| Replay Edition of Ready, Set, Geaux! |
Music Educators are encouraged to take advantage of these back-to-school professional development webinars. The sessions offer practical, educational, and inspirational webinars in ALL divisions of music education including Jazz, Marching Band, Concert Band, Orchestra, Elementary, Guitar, DEI, Vocal, Advocacy, Leadership, and Mentorship. Presenters include Louisiana educators as well as renowned educators and clinicians from all over the US. Are you Ready?
- Enjoy over 21 sessions.
- Over 30 outstanding presenters from across the country.
MEET THE PRESENTERS:
Brett Babineaux is currently in his 23rd year of teaching instrumental music. He received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (formerly USL). Currently in his 14th year of teaching at Broussard Middle School, he has held similar positions at Lafayette High School, Seventh Ward Elementary, Henry Elementary, and New Iberia Senior High School. He has served as guest clinicians for various honor bands throughout the state. In 2016, his band proudly performed in Hawaii for the 75th Pearl Harbor Anniversary. He also adjudicates various marching band contests and concert band assessments throughout south Louisiana. Mr. Babineaux’s bands have consistently received superior ratings on all levels of assessment.
Mr. Babineaux currently serves as the President-Elect of the Louisiana Music Educators Association (LMEA) and Past-President of the Louisiana Music Adjudicators Association (LMAA) as well as a charter member of this organization. He also serves as co-chair for the SLBDA District III Honor Band auditions and conference. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the Louisiana Music Educators Association, the Southwest Louisiana Band Directors Association, and Phi Beta Mu.
He and his wife, Jennifer, are the proud parents of 3 adorable girls; Emma, Anna, and Amelia.
Dr. Zandra Bell-McRoy, Ed.D. A native of Monroe, Georgia, Zandra Bell-McRoy has been a music educator since 2002. Upon graduating from the University of Georgia in 2001 with degrees in music and music education, Dr. Bell-McRoy began her career as a high school band director in Troup county, and later Clayton county. She has also served as a middle school band director in Clayton, Walton, and Gwinnett counties. Bands under her direction have consistently received superior and excellent ratings. Her most recent appointment is as Director of Bands at Cedar Shoals High School, in which she oversees all aspects of the comprehensive band program as well as serving as a teacher leader. Dr. Bell-McRoy also serves as the Virtual PLC Lead for 6-12 Band with the Georgia Department of Education.
Dr. Bell-McRoy received her Doctor of Education in Music Education from the University of Georgia under the direction of Dr. Roy Legette in 2014. While studying at the University of Georgia, Dr. Bell-McRoy served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant earning awards for teaching and being selected to participate in the Future Faculty Program, a small cohort of promising graduate teaching assistants poised to serve as scholars and educators in higher education. She maintains an active research presence, being invited to present her research at conferences and symposia across the country. She was honored to serve as the Tau Beta Sigma Women in Music Series speaker for the Southeastern Division Conference in Athens, Georgia in 2011. Her research interests include multicultural music education, gender and music education, music teacher preparation, and music teacher evaluation and supervision.
Andy Bower is a music educator, arranger, and producer based in New Orleans, Louisiana. In addition to his work as an educator, Andy is active as a performer, arranger, and producer throughout the gulf south and his home state of Pennsylvania. With over a decade of teaching experience, dozens of associated performing groups, and several recording credits, Andy has a diverse presence in the music education field and the music industry.
Andy has been a guest clinician and lecturer at Keystone College, Louisiana State University, Loyola University of New Orleans, and Western Michigan University. He has also been invited to present at both the National Association for Music Education Convention and the international Midwest Clinic. Andy was a quarter-finalist for the 2018 Grammy Music Educator Award and is an active member of the National Association for Music Education, Louisiana Music Educators Association, and the Jazz Education Network.
