Patty Bourne

Patricia (Patty) Bourne teaches K-6 general music, 5th/6th grade chorus, and a 6th grade marimba ensemble at Canyon Creek Elementary in Bothell, Washington. Prior to this, she was Coordinator of Music Education at Central Washington University, in Ellensburg, WA. Bourne is active as a workshop clinician, presenting throughout the country on topics such as children’s choral and classroom singing, curriculum development, classroom management systems, working with diverse/challenging learners, African drumming, and marimbas in elementary general music. She has guest conducted regional and all-state choruses in multiple states as well as adjudicated secondary vocal solo and ensembles throughout the Northwest region. A native of Kentucky, Bourne received the Bachelor of Music Education from Murray State University (Murray, KY), the Master of Music Education from the University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK), and completed the Doctorate of Education from Arizona State University in 1990. Patty is a featured clinician with the JW Pepper Corporation and is the author of two texts (Heritage Music Press, Publisher): “Inside the Music Classroom: Teaching the Art with Heart” (2007), and “Inside the Elementary Chorus: Instructional Techniques for the Non-Select Children’s Chorus” (2009). In 2010, Patty was named WMEA Washington State Elementary Music Educator of the Year.

 

 

Paul Corbière

Paul Corbière lives in Coralville, Iowa, and teaches at Roundy Elementary in Columbus Junction where he is the K-6 General Music Teacher. Prior to continuing his career in Iowa, Paul taught in Palm Beach County, Florida for fourteen years. He is the cofounder of the Beat For Peace program combining World Music Drumming and Resiliency Research. Paul received his Masters of Music in Percussion Performance from the Ohio State University in 1992 and his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Music Education in 1989. Paul has been a featured clinician at the Florida, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Texas, Iowa and Illinois Music Educators Association Conferences. In October, 2005, he was composer and co-facilitator of the Iowa Groove, a 1300 person drum ensemble. Paul is a consultant for the Just Play It! Classroom Harmonica Method, a classroom Blues Harmonica curriculum. Paul has published a new book of drum and xylophone ensembles: Skins, Sticks, and Bars.

Check out the Beat For Peace Iowa link: http://beatforpeaceiowa.iowapages.org
E-mail musithang@mchsi.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Walt Hampton

Walt Hampton received his teaching certificate as well as Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Percussion Performance from Central Washington University. He has served as Principal Percussionist or Timpanist with numerous symphony orchestras, and he frequently performs on drum set, providing backup for several notable jazz artists who tour the Northwest. Walt has presented clinics and workshops on three continents, as well as national, regional, and state conventions for AOSA and MENC. He frequently tours and performs with his student group, the Rugare Marimba Ensemble, performing Zimbabwean-style marimba music from his two books, Hot Marimba! and Marimba Mojo! (World Music Press). Mr. Hampton now teaches K-5 General music at Sunset View Elementary School in Kennewick, Washington, and is in his 18th year as a public school music teacher. Walt has received several awards for his teaching, including the Washington State Excellence in Education Award.

 

 

 

Margaret Jerz

Margaret Jerz has taught elementary music in Florida,
New Hampshire and, since 1990, in the D. C. Everest school district in Schofield, WI. In addition to her kindergarten through fifth grade classes, she directs several DRRUM (Discipline, Respect, Responsibility and Unity through Music) clubs, an outgrowth of the students' desire for more time to improve their music performance skills through percussion
activities. Membership is open to all fifth grade students with the understanding that their homework must be done carefully and handed in on time or they cannot attend DRRUM club that week. Ms. Jerz holds a B. A. from the U of Northern Iowa and a Masters of Music Education from the U of WI - Stevens Point. She earned her Certification in Orff-Schulwerk at the U of Lowell, Lowell, MA. She has been involved in the World Music Drumming program since its beginnings at Conference Point in Lake Geneva, WI She has twice received her
district's Excellence in Education award.

