Colorado Middle All State Choir
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Past Clinicians

CMASC 2024 Clinicians

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Dr. Ernest Harrison
Cambiato Choir

Dale Duncan
Mescolare Choir

Dr. Beth Robison
Triplo Choir

Dr. Ernest Harrison is a poet, musician, and teacher, committed to and specializing in the intersection of music and social justice.  He is a proud graduate of Tuskegee University (Bachelor's in English Liberal Arts, 2010), Auburn University (Bachelor's in Vocal Performance, 2014), and University of Missouri (Master's in Choral Conducting, 2016), with voice and choral mentorship from Drs. Rosephanye and William Powell and Dr. R. Paul Crabb. Ernest concluded his Doctoral studies in Choral Music at the University of Southern California in 2023, where he studied under Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe, Dr. Nick Strimple, Dr. Tram Sparks, and Dr. Cristian Grases.

Ernest has been the Music Director and Head of Education and Outreach of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles since 2019. Ernest has also taught as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine College, the University of Southern California, and Columbia University. He has also taught
Voice and Music & Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University. Ernest became a member of the international Grammy Award winning choral ensemble, Conspirare, in 2019. He was an associate conductor for the Grammy Award-winning National Children’s Chorus (2017-2022) and conductor of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music’s Cantare Chamber Choir (2019-2022). As professor, conductor, and community leader, Ernest leans on his unique knowledge of Music of the African Diaspora, including spirituals, gospel, R&B, Jazz, blues, rock & roll, andhip hop, to advocate for equity and inclusion in choral classroom, on the concert stage, and in the world. No matter the setting, his capacity to love is guides his leadership and his music making.
Dale Duncan conducts Honors Chorus/ All State events, teaches teachers at music conventions, and adjudicates choral performance events wherever he is invited.  In 2022, he retired from teaching public school after teaching for 30 years in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Georgia. During his career as a public school educator, his students consistently received Superior Ratings at the state Large Group Performance events in both performance and in sight reading, and created and performed "live" song and dance musical revue events each spring in addition to many other choral performances over the years.

​Dale is also known by the choral music educator community worldwide as the creator of the S-Cubed Sight Singing Program for Beginners. During his career, Dale was honored as "Life Changer of the Year" by the National Life Group for his work, and was also honored as a "Grammy Music Educator Semi-Finalist."  Dale’s work is featured on numerous music-educator focused podcasts, ChorTeach magazine, Choral Director Magazine, and on ACDA’s ChoralNet.

​One of Dale’s most important life missions is to help middle school chorus teachers.  Known by his peers as “Mr. D”, Dale has his own blog, YouTube Channel, and a large social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram that is aimed at helping middle school chorus teachers to be successful working with this unique age group!

​Dale is a also a former US National Aerobic Gymnastics Gold Medalist featured on ESPN many moons ago. (Google it… and don’t spit out your drink!) He loves all animals, taking care of outdoor plants, working out, playing tennis, and competing in and coaching pickleball!

Originally from Ohio, Beth Robison has been an active performer and choral educator for over thirty years.  In addition to her duties as the Director of Choral Activities at Adams State University, she works extensively with their ETHOS: Exploring Equity through Music initiative and has conducted numerous honor choirs throughout the region.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from Ohio University. She earned her DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of Kansas where she conducted the early music ensemble, Collegium Musicum, and the University Singers.  Beth has also been the recipient of the Adams State University Presidential Teaching Award.

For sixteen years between her undergraduate and graduate studies, Beth lived in the New York City metropolitan area where she performed a wide variety of ensemble and solo repertoire.  She has appeared numerous times at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and other concert venues with various professional ensembles including Musica Sacra, the New York Virtuoso Singers, Voices of Ascension, the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, the New York Concert Singers, and the Bard Festival Chorus. Beth worked extensively as a soloist and ensemble member with the Gregg Smith Singers and toured both nationally and internationally premiering works by American composers.  Some of Beth’s more diverse experiences in New York included recording with the World Wrestling Federation and appearing as a back-up singer for Andrea Bocelli on the Late Show with David Letterman.

CMASC 2023 Clinicians

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Stephen Ross
Cambiato Choir

Mr. Stephen Ross is an educator, singer, arranger, conductor, clinician, songwriter, and composer currently residing in Louisville, Colorado. From 2003 through 2015, Mr. Ross was the Choir Director at Skyline High School in Longmont, CO.

As a choral clinician, he has directed the Adams County 14 Choral Festival Mixed Choir, the Northern Colorado Honor Choir Men’s Choir, the Patriot League Honor Choir, the Jefferson County Women’s Choir Festival, and the St. Vrain Valley Middle School Men’s Honor Choir. Stephen has also been a choral adjudicator for the CHSAA Show and Jazz Choir Festival, the Colorado West Invitational Music Performance Festival, and the Northern Arizona University Jazz/Madrigal Festival.

Mr. Ross is also a member of the vocal band
Face and is an active singer and arranger for the group. Face performs regularly throughout Colorado and has toured across the United States and in Sweden, Australia, England, Russia, Scotland, Iceland, Luxembourg, and France. 
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Maria Ellis
Triplo Choir

Mrs. Maria A. Ellis is a passionate conductor and music educator. She is the owner of Girl Conductor LLC, a company that creates diverse music education resources. She  currently serves as the Director of The Sheldon’s City of Music All-Star Chorus and Choral Instructor at Sumner High School.

