Committee and the Standards Resources Team for our new

it's time

TO START A

Tri-M MUSIC

honor

SOCIETY CHAPTER

state standards. In addition, this fall, she was one of only

ten music educators nationwide to participate in the

Creating a Community for All Learners – Reimagining

Standards-Based Arts Education for Equity and Inclusion

project by the National Coalition for Arts Standards. She

was a contributing author of the book The Learner-

Centered Music Classroom: Models and Possibilities.

Congratulations Dr. Bazzy, on your contributions to

elementary education!

Elementary Board Updates

Chair-Elect: Jana Winders

Member-at-Large: Matt Minchew

District 1 Representative: Trish Nowlin

District 3 Representative: Nancy Stover

District 5 Representative: Marshall Pugh

Communications Manager: Autumn Paschal

Mini-Conference 2025

Please be on the lookout for the date and location of our

annual Mini-Conference. Your district representative will

send the information and the registration link. Sessions will

be announced soon. As in years past, lunch will be included

in your registration fee. Collegiate music education majors

can attend free of charge.

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:

• Build an impressive record for

college

• Grow as leaders in music

• Serve their community

Ready to start a chapter?

Visit MusicHonors.com

®

Tri-M@nafme.org | 1-800-336-3768

S


2025 Symposium for Music Teacher Education

Advancing an Inclusive Community:

Renew, Reinvigorate, Recharge

October 23–25, 2025

Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana

We invite proposals for the 2025 Symposium on Music Teacher Education (SMTE) under the theme Advancing

an Inclusive Community: Renew, Reinvigorate, Recharge. This is a time of rapid educational change, and

pathways to and through the profession are constantly evolving. SMTE provides a space to refresh our approaches,

reinvigorate our practices, and recharge our shared commitment to excellence in music teacher education. As

political shifts and uncertainties challenge traditional assumptions, we gather to critically examine our field's

foundations while imagining new possibilities. To promote an ethos of inclusivity, SMTE remains committed to

fostering dialogue across the full spectrum of music teacher education research and practice. The Society for

Music Teacher Education welcomes voices representing the rich diversity of our profession: music teacher

educators from all institutional types, music faculty from a variety of disciplines (e.g., performance, conducting,

theory, musicology), state and local arts supervisors, P–12 educators, policy officials, people involved in nontraditional

or alternative certification, deans and directors of the arts, and students in music education at both

undergraduate and graduate levels.

We welcome submissions of scholarship at all stages, from emerging studies (to be completed by October 2025) to

completed work, recognizing that meaningful contributions to our field take many forms. Proposals may address

any aspect of music teacher education, including but not limited to empirical research, philosophical inquiry,

promising practices, professional development initiatives, and policy considerations. We encourage submissions

that bridge research and practice, foster school-university partnerships, contribute to an ongoing discussion around

ideas in the Blueprint for the Music Teacher Profession, and/or examine issues connected to SMTE Areas for

Strategic Planning and Action.

GENERAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Read all information about the 2025 Symposium. The proposal submission system opens January 15, 2025.

Submissions should be submitted on or before April 15, 2025, by 11:59 PM PDT. Incomplete

submissions will not be considered.

Proposal submissions are divided into two large strands:

Research

Programs, Practices, and Issues (PPIs)

Research proposals: Original research connecting to music teacher education, conference theme, and/or

ASPAs. Works in progress are welcome but should be completed by the symposium date in October 2025.

Programs, Practices, and Issues proposals: Describe specific programs, practices, or current issues in music

teacher education. Include justification, rationale, context, and supporting literature.

NAfME Music Teacher Profession Initiative

“The process of preparing music educators to meet the needs of a nation with

rich diverse needs, cultures, and resources embodies the challenges colleges

and universities must recognize to improve candidate readiness to enter and

thrive in any community.”

—A Blueprint for Strengthening the Music Teacher Profession, June 2023

NAfME formed the Music Teacher Profession Initiative in 2021 to identify barriers

to equity in music teacher recruitment, education, and retention. A task force of

NAfME leaders representing institutions of higher education across the country

conducted research related to the challenges facing high school students as

they make the decision to pursue a career in music education, preservice music

educators in their undergraduate degree programs, and novice music educators

in their first five years in the profession.

The project was executed with the perspective of

widening the path to the profession by cultivating and

strengthening more inclusive and equitable processes in

recruiting, teaching, and nurturing a robust music teacher

workforce. A Blueprint for Strengthening the Music

Teacher Profession (released in June 2023) describes the

task force’s process, outcomes, and recommendations

for action. The report reveals the deeply complex nature

of tackling evolution in music teaching and learning.

The issues addressed are not easily remedied. We call on

educators and administrators who have a vested interest

in music teaching and learning to take an active role in

moving our culture forward in ways that are inspiring,

inviting, and inclusive.

The Future of Music Education

https://bit.ly/NAfMEMTPI

Challenge

Solution

Challenge

Solution

BEFORE

THE

DEGREE

PROGRAM

Inequitable distribution of

funding, physical resources, and

human resources

Federal policymakers should increase

funding for Titles I and IV-A of the Every

Student Succeeds Act to ensure

students have equitable access to a

well-rounded education that that

includes music.

Participation, transportation, and

private instruction expenses

School districts should offer free or

highly subsidized rental programs and

private lessons for students from

low-income families.

DURING

THE

DEGREE

PROGRAM

Persistent inequities in how

students are recruited,

auditioned, and enrolled

Higher education should expand

audition/interview requirements to be

more inclusive of diverse ways of being

musical and demonstrating musical

knowledge.

Lack of alignment between

university program content and

professional expectations in PK12

instruction

Higher education should revise music

education curriculum to be more

culturally sustaining, equitable, and

reflective of the needs of schools and

communities.

DURING THE

FIRST 5

YEARS OF

PROFESSIONAL

LIFE

Low teacher pay and professional

expenses (student loan debt,

certification, etc.)

Federal, state, and local policymakers

should position salaries, raises, bonus

structures, tax credits, and other

financial incentives to entice new music

teachers into the field.

Isolation stemming from

geography or being the only

music teacher in a building

State and national music education

organizations should promote the

institution of affinity groups to serve as

safe spaces in which educators’

identities are reflected and open and

honest discourse is fostered.

Learn more about the proposal formats accepted, proposal limitations, and submission procedures.

Challenge

Limited curricular offerings

Lack of funding and time for

meaningful professional

development and mentoring.

LEARN MORE: nafme.org/blog/call-for-proposals-2025-symposium-for-music-teacher-education/

Solution

Music educators should create new

courses that engage a wider array of

students.

State and national music education

organizations should prioritize

programs, professional development

and conferences for new-career music

educators.

© 2023 National Association for Music Education

bit.ly/NAfMEMTPI | #MoreTeachersMoreMusic


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

44 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR

Go to bit.ly/NAfMEgrassroots (case-sensitive) and

take action today.

North Carolina Music Educator Winter 2025

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