Women in Music Series

The Women in Music in Speaker Series has developed into the hallmark of the Sorority’s National Programs. An integral component of District and National Conventions, this program engages our members by providing the opportunity to meet women who work in various aspects of the music profession, for example, professional performers, music therapists, and educators. This program attempts to connect members with our mission statement by giving women in music a platform to speak. This program was first launched during the 1997 District Convention season. Every year since the National Council of Tau Beta Sigma has recognized women in the field of music to speak and/or perform at both district and national conventions. Although early in the execution of the program the participants were largely chosen from those within the current membership, the program has grown and evolved into a nation-wide search to find women with compelling stories to tell and words of wisdom to bestow upon our membership. Notable speakers in the recent past include performer Cora Coleman-Dunham, composer Julie Giroux, and assistant director of “The President’s Own” Marine Band, Captain Michelle Rakers. To watch some of our past Women in Music Speakers, visit the Tau Beta Sigma 4Gr8rBands Youtube Channel.       For more information about this program, see THE TAU BETA SIGMA PROGRAMS GUIDE.

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2024 Speakers

Dr. Jingwen Zhang (NED): March 9, 2024
Jingwen Zhang PhD, MT-BC, LCAT is an assistant professor at State University of New York at New Paltz. She received a B.A. in Music Therapy from the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing, China), an M.S. from the State University of New York at New Paltz (NY, U.S.), and a PhD from Temple University (PA, U.S.).

Dr. Jingwen Zhang’s research is rooted in her clinical work in general medical setting, speech-language rehabilitation and neurological rehabilitation, and mental health setting. She coordinated the research, the Effects of a Music Therapy Respiratory Protocol on Post-Covid-19 Respiratory Symptoms and the intervention phase for Music Therapy Experiences in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) at the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. She completed her dissertation, Developing an Improvised Generative Speech Protocol for People with Aphasia: Music Enriched Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (MeVNeST) in December 2022. Her dissertation received the MAR Research Award in 2021. Dr. Jingwen Zhang is on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Music and Medicine and serves as the chair of the Global Reporting Committee and a member of the research committee of the American Music Therapy Association-Mid Atlantic Region. Jingwen is also a passionate musician who plays a string instrument, erhu. She is a member of the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York and performs with the group regularly.

Dr. Kellye Hall (SED): March 23, 2024
Kellye Hall is a Board-Certified Emergency Physician currently practicing Occupational Medicine in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has practiced medicine for eighteen years, thirteen of those being in the Emergency Department. She is a two-time best-selling author as a contributing author in The HBCU Experience Anthology: North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Edition and an expert author in The HBCU Experience: The HBCU Band Alumni Edition. Born in Rochester, New York, but raised in Soul City, North Carolina, she fulfilled her dream of becoming a physician by attending college at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. She has the honor of being the first female drum major of the Blue and Gold Marching Machine. She pledged the Theta Zeta Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, National Honorary Band Sorority in the spring of 1997. She is also a lifetime member of Tau Beta Sigma. She pledged the Alpha Mu chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated in the spring of 2000. She is also a lifetime member and current member of the Charlotte Alumnae Chapter. She attended medical school at The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and stayed there for her emergency medicine residency. Her experiences in the field of emergency medicine have led to her desire to write about her experiences with people, both in and out of medicine. Her memoir, I Am the Beat: God Sets the Pace, documents her journey into medicine. Over the past five years, she has returned to her true passion, dance. While it was always God’s plan for her to be a physician, in 2019, she joined forces with former NBA dancer and hip-hop dance studio owner, Ana Ogbueze to become the Co-Owner and COO of NC Dance District, Incorporated. She is a dancer with Project: FULL OUT, an NC Dance District affiliate. She is married to her husband Eric Hall, and she has two daughters, Alessandra, and Alexandria.

Dr. Courtney Snyder (NCD): April 6, 2024

Dr. Courtney Snyder is Associate Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting at the University of Michigan, where she conducts the Concert Band, teaches conducting, and conducts the Michigan Youth Symphonic Band. Under her artistic leadership, the Concert Band was invited to perform at the College Band Directors Association North-Central Division Conference.

Previously, Snyder served as the assistant director of bands and director of athletic bands at the University of Nebraska-Omaha where she conducted the “Maverick” Marching Band, conducted the Concert Band, served as associate conductor of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and taught courses in conducting, music education, and brass methods. While in Omaha, Snyder also served as music director for the Nebraska Wind Symphony, which, under her direction, was invited to perform at the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association annual conference. Prior to teaching at the collegiate level, Snyder taught high school and middle school band and orchestra in the Michigan public schools.

Dr. Snyder is an active guest conductor and clinician. She has presented at national and international conferences including the Midwest Clinic, World Association of Symphonic Band Ensembles, College Band Directors National Association, College Music Society, and Women Band Directors International. Her current projects include research in conducting movement kinesiology, promoting equity through programming and commissioning works by women and minority composers, and building a strong community of women band directors. She is President of Women Band Directors International and serves on the editorial board for The Woman Conductor journal.

Snyder is published in Music Educators Journal, The Instrumentalist, several volumes of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, School Band & Orchestra Magazine, The Woman Conductor, and Association of Concert Bands Journal. Her chapter “Trailblazers: Five Pioneering Female Band Directors Recount Their Journeys Over the Last 50 Years” in the book The Horizon Leans Forward…Stories of Courage, Strength, and Triumph of Underrepresented Communities in the Wind Band Field will be published in December 2020. In 2018 she received Tau Beta Sigma’s Paula Crider Award. She earned 2nd Place of the 2017-2018 American Price in Conducting, Band/Wind Ensemble Division Competition and was given a Citation of Excellence award by the National Band Association.