Maria is an active clinician, adjudicator, and presenter throughout the United States and abroad. She holds a B.M. in Music Education  from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Maria is also the host of the award-winning radio show Bach and Beyoncé on Classic 107.3 The Voice for the Arts in St. Louis. She is the wife of Marion and the mother of Aria, Kendal, and Noah Ellis.

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Dr. Nathan Payant
Mescolare Choir

Dr. Nathan Payant is a passionate and dedicated conductor, educator, and professional singer living in the Denver area. He has more than fifteen years of choral teaching and conducting experience at the middle school, high school, and college levels.

At CSU, Dr. Payant directs the Concert Choir and is the director of the Master of Music Education–Conducting Specialization degree program for working music educators. In addition, he teaches music appreciation, assists with various music education courses, mentors student teachers, and is the faculty advisor for two campus
a cappella groups.

Dr. Payant is also on the choral faculty at the University of Denver, where he conducts the Women’s Chorus. ​​Dr. Payant is a performing member of the
St. Martin’s Chamber Choir,  is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Anima Chamber Ensemble, and the General Manager of Colorado Bach Ensemble.

CMASC 2022 Clinicians

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Phil Drozda
Mescolare Choir

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Kate Klotz 
​Triplo Choir​

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Rollo Dilworth 
​Cambiato Choir​

Phil Drozda is proud to have been a public-school music educator for the past fifteen years, and is presently the Director of Choirs at Overland High School in the Cherry Creek School District. In his current role, he conducts five choirs at a diverse, comprehensive high school in Aurora, CO. Mr. Drozda holds a Master of Music degree in music education from the University of Northern Colorado and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Prior to his appointment at Overland, he was the choir director at Prairie Middle School from 2011-2019. During his tenure at Prairie, Mr. Drozda's choirs gained a reputation for musical quality and passionate, joyful performance, and they have been invited to perform at the Colorado Music Educators Association Clinic and Conference three times. He also taught middle school choir at Mesa Middle School in Castle Rock, CO, and Northglenn Middle School in the Adams 12 School District. Though he now primarily works with high school singers, Mr. Drozda is a middle school teacher at heart. He seeks to be a strong advocate for middle level choral music, and he knows that middle school-aged students are capable of incredible things. Mr. Drozda is one of the founding Co-Chairs of the Colorado Middle All State Choir and continues to act as the audition specialist for CMASC. He is an active conductor and clinician throughout Colorado, and he has served on the board of Colorado ACDA in various roles. He is passionate about working to make choir more equitable, inclusive, and accessible to all singers and all communities, and about inspiring his singers to create beauty and a sense of family in their choirs. He resides in Denver with his fianceé and a dog named Scout.

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Kate Klotz has become well known throughout Colorado for her work as a music educator and vocalist. She holds a Master of Music from Colorado State University and received her undergraduate degree in Music Education from the University of Colorado Boulder. Ms. Klotz holds all three levels of Kodály certification and has also completed Orff Schulwerk training. She has instructed students in private piano and voice, as well as teaching K-12 general music and choir in Colorado and Washington state public schools.

From 2013–2019, Ms. Klotz served as the Artistic Director of the Boulder Children's Chorale. Under her leadership, the Boulder Children's Chorale grew from three to five ensembles, with over 100 singers. She has frequently collaborated with local and professional ensembles, coaching children's choirs and soloists for Carmina Burana, The Chichester Psalms, Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Mahler's Symphony No. 3, and The Nutcracker. From 2011–2013, Ms. Klotz served on the artistic staff of the Spokane Area Youth Choirs in Spokane, WA, where she directed elementary, middle, and high school level choirs.

Ms. Klotz is a sought-after clinician and has presented for the Colorado and Texas Music Educators Association Conferences. She also serves on the summer teaching staff for the Aspen Music Festival and School and as the Children’s Choirs Repertoire & Resources Chair for the Colorado Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. An active vocalist and pianist, Ms. Klotz has performed with the Colorado Conductor’s Chorale, the Spokane Symphony Chorale, and Boulder-based Cantabile. Since 2018, she has been performing with the Denver-based Anima Chamber Ensemble. Ms. Klotz lives in Louisville, Colorado, with her husband, Nathan
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More than 150 of Dr. Rollo Dilworth's choral compositions and arrangements have been published—many of which are a part of the Henry Leck Creating Artistry Choral Series with Hal Leonard Corporation. Additional publications can be found in the catalogs of Santa Barbara Music Publishing and Colla Voce Music, Inc. Dilworth is a contributing author for the Essential Elements for Choir and the Experiencing Choral Music textbook series, both published by the Hal Leonard Corporation/Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Publications, and for Music Express! Teachers Magazine. He has authored 3 books of choral warm up exercises intended for elementary and secondary choral ensembles, entitled Choir Builders: Fundamental Vocal Techniques for General and Classroom Use (2006); Choir Builders for Growing Voices (2009); and Choir Builders for Growing Voices 2 (2014).

A frequent presenter at local, state, regional and national conferences, Dilworth has conducted 43 all-state choirs at various levels (elementary, middle school, high school), and has conducted 6 regional honor choirs and 4 national honor choirs (ADCA, OAKE, and NAfME). He has most recently appeared as guest conductor for international choral festivals and master classes in Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Ireland, and China, as well as all-state choirs in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Arizona, and Massachusetts. He has also led honor choirs for the Central and Southwest regions of the American Choral Directors Association. International festival and clinic invitations include Canada, Singapore, Austria, and France.

