Take Note

During the 2025 PMEA Conference, we talked with the 2025 PMEA Outstanding Superintendents - Dr. Philip Domencic from the Cornwall-Lebanon School District and Dr. MaryJo Yannacone from the School District of Springfield Township. Learn about their districts, their support for music education, and advice for music teachers and superintendents on how to support music education in any school.

We're talking with Dr. Missy Strong who is one of the keynote speakers at the 2025 PMEA Conference. Missy talks with us about what to expect from her sessions at the conference and how you can incorporate movement into your music classroom.

We conclude our series getting ready for the 2025 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Jason Noble, All-State Concert Band Conductor and Rollo Dilworth, All-State Chorus Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We continue our series getting ready for the 2025 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Michael Hall, All-State Orchestra Conductor and Dr. Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin, All-State Wind Ensemble Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We're talking with Dr. Kathy Melago, Professor of Music Education at Slippery Rock University and Slippery Rock University Music Education majors Rose Obergefell and Nate Presutti about their field experience trip to New Mexico. Learn about what the trip is and how it expands their horizons for a career in music education.

We start to gear up for the 2025 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with JD Frizzell, All-State Contemporary A Cappella Ensemble Conductor and Gary Smulyan, All-State Jazz Ensemble Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We're celebrating Take Note's 100th Edition by talking with PMEA President-Elect Becky Sensor. We take a look back at some guests and share clips of our favorite Take Note memories.

We're joined by Pennsylvania native, Racheal Murray. She talks with us about her career in the entertainment industry and how music influenced her life.

We're joined by Edward Doyle and Wayne Mallette - the candidates for NAfME Eastern Division President. The election is open through February 13th.

We're joined by PMEA's current president, Brett Keith, to look back on 2024 and look ahead to 2025.

We're talking about the Pennsylvania Collegiate Music Educators (PCMEA) with PCMEA President Ellie Vito and PCMEA Advisor Kelly Gumble. Hear about what PCMEA is, what they're dong, and what the current reality for a college music education student looks like.

We're talking with Dr. Jerry Zahorchak about the impacts of the 2024 elections on education and education policy. Jerry was the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education in the Rendell administration and is still active in education policy today.

It's the end of the 2024 marching band season and we're doing a wrap up to it where we talk with Bianca Wallace about current trends in the marching arts and advice for students and instructors.

Mike Buterbaugh, Music Education Advisor at the Reading Musical Foundation, joins us to talk about the importance of collecting data on your music education programs and how you can use it to your advantage.

Dr. Adam Gustafson is an Associate Teaching Professor of Music at Penn State Harrisburg. He joins us to talk about the cultural and musical impacts of Taylor Swift. Hear what he's learned through his research and what the students he teaches have to say about Taylor Swift.

Dr. Sean Powell is the author of "The Ideology of Competition in School Music" and he joins us to discuss the implications of competitive structures in school music programs.

We're talking with Tonia Asel Kaufman, a Pennsylvania music educator, that has just taken on a new PMEA role related to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - known as JEDI. Learn about the new role and what it means for music educators.

We're joined by NAMM's Senior Public Policy Advisor Mary Luehrsen as she gets ready to retire at the end of September. Mary reflects on her career including her work advocating for music and provide some advice for all of us.

We're joined by well-known conductor, Anthony Maiello. He shares some stories from his career and provides advice for teachers and students.

On this edition of Take Note, we flip the script and the host becomes the guest as we interview Mark Despotakis, PMEA's Director of Public and Government Affairs about his journey to PMEA and he shares some things music educators should keep on their radar.

Music for All's Advocacy in Action Program is a way to get your program recognized but also learn from music education programs doing great things across the country. We're joined by James Stephens, Music for All's Senior Director of Education and Advocacy and Advocacy in Action award winner, Hayley Winslow, from Saint George, Utah to talk about the program and how you can get involved. Learn more at advocacy.musicforall.org

We dive into Modern Band and learn about what it is and how it's being implemented into music education programs. Joining us to talk about Modern Band is Dr. Cassandra Eisenreich, Dr. Warren Gramm, and Henry Pearlberg.

Kathy Campbell is a Professor of Music at Seton Hill University and a new member of the PMEA Hall of Fame. Kathy joins us to talk about her career as she is about to begin her retirement.

Deke Sharon is known as "The Father of Contemporary A Cappella" and has produced albums for groups like Straight No Chaser. He's also vocally produced five seasons of The Sing Off for NBC. He was arranger, on-site music director and vocal producer for all three of Universal's hit films in the Pitch Perfect franchise. Deke joins us to talk about Contemporary A Cappella and how you can incorporate it into your classroom.