Dr. Snyder is a graduate of the University of Michigan (DMA – conducting), Baylor University (MM – conducting) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (BME). She is a member of College Band Directors National Association, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Women Band Directors International, National Band Association, National Association for Music Education, College Music Society, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Dr. Jennifer (Amox) McGowen (SWD): April 6, 2024
Dr. Jennifer Amox McGowen is the Department Chair and Associate Professor of Music at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, where she leads an amazing group of faculty and staff and an equally amazing group of students. In addition to teaching the four-semester music theory sequence and occasional music education and music technology courses, she serves on the MSU-Texas faculty senate and Navigate CRM Faculty Champion team. Jennifer also serves as a board member and instructional technology consultant for Organizational Consultants of America, a Texas-based healthcare organization operating an assisted living facility serving residents suffering from mental illness. Prior to her appointment at MSU, Jennifer served as the Coordinator of Music Theory and Associate Professor of Music at Henderson State University, where she taught applied flute, woodwind methods, music theory, music literature, Humanities, and music education Technology. Jennifer served as the chair of the Teaching and Learning Council during the COVID-19 and financial exigency crises affecting HSU, eventually transitioning the group into a faculty support group entitled “From the Ashes” that focused on mid and late-career transitions into fields outside of academia. Her proudest achievement at HSU was directing HSU Flutes, one of the largest flute ensembles in the state, which toured annually throughout Texas and Arkansas, presented planetarium concerts in conjunction with the HSU Society of Physics, and fundraised over $20,000 for student travel and instrument purchases. Members of HSU Flutes have become trailblazers in music, teaching, medicine, counseling, accounting, and law. The success of the program garnered the attention of the national publication Flute Talk, which interviewed Jennifer for a cover feature in 2019. Jennifer has performed with the Houston Civic and Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, as well as Orchestra of the Pines, Ballet Forte, the Little Rock Wind Symphony, and the National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir, and was also featured on Phillip Schroeder’s 2011 release, Passage through a Dream. Her true passion is chamber music, and she is a founding member of the Mockingbird Quartet (4 flutes), Triple Dame Trio (flute/oboe/piano), HornPipe Duo (flute/horn), and Apple Blossom Duo (2 flutes). These chamber ensembles frequently perform at regional and international conferences. In addition to teaching at the collegiate level, Jennifer has taught band and choir at the elementary and secondary levels in the North Little Rock (AR) and Pasadena (TX) school districts. She served as newsletter editor for the Houston Flute Club and Texas Flute Society in the early 2000s and was a frequent contributor to Flute Talk magazine prior to its closing in 2021. Jennifer holds degrees from the University of Memphis (DMA), Stephen F. Austin State University (MM) and Henderson State University (BM), with additional coursework from the University of Central Arkansas (instructional technology) and the University of St. Thomas (teacher certification). An obsessive consumer of self-help and productivity media, Jennifer is in the process of finding a healthy work-life balance and enjoys traveling, riding bikes, playing pool, and binging TV with her husband, daughter, and delightfully lazy bulldog and two cats.

Katy Ambrose (MWD): April 13, 2024
Katy Ambrose is Visiting Assistant Professor of Horn. Ambrose has created and cultivated several chamber ensembles, including Seraph Brass, Izula Horns, and the natural horn quartet Conica. She recently served as interim Operations Coordinator for the Boulanger Institute, an organization working to promote music written by and for women, helping to launch their inaugural festival in March 2019. Katy is especially interested in mentoring younger musicians and has developed programs for several engagement initiatives in the Delaware and Philadelphia areas, as well as through the Charlottesville Symphony. Her academic research explores race and power dynamics in the history of the horn in the United States.

Martha Stoddard (WD): April 13, 2024
Martha Stoddard enjoys a multi-faceted musical career as conductor, composer and flutist in the SF Bay Area. She assumed the leadership of the Oakland Civic Orchestra in 1997 and began her 26th season as Music Director in the Fall of 2023. Originally trained as a flutist, she is principal flute for the Handel Opera Project and Piedmont Chamber Players, and performs chamber music throughout the region.

Ms. Stoddard also holds conducting positions with the Community Women’s Orchestra and the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra, and is a regular guest conductor of the Awesome Orchestra. Previous conducting posts include the Holy Names University Community Orchestra, San Francisco Composers’ Chamber Orchestra, and Resident Conductor for Enriching Lives Through Music.

2023 Speakers

Jesénia Jackson (NED) March 18, 2023
Jesénia Jackson is a composer, songwriter, & producer. She has served as an orchestrator, scored several indie films, composed for fashion shows, & served as a Music Director for theatre. Jesénia has just recently served as the assistant to the orchestrator on the Off Broadway musical (TREVOR). Her works have premiered in national and international venues. In 2019, Jesénia’s concert piece, STAGES (I Movement) was performed by The PHACE Ensemble in Vienna, Austria. Her most recent work includes AJ’s Story (October 2022), and Sonny’s Blues (New York International Film Festival).

As a singer-songwriter, Jesénia released her first EP, Introducing Jesénia Jackson, in June 2022. She currently serves as the Women In Music Washington, D.C. Chapter Chair, member of the New York Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL) & Alliance for Women Film Composers (AWFC) and piano & vocal instructor at The International School of Music. Jesenia currently works out of her home studio in Maryland. Her most recent awards include being nominated for the DC Wammies for Best Advocacy Award.

Jesénia holds a Master of Music degree in Screen Scoring from New York University (2020) and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Spelman College (2018).

Dr. Leigh Muñoz (MWD) April 14, 2023
Leigh Muñoz is Assistant Professor of Bassoon at UMKC Conservatory and on the faculty for the Bassoon Intensive at Interlochen Arts Camp. Prior to her appointment at UMKC, she has held bassoon teaching positions at Middle Tennessee State University, University of Missouri, Washburn University and Missouri State University. Leigh is second bassoon of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) and a regular substitute bassoonist and contrabassoonist with the Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera, and Kansas City Ballet. Leigh has performed as concerto soloist with the University of Missouri Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, University of Kansas Wind Ensemble, University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra, Ottawa University Symphony Orchestra and Ohio University Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Maria Castillo (SED) April 1, 2023
As an orchestral musician Mrs. Castillo was the Associate Principal of the Caracas Municipal Symphony Orchestra until 2015, and has performed with a great deal of orchestras in México, Venezuela and the United States such as, the Caracas Municipal Symphony, the Venezuelan Symphony, the Venezuela National Philharmonic, the Miami City Ballet, the New World Symphony, the Sphinx Symphony, the Mazatlán Sinfonietta, the “Sinaloa de las Artes” Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Acadiana Symphony and the Lake Charles Symphony.

Dr. Ann Hicks (NCD) April 1, 2023
Ann M. Hicks teaches music education at Ball State University. Prior to obtaining her current teaching position, she taught instrumental music for grades 5-12 in Iowa, as well as taught at the university level at Ball State University and The Ohio State University. Dr. Hicks holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Iowa State University, a Master of Music Education and Clarinet Performance degree from Ball State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from The Ohio State University. At Ball State, she teaches undergraduate music education courses in woodwind techniques, introduction to music education, and supervises students’ field experiences.