Dilworth is currently National Board Chair for Chorus America. He is an active life member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He also holds memberships with several other organizations, including the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM), and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). In 2017, he received the Temple University Faculty Award for Research and Creative Achievement.​
 


CMASC 2020 Clinicians

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​Dr. Ryan Garrison
A native of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Dr. Ryan Garrison is a recently appointed Director of Choral and Vocal Music at the Denver School of the Arts. Garrison comes to Colorado by way of San Antonio, Texas, where he was the Artistic Director of the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio. Prior to his full-time artistic appointment, Dr. Garrison maintained an active 13-year schedule as a professional choral singer, conductor, and educator in Phoenix, Arizona. 
 
From 2005-2013, Garrison was a singing member of the GRAMMY-award winning professional choral ensemble, The Phoenix Chorale, under the artistic vision of renowned conductor, Charles Bruffy. With the ensemble, Garrison is credited on four albums garnering six GRAMMY nominations and two GRAMMY wins, including “Best Choral Performance” in 2016. 
 
In 2013, Garrison joined the choral artistic staff at Arizona School for the Arts (ASA) in central Phoenix, a school acknowledged as a national model for exemplary education gained through intense emphasis on studies in the performing arts. From 2014-2017, as the school’s lead director and contact for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Dr. Garrison had over 90 students selected for the Western Regional and National-level Honor Choirs, traveling to Salt Lake City, Utah (2015), Pasadena, California (2016), and Minneapolis, Minnesota (2017). He has worked as guest clinician and conductor, leading regional and state-level Honor Choirs and Orchestras in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming, and looks forward to conducting the
ACDA Wyoming All-State Children’s Choir in June 2020.
 
Dr. Garrison received both his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting (DMA, 2013) and Masters of Music Education (MM, 2006) degrees from Arizona State University, and Bachelors of Music (BM, 2001) from the University of Wyoming.
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Dr. Scott Buchanan
Dr. Scott Buchanan serves as Director of the School of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. A native of New Jersey, Dr. Buchanan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Bradley University, a Master’s Degree in Music Education from the Florida State University, and an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Education & Music Education from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. 

Recognized as the “2015 Collegiate Educator of the Year” by the Indiana Music Education Association, Dr. Buchanan is in frequent demand as a choral clinician, conductor, and adjudicator. Choirs under his direction have performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2001 and has made numerous appearances there, including conducting a solo performance with the Indiana State University Concert Choir in 2004. In May 2010, he served as the Artistic Director of the National Memorial Day Choral Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In November 2011, he conducted the High School Festival Chorus at the Asian Pacific Activities Conference in Daejeon, South Korea. In April 2014, he debuted at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. In April 2016, he debuted at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. In summer 2019, Dr. Buchanan served as Chorusmaster for the 44th Annual Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. 

At ISU, Dr. Buchanan has conducted the select University Chorale and the Sycamore Singers. Additionally, he has taught conducting, choral methods, and literature at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. ISU choral ensembles have been selected to perform for the Central Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association and the State Conference of the Indiana Music Education Association on several occasions. For the past decade, he has served as the State Director for the Melody Makers of Indiana. Additionally, he has previously served on the IMEA Board of Directors and is a past president of the Indiana Choral Directors Association.

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Dr. Corin Overland
Dr. Corin Overland is Associate Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he teaches courses in choral music education and choral conducting. He received his Ph.D. in music education from Temple University, and has over fifteen years of experience as a secondary vocal music teacher in public and private school settings. 

Overland is frequently in demand for his work with early adolescent choral ensembles, and has conducted All-State and festival choruses in Minnesota, Maryland, Kansas, Hawaii, Oregon, Delaware, South Carolina, and Florida. He is a regular clinician for Worldstrides Heritage Festivals of Music, and has choral compositions in print with Alliance and Santa Barbara Music Publishing. He is currently the Academic Editor of the Music Educators Journal. 

Overland’s research interests focus on economic and labor issues pertaining to arts education, teacher evaluation, and for-profit rock music schools. His research and scholarship on these and other topics appear in the Journal of Research in Historical Music Education, the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, College Music Symposium, Contributions to Music Education, and the Music Educators Journal. He has authored chapters appearing in Contemporary Research in Music Education: Learning Across the Lifespan (Routledge) and the 2016 International Yearbook on Research in Arts Education (Waxmann Verlag). He is a content consultant for the state of Florida’s Performing Fine Arts Assessment arts evaluation system.

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CMASC 2019 Clinicians

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Daniel Gutierrez 
​Mescolare Choir

Daniel is an active conductor, clinician and presenter throughout the country. Daniel has received accolades for his work as a teacher, being named Teacher of the Year for Springfield Public Schools and Southwest Missouri (also a finalist for the state TOTY award), Springfield “Hometown Hero” by KOLR, Springfield Rotary Award for Outstanding Community Service, honoree for Springfield Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, quarterfinalist for the GRAMMY National Music Educator Award, and the recipient of the Missouri Choral Directors Association Podium Award. 