Margaret is the co-creator of several sets of posters including the WordPower posters that feature the key words from the World Music Drumming curriculum. For more information, visit www.WrdPower.com. E-mail MFJMMM2@aol.com

 

 

 

Hong Le

Hong Le is a National Board Certified elementary music specialist. She graduated summa cum laude with Bachelor of Music in music education and Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance degrees from the University of Arkansas. She also received the Master of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois and the Master of Educational Administration degree from the University of North Texas. Having previously taught in Frisco, Texas, Hong currently serves as general music specialist in the Hudson City Schools in Hudson, Ohio, teaching with a combination of Orff, Kodaly, and World Music Drumming techniques. In addition to her regular teaching duties, Hong has conducted elementary choirs and World Music Drumming ensembles. Both ensembles have performed regularly at school, district, and community events. Hong has also used the World Music Drumming curriculum as a means of leading school faculty team-building sessions, as well as working with at-risk students at the district Student Opportunity Center. In addition to working with students, Hong has a passion for contributing as a professional colleague, having served as team leader for her campus, as a mentor to new teachers, on a number of campus and district committees, and as a member of school PTA Boards. She currently serves as the Elementary Unified Arts Facilitator for the Hudson City Schools and has presented at music, bilingual education, and beginning teacher workshops and conferences. Hong was awarded the Texas PTA Honorary Lifetime Membership Award for outstanding service to youth, named the 2008 Teacher of the Year in Hudson, and received the Hudson PTA Child Advocate for the Arts Award in 2009.

 

 

 

James Mader

James Mader received his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree in music education from Florida Atlantic University in 1989. He also holds a Certificate in Percussion Performance from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. James is also listed among the “Influential and Highly Effective” teachers by the National Honors Society. James began his music education career in 1990 at Conniston Middle School in Palm Beach County, where he was band director and general music teacher. Mr. Mader transferred to the Broward County School system in 1991. He taught chorus at Stanahan High School in 1991-92 and band at Lauderdale Lakes Middle School in 1992-1998. While at Lauderdale Lakes Middle School, James was selected as one of twenty music teachers from the United States and Canada to pilot Will Schmid’s WORLD MUSIC DRUMMING CURRICULUM. This innovative cross-cultural curriculum is aimed at raising student’s life skills (listening, respect, cooperation, teamwork, and communication) through African, Caribbean, and Latin drumming, movement, and song. He studied with Sowah Mensah, musician, composer, and Ghanaian Master Drummer. James was recruited to Parkway Middle School of the Arts, where he presently resides as music educator/director of the Percussive Techniques and Exploration classes. These classes are designed to develop students’ math, reading, science, language arts, and social studies skills through the academic study of music through the performance of keyboard with drumming. The classes are in 2-hour blocks, five days a week. The 100+ “at risk” students are committed to a 3-year performing arts study curriculum. The emphasis of performing arts curriculum is the World Music Drumming Curriculum. James Mader frequently serves as clinician in the implementation of the World Music Drumming Curriculum and is in part responsible for the success in schools throughout the United States and Canada. He has conducted or assisted in clinics in Florida, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Nevada, New York, Virginia, California, Washington State, Connecticut, Delaware, Tennessee, and Maryland. James conducts workshops in cooperative teamwork and multiculturalism through music and drumming throughout South Florida. James has authored several pieces of elementary, middle, and high school level music that music teachers have found to be useful tools as part of their music curriculum. E-mail Micknjim@cs.com.

 

 

 

Cindy Mayo

Cynthia Mayo recently retired after completing 33 years of teaching at the Orchard Park Middle School. During that time, she taught Chorus and General Music, Select Choir, Drum Ensemble, directed the school musical, and was the Instructional Leader for the Music Department. Cindy received degrees in Music Education from SUNY Fredonia and Ithaca College. In addition to the World Music Drumming curriculum, Cindy has studied with Kay Stonefeldt, Francis Kofi and Bernard Woma at SUNY Fredonia and at the Dagara Music Center, Ghana. Cindy has given workshops and clinics in drumming at local and state conferences and teaches classroom drumming at SUNY Fredonia. Currently, she is working with Druminar, presenting team-building and leadership workshops with members and staff of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Druminar is also presenting drumming workshops in collaboration with the BPO Education Concerts. Cindy works with several Western New York childrens’ choirs on multicultural music and drumming. She is a member of the World Music Drumming national teaching staff, and does frequent residencies and teacher inservice clinics. She is also an active singer and choral conductor, conducting numerous honor choirs and festivals around New York State. Cindy is a member of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, the Westminster Presbyterian Church Choir, the Aurora Players, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Erie County Music Educators Association. In 2003 Cindy was awarded the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Excellence in Music Education Award for Classroom Music. She is a contributing author for the NYS Education Dept. publication “Music - A Resource Guide for Standards-Based Instruction”, and appears with her students in a drumming lesson on the NYS School Music Association DVD “Music Views: Standards-Based Teaching and Learning Across the State”.