Scott Burstein is the National Director of Teaching and Learning for the non-profit Little Kids Rock. His duties include managing Little Kids Rock’s musical content, curriculum, and professional development. He previously taught 12 years of public high school in Los Angeles, with subjects ranging from Marching Band to AP Music Theory. Scott studied music at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Eastman School of Music, and received his DMA in Music Education at the University of Southern California. While primarily a guitarist, he has performed on a variety of instruments in the fields of classical music and jazz.
Joel L. Denton served as Director of Bands at Ooltewah High School for thirty-seven years. Mr. Denton is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and has completed graduate studies at UT-Chattanooga. Mr. Denton was most recently recognized as a CMA Music Teacher of Excellence in 2018. Under his direction, the Ooltewah Band achieved a national reputation for musical excellence including performances in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2013 and 2007, as the only band in the 2011 Disney Christmas Parade on ABC, and in the 2017 Tournament of Roses Parade. The Ooltewah Band was a consistent finalist at Bands of America Regional Championships being awarded multiple class championships and placements, and was a national semi-finalist on multiple occasions with several class placements. The Ooltewah concert bands most recently performed at the Music for All Regional Concert Festival in 2016, the TMEA (TN) State Music Conference in 2014 and 2010, the Smoky Mountain Music Festival in 2011(Grand Concert Division Champions), and multiple other state, regional and national events through the years. At the 2015 Midwest Clinic, Mr. Denton was awarded the John Phillip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor for his contributions to band. He served as Chairman of Fine Arts at Ooltewah since 1982 and was selected five times as the Ooltewah Teacher of the Year. The Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts has thrice honored him.
Dr. Jack A. Eaddy, Jr., a native of Orangeburg, SC, is the Director of Athletic Bands at Western Carolina University. Dr. Eaddy serves as Director of the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band and conducts the Symphonic Band in the School of Music. Prior to his appointment at WCU, Dr. Eaddy served as Assistant Director of Bands at McNeese State University and the University of South Carolina, where he assisted with athletic bands, including the Pride of McNeese Marching Band and the Carolina Band, as well as taught music education courses.
Dr. Eaddy earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting from the University of North Texas. He holds a Master of Music in Wind Conducting from the University of Georgia, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University. As Director of Bands at Oak Ridge High School, Dr. Eaddy developed a flourishing program that was recognized throughout the state of Florida for maintaining the highest standards in spite of the challenges that many of its students experienced. Dr. Eaddy received the Florida Music Educators Association Tom Bishop Award that recognizes a director in the state of Florida who has turned a program around, making a positive difference in a short amount of time.
Dr. William J. Earvin is currently the Educational Support Manager for the Southeast Region at Conn-Selmer, Inc. in the Division of Education. He is also the Director of the HBCU Collective, a Conn-Selmer Institute Community engaging Music Educators associated with the 107 institutions recognized as Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Dr. Earvin later pursued his graduate studies at Mississippi Valley State University where he earned a Master of Arts Degree in Education (2006) earned his Doctor of Education degree from Northcentral University specializing in Higher Education Leadership (2019).
Under the baton of Dr. Earvin, ensembles consistently earned Superior and Excellent Ratings at GMEA and LMEA Large Group Performance Evaluations. The groups have also been selected to perform at numerous regional and national performances. Dr. Earvin has been honored as an “Outstanding Music Educator” by the Berklee College of Music (2009) and a “Distinguished Music Educator” by the Yale University School of Music (2013).
Jessica Fain graduated in 2009 from Northwestern State University with a Bachelor of Music Education Degree. She is entering her thirteenth year as a music educator, most of which was served at Tioga Junior High School in Ball, LA. While at Tioga, she continued the long-standing success of the program set forth by a line of many affective directors. Ms. Fain now resides in Baton Rouge where she is entering her second year at Bluff Middle School in Prairieville, LA. Ms. Fain’s bands have consistently received Superior and Excellent Ratings at both the District and State levels.
