Maryland Music Educators Association

The Maryland General Music Teachers Association is proud to announce our

Clinicians for the February 2012 MMEA Conference!

	Christina A. Baker Chris Baker has taught General Music and Chorus at George Washington Carver Elementary in St. Mary's County, MD, for twelve years. She holds a B.S. from Duquesne University and a Maryland Advanced Professional Certificate. George Washington Carver Elementary School is located in Lexington Park, Maryland, and serves approximately 600 students from the age of three to Fifth Grade. It is designated as a Title I school. As a result, G.W. Carver is the beneficiary of both state and federal money to help supplement the county funded budget. Carver is housed in a six year-old facility, for which Chris was able to design the music complex. Carver has been designated a SMCPS technology demonstration school. SMART Boards, student computers, laptops, document cameras, software, and audience response systems are available in all classrooms. Chris serves as a SMART Board trainer and technology liaison between the school and county. Chris is a SMCPS mentor teacher assisting non-tenured teachers, Unified Arts team lead, and a mentor to St. Mary's College of Maryland interns. She teaches one of the county's longest running Fine Arts Extended Day programs, including classes in guitar, theater, advanced recorder, and advanced vocal studies. She currently teaches the largest elementary chorus in SMCPS, numbering over 200 students, and directed this year's SMCPS Elementary Honor Chorus. In her "spare" time, Chris is the band leader, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger of a local jazz-folk fusion band named Fractal Folk.
	Dr. Rene Boyer Rene is a Professor Emeritus of Music Education at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music. She is known nationally and internationally for her work in multicultural and urban music education. Her publications include: Share the Music and Spotlight on Music published by Macmillan McGraw-Hill; “Expressions of Freedom: An Anthology of African American Spirituals” in three volumes; “Walking in the Light of Freedom”, also in three volumes; and “Songs and Rhythms of a Nation: A Journey of American Heritage,” all published by Hal Leonard. “The Ballad of the Underground Railroad,” and “United We Stand”, also published by Hal Leonard, are two popular choral works composed by Rene. Her “Music Fundamentals, Methods and Materials for the Elementary Classroom Teacher published by Pearson is now in its 5^th edition and remains as one our nation’s best selling music textbooks used by classroom teachers as well as music specialists. Rene, a past President of the Greater Cincinnati Orff Chapter, received her B.M. and M.M. from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville Illinois and her Doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She possesses all Levels of Orff Certification as well as Kodaly Certification from Hungary.
	Kevin Fletcher Kevin Fletcher is a Ph. D. student in Music Education at the University of Maryland, College Park. He holds a B.S. in Music Education focused in Choral/General Music and an MA in Educational Leadership with a research cognate in Arts Integration. A 17-year veteran educator, he has taught in his native Tennessee and in Colorado where he had a wide variety of experiences in diverse school settings. Kevin has taught in the general education classroom at the elementary level, and general and choral music at both the elementary and secondary levels in rural, suburban and urban settings. Additionally, as a district arts specialist, he provided professional development and instructional support for music, visual art, dance, and drama teachers at all levels, Pre K-12. Before coming to Maryland, Fletcher served as principal of a K-8 arts integrated school in Denver, CO. He has presented sessions focusing on early childhood music, choral music classroom, and arts integration for Tennessee and Colorado Music Educators Association, Tennessee State Department of Education, and for Tennessee, Colorado, and the Southern Division of ACDA. Children’s choirs under his direction have performed at the Tennessee Music Educators Association, various venues throughout the Rocky Mountain region, and at the National Cathedral in Washington DC. The primary emphasis of Kevin's current research is in the integration of music and literacy and its implications for curriculum development, and how teachers’ attitudes and beliefs impact instruction in the middle school general music classroom.
	Felicia Burger Johnston Felicia Burger Johnston is a music teacher, performer, and editor. She was aTeacher of the Year for Upshur County Schools, WV, where she taught elementary general-choral music and beginning strings for over 31 years before retirement. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, recipient of WVMEA’sGeneral Music Teacher of the Year award, and is listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. She earned her BA and MA degrees in music education from Marshall University in Huntington, WV, and her Orff pedagogy certification from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She performs on voice, cello, and Appalachian dulcimer, presents Appalachian music programs and workshops, and does music ministry with her husband, Rev. Cyril Johnston, through Side by Side Renewal Ministries. Felicia holds membership in American String Teachers Association and NAfME (formerly MENC), and serves MMEA as the editor ofMaryland Music Educator.