 

 

 

Sowah Mensah

Sowah Mensah is an ethnomusicologist, composer, and Master Drummer from Ghana, West Africa. He is a music professor and director of the African Music Ensembles at Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. A native of Ghana, Sowah has taught music in both Ghana and Nigeria and played with the Ghana National Symphony Orchestra. He is also the director of Sankofa, a Ghanaian Folklore and Dance Ensemble in the Twin Cities.

Sowah enjoys an active performance career. In August 2003, he toured Beijing, China with the Kenmore Wind Ensemble, conducted by Debbie Montague, from Kenmore, WA, performing at the prestigious Tshinghua University. The tour featured Sowah’s composition “Nyamo” for Band and African Ensemble. In May 2000 he made his Carnegie Hall, New York debut as a soloist in David Fanshaw’s “African Sanctus.” He has performed extensively in the United States, Africa, and Latin America. In the United States, he has performed with notables such as Max Roach, Don Chery, Roscoe Mitchel, and Julius Hemphil. He has also performed with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, Chanticleer, Minnesota Center Chorale, St. Paul Civic Symphony, Minnesota Sinfonia, Duluth Superior Symphony, Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra, Abendmusik: the Lincoln Chorus of Nebraska, and the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Florida. In addition, Sowah presents clinics, lectures, master class workshops, and residencies at many colleges, elementary and secondary schools, churches, and music organizations all over the United States.

Sowah is also an accomplished composer. For more information on his compositions and recordings, visit his website at www.sowahmensah.com.

 

 

 

Debbie Montague

Debbie Montague, a music educator for over thirty-one years, has taught elementary and junior high band, choir, guitar, drama and general music. She currently teaches at Kenmore Junior High School in the Northshore District near Seattle, WA. Debbie holds a B.A. from Central Washington University and a M.A. from the University of Washington. Currently, Debbie is a doctoral candidate, in music education, through the distance-learning program at Boston University. Debbie was one of the twenty music educators selected to be a pilot teacher for the World Music Drumming Curriculum. Her African Music Ensemble, Beat of the Heart, has performed at elementary, junior high and high school assemblies and concerts as well as for community gatherings and celebrations. In March 2008 Debbie, and her ensemble, presented a clinic at the International Cultural Diversity in Music Education (CDIME) Conference. In January 2010 she presented a 90-minute workshop on Ghanaian music at the CDIME conference in Sydney, Australia. Debbie was awarded the P.T.S.A., 1991-92, teacher of the year award at Kenmore Junior High and is listed in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” and “Who’s Who Among American Women.” Her Symphonic Bands have performed at the 1993, 2001, & 2003 Northwest MENC Conferences, the 2002 Washington State Music Educator’s Conference and the 2002 National Music Educator’s Conference. In 2003 her Wind Ensemble, a combination of junior high and high school students, performed in Beijing, China with a culminating concert at the prestigious Tsinghua University. Included in the concert program was a presentation of Sowah Mensah’s composition, Nyamo, a commissioned work incorporating the African Music ensemble in the traditional concert band. Debbie has presented numerous clinics and sessions at seminars, workshops and conferences at the state, regional and national level. Many of her presentations have focused on the World Music Drumming Curriculum and its benefits for the middle school student, with special emphasis on the at-risk and handicapped student. Debbie’s article “The Importance of Music Education in the Middle School Curriculum,” emphasizing the importance of hands-on activity based curricula, such as the World Music Drumming Curriculum, was published in the November 2007 issue of Middle Matters; a journal dedicated to elementary principals serving sixth through eighth grade students. Believing in the education of the whole child, Debbie has continuously served on district and school committees focusing on the improvement and development of the public school environment and music education. Email: montaguemusic@aol.com

 

 

 

 

Josh Ryan

Josh Ryan is an Associate Professor of Percussion at Baldwin-Wallace College and a freelance musician in the classical, jazz, and world percussion genres. He is also co-founder of the Africa West Trio (www.africawesttrio.com). A versatile performer and clinician, Josh is an active musician in many genres. He has been the principal timpanist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with the Maryland Symphony, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. In addition to his work in classical percussion, marimba, and contemporary music Josh has studied African music in Ghana, West Africa with the Agbeli family and is also a student of Valerie Naranjo. He has traveled to Cuba to study with Regino Jimenez and Daniel Alfonso. He is a long-time student of Afro-Cuban percussionist Michael Spiro and has recently co-authored a book with him. .

 

 

Will Schmid

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