Claudia Hayden (SWD) April 15, 2023
Claudia Hayden is an American flautist, producer, composer, and national recording artist, whose original jazz and funk rhythms have been heard internationally. Hayden’s new single “Turn Me Up,” released this year, is currently climbing the Billboard Charts marking a spot at #12. This single follows her 2021 chart topping hit “Central Park West.” Renowned for her impeccable tone, full-range technical expertise and creativity, this musician bridges classical genres to a world sound. A trailblazer, educated by pioneering artists, Claudia commands multiple styles with mastery. Her debut album, “Abstract,” was followed by another original CD, “The Spirit Speaks,” a sonically rich blend of Native American flute, jazz, and free improvisation. Centering the mind and the body in these jazz-infused meditative tracks, Claudia’s musicianship reaches new levels in the versatile work inspired by the Native American flutist, R. Carlos Nakai. Working in sound across mediums and industries, Hayden has composed original music for major broadcasting networks such as, HBO, CBS, The Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, VH1, BET, and Court-TV. The Louisiana native learned piano and flute as a child, studying under masters like the acclaimed jazz clarinetist Alvin Batiste and flutist Kent Jordan.

Dr. Linda Margetts (WD) April 21, 2023
Linda Margetts has been an organist on Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah, since 1981 and brings an impressive list of accomplishments to her role as Temple Square organist. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organ performance from Brigham Young University and her PhD in music composition from the University of Utah. She is a Fellow in the American Guild of Organists (F.A.G.O.) As a Temple Square organist, she performs with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Temple Square Chorale, and Bells on Temple Square and, along with her fellow organists, presents daily 30-minute organ recitals in the Tabernacle and Conference Center. She also teaches music theory in the 16-weekTabernacle Choir training school. Dr. Margetts has been a member of the music faculty at Utah State University and is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Music at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. She has lectured at the Church Music Workshop at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, for over 30 years. Some of her positions in the American Guild of Organists include Dean of the Salt Lake Chapter and Education Chairman for the Western Region. Linda Margetts and her husband, Bert, are the parents of six children and grandparents of 26.

 

2022 Speakers

Dr. Dina Bennett (MWD) March 25, 2022
Dina M. Bennett is the Director of Collections and Curatorial Affairs at the American Jazz Museum where she is responsible for overseeing the permanent collection and institutional archives of the museum, including all loans and temporary exhibits. Prior to this position, Bennett spent three years as the Curatorial Director of the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee, the first national institution dedicated to educating, preserving, and celebrating more than fifty music genres and sub-genres that were created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. She oversaw the museum’s curatorial department and served as the primary curator for the permanent exhibition.

As an ethnomusicologist, Bennett specializes in African American music-culture and has honed her expertise in telling the story of African American music and its various genres through her curatorial work in music museums. She has previously served as the Associate Director of the Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas; Director of Education at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center; and Manager of Collections and Exhibitions at the American Jazz Museum.

Dr. Bennett earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Washburn University, a master’s degree in College Student Personnel from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology with a minor in African American & African Diaspora Studies from Indiana University. Dr. Bennett has over 30 years’ experience in the music field and is an accomplished pianist. She currently serves on the advisory team of scholars for “A History of African American Music,” an interactive timeline produced as a resource for Carnegie Hall’s 2009 festival “Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy.”

Lauren Generette (NCD) April 1, 2022
Lauren Generette is completing her second stint as Manager of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra after also having been COYO’s founding manager. In January of 2022 she assumes the title Director of Instrumental Pathways Programs for The Cleveland Orchestra. She has served as a member of the Youth Orchestra Division board for the League of American Orchestras and led the Youth Orchestra’s 2015 tour to China and the 2019 tour to Europe. A native of Cleveland, Ms. Generette became a public school music teacher in Atlanta following her graduation from Howard University. She later obtained an MBA in Arts Administration and was a Fellow in the Music Program at the National Endowment for the Arts.

Dr. Brooke Stevens (NED) March 19, 2022
Sergeant First Class Brooke Stevens is an active musician, composer, and arranger, currently serving in the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps as a trumpeter and bugler since 2012. She regularly performs for military ceremonies and functions in the national capital region, notably in three presidential inaugurations and many foreign head of state arrival ceremonies. In addition to her performing duties, she also heads the unit’s Production Staff, where she has created numerous arrangements and original compositions. Her music has been performed at the White House, U.S. Capitol, and at international military tattoos. Stevens holds a Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance from the University of Northern Iowa, Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from Indiana University, and Doctor of Music in Brass Pedagogy and Literature from Indiana University. Her primary teachers include Edmund Cord, Joey Tartell, and Dr. Randy Grabowski.

Jennifer Theilacker (SED) March 26, 2022
Ms. Jennifer A. Theilacker has been actively teaching and performing for over twenty years. She is currently the assistant band director at Fayette County High School in Fayetteville, Georgia. Prior to moving to Georgia, she was directing instrumental music at KIPP: NYC at KIPP Star Harlem Middle School and teaching beginning jazz band at Jazz at Lincoln Center and at the Harlem School of the Arts. She is a past adjudicator for NYSSMA and was named the Associate conductor for the Manhattan Wind Ensemble.

Jennifer has taught instrumental music in Brooklyn, New York, at Philippa Schuyler Intermediate School (I.S. 383) for the Gifted and Talented, and at M.S. 180 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams in the Bronx. Jennifer is the past Associate Director of Music Programs at the Boys and Girls Harbor in Harlem. From 2001-2009, Jennifer was the director of the 5th and 6th grade bands in the Lampeter-Strasburg School District. Additionally, Jennifer taught band and general music at the prestigious Tatnall School in Wilmington, DE.

Jennifer is currently studying at the American Band College of Central Washington University for her Masters in Music Education. During her time at ABC, she has had the opportunity to play under the batons of composers Jan Van der Roost and Johan de Meij, and conductors Frank Wickes, Paula Crider, Anthony Maeillo, Michael Bankhead, and Lowell Graham.
Jennifer’s professional affiliations include The National Band Association, Women Band Directors International (WBDI) (New York State Representative), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Association of Black Women Band Directors (ABWBD), Minority Band Directors National Association (MBDNA),Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA).