We are talking with Dave Cree. Dave was PMEA President from 1994-1996 and talks with us about his teaching career, work with PMEA, and his current work with the Penn State Blue Band. (Apologies for the slight audio issues.)

We're talking with the two candidates for PMEA President-Elect - Emily Brumbaugh and Rebecca Sensor. PMEA members will be able to vote for this postion and others beginning on April 15th.

We continue to get ready for the 2024 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Scott Laird, All-State Orchestra Conductor and Dr. Chris Jackson, All-State Chorus Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We're joined by Dr. Kendra Ross to talk about her career as an artist, educator, and cultural worker. She talks with us about her story, her music, and how she works for the greater good of our world.

We continue to get ready for the 2024 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Dr. Andrea Strauss, All-State Wind Ensemble Conductor and Alfred Watkins, All-State Concert Band Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We're joined by Marissa Guarriello who is the Director of Programming for Music at ArtsQuest. ArtsQuest is located in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. Marissa talks with us about some new programming ArtsQuest is offering for music students and music educators.

We start to gear up for the 2024 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Rob Dietz, All-State Contemporary A Cappella Ensemble Conductor and Dr. Jason Kush, All-State Jazz Ensemble Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

Len Lavelle is the band director at North Hills High School just outside of Pittsburgh. He joins us to talk about SLAM - the Servant Leadership Association for Music. Learn how this group could help you explore how to enhance the culture in your music program.

Pennsylvania is now a part of the national Arts Education Data Project. We explore what that means with Dave Deitz, Fine Arts Education Consultant at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Learn how you can access the data and put it to good use.

We are so proud of Pennsylvania's own West Chester University Marching Band having been selected to perform in the 2024 Tournament of Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. We're talking with the band's director and students as they prepare for their performance of a lifetime that's only a few weeks away.

We're talking to the director and a member of the visual staff of this year's Bands of America Grand National Champion, Avon High School about their process, their season, and so much more. Oh, and they're married too, so we get to hear about that dynamic as well. Plus, we have a special co-host - Courtney Coffey from Simply Colorguard.

Dr. Elliot Cleveland is the founder of Marching Health and he joins us to talk about the importance of paying attention to health and fitness in the marching arts and he provides some free resources.

Jazz singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway joins us to talk about her new album, Finding Beauty, Originals Volume 1. She also provides advice for aspiring vocalists and music educators.

Amanda Karhuse is the Assistant Executive Director for Advocacy and Public Policy at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). She joins us to talk about what's currently happening in Washington, D.C. and how that impacts policy related to music education.

We're talking with Kate Landis, a music educator in the Hanover Public School District. She shares how she grew her marching band from 27 members to 95 in just four years. Plus, she has suggestion for how to empower student leaders.

We're joined by NAfME President-Elect, Deb Confredo to learn about the new Music Teacher Profession Initiative and how you can get involved.

Emily Bovan from UniSound in Western Pennsylvania joins us to tell us what UniSound is and we learn about their Black Teaching Artist-in-Residence Program.

We talk with Pennsylvania's new Secretary of Education, Dr. Khalid Mumin, about current issues in education, his experience in music, and his message to educators.

In this jam packed episode, we recap the 2023 PMEA Day of Service, catch up with music education advocate Miss Pennsylvania Miranda Moore, and talk with PMEA Executive Director Abi Young and PMEA Executive Director Emerita Margaret Bauer.

James Stephens from Music for All joins us to talk about programs Music for All offers - particularly Advocacy in Action. Learn how music educators and students can get involved in the many programs they offer.

Sam McMullan is a student at Slippery Rock University. He makes his own music - but isn't a music major. We'll learn about him and how students like him can teach music educators some important lessons.

We're joined by Ashley Zilka from WTAE-TV and Erica Mokay from KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh to talk about their participation in music programs while they were in school and how that has impacted their careers in television news.

We're joined by Courtney Coffey, the founder and CEO of Simply Colorguard. She talks with us about the colorguard activity, www.simplycolorguard.com, and how it can be a resource for anyone in the colorguard activity including band directors. www.simplycolorguard.com www.courtneycoffey.com www.tiktok.com/@courtneyacoffey www.youtube.com/@CourtneyACoffey

Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Slippery Rock University, Dr. Jonathan Helmick, joins us to talk all things music education and a new initiative at Slippery Rock to explore a diverse selection of wind band music.

We talked with Maria A. Ellis, known as Girl Conductor, about the current state of music education and we preview what she'll be talking about during the 2023 PMEA Conference.

We continue to gear up for the 2023 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Joe Boga, All-State Jazz Ensemble Conductor and Charlie Masters, All-State Vocal Jazz Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We continue to gear up for the 2023 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Dr. David Romines, All-State Concert Band Conductor and Dr. Patricia Cornett, All-State Wind Ensemble Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.