In addition to her responsibilities at Bluff Middle School, Ms. Fain also serves as the District Director for LMEA District IV, President of Louisiana Bandmasters Association, and President-Elect of the Louisiana Music Adjudicators Association. She has also served as an honor band clinician and as an adjudicator for bands in both Louisiana and Texas.
Ms. Fain has received several honors, including District II Band Director of the Year (2011), Tioga Junior High School Teacher of the Year (2013 & 2016) and the Golden Apple Teacher Award (2015 & 2016). She has also been published in the prestigious publication The Instrumentalist and presented several professional development clinics to fellow music educators. Ms. Fain is a member of NAfME, LMEA, TMEA, LBA and Phi Beta Mu.
Elizabeth Fortune is the Director of Orchestras at Seattle’s Ballard High School. From 2002-2018, she was the Director of Orchestras and Eclectic Strings at Seattle’s Washington Middle School. In addition to teaching in Seattle Public Schools, she is director of the award nominated educational programming at the Wintergrass Music Festival. Over her tenure, Fortune has been striving to bridge the gap between classical and roots music in the educational setting. At Washington Middle School, she built the strings program into a comprehensive four-tiered curriculum for string players of all levels, including two roots music ensembles. Her string ensembles regularly perform with noted guest artists and participate annually in regional and national classical and jazz festivals. She is also the co-host of a popular music education podcast/ Facebook Live show called “The Beth and Kelly Show.”
In 2020, Fortune was appointed as chair of the National Association for Music Education’s Council for Orchestral Education. In 2019-2021, Fortune was a member the American String Teachers Association Board of Directors. In 2018, she was a recipient of the Country Music Association’s Music Teachers of Excellence distinction. In 2015, Fortune was one of 25 semi-finalists out of 7,000 nominations for the Grammy Music Educator Award. Fortune received her Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees with an emphasis on Music Education and violin performance from the University of Montana. She is also an active contributor to the Washington Music Educators’ Association, and the International Bluegrass Music Association.
Dr. Quincy C. Hilliard’s compositions for wind band are published by a variety of well known publishers. In 2014, Hilliard received the prestigious Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award in the Classical Music Division. He was also recognized with a second Global Music Award for his work as a composer. In 2012, one of his pieces, Coty (clarinet and piano) was recorded on a CD that was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2008, he was commissioned by the Library of Congress to compose a work in celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. He is frequently commissioned to compose works, including one for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and a score for a documentary film, The Texas Rangers. For many years, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) has recognized him with annual awards for the unusually frequent performance of his compositions. Hilliard is regularly invited to conduct, demonstrate effective techniques, and adjudicate festivals throughout the world.
Because Hilliard, the composer, conductor, and educator, is also a scholar of Aaron Copland’s music and life, Copland estate administrators authorized Hilliard to publish the educational performance edition, Copland for Solo Instruments (Boosey and Hawkes, 1999). To train school band students, he wrote Superior Bands in Sixteen Weeks (FJH Music Company, 2003), Chorales and Rhythmic Etudes for Superior Bands (FJH Music Company, 2004), Scales and Tuning Exercises for Superior Bands (FJH Music Company, 2009), Theory Concepts, Books One and Two and is the co-author of the Skill Builders, Books One and Two (Sounds Spectacular Series, Carl Fischer, 1996). He is also the co-author of Percussion Time (C.L. Barnhouse Company) which is a collection of music written specifically for the beginning percussion ensemble. He has presented scholarly papers on music theory and analysis at meetings of the College Music Society and the Central Gulf Society of Music Theory (of which he is past president). He has published articles in Opera Journal, The Instrumentalist, School Musician, Bandworld, American Music Teacher, Florida Music Director, and Tennessee Musician.
Keith James has been teaching elementary music in public schools for twenty years. He currently teacher PreK through 5th grade at Westdale Heights Academic Magnet where he coordinates programs and performances with his signature enthusiasm. He grew up in Baton Rouge and studied music education at Southeastern Louisiana University with a vocal emphasis.