Lindsey Cox (SWD) April 9, 2022
Lindsey Cox is an Oklahoma City based musician and artist. She is the manager and frontwoman of the orchestral dream punk band, stepmom. She is the box office manager and talent booker for Factory Obscura, an immersive art company in Oklahoma City. In 2019, she produced and performed in The March of The Sun King, an immersive performance piece featuring musicians, dancers, and aerialists that re-imagined The Beatles’ Abbey Road. In addition, she has produced several collaborative projects and concert series for Factory Obscura and other venues throughout the city. She recently produced her first stop motion music video for stepmom that has been featured in national and international film festivals. Lindsey holds Bachelor’s Degrees in both Forensic Science and Psychology from The University of Central Oklahoma, but decided to follow her heart into the arts instead.

Katie Levine (WD) April 23, 2022
Katie Levine is a composer, pianist, and teacher. She has performed as a part of various jazz ensembles, classical chamber ensembles, and musical theatre productions. Katie is active in the local music community and is President of the Seattle Music Teachers Association. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Jazz Piano Performance from Cornish College of the Arts.

 

2021 Speakers

Anna Edwards (WD Virtual Convention) April 18, 2021
Conductor ANNA EDWARDS’ musical career progression as a violinist, educator, and symphony conductor has inspired her mission to encourage and promote musical diversity at the highest level from professional, educational, and collaborative music organizations across the country. She is a passionate advocate of music from underrepresented composers on the concert stage. Currently, Edwards balances her time between conducting in the Pacific Northwest, serving as a guest conductor/clinician across the country, and developing young musicians through instruction and collaboration with professionals in concert settings. The 2021-22 season marks the ninth season for Edwards as Music Director of the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, seventh season as Music Director of the Saratoga Orchestra, and fourth season as Music Director of the Pacific Northwest Conducting Institute.

As a recognized leader for the promotion of musical diversity in symphonic orchestral music, Dave Beck, of Seattle Classical KING FM wrote, “The Seattle Collaborative Orchestra under Dr. Anna Edwards’ excellent musicianship, inspired vision, and creative leadership, is doing everything a modern orchestra should be doing to insure the future of the art of symphonic music. The spirit of collaboration among these professional, gifted amateur and excellent student musicians fosters innovation, diversity, and new possibilities in the life of the 21st century symphony orchestra. SCO is showing the way forward like no other orchestra in our region.”

Edwards continues to follow her commitment to program innovative music, which balances traditional classical music with music by women, people of color, and Northwest artists. Commissioned premieres include works by Victoria Bond, Tim Huling, Angelique Poteat, Sarah Bassingthwaighte, Leanna Primiani, Julian Garvue, Brendan McMullen, David Lien, and Andy Clausen. Anna additionally offers lectures concerning music, gender, and leadership to up-and-coming musicians and community leaders in public schools, community businesses, Colleges, and Universities.

Edwards’ dedication to quality musical performance started with her early career as a professional violinist, performing with prestigious ensembles such as the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Northwest Sinfonietta, Auburn Symphony, and multiple Seattle area chamber ensembles. As she has turned her career towards conducting, Edwards has attended numerous festivals and workshops, with mentors such as Ludovic Morlot, Michael Jinbo, Diane Wittry, Neil Thomson, and Gustav Meier. She received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Washington, and holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Masters in Violin Performance.

In 2013, 2014, and 2018, Edwards received 2nd place and then two – 1st place honors (respectively) for conducting in The American Prize, a national competition for conductors and musical ensembles. Seattle Collaborative Orchestra received two – 2nd place and then 1st place honors for The American Prize orchestra performance division. In SCO’s performance of Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto for Orchestra, American Prize described Edwards’ conducting as “strong and committed” and “…always ‘in the moment,’ showing clarity of beat, intensity and focus.…the conductor’s face is alive to each musical gesture and the nuance.”

Emily Koh (SED Virtual Convention) March 20, 2021
Emily Koh (b.1986) is a Singaporean composer+ based in Atlanta, Georgia whose music reimagines everyday experiences by sonically expounding tiny oft-forgotten details, and explores binary states such as extremities/boundaries and activity/stagnation. She especially enjoys collaborating with creatives of other specializations.

Described as “the future of composing” (The Straits Times, Singapore), Emily is the recipient of awards such as the Copland House Residency Award, Young Artist Award (National Arts Council, Singapore), Yoshiro Irino Memorial Prize (Asian Composers League), ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, Prix D’Ete (Peabody), and the Macagnoni Prize for Innovative Research (University of Georgia). Her work is supported with commissions, grants and fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, National Arts Council (Singapore), Opera America, New Music USA, MacDowell, the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, American Composers’ Orchestra, Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy, the Paul Abisheganaden Grant for Artistic Excellence (National University of Singapore) and others. Described as “beautifully eerie” (New York Times), and “subtley spicy” (Baltimore Sun), Emily’s music has been performed around the world, and is published by Babel Scores (Europe) and Poco Piu Publishing (worldwide).

Emily is currently Associate Professor of Music Composition at the University of Georgia, USA.

Dr. Carolyn Barber (MWD Virtual Convention) March 20, 2021
Carolyn A. Barber is the Ron and Carol Cope Professor of Music and Director of Bands in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Glenn Korff School of Music. She earned a B.M. in horn performance at Northwestern University, an M.M. in horn performance from Yale University, and returned to Northwestern to earn her D.M. in conducting as a student of John P. Paynter and Victor Yampolsky.

Dr. Barber began her career as a lecturer and assistant to the dean of the Northwestern University School of Music. Her duties included teaching advanced conducting and directing the university’s 118-piece Concert Band. Prior to her appointment at UNL, Dr. Barber also served as the director of bands at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Apart from her conducting and teaching at UW-L, Dr. Barber also served for five years as the principal horn of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.

As director of bands at UNL, her teaching assignment is now a hybrid of traditional academic classes and performance-based courses. This combination provides a rich atmosphere for the cross-pollination of ideas, techniques, and creative problem solving. Dr. Barber’s chief area of research is conducting practice and pedagogy, with emphasis on group dynamics (flocking and influence), and the development of ensembleship through improvisation, artistic thinking, and a broad, multidisciplinary array of rehearsal techniques. She has demonstrated and elaborated upon her work at venues including the Midwest Clinic, conferences of the College Band Directors National Association, American String Teachers Association, and the National Association for Music Education, state music educators conventions, district training workshops, and masterclass/rehearsal clinics nationwide.