​Daniel’s speaking engagements include presenting for TEDx, and presenting for regional ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) conferences. Daniel's Choral ensembles have won music festivals and have received numerous invitations to perform at the Missouri Music Educator Association Conference, Southwest American Choral Directors Association Conference, the National Conference for MS/JH Choral Music, and the National American Choral Directors Association Conference
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Dr. Sandra Babb
​Triplo Choir

Sandra Babb is an Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and Conductor of Bella Voce at Oregon State University. She received the Bachelor of Music Education, Master of Music Education, and Ph.D. in Music Education from The Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Dr. Babb also completed training in vocology at the National Center for Voice and Speech at the University of Utah, and she is an NCVS trained vocologist.
 
A native of Tampa, Florida, Dr. Babb taught in the public schools of Hillsborough and Pasco counties of central Florida for ten years. She also conducted the Gulf Coast Girl Choir in Tampa, Florida, and was the founding director of the Queens Youth Choir in Queens, New York.  Prior to her appointment at Oregon State, she served on the faculty of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, City University of New York.
 
Dr. Babb is an active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, frequently engaging in guest conducting opportunities throughout the United States.  Her choral ensembles have performed for the Florida, New York, and Southern Division conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, as well as the Oregon Music Educators Association and the Northwest NAfME Conferences.
 
Dr. Babb’s research interests include choral tone development and best practices in pre-service music educator training, and she has presented at local, state, regional, and national conferences of ACDA and NAfME. Her research has been published in the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, the Journal of Music Teacher Education, and the Choral Journal, and she is a contributing author for the K-12 choral textbook series, Voices in Concert, as well as Musicianship: Composing in Choir (Jody L. Kerchner & Katherine Strand, Editors) and Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir, Volume 4 (Jo-Michael Scheibe, Editor).
 
Dr. Babb is currently serving on the steering committee for the National American Choral Directors Association as Honor Choirs Co-Coordinator. She is also the Repertoire and Resources Chair for Women’s Choirs for Oregon ACDA and the Youth and Student Activities Chair for Northwest Division ACDA.  She is also the Chair for the Society of Music Teacher Education for the Oregon Music Educators Association.
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Dr. Nicole Lamartine
Cambiato Choir​

Dr. Nicole Lamartine became Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wyoming in 2008. She conducts the Collegiate Chorale, The UW Singing Statesmen, advises the male a cappella Happy Jacks, and teaches conducting and applied voice. 

Lamartine is becoming a resource for men’s choir singing, having led The UW Singing Statesmen to prominence with their NW-ACDA and NW-NAfME performances and with her research on female leaders of male choirs.   In addition to the 2018 Minnesota All-State TTBB Choir and the 2017 Oregon All-State TTBB Choir, she conducted the 2014 NW ACDA Men’s Honor Choir in Seattle.  In  2017, she conducted the Association for Music in International Schools Men’s Honor Choir in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

She is in demand as a conductor and clinician across the US, China, Europe, and the Middle East.   Recent conducting engagements include the 2014 DoDDS All-Europe Honor Choir in Wiesbaden, Germany, the TAISM Mixed Honor Choir in Muscat, Oman, and  SATB and SSAA All-State choirs in Washington, Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming.

Under her leadership, choirs of the University of Wyoming have been invited to perform at the 2017, 2015 and 2011 NW National Association for Music Education (NAfME) conferences, the 2012 Northwest American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conference, and at the 2011 National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) national conference. The UW Collegiate Chorale was the only choir invited from the US to compete in the 2017 Tolosa Choral Contest in Spain.

Her choirs at the University of Wyoming have enjoyed premiere performances and recordings of music by Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Forrest Pierce, John Muehleisen, Gabriela Lena Frank, Libby Larsen, and Craig Hella Johnson.

Dr. Lamartine has presented her research on the voice, conducting men’s choirs, and anatomy for conductors at national and regional conferences of ACDA, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, College Music Society, National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the National Association for Music Education.  In 2016, she was selected to participate in a 6-day Human Dissection course to study human anatomy.

As a professional vocal musician, Lamartine has sung as a regular member of the Grammy®-winning Conspirare, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and the Colorado Bach Ensemble.   While living in England she sang with the choruses of the London BBC and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, performing across Europe and the UK.  She can be heard on six choral CDs on labels including Harmonia Mundi and Chandos.
In 2014, Dr. Lamartine was chosen as one of seven conductors from the US to participate in the International Conductor Exchange program to China.  She has maintained a teaching connections with the Conservatory and other choral professionals throughout Beijing.
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In service to the American Choral Directors association, she has acted as Northwest President, Wyoming President, as chair of the 2011 National ACDA Women’s Choir and as co-chair of the 2009 National ACDA Collegiate Chamber Choir.  She is Vice-President for the Northwest Region of ACDA.
She holds the BM degree in Vocal Performance from New Mexico State University as well as an MM in Vocal Performance and the DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona

CMASC 2018 Clinicians

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Ruth Dwyer
​Treble Choir

​Ruth E. Dwyer is internationally recognized as a treble, youth and children’s choir specialist and Kodály educator.  Mrs. Dwyer has been the guest conductor for the OAKE National Children’s Choir, numerous All-State and Honor Choirs, and the National Children’s Choir at Lincoln Center and for MidAmerica Productions at Carnegie Hall.  Mrs. Dwyer is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Hoosier Hills Choral Festival in Southern Indiana and of Philthrusong, Inc. (Philanthropy Through Song) a non-profit organization supporting anti-drunk driving education and traumatic brain injury research through choral performance.
Mrs. Dwyer has been a director with the Indianapolis Children’s Choir (ICC) since 1988 and ICC Director of Education in 1996.  She is also the Founder and Artistic Director and of the Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir, (CICC) a 22 year co-operative effort of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Orchestra and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. This is one of the longest standing arts collaborations in Indiana. Her work with ICC/CICC has allowed her to tour throughout the United States and abroad. 
Her choirs have performed for the Indiana Music Educators Association, the AOSA National Conference, in New York’s Carnegie and Avery Fisher Halls, Spain, across the USA and throughout Central Europe.  She has prepared choirs for performances with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Opera, the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and the Butler University production of Nutcracker. Mrs. Dwyer’s work with ICC/CICC includes curriculum development, mentoring the teaching staff, conducting 4 choirs and teaching in the First Steps program.​

Prior to her fulltime position with ICC, Mrs. Dwyer served the State of Indiana for 19 years as a public school music educator.   She has received the IMEA Elementary Music Teacher of the Year, the Hoosier Musician award, the CIP Golden Baton award and the IPS Rising Star award. She has taught master classes for the IU Jacobs School of Music, Butler University, University of St. Thomas, Drake University and Silver Lake College.  Mrs. Dwyer also works as a studio conductor for Chorister’s Guild.  She is an accomplished composer, arranger, choral editor and author.  Her works can be found in the Ruth Dwyer Choral Series at Colla Voce, ICC Teacher Resources on line and with the Hal Leonard and Brock music publishers.  
 
Ruth Dwyer earned both her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Indiana University where she majored in music education and voice.  While attending Indiana University she also received her Kodály certification under the guidance of Mary Goetze and Jean Sinor.  She enjoys a good up of coffee, visiting with family, gardening, reading, sailing and hiking in the mountains.
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Dr. Frank F. Eychaner 
​Women's Choir

Dr. Frank F. Eychaner came to Texas in 2014 as the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.  Before coming to Texas, Eychaner was the Director of Choral Studies and Music Education at Colorado Christian University, a position he held from 2006-2014. He also held positions at Centennial High School in Boise Idaho from '94-2000 and at Treasure Valley Community College in Oregon from 2001-2005. He received his education at Central Washington University where he was a teaching assistant to Geoffrey Boers and at the University of Kentucky where he studied with Jefferson Johnson and co-conducted the University Chorale and Men’s Chorus that appeared at the 2006 National Convention of NAfME.
 
Groups under Eychaner’s direction have been invited to perform at state and regional conventions including Southwest ACDA in 2008 and 2014, Colorado MEA in 2006, 2010 and 2014, Utah MEA in 2013 and the Oregon MEA in 2006. He has guest conducted in many states including California, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas and Missouri. He conducted the Kentucky Jr. High Allstate choir in 2014 and the 2015 Korean International School Honor Choir in Seoul, South Korea. 
 
Dr. Eychaner has presented over fifty sessions at state and national conferences on a broad spectrum of choral pedagogy topics from voice building and repertoire to rehearsal techniques and artistry. Eychaner has published many journal articles on choral techniques and pedagogy and has over seventy published and unpublished compositions and arrangements. He is writing a book on choral pedagogy that will be published with GIA Publications.

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Dr. Craig Denison
Men's Choir​

Craig Denison is Associate Director of Music Education and Choral Music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Before that, he served as Artistic Director of Florida’s Singing Sons Boychoir, and director of the Master Chorale at Florida International University. He taught for many years at Saint Mark’s Episcopal School as Director of Vocal Music. Dr. Denison has also served as Music Director for the Colorado Children’s Chorale and Associate Music Director and Conductor of The American Boychoir. His chapter on boychoir pedagogy is in the Oxford Handbook of Choral Pedagogy.

Dr. Denison has prepared choirs and acted as vocal coach for numerous international orchestras, opera companies, and a number of world and North American premieres. He currently serves as the American Choral Director’s National Chair for Repertoire and Standards in Boychoirs. Dr. Denison founded the Schola Cantorum at Westminster Choir College of Rider University as Assistant Professor of Conducting. A sought-after conductor and clinician, Dr. Denison is a regular guest conductor of Honor and All-State Choruses. He also presents and conducts regularly at the state and national level for ACDA, NAfME, and their affiliates. Dr. Denison has prepared boys for numerous opera productions including The Magic
Flute, The Turn of the Screw, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Carmen, La Boheme, Turandot, Tosca, Summer and Smoke, Hansel and Gretel, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Street Scene, and Gloriana with opera companies as diverse as Central City Opera to Los Angeles Opera to Florida Grand Opera. He has prepared choirs and soloists for the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Symphony, New World Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, and the BBC Proms.

His television and movie work includes Dexter and Interview with the Vampire. Dr. Denison earned his Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Miami. He holds a Master of Music degree with Distinction from Westminster Choir College and a Bachelor of Music degree from Houghton College, Magna Cum Laude. In addition to
youth singing, Dr. Denison’s research agenda include statistical models in music psychology, community music, and signature/emerging choral pedagogies.

CMASC 2017 Clinicians

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Patricia Joyce
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2017 Treble Choir Conductor 
Patricia Joyce received her Bachelor of Music degree, magna cum laude, in Music Education from Marywood College in Scranton, PA, and her Master of Music degree, With Distinction, in Music Education from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ.    She completed certification in Kodaly Methodology from the Kodaly Musical Training Institute, Hartford, Connecticut.
 