Keith has been very active in local theater, chouses, and opera, appearing on stage with Opera Louisiane, Theater Baton Rouge, and the Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus. He is a cantor and section leader at St Luke’s Episcopal Church. He is also quite active with Red Stick Orff where he has served as a board member and presenter for years. In 2016 he was named Music Teacher of the Year by the Baton Rouge Symphony. He lives with his wife, three daughters, and many chickens.
Cameron W. Jenkins is the founder of Full Potential Leadership, an international communications platform that coaches innovative leaders to maximize their strengths and reach their full potential.
Before entering the field of education, Cameron graduated from Alcorn State University with a 4.0 GPA, within four years, absolutely debt free. He holds a Master’s Degree from The University of Mississippi in Music Education.
Cameron’s latest book, “College: Don’t Waste Your Money,” outlines a four-part plan to help college students maximize their college experience and reduce their college debt.
Cameron served as the Director of Bands at Bayou View Middle School with more than 200 students in their All-Superior Middle School Band program for seven years. Now, Cameron is a full-time pastor, motivational speaker, music education content creator, team developer, and a leadership clinician/consultant. Cameron and his wife, Lu Jenkins, are church planters. In 2017, they founded Opportunity Church, a multi-ethnic church in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Elisa Janson Jones.
Tiffany Kerns. A common thread throughout Tiffany Kerns’ career has been her dedication to creating meaningful change and advocacy for nonprofit organizations. As Vice President of Community Outreach, Kerns supports CMA’s growth and sustainability by ensuring its members enjoy the benefits and professional services offered to best equip the industry for the future. Paired with a steadfast focus on improving the philanthropic model of giving, Kerns leads the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation in their mission of enriching music education programs across the United States, working to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in music. Kerns also oversees CMA’s collegiate program CMA EDU, an effort that equips students with the necessary tools needed to succeed in the music business and beyond. As the premier trade association for the Country genre, CMA aims to invest in our next generation of business leaders through CMA EDU.
SFC Christy Klenke – US Army Band. A native of Central Pennsylvania, SFC Christy Klenke attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in music therapy. She studied horn performance at Yale University and the Peabody Conservatory, and her teachers include Zachary Smith, William Caballero, William Purvis and Denise Tryon. Klenke began her Army career with The United States Army Field Band, where she spent four years performing throughout the country. She joined The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in 2014 as a member of the Ceremonial Band. Klenke is a Board Certified Music Therapist and enjoys integrating these skills with her work at “Pershing’s Own” through the Therapeutic Outreach Program, which she created to bring the healing power of music to service members.
Tim Lautzenheiser began his teaching career at Northern Michigan University. He then moved to the University of Missouri, and from there to New Mexico State University. During that time, Tim developed highly acclaimed groups in both instrumental and vocal music.
Following his tenure in the college band directing world, he spent three years with McCormick’s Enterprises working as Executive Director of Bands of America. In 1981, Tim created Attitude Concepts for Today, Inc., an organization designed to manage the many requests for teacher inservice workshops, student leadership seminars, and convention speaking engagements focusing on the area of effective leadership training. After thirty-plus years of clinic presentations, some three million students have experienced one of his popular sessions.
Tim presently serves as Vice President of Education for Conn-Selmer, Inc. He is a nationally recognized voice touting the importance of arts education for every child.
Marcus Morris. Prior to becoming the Assistant Director of Bands at Dorman High School, Mr. Morris served as Assistant Director of Bands at Boiling Springs High School, and previously was the Performing Arts Coordinator for the Laurens County School District & Assistant Band Director for Laurens District 55 High School. During his career he has served as the Director of Bands at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, N.C., Myrtle Beach High School, as well Chester High School.
A native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, Morris holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Winthrop University, a Masters in Music Education K-12 also from Winthrop, and his Ed.S in Administration and Supervision from Converse College. Mr. Morris studied under the tutelage of renowned conductors and clinicians Dr. William F. Malambri, Dr. Stan Michalski, Dr. Lorrie Crochet, and Dr. B. Michael Williams during his time at Winthrop.