	Kalani With over 30 years of professional experience in a variety of fields, Kalani’s work honors past traditions while expanding the fields of music education, music therapy, and professional and personal development. Kalani began his professional career at the age of 15, playing in several Bay Area bands. After graduating from California State University Northridge with a degree in Music performance in 1986, he went on to work with legendary drummer Max Roach eventually returning to LA to tour with Vic Damone in 1990. In 1991 Kalani was invited to tour with Multi-Platinum recording artist, Yanni, performing on the widely acclaimed “Live at the Acropolis” video which sold over seven million copies world-wide. Kalani has also toured nationally and internationally with Barry Manilow, Suzanne Cianni, Benise, and a host of other artists. As a percussionist, Kalani has played on CDs and soundtracks for the Nature Company, Jim Hensen Records, Paramount Pictures, Sony Records, Tri-Star, Disney, Warner Brothers, and others. Recently, Kalani played on on Rod Stewart’s latest CD, Fly Me to the Moon. Kalani has written and produced over 20 instructional products, including videos, CDs, books, and online lessons (workshoplive.com). His Book and DVD, Together in Rhythm, won the esteemed iParenting Media award and he has been honored with more than seven DRUM! Magazine Readers’ Poll Awards, including Best Rock/Pop Percussionist, Best Percussion Clinician, Best Percussion Method Book, and Best Drumming Facilitator. Kalani has produced four original music CDs, Pangea, Insights, Origins, and his latest release, Rhythm Spirit. He has designed a series of specialty sticks and mallets for the Vic Firth Company, including the first ever hand drumming gloves. Kalani is the creator of Developmental Community Music (DCM), a holistic approach to facilitating creative potential through music and movement. He presents events and training courses in the US and abroad each year. (playsinglaugh.com). In 2001, Kalani began a long-time collaboration with Master Drummer, Ryan Camara, which produced the World Rhythms Arts Program (WRAP) and the mutli-media book, West African Drum & Dance. Kalani has presented for organizations including the International Music Products Association, The American Music Therapy Association, The National Association for Music Educators, The American Orff-Schulwerk Association, The Percussive Arts Society, The Victoria Orff-Schulwerk Association, and many state and regional conferences. He recently founded the Hula for Life program for older adults, which features the dance, songs, and music of Hawaii (hulaforlife.net). Kalani is the co-author of the Music Makers program, an original curriculum for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He is a certified Orff-Schulwerk (Music and Movement for Children) Practitioner with many years of teaching experience, both in schools and community settings. Kalani is a Board-Cetified Music Therapist (MT-BC) and currently provides music therapy services in the Los Angeles area. His forthcoming book, The Way of Music, examines how improvisation may be developed and used within clinical music therapy.
	Janet Montgomery Janet Montgomery, Professor of the Practice at the University of Maryland, College Park, serves as the general music specialist and as Chair of the Music Education Division. Before coming to Maryland, she served as Arts Coordinator for the Denver Public Schools. Her academic posts in higher education include Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Associate Professor at Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY), and Instructor at Wright State University (Dayton, OH). She began her public school teaching in the Wichita (KS) Public Schools. She received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her BME and MME degrees from Wichita State University. Her publication record includes co-author of Musical Growth in the Elementary School (Harcourt and Brace, 1996), a program author of The Music Connection, Grades K-8 (Silver Burdett, Ginn, and Foresman, 2000), author of various articles on special learners and comprehensive musicianship, and co-author of a chapter on contemporary curriculum in the New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning (Oxford, 2003). Her most recent publications have appeared in the Music Educators Journal (January 2005 and March 2006). She is past Chair of Society for General Music in the Music Educators National Conference, past Chair for the ISME Commission on Music in Special Education, Music Therapy, and Music Medicine, and Past President of the Colorado Music Educators Association. She is the Special Learners Chair for Maryland Music Educators Association. Her research interests include history of music education, psychology of music learning, special needs students, and teacher education.
	Tiffany Papanikolas Tiffany Papanikolas teaches general music at Berwyn Heights Elementary School in Prince George's County, Maryland. Ms. Papanikolas is a National Board certified educator with over a decade of experience teaching students of all skill levels and cultural and social backgrounds. She is the musical director of the Berwyn Heights Elementary School Chorus, which has achieved consistent Superior ratings at music festivals throughout the area. She utilizes technology in her classroom to engage students and enhance their learning and is a regular presenter at area technology conferences. Ms. Papanikolas has served as a mentor to aspiring music teachers at the University of Maryland as well as to other music educators within Prince George's County. A believer in curriculum integration, she has created innovative lessons using movement, dance, and music to help students learn about language, science, social studies, and math.