Trish has presented workshops, reading sessions, and adjudicated festivals for the New Jersey American Choral Directors Association and the New Jersey Music Educators Association.  She has conducted the New Jersey All-State Women’s Choir, the Central New Jersey Junior High Honors Choir, the Central New Jersey Elementary Honors Choir, the North Jersey Junior High Women's Honors Choir, and Children’s Choir Festivals in Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia.   Trish has served on the Board of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association as President, Vice President, and as the Repertoire and Standards Chair for Children’s Choirs.   She was the Co-Chair for the American Choral Directors Association’s National Children’s and Youth Choir Conductors Retreat, held in New Jersey in January, 2016. In addition, she has served as Associate Organist and Choirmaster at St. Bernard’s Church in Bernardsville, NJ, Interim Director of Music at Christ Church in Summit, NJ, and continues free-lance work at many other churches in northern and central NJ.  
 
 Trish is the Founder and Artistic Director of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, now entering its 25th season.  NJYC is an auditioned choral program for children in grades two through twelve, divided into five performing ensembles, and a musicianship class.    The heart of its mission is to provide exceptional choral music education and performance experiences, fostering expression, artistry and growth.  The Chorus performs frequently with professional ensembles and performers, including the NJ Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Brass, Queen Latifah (Super Bowl XLVIII), The Chieftains, Ronan Tynan and others.  They were a featured choir at the American Choral Directors Association’s Eastern Division Conference (2008, 2012, 2016) and Chorus America’s 2009 Conference.  They have participated in numerous national and international music festivals, and regularly host visiting youth choirs. 
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Mia Hall Miller
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2017 Women's Choir Conductor 
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With more than 25 years as a choral music educator, Mia is well known for her enthusiasm and commitment to achieving excellence with young singers.
Mia holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees of Music from the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance.  After college she studied and sang professionally in Stuttgart, Germany.
In 2003 founded the Pacific Youth Choir (PYC). The choir has grown from the original 60 young people to today’s PYC with 300 singers in 10 choirs.
PYC is well recognized locally, regionally, and nationally enjoying regular invitations to perform with The Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Ballet Theater, Portland Youth Philharmonic, Trinity Choir and Pink Martini.
PYC has been named the Oregon Symphony’s choir of choice, with 7 performances this season. PYC is featured on four Pink Martini recordings, including the immensely popular “Joy to the World” CD, which went “Gold”.
In March 2012 Mia was featured in the Oregonian Series “Inside Obsession: a series about artists who devote their lives to their passion”.  (“Mia Savage (now Miller) Portland’s Pied Piper of Youth Choirs”)
PYC was greatly honored to perform at four conventions of The American Choral Directors Association, including at their 50th anniversary national convention.
In addition to PYC, Mia has guest conducted and coached many clinics including two Oregon Music Educators Association All State Choirs, two Portland All City Honor Choirs, and Pacific University’s Music In May.
In spring of 2015 Mia was named the Distinguished Alumna from UOSOMD.
In Spring of 2016 Mia was given the Oregon Symphony Schnitzer Wonder Award, which honors an individual who works to build community in the next generation of musicians.
Mia is thrilled to be conducting the Colorado All State 7th-8th grade Honor Choir!
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Jake Narverud
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2017 Men's Choir Conductor 
Jacob Narverud (b.1986) is an American composer, arranger, and conductor.  A native of Meriden, Kansas, Narverud studied voice performance at Emporia State University and is currently a doctoral student at the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, where he holds a master’s degree in conducting.  With a background in musical theater, instrumental, and choral music, Jake is a sought-after composer and an active guest conductor.  As a vocalist, Narverud has performed with the Kansas City Chorale and the Kansas City Symphony as a back-up singer for Ben Folds.  He has also been a choir director at both secondary and collegiate levels.  Jake is published with Santa Barbara, Alliance, Carl Fischer, G. Schirmer, Wingert-Jones, Alfred, Shawnee Press, and Hal Leonard.  For more on Narverud’s music, or for contact information, visit jakenarverud.com

CMASC 2016 Clinicians

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Mike Ross
2016 Treble Choir Conductor 
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Michael Ross is the first full-time Artistic Director of the Madison Youth Choirs. He was previously the Music Department Chair and Vocal Music Teacher at Madison West High School. Michael was the Tallis (training choir) instructor for the former Madison Boychoir for ten years. He has both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from UW-Madison, where he studied with Robert Fountain, Beverly Taylor, Julia Koza, and Anthony Barresi. Michael has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Summer Music Clinic, conducted the University Chorus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and led the former Basso Continuo choir of the Madison Boychoir.

Michael has extensive accompanying and music directing experience, including having been accompanist for both the Madison Boychoir and Madison Children's Choir, department accompanist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison choral program, and music director for several University of Wisconsin-Madison Summer Theatre productions.

Michael has been active in state music organizations, having been the choral chair for the Wisconsin Music Educators Association, accompanist for the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association's Next Direction conference, and both section leader and accompanist for various WSMA and WCDA State Honors Choirs. Michael is a member of the Voice Care Network, and has been named several times to "Who's Who Among America's Teachers".
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Deidre Douglas
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2016 Women's Choir Conductor
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Deidre Douglas is in her twenty-fifth year of teaching in the Cypress Fairbanks School District in Houston, Texas. Ms. Douglas received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Arts from Stephen F. Austin State University. There she was named the Presser Scholar and the Lenvill Martin Outstanding Music Graduate. 