Greg A. Oden is a graduate of Crossett High School in Crossett, Arkansas. He began his musical career in the All State Choirs in Arkansas where he was able to work with Howard Swan, Paul Salamunovich, and Weston Noble. Upon graduation, he attended Northeast Louisiana State University under the direction of Dr. Edward Deckard. He graduated as the Outstanding Liberal Arts graduate of 1987 and began his Masters program at NLU. He was a teaching assistant with a vocal studio and assisted with the Concert Choir, Chorale, and Madrigal Singers. While at Northeast Louisiana State University, he received the B.M.E and Master of Music Degrees.
Upon graduation from NLU, he began his teaching career at Norman Jr. High School in Crossett, Arkansas. His choirs consistently made superiors at festival and were guests of then Governor Bill Clinton for a special requested Christmas performance in the Capital Rotunda. In 1990, he was married to Kristen Anderson and began his teaching career in Louisiana at Ouachita Jr. High School in Monroe, Louisiana. After the untimely death of Louise Boteler, he became the LA-ACDA Junior High All State Chairman. In 1993, he moved to West Monroe High School and began his work in the high school area. In his tenure at West Monroe High School, he has served as RS Chair for Women’s Choir, Editor of the Choral Advocate, President of the North Louisiana Chapter of NATS, President of District 1 Choral Directors, President of the Fine Arts Council, LMEA District Director, LMEA Vocal Chairman, and LMAA Vocal Vice-President.
Dr. Myra Rhoden serves as the Band Director and Fine Arts Department Chairperson at Fayette County High School (GA) and is the founder of the Athena Music and Leadership Camp (athenacamp.com), an all-girls band/orchestra program that was created to promote musical excellence while emphasizing leadership and team-building skills. A native of Tuskegee, Alabama, Dr. Rhoden was named the NAfME 2018 National Band Director of the Year, has been awarded the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence on four occasions, has been named STAR Teacher and Teacher of the Year, and was presented the 1995 Sallie Mae First Class Teacher Award, a national award given to one teacher in each state for an outstanding first year of teaching.
Dr. Rhoden has been selected for presentations at The Midwest Clinic, Music for All Summer Symposium, Conn-Selmer Institute, National Association for Music Education’s Eastern Division Conference, the Youth Orchestra of LA at the Heart of Los Angeles, and various state’s Music Educators Associations, colleges, clinics, and camps throughout the country. She has had the distinct pleasure of being a guest conductor for The United States Army Field Band of Washington, D. C. and the Tara Winds of Atlanta, Georgia. She is also honored to be a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician and a member of the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. She holds degrees from the University of Alabama and the University of Southern Mississippi and resides in Fayetteville, Georgia with her husband, Errol Jr., and son, Errol III.
Scott R. Sheehan. A nationally recognized advocate and leader for the advancement of music education, Scott Sheehan is the Director of Bands and Music Department Chairperson at the Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School in Hollidaysburg, PA where he directs the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band and teaches AP Music Theory, Fundamentals of Guitar, and an elective course Rock, Rap, and Revolution!. During his tenure at Hollidaysburg, the school district has been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education in the United States by the NAMM Foundation for the past nine years.
In addition to his duties at Hollidaysburg, Mr. Sheehan serves as the President-Elect (2020-2022) for the National Association for Music Education and is the Program Chair for the NAfME All-National Honors Ensembles. He served as the NAfME Eastern Division President for from 2015-2017 where he served on the Executive Committee and Finance Committee. As an active member of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, Mr. Sheehan served as State President, as well as the District 6 Vice President and the District 4 President and Curriculum and Instruction State Representative. His service to PMEA continues as he coordinates the PMEA Leadership Academy, serves on the PMEA Mentoring Program Steering Committee, and is coordinator of the PMEA Model Curriculum & Assessment Steering Committee.