Dr. Barber has received numerous awards for musical and academic achievement, including the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Distinguished Teaching Award, a Hixson-Lied Professorship, multiple National Band Association Citations of Excellence, and a United States Navy Good Conduct Medal – an unusual distinction for someone who has never had the honor to serve in the military. Most recently she was named the 2019 Martha Daniel Newell Scholar at Georgia College where she spent a semester developing a course and engaging in research focusing on the creative process. Her writing has been published in the Journal of Band Research, and she is a regular contributor to the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band reference series. In addition to her scholarly activities, Dr. Barber maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor throughout the United States and Canada. She is a member of Phi Beta Mu Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity, state chair and a member of the College Band Directors.

Dr. Emily Freeman Brown (NED Virtual Convention) March 13, 2021
Emily Freeman Brown is Music Director and Conductor of the Bowling Green Philharmonia and Opera Theater at Bowling Green State University in Ohio where in 2016, she was made Professor of Creative Arts Excellence. Brown has led eight CDs on Albany Records with the Bowling Green Philharmonia. In 2018, the 100th Anniversary year of the BG Philharmonia, the orchestra performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in Detroit’s Orchestra Hall. The BG Philharmonia has performed under her baton at the Ohio Music Educators Association in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Dr. Brown is the author of the book Dictionary for the Modern Conductor (Rowman & Littlefield).

The first woman to receive a doctorate in orchestral conducting at the Eastman School of Music, Ms. Brown has appeared as conductor with orchestras in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America including the Rochester Philharmonic, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Syracuse and Toledo Symphonies, the Dayton Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Eastman Virtuosi, Skaneateles Music Festival, Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Orchestra and Göttinger Symphonie Orchester (Germany), ​​the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony of Chile and the Bartók Ensemble, both in Santiago, the Sibiu State Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania), the Macedonia National Symphony Orchestra, the National Soloists Orchestra in Astana, and Conservatory Symphony Orchestra of Almaty (Kazakhstan), the American Festival of the Arts (Houston), Interlochen and Chautauqua summer music institutes and the all-state orchestras in Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Washington and Minnesota. Dr. Brown was in residence at the Boston University, School of Music conducting a performance of Hadyn’s Creation in Symphony Hall in 2018. In 2010 she was in residence at the University of North Texas, conducting the School’s Symphony Orchestra and leading classes in orchestral conducting. She taught a summer conducting course at the Free University of Berlin for nine years in addition to conducting master classes at the Conservatory of Music in Riga, Latvia, Santiago, Chile and many others. For the fall of 2021 Dr. Brown is teaching graduate conducting at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Ms. Brown has recorded for Naxos, Linn and Opus One Records, including eight disks on Albany Records with the Bowling Green Philharmonia under the title The Voice of the Composer; New Music from Bowling Green that have been widely heard and featured in an internationally syndicated radio program under the same name. In addition to her book Dr. Brown has published articles in the BACH journal and the Journal of the Conductors Guild. She served as President of the Conductors Guild and continues as a member of the advisory board.

Ms. Brown studied conducting and cello at the Royal College of Music in London, England where she was twice winner of the Sir Adrian Boult Conducting Prize. Her major teachers have included Leonard Slatkin, Herbert Blomstedt, Franco Ferrara, David Effron and James Dixon.

Natalie Steele (SWD Virtual Convention) March 27, 2021
Natalie Steele, Chief Executive Officer of Crossmen Productions, oversees the DCI finalist drum corps Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps, WGI finalist Crossmen Winds, and the most diverse program in the city, San Antonio Community Wind Ensemble. Ms. Steele and the Crossmen team pride themselves with actively working to build a strong culture of resiliency, respect and responsibility through all programs. As a former Crossmen alumna, Ms. Steele brings a unique and experienced perspective to the organization. Ms. Steele received her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Houston, her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Colorado State University, and her master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a proud brother of Kappa Kappa Psi, hailing from the Beta Sigma chapter at the University of Houston. Go Coogs! She has worked within the non-profit industry since 2006, serving in various leadership positions in youth development, marketing and membership with YMCAs in Texas and California. Consistent with her broad-based experience in the nonprofit industry, Steele currently focuses on development, communications and strategy at Crossmen Productions. Steele, born in California and raised in Austin, Texas, currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with her partner of 8 years, their dog Monte, and two cats, Lily and Bones. When she is not busy with the Crossmen, she is passionate for the arts, music, the Spurs and San Antonio culture and spends (probably too much) time outside with her furry little family.

Andrea Liguore (NCD Virtual Convention) May 10, 2021
Andrea Liguore is a solo practitioner who opened her firm to serve the needs of musicians and entertainers in the Northeast Ohio area. Her practice is focused on music, entertainment, and business law, and she is experienced in contract drafting, negotiation, business formation, and copyright registration. She believes all artists should have resources available to them to protect their works and their business to build a successful career.

Terri Lyne Carrington (National Convention) July 15, 2021
Multiple Grammy Award–winning drummer, producer, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington has recorded and toured with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Dianne Reeves, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Diana Krall, Yellowjackets, Cassandra Wilson, and countless other jazz luminaries.

Carrington made history as the first woman to win a Grammy Award in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category for Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue, a reimagining of the Duke Ellington classic.

Her collaborations with Esperanza Spalding and Geri Allen, as well as her female-driven Mosaic Project recordings, have received critical acclaim. She is Zildjian Chair in Performance at Berklee College of Music and received an honorary doctorate from the college in 2003 as well as a bachelor’s degree in 1983. She also serves as artistic director for the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival and Berklee’s Summer Sessions: Women’s Performance Program, and is co-artistic director of the Carr Center in Detroit, Michigan.

2020 Speakers

MWD & NED Virtual Conventions – Audrey Hausing- Music Therapist

Audrey has been providing person centered, trauma-informed, holistic music therapy for two decades. She earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s of music therapy at Temple University and is a board-certified music therapist. She facilitates music experiences within a therapeutic relationship to support children, adolescents, and adults as they explore their strengths, needs, and goals. Audrey has worked with people experiencing a variety of struggles with a focus on mental illness, substance use disorders, neurological impairments. She has been privileged to bear witness to their courage, strength, and hope as they work towards increased wellness and wholeness.  Audrey plays guitar, bass guitar, violin, piano, drums, and sings.