Ms. Douglas’ choirs have received numerous sweepstakes ratings in Contest and Sightreading, Best in Class and Outstanding Performance at festivals, and performed at the annual TMEA Convention. She has served on the Prescribed Music List committee and the choral textbook committee for Hal Leonard/Glenco. She was selected "Spotlight Teacher" at Labay Middle School in the 1999-2000, and as the 2012 "Spotlight Teacher" of Cypress Falls High School. In 2010, she was named the "Outstanding Music Alumna of the Year" at Stephen F. Austin State University. 

Ms. Douglas is a frequent adjudicator, clinician and soloist throughout the state and surrounding states. She is a member of TMEA, TCDA, TMAA, Mu Phi Epsilon, Alpha Chi and Pi Kappa Lambda. Deidre and her husband, BJ, have two daughters, Rebekah and Leah.

Some of her favorite activities include working in her yard, cooking, sewing, and crafts. Two of her favorite sports are softball and basketball. She also enjoys watching action packed movies with actors: Steven Segall, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, and Nicholas Cage—just to name a few.
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Henry Leck
2016 Men's Choir Conductor 
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An internationally recognized choral director, Henry Leck is a former associate professor and director of choral activities at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1986 he became founder and artistic director of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, one of the largest children’s choir programs in the world. The touring choirs of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir have performed regularly for national ACDA, MENC, OAKE and AOSA conferences. Additionally, ICC tours internationally every year, having sung in prestigious concert sites throughout Great Britain, Greece, Scandinavia, Central Europe, South America, North America, Australia, New Zealand and China. In 2004, the choir performed in the Czech Republic and Russia, recording live with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in the famed Pavel Slobodkin Center for Music. Mr. Leck founded the Indiana All-State Children’s Honor Choir and the Indiana Middle/Junior High School Honors Choir, and has conducted Mixed, Men’s, Women’s, Junior High and Children’s All-State Choirs and festival choirs in nearly every state. He is a frequent conductor of regional and national honor choirs, including the ACDA Southern, Southwest, North Central, Central and Northwest Divisional Honors Choirs. In the spring of 2003, he conducted the ACDA National Junior High/Middle School Honor Choir in New York City and on three occasions has conducted National Honor Choirs for OAKE.

Mr. Leck has conducted many international festivals including the Musica Mundi Tuscany Children’s Choir Festival in Montecatini, Florence and Rome, Italy; the Central European International Children’s Choral Festival; the International Children’s Choir Festival in Beijing, China and the Vienna Children’s & Boys Choir Festival with the Vienna Sangerknaben. He has conducted many times in Brazil, including the Curso Internacional de Regencia Coral in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he founded the ARCI Sao Paulo Children’s Honor Choir which he conducts every other year. Mr. Leck has served as a clinician for the Australian National Choral Association and the Royal School of Church Music. He is the artistic director of the highly acclaimed Pacific Rim Festival in Hawaii and the International Children’s Choral Festival in Canterbury and London, England. For eleven years, he has conducted the National Youth Choral Festival in Carnegie Hall.

Mr. Leck is widely known as a specialist in choral techniques, the child’s voice and the boy’s changing voice. He authored the choral section of Silver Burdett music textbooks for grades 4, 5 and 6. He has produced three teaching videos titled Vocal Techniques for the Young Singer, The Boy’s Expanding Voice: Take the High Road and Creating Artistry through Movement, Dalcroze Eurhythmics. He is a lead author for the choral textbook series published by McGraw Hill/Glencoe titled Experiencing Choral Music and is also the editor of two nationally known choral series published by Hal Leonard Corporation and Colla Voce, Inc./Plymouth.

Mr. Leck is certified as a Kodály instructor and is an active member of ACDA, OAKE, MENC, AOSA and Pi Kappa Lambda. In 1992 he was named the “Outstanding University Music Educator of the Year” by the IMEA. Mr. Leck received his training from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Colorado and Indiana University where he received a master’s degree in choral conducting. Each year he teaches his conductor’s workshop entitled Creating Artistry at venues across the country.

​CMASC 2015 Clinicians

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Dr. Jill Burleson Burgett
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2015 Treble Choir Conductor
Dr. Jill Burleson Burgett is Director of Choral Music Ed/Associate Director of Choral Studies at UNC, conducting the Women’s Glee Club and Prima Voce Chamber Ensemble, and teaching choral methods and conducting. Her doctorate is from Ball State University, where she was the Don Neuen fellowship recipient and subsequently served as Associate Director of Choral Activities. She holds an MM degree (choral conducting) from Ball State and a BM degree (magna cum laude) from Heidelberg University. For nearly twenty years, Burgett conducted choirs at the middle and high school level in the Indiana public schools. She has served on the Indiana and Colorado ACDA boards and Central Division ACDA board as College and University R&S Chair, and she is currently the President of the Colorado Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. Burgett is an active festival clinician and conference speaker. She is published in Choral Journal and New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Conducting venues  include Prague, Vienna, Budapest, London, and Paris, and a Rome concert tour taking place March 2014.

