A bit about me
I was a public school music educator for 27 years. I had found my dream job, and was loving every minute of it. Then, unfortunately, a medical condition made it so I simply can not teach full time. So, I started reaching out to my friends that were still teaching, asking if they needed help. Of course they did. We all do in this crazy world of music education. That's why I started doing clinics. It allows me to stay connected to students and to help them grow. It also allows teachers to get someone else in the room, to say the same thing you have said 100 times!
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Since music teachers are normally on our own, just like you, I've had to learn how to do a lot of different things in my career. I really enjoy sharing those things with others. I figure, why recreate the wheel, if someone else has already done it. I have done clinics, interest sessions, and teacher trainings on nearly every subject related to music education. Vocal Jazz, Show Choir, Concert Literature, Treble Choir, Pop Acapella, Sight-reading, and technology among others. If you want to nail me down as to what I'm best known for, it's probably vocal jazz, but I do as many clinics with other ensembles as I do on vocal jazz.
The Boring Stuff
Education and Experience
I started my musical journey in high school with classical training like most of my generation. Concert Choirs, Madrigals, Barbershops Broadway and of course Show Choir. This is when I began choreograhing musicals and show choir shows. Something I continued for nearly 20 years, but have since left to other people. I am from a teaching family, and although I fought it at first, I realized that I wanted a career in choral music education.
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I went to undergrad at Western Michigan University and recieved a Vocal Music Education degree. This includes all of the standard coursework for any music educator. What was different about my experience was that while there, I was extremely fortunate to spend 3 years in the Gold Company program, and got to study with the amazing Steve Zegree. Steve was the leading pioneer and proponent of Vocal Jazz in the secondary schools in the US. While there we toured internationally and were featured multiple times at the International Assiation of Jazz Eductors convention and won several dowbeat awards. While studying with him, I was able to work with artists like, The Real Group, New York Voices, Bobby McFerrin, and Phil Mattson among others. In addition to working with Dr. Zegree, I was also albe to work extensiviely with the incredible Duane Davis and Diana Spradling. Two more of the most respected jazz educators in the country. That program is currently in the very capable hands of Greg Jasperse.
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I was also fortunate to be at Western and work closely with some of the current biggest names in vocal jazz education. Some names include Greg Jasperse, Kate Reid, Matt Falker, Jeremy Fox, Christine Guter and Michelle Mailhot. These people and coutless others you might recognise continue to be an inspiration and resouce. We've all chosen slightly different paths to pursue vocal jazz education, but the influence of that era of students is very strong indeed.
Teaching Life After College
I began my teaching career teaching 7-9 grade choir in a VERY large school sytem. Most of my choirs were over 150 students and we had a long track record of excellence in concert choir. My schools programs were more focused towards show choir than jazz, as that was the request of the high school directors that I worked with.
From there I taught 7 years in a Freshman only building. This was a unique challenge. However, I fully believe the lessons I learned there about how to relate to students and to get them to buy in greatly influence my success in clinics today. While there, our concert choir success continued along with show choir success. Along with Grand Championships, and best of category winners we were even able to qualify for the Indianan State Show Choir contest with a group of 34 freshman. While here I also recieved a "Golden Apple" teaching award and grant for excellence in teaching with integrated technology.
I then went to an elementary school position. It was a difficult transition, but allowed me to really understand what it takes at it's most basic level to deposit musical concepts to students. It also did an excellent job of teaching me not to limit students musicianship based on age. I realized during this time that the natural musical instincts of most students are far better than we think. While here I established a Children's Honor choir that was nearly 170 students when I left.
My final stop was at a high school. Again, we had success at concert choir and show choir, but our greatest strength was in vocal jazz. In short order, we were able to establish an increicbly strong vocal jazz program that was regularlyl viewed as a model for the state. We recieved State Vocal Jazz invites every year I taught there as well as winning many category awards.
Professional Life After College
Because of the way my teaching carrer changed often, I was able to have a very wide variety of professional experiences. I was able to do clinics and camps with all ages of students. I worked for many years at the International Music Camp as a choreographer one week and a vocal jazz instructor the next. I have had clinics with local universites including both Butler University and Purdue University. I was able to regularly present at Indiana music conferences on an extremely wide variety of topics. (Vocal jazz techniques and repertoire has been a regular request.) I was the Indiana All State Vocal Jazz director in 2021. I was able to work with Ben Folds and Kerry Marsh. Matt Falker and I have worked together many times as well as Justin Binek. I've even had the opportunity to assist both Kerry Marsh and the amazing Cedric Dent.