	Dr. Eric Rasmussen Since the fall of 2000, Dr. Eric Rasmussen has served as chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of The Johns Hopkins University where he teaches a specialized music curriculum for babies through to 9-year-old children. Dr. Rasmussen also serves as the musical foundations teacher for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s outreach program called OrchKids, a program for PreK through 5th grade children fashioned after the highly acclaimed Venezuelan music program, “El Sistema.” The OrchKids have played with the Baltimore Symphony on a subscription series concert and also have been featured on "60 Minutes." Since 1996, Dr. Rasmussen has performed thousands of hours observing, coaching, and training scores of public school music teachers. During this time, he also taught in several city schools, redesigned a portion of Baltimore city’s music curriculum, and led music education workshops on many topics in major metropolitan school systems throughout the northeast. Dr. Rasmussen has specialized in early childhood and elementary general music classes for the past twenty years, but first began his teaching career teaching instrumental music and band in 1984. He has played trumpet professionally in a Dixieland jazz group for over fifteen years. He now appears mostly at home playing duets several times a week with his 5th grade daughter.
	Angela St. Pierre MGMTA president-elect Angela St. Pierre is an early and middle childhood music National Board Certified Teacher in Anne Arundel County. She is the choral director at Brooklyn Park Middle School’s Performing and Visual Arts Magnet School in AACPS. In addition to an article in the MMEA journal, Angela has written lessons for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and music and arts integration curriculum in Anne Arundel County. A soprano soloist with a background in opera, art song, and oratorio, she is also a voice teacher for the Maryland State Boychoir. Angela holds a Bachelor of Music in Education from Westminster Choir College, a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Florida State University, and a Master of Science in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University.
	Christian Slattery A self-taught musician from the age of eight, Mr. Slattery later realized his fate was to share his passion of music with today's youth. While studying at West Chester University, he became infatuated with elementary music teaching methods and how to intertwine music with general classroom curriculum. Today, he is an enthusiastic and dedicated teacher, having served in the field in Harford County for nine years, using creative tactics to integrate the music curriculum with general classroom studies on a daily basis. Mr. Slattery's math songs and raps are well-known in the Hall's Cross Roads Elementary community. The year 2008 was a momentous year for Christian Slattery’s career, as he was named the recipient of the prestigious National Milken Educator’s Award and achieved National Board Certification in early to middle childhood music. Mr. Slattery mentors Harford County teachers through the National Board process and frequently serves as a demonstration teacher for new and veteran colleagues. Using his research and data in tracking student growth, Mr. Slattery has conducted and presented professional development at the county and state level. Currently, Christian Slattery serves as Harford County’s 2011-2012 Teacher of the Year and is finishing his master’s degree in leadership in teacher from Notre Dame of Maryland University.
	Melva Sunday Mrs. Sunday has been employed for 36 years with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Currently Mrs. Sunday is a vocal/general music specialist at Folger McKinsey Elementary school, a National Blue Ribbon School, located in Severna Park Maryland. She earned her BA in Music Education from Bridgewater College, Bridgewater Virginia, MMEd from the University of Maryland College Park and achieved as a National Board Certified Teacher. Currently, Mrs. Sunday is serving as a candidate support provider for the Anne Arundel County Cohort of National Board Certified Teacher Candidates. Recently Mrs. Sunday has been working closely with her colleagues to integrate the arts fully in all curriculum areas. In the past 2 years Melva has been a part of the Anne Arundel County/AEMS 21^st century arts integration conferences as well as attending many conferences and professional development workshops in the area of arts integration. Currently she is a member of the Anne Arundel County cohort working toward a certificate in Arts Integration from Towson University.
	Paul Waskiewicz Paul Waskiewicz is currently a general music teacher in Howard County Maryland. Most recently he was Senior Director for Curriculum at Bach to Rock in Bethesda, Maryland. Prior to his joining B2R, Paul served as the director and teacher for Tunes n Tots, a music education program for young children, in Boulder, Colorado, where he taught approximately 400 young children per week. He holds the BME and MME degrees from Wichita (Kansas) State University. He has taught music in the public schools in Kansas and New York and founded a preschool for music, arts, and language in Wichita, Kansas. He has served as a clinician for state, national, and international meetings, including South Africa, Canada, and Finland. For two years, he served as Chair of Early Childhood Music within the Colorado Music Educators Association. His interests include: advocacy for persons with disabilities, learning styles in communication, computer-assisted instruction, and computer programming. His latest project is with Herbie and Hannah, two virtual reality "sound machines" that help students improvise music using only movement.