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Dr. David Brunner
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2015 Women's Choir Conductor
David L. Brunner is acclaimed as one today's most active and versatile conductors and composers.  His wide and varied expertise embraces all ages in professional, university, public school, community, church and children’s choruses. Dr. Brunner is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Central Florida, where he conducts the University Chorus and Chamber Singers, teaches courses in conducting, and coaches composition students. In both 1995 and 2000 he received a College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award and in 1995 the University Excellence in Teaching Award, UCF’s highest teaching honor.  His choirs have appeared at state and divisional conventions of both the American Choral Directors Association and the Music Educators National Conference.

Well known for his compelling and dynamic work with singers of all ages, David has conducted women's, mixed and men's All-State and regional honor choirs throughout the United States at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.  An inspired teacher, he is also a popular clinician at choral festivals and educational workshops in thirty-four U.S. states, Canada, the U.K., Europe, Australia and Japan. David Brunner's music resonates with imagination, lyricism and vitality.  His compositions have been performed worldwide by children's choirs, middle and high school singers, college, community and professional choirs.  The New York Times has referred to him as a notable figure in choral music, a "prolific choral writer whose name figures prominently on national repertory lists." (24 April 2003). Brunner holds degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University and Northwestern University in choral music education and conducting and the Doctor of Music Arts in Choral Literature and Conducting from the University of Illinois.  In addition, he has studied with Robert Shaw, and with Helmuth Rilling in conducting master classes at the Oregon Bach Festival.  Dr. Brunner is a Past-President of the Florida chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
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Dr. Andrea Ramsey
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2015 Men's Choir Conductor

Dr. Andrea Ramsey is an Assistant Professor of Conducting and Associate Director of Choral Studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Prior to her appointment at CU, Andrea  taught choral music methods courses, undergraduate conducting, and conducted the University Chorus at The Ohio State University.  She holds a Ph.D. in music education from Michigan State University, where she was a University Distinguished Fellow and conducted the MSU Chamber Choir and assisted with the Women’s Chamber Ensemble.  Her conducting teachers included Dr. David Rayl, Dr. Sandra Snow, and Dr. Jonathan Reed.  Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Arkansas Tech University and a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Kansas where she served as a graduate teaching assistant and conductor of the KU Men’s Glee Club, the first female to do so in the 120+ year history of the organization.

As a composer, Dr. Ramsey continues to serve as composer-in-residence to the Allegro Choirs of Kansas City  (an upbeat energetic youth choral program serving singers in grades 2-12) where she served as an assistant conductor for two years. A native Arkansan, Andrea has thirteen years of teaching experience with children’s, public school and university choruses.  Her choral program in the Bentonville Public School district in Northwest Arkansas at Washington Junior High School grew to include approximately 375 students in grades 7-8. The choirs were twice invited to perform for the Arkansas All-State Music Conference.  As a guest conductor, she has conducted all-state choruses and honor choirs in Missouri, Louisiana, Georgia, Virginia, and Arkansas.  She looks forward to work this year with choirs in New York, Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee. 

CMASC 2014 Clinicians

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Laura Farnell
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2014 Women's Choir Conductor 
Laura Farnell is an active choral composer, clinician, accompanist, and adjudicator who resides in Arlington, Texas. After graduating summa cum laude from Baylor University with her Bachelor of Music Education in Choral Music (with a piano emphasis) in 1998, Laura taught elementary music in Mansfield, Texas for two years. She then taught for eight years at Boles Junior High in Arlington ISD, during which time the choir program earned numerous UIL sweepstakes awards. In 2004 she received an Excellence in Education Award as the Arlington Independent School District's outstanding junior high teacher of the year.

Laura especially enjoys working with middle school students, as well as composing and arranging for this age group. She is represented by Alliance Music Publications, BriLee Music, Hal Leonard Corporation, Heritage Music, Kjos Music Press, and other publishers. She is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, and The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. She and her husband, Russell, and their son, Ryan, attend First Presbyterian Church of Arlington.
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Dr. Patrick Freer
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2014 Men's Choir Conductor

Patrick K. Freer is associate professor of choral music education at Georgia State University in Atlanta, offering programs at the baccalaureate, masters and PhD levels. He holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Freer is a frequent guest conductor for all-state choruses and has made over 85 presentations at regional, national and international conferences. He has guest conducted or presented in 32 states, Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands and Spain. Dr. Freer has conducted several concerts in Carnegie Hall and made his Lincoln Center debut in June, 2012 with a concert in Avery Fisher Hall. He currently conducts the Georgia State University Men's Chorus and Choral Union. The Men's Chorus performed for the 2012 national meeting of Intercollegiate Men's Choruses, Inc., and was a national semi-finalist for the 2012 American Prize in Choral Performance.

Dr. Freer is academic editor and chair of the editorial board for Music Educators Journal, the most widely circulated music education journal in the world.  His major publications include Getting Started with Middle School Chorus (2nd Edition) which was named a 2010 "Outstanding Academic Title" by the Choice journal for university librarians; TIPS: The First Weeks of Middle School Chorus; and the critically acclaimed DVD series Success for Adolescent Singer. He is on the editorial and review boards for the International Journal of Music Education, Psychology of Music and Middle Grades Research Journal. His articles are published in most of the field's leading national and international journals, including the Choral Journal, Arts Education Policy Review, International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Music Education Research, Music Educators Journal, Philosophy of Music Education Review, Research Studies in Music Education, Revista Internacional de Educación Musical, Southwestern Musician, Teaching Artist Journal and UPDATE: Applications of Research in Music Education.
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