SED & NCD Virtual Conventions – Dr. Courtenay Harter

Associate Professor Courtenay Harter currently teaches music theory, oboe & English horn, and coaches chamber music at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. Most recently, Dr. Harter has been the point person in the development of an interdisciplinary major in Music & Psychology, and teaches courses in the curriculum, including “Psychology of Music.” Her previous teaching appointments include Georgia State University, Oberlin College′s Conservatory of Music, and the University of Connecticut.

Of her many research interests, Dr. Harter is particularly attracted to the pedagogy of music theory; her dissertation study, entitled “Phrase Structure in Prokofiev′s Piano Sonatas,” uses familiar terminology to describe formal procedures within the context of neoclassic characteristics. She continues to study the compositional procedures of Serge Prokofiev through manuscript studies and sketchbook analyses with the Prokofiev Archive in London, England. Her more recent research in pedagogy includes instrument-specific excerpts for theoretical studies and new empirical methodologies and pedagogies to complement the Music & Psychology major.

Dr. Harter has presented papers at national and regional meetings of the Society for Music Theory and the College Music Society, as well as international conferences of Music Since 1900 and the Music Analysis Conference. Her most recent presentations have been at the International College Music Society (Stockholm & Helsinki) and the Society of Music Perception and Cognition. Her more recent publications include “Bridging Common Practice and the Twentieth Century: Cadences in Prokofiev′s Piano Sonatas” (in the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy) and “Theory through Ferling and Excerpts: A Winning Combination” (in The Double Reed: Journal of the International Double Reed Society). Her current research projects include an anthology of instrument-specific excerpts for theoretical studies, as well as sketchbook studies with the Serge Prokofiev Archive in London, England, and empirical studies of music theory & musicianship pedagogical techniques.

Dr. Harter is a faculty consultant for the Advanced Placement Music Theory Exam and also published teaching materials and resources through the College Board (in the 2007 AP® Teacher′s Guide in Music Theory and in the “Teachers′ Resource Catalog,” on the AP® Central website). She has also been on the test development committee for the CLEP Humanities Exam. Dr. Harter is also the Assistant Editor for the Society of Music Theory newsletter, and serves as a board member for the Southern Chapter of the College Music Society.

Dr. Harter bridges the gap between the analysis and the performance of music for her students as an active performer: in addition to being a core member of the Jackson (TN) Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Harter regularly performs solo and chamber music recitals, maintains a private oboe studio, and pursues other freelance opportunities in the mid-south region. In February 2006, Dr. Harter performed the Eastern United States premiere of Night Song, with the composer, Craig Phillips, on organ.

Education
B.F.A., Carnegie Mellon University – Oboe Performance
M.M., Northwestern University – Music Theory and Oboe Performance
Ph.D., University of Connecticut – Music Theory and Music History

SED & NCD Virtual Conventions – Jennifer Ryder

Jennifer Ryder attended South Carolina State University, where she received a B. S. in Music Education: Instrumental. She was initiated into the Epsilon Chi Chapter at South Carolina State University (SCSU) in Spring 1999, and is a Life Member. During her time as an undergrad she served in several leadership roles including band club treasurer and assistant treasurer for the chapter. She was a clarinetist and a member of the Marching 101 and SCSU Symphonic Band.
She has a Masters of Education in Education Leadership from The Citadel and an Educational Specialist from Walden University. Upon graduation, she was a band director in Charleston County School District and Clarendon 2 School District in South Carolina. Jennifer currently is a Middle School Band Director for Clayton County Public Schools in the Atlanta, GA Metro Area with over eighteen years’ experience.
Jennifer is also an active-charter member of TBSAA. She is a member of the Atlanta Alumni Association of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma (AAA), where she is the current corresponding secretary and past treasurer. She has served on AAA’s Undergraduate, Fundraiser, & Golden Baton Scholarship Initiative Committees. Jennifer is also a member of the National Association for Music Education, Sigma Alpha Iota Fraternity, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Jennifer enjoys spending time traveling, attending live concerts, and spending time with her husband Larry, who is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, their son Jai, and her extended family and friends.

SED & NCD Virtual Conventions – Beth Bronk

Professor Beth Bronk is in her fourteenth year as Director of Bands at Texas Lutheran University, where she teaches conducting, instrumental music education courses, and directs the TLU Bands. She earned her Bachelor of Music, Performance Certificate, and teaching certification at the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from the University of North Texas, and is writing her doctoral dissertation on “Band Director Expertise in Intonation Instruction” to complete her studies at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Before joining the faculty at Texas Lutheran University, she completed eighteen years of public school teaching and administration, fifteen of those in New Braunfels ISD, where serving as the director of the Mighty Unicorn Band was her pride and joy. Her service to the profession includes twelve years as President for Region 12 of the Texas Music Educators Association, four years as the Vice-President for Professional Relations on the National Council of Tau Beta Sigma, where she coordinated the National Intercollegiate Band, and Youth Day Coordinator for the 2018 International Trumpet Guild Conference. Her in-service presentations focus on continuing professional growth and education for band directors at all levels of experience, especially in the areas of pedagogy, ensemble development, and intonation instruction, with a focus on pre-service teachers.
In the 14 years she has been at TLU, she has conducted the TLU bands in more than 250 performances, presented more than 60 times at state, national, and international conferences, given more than 125 band clinics, and adjudicated more than 130 performances. In 2015, Prof. Bronk was awarded TLU’s Distinguished Faculty Award for Service and Leadership. In 2018, she was awarded the Baenziger Professorship in Music. In 2019, she was awarded the Harold D. Bier Award for Teaching Excellence. In 2020, she was nominated by her university for the Minnie Stevens Piper Award for Teaching Excellence. She will serve as vice-chair of the faculty association in 20-21, and chair in 21-22. Ms. Bronk is an active clinician, adjudicator, and performer, and is honored to be with you today.

2019 Speakers

Christine Sirard (NED): March 15, 2019

Christine Sirard has been the Assistant Director of the UMass Marching Band, serving as Color Guard Director and Visual Coordinator, since 2015. She previously worked as Color Guard Instructor for the UMMB from 1990-1995.

As a UMass student, Chris joined the UMMB in 1988, was color guard captain in 1989, and graduated in 1990 with a degree in Communications.

Chris taught the Color Guard at the University of South Carolina where she earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education, with a concentration in Early Childhood Music Development. She has taught early childhood music in California and Minnesota, and elementary general music classes in Virginia and Massachusetts. She moved back to Amherst in 2013 and happily resumed working with the UMass Guard. She lives in Amherst with her family, and teaches early childhood music classes in the area.

Dr. Stacey DiPaolo (SWD): March 30, 2019 

Stacey DiPaolo is Associate Professor of Clarinet at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and joined the faculty in 2010. In addition, she is Principal Clarinet of the Lawton Philharmonic (OK), has regularly performed with the Tulsa Symphony, and maintains an active performance schedule as a soloist and chamber musician. Stacey DiPaolo held the position of Principal Clarinet of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic during the 2009-2010 season and previously served on the faculties of Penn State University-Berks campus and Oklahoma City University. As a professional freelance musician in the New York area from 1999-2009, she played concert stages ranging from Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, New York’s City Center, the New York State Theater, to Broadway.

Her orchestral performances include productions such as Garrison Keillor’s radio show A Prairie Home Companion, and Casey at the Bat, a production of Robert Kapilow’s famed “What Makes it Great?” series. Her Broadway performances include The Sound of Music, and Baz Luhrmann’s production of La Boheme. Her many collaborations include performances under the batons of acclaimed conductors Gerard Schwarz, Skitch Henderson, Robert Shaw, and Constantine Kitsopoulos, and renowned wind band conductors Donald Hunsberger, H. Robert Reynolds, Harry Begian, and Frederick Fennell.

Dr. DiPaolo has frequently been featured as soloist and chamber musician, and appears as guest recitalist and master class clinician at festivals, conferences, and universities across the country. In her chamber music performances, she has collaborated with such artists as Gilbert Kalish, Stephen Taylor, William Purvis, and members of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra and Oklahoma City Philharmonic. She also organizes Chamber Music Weatherford, a chamber music concert series that features the faculty of Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

DiPaolo has spent summers at the Chautauqua Institution, Heidelberg Schlossfestspiele (Germany), and toured Japan twice with the Eastman Wind Ensemble. An enthusiastic and devoted teacher, Dr. DiPaolo is a faculty member of the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, in addition to her university studio.

Stacey DiPaolo holds a doctorate degree from SUNY Stony Brook, and received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music, including the esteemed Performer’s Certificate. Additionally, she is a graduate-with-distinction of the Interlochen Arts Academy. Her primary mentors include Jon Manasse, Dan Gilbert, and Deborah Chodacki.

Genevieve Geisler (NCD): March 30, 2019

Genevieve Geisler is Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps, where she has been a driving force in the growth of the Bluecoats organization over the past thirteen years. She is a founding member and current chair of Drum Corps International’s IN STEP: Women in DCI program committee. Geisler holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan and lives in Canton, Ohio with her husband and two children.

Amanda Miller Sutfin (MWD): April 6, 2019

Mrs. Sutfin is currently a band director in Colorado Springs District 11, teaching band in grades 4 through 8. She is also a woodwind technician for the William J. Palmer Terrors Marching Band. Previously she taught in the Pocahontas School District in Pocahontas, Arkansas, where she was the assistant band director. Amanda currently plays clarinet with the Little London Winds (Colorado Springs, Colorado). Amanda is a native of Arkansas where she graduated from Corning High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Arkansas State University and is currently working on her Masters in Education from Liberty University. As an undergraduate, she was a member of Theta Theta (Henderson State University) and Gamma Xi (Arkansas State University) chapters of Tau Beta Sigma and served as chapter historian, vice-president, and president.

Melanie Britton (WD): April 6, 2019

Melanie Britton has spent the last 28 years doing what she loves…teaching youth to love music! A graduate of Arizona State University, her career began in 1992 in the Florence Unified School District teaching elementary, junior high and high school band and choir. After 4 years building those programs to Superior levels, she was recruited to take over the music program at Washington High School and spent 6 years teaching Superior with Distinction marching bands, concert bands and jazz bands. In 2002, Ms. Britton was hired as the inaugural Director of Bands and Choirs at Sandra Day O’Connor High School. Her 16 years at O’Connor High School brought many rewards of international recognition and yearly awards of Superior with Distinction for her marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands and choirs. She is recognized for her innovative marching band show designs, and is the first female band director to have led her band to winning the ABODA Divison I State Marching Band Championships in 2014.

Melanie has served in many leadership roles over the years, including the Arizona Band &Orchestra Directors Association Vice President in charge of Jazz Activities, North Central Region Band Chair and the Arizona Representative for Women Band Directors International. She was awarded the ABODA O.M. Hartsell “Excellence in Teaching Music” Award, AMEA “Program of Distinction” Award, School Band & Orchestra Magazine’s “Top 50 Directors Who Make a Difference in America”, and the Deer Valley Unified School District “Teacher of the Year”.

Diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease and sound-induced Vestibular Migraines, Melanie has been an advocate for hearing protection in the music education industry. To spread awareness of dangerous decibels in the classroom and waning funding for the Fine Arts, she adopted music advocacy and hearing protection as her platform competing in pageants, winning the titles of Mrs. Arizona, Ms. North American and Ms. World International. She is a Spokesperson for Etymotic Research and has done presentations around the country raising awareness of the dangers of unprotected ears as musicians and the importance of educating youth to protect their hearing. In 2018, Melanie retired as a full time music educator due to the damage caused from years of unprotected ears and has made it her goal to educate others how to prevent this so they can “Hear for a Lifetime”.

Kirsten Lies-Warfield (SED): April 13, 2019

Kirsten Lies-Warfield hails from Fargo, North Dakota. She did her undergraduate work at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. She holds a Master of Music degree in trombone performance from Indiana University where she was a student of M. Dee Stewart. Subsequent doctoral studies in brass pedagogy at IU were suspended when she was offered a position in the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” She joined the group in April, 1999, becoming the first woman trombonist in the unit’s history. Ms. Warfield has also been principal trombone of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and the Prince George’s Philharmonic and is currently second trombone with the Arlington Philharmonic. She is a regular member of the contemporary music group, Great Noise Ensemble, and the ethno-funk band, Black Masala. She has played with the Monarch Brass, Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, Chopteeth Afrofunk, Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes, McLean Orchestra and Pan-American Symphony Orchestra. She is an educator, teaching low brass students at Episcopal High School and through Full Blown Trombone, LLC. Ms. Warfield also is an active composer performer, writing works to suit her needs and tastes to perform for local and national audiences. Ms. Warfield is currently serving on the board of advisors for the International Trombone Association and is an assistant advisor for the IWBC solo competitions.

Jocelyn Hagen (National Convention)

Jocelyn Hagen composes music that has been described as “simply magical” (Fanfare Magazine) and “dramatic and deeply moving” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis/St. Paul). Her first forays into composition were via songwriting, and this is very evident in her work. The majority of her compositional output is for the voice: solo, chamber and choral. Her dance opera collaboration with choreographer Penelope Freeh, titled Test Pilot, received the 2017 American Prize in the musical theater/opera division as well as a Sage Award for “Outstanding Design.” The panel declared the work “a tour de force of originality.” Her melodic music is rhythmically driven, texturally complex, and has recently become more experimental in nature. In 2013 she released an EP entitled MASHUP, in which she performs Debussy’s “Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum” while singing Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team.” Jocelyn is also one half of the band Nation, an a cappella duo with composer/performer Timothy C. Takach, and together they perform and clinic choirs from all over the world.

Her commissions include Conspirare, The Minnesota Orchestra, the American Choral Directors Associations of Minnesota, Georgia, Connecticut and Texas, the North Dakota Music Teacher’s Association, Cantus, the Boston Brass, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and The Houston Chamber Choir, among many others. She is currently an artist-in-residence at North Dakota State University and regularly composes for their ensembles. For ten years she was a composer-in-residence for the professional choir she also sang in: The Singers, under the direction of Matthew Culloton. Her music has been performed all over the world, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City. Her work is independently published through JH Music, as well as Graphite Publishing, G. Schirmer, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Fred Bock Music Publishing, and Boosey and Hawkes.

2018 Speakers

Dr. Annie Stevens (NED): ​ Friday, March 9, 2018

Dr. Annie is the Assistant Professor of Percussion in the School of Performing Arts at Virginia Tech University. She is an educator, as well as a dynamic performer as half of a professional performance act called Escape Ten Percussion Duo, in which they were recently show cased at the 2016 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). Learn more about her from her professional website and watch some of her performance videos with Escape Ten: Dr. Annie Stevens.

Catherine Coonis (MWD):  Friday, April 6, 2018

Cathy Coonis is a music educator located in Springfield, Missouri. She is the band director at a local private school called New Covenant Academy and has over 35 years of experience as a musician and educator. She plays saxophone, but is also a singer in a couple of different groups. She was strongly recommended by one of her former band students, Shalyn Guthery, who as we know is one of our newly appointed TBS CVAs. Here is a link to her bio to learn more about her: Cathy Coonis.

Dr. Polly Middleton (NCD): Saturday, April 7, 2018

Dr. Polly Middleton is an Assistant Director of Bands at Illinois State University. She is the Director of the “Big Red Marching Machine” there at ISU, but she’s been making moves and her mark on various band programs at a rapid rate. Previously, she was the athletics band director at Arkansas State University and before that, on the band staff at Virginia Tech University. She was the Women In Music Speaker for the Zeta Alpha Chapter this fall for the Focus On Five Campaign and came with a recommendation from NCD Counselor, Carrie Webster who attended that event. Here is an article about her move to Illinois State University: Dr. Polly Middleton.

Lisa Butts (WD): Sunday, April 8, 2018

Lisa Butts recently retired from Hanford West High School with over 30 years of experience as a band director. She has been heavily involved with leadership in the California Band Directors Association (CBDA) and the California Alliance for Jazz (CAJ). She was the top recommendation from one of her colleagues, Kimbi Sigle, the 32 National President of TBS and a recently appointed member of the Tau Beta Sigma Board of Trustees. According to Kimbi, she is an amazing trumpet player, who also conducted the Sequoia Winds at the College of the Sequoias.

Anne Hendrickson (WD): Sunday, April 8, 2018

Anne Hendrickson is the band director at Manchester GATE Elementary School. Prior to Manchester, Anne was the concert and jazz band, guitar, and piano teacher at Central Middle School in Riverside for 21 years. She was awarded Central Middle School, Riverside Unified School District and Riverside County music educator of the year in 2000. Anne earned her degree in music education in 1984 from Fresno State. Her major instrument was the clarinet, but she also doubled as a saxophonist as a member of the Jazz Band “A” under the direction of Dr. Lawrence Sutherland. In addition to being a music educator, Ms. Hendrickson has had a career as a performing musician. She lived and performed on board several cruise ships as a woodwind performer, backing up entertainers such as Rita Moreno, Phyllis Diller, Jerry Lewis, Jack Jones, Michel LeGrand, Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, Stan Getz, and Zoot Sims. She also lived and worked in New York City for several years where she performed in jazz bands, Broadway pit orchestras and on national Broadway show tours.

Tonya Mitchell (SED):  Friday, April 13, 2018

Tonya Mitchell is the Assistant Director of Bands and Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Carolina where she assists with the Carolina Band, directs the women’s basketball band, and conducts the University Bands. Professor Mitchell is an alumni brother of Kappa Kappa Psi from Indiana University (Alpha Zeta Chapter) and was previously at Valdosta State University, where she serves as the chapter sponsor for the Zeta Tau Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma. She is extremely excited about the chance to speak to our students and after that convention, she will take flight to Kansas to defend her research and become Dr. Tonya Mitchell. Here is her bio from the University of South Carolina: Tonya Mitchell.

Dr. Constance Kelley (SWD): Saturday, April 14, 2018

Dr. Constance Kelley is an Associate Professor of Music at Angelo State University where her duties include teaching Applied Flute, Music Theory, Aural Skills, Elementary Music Methods and she directs the Flute Choir. She also serves as the sponsor for the Delta Tau Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma. I had the chance to hear her speak to a group of SWD students back in 2015 during my time as the Southwest District Counselor and really enjoyed how she engaged the students. She is very excited about this opportunity to speak to our students and seemed very honored to be asked. She’s spunky! Here is her Angelo State bio: Dr. Constance Kelley.

2017 Speakers

2016 Speakers

2015 Speakers

2014 Speakers

2013 Speakers

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