Dr. Mackie V. Spradley is the President of the National Association for Music Education and serves as the Director of Enrichment Education at the Texas Education Agency in Austin, TX. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration, College of Education, at the University of North Texas (UNT), Denton, Texas. She received the B.M. in Voice from UNT and M.A. in Vocal Pedagogy from Texas Woman’s University, Denton. She received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Anthropology from UNT. Spradley has published in academic journals and books, such as the National Forum of Multicultural Issues Journal, Texas Music Educators Conference Connections and Educational Leadership and Music (in press). She is a national speaker on music education, culturally responsive pedagogy, and social justice.
As a presenter, Mackie has shared her expertise throughout the United States and aboard. She has presented at various state, national and international conferences including, Texas Music Educators Association, Colorado Music Educators Association, the Society for Music Teachers Education, National Association for Music Educators (formerly MENC), Texas Choral Directors Association, the National Association Multicultural Education Texas Conference and the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc. She is the facilitator of the Teacher Retention ASAP of the Society for Music Teacher Education.
Erin Cole Steele is the Director of Educational Programs and a Senior Educational Clinician for Conn-Selmer Inc. Prior to her position at Conn-Selmer, Erin was the Director of Bands at Tapp Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia (1995-2017) where she was named Teacher of the Year. Under her leadership, the Tapp Band received numerous accolades including performing at the 58th annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. During her tenure at Tapp MS, she commissioned four pieces of music including Robert W. Smith’s “The Great Locomotive Chase,” Frank Ticheli’s “Simple Gifts-Four Shaker Songs,” Samuel R. Hazo’s ”Ascend,” and was part of a consortium commissioning Eric Whitacre’s “The Seal Lullaby.”
Erin is a contributing editor for Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements for Band. She has written chapters for the GIA publication series Teaching Music Through Performance and most recently wrote a chapter for the book Rehearsing the Middle School Band by Stephen Meyer.
Erin is an active guest conductor and speaker. She has presented sessions at the Midwest Clinic on several occasions as well as state and international conferences. She has served as the guest conductor for numerous All-State and regional honor bands, appearing in over 30 states. She served as the conductor for Youth Bands of Atlanta from 2011-2017 and a conductor for the “Encore” Music Camp for several years. She was the founder and administrator of the Cobb County Summer Band Camp in Georgia. Erin has served as a clinician for the Music for All Summer Symposium and is currently on the teaching faculty at The Conn Selmer Institute.
Doug Stone. Doug Stone’s career has involved work as a touring musician, primarily with jazz trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson and his band, the Big Bop Nouveau, as well as with the “world-jazz” group Panoramic, and with a number of ensembles from Chicago, Illinois. His time on the road has taken him to virtually every corner of the United States as well as Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Canada. As a member of groups at Northern Illinois University, Stone had the opportunity to perform with Frank Foster, Benny Golson, Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath, Rufus Reid, Larry Ridley, and Carl Allen. As a member of the Birch Creek Academy Band he has performed with jazz luminaries Dennis Mackrel, Harold Jones, Derrick Gardner, Tanya Darby, Reggie Thomas, and Clay Jenkins. He spent six years working full-time as a freelance saxophonist and woodwind player, teacher, composer, and arranger in the rich musical environment of Chicago.
Mr. Stone can be heard on recordings from the Sam Craine Quartet, the Dave Hoffman Sextet, the NIU Jazz Ensemble and Jazztet, the Jazz Arranging Syndicate, Birch Creek Academy Big Band, the Ed Breazeale Group, the Ji Young Lee Quartet, the Stuart Mindeman Group, the Ian Torres Big Band, the John Burnett Orchestra, Panoramic, Quintopus, the Rick Holland Little Big Band, the Rich Thompson Quartet and Trio, the Westview Project, the John Nyerges Quintet, the Bob DiBaudo ensemble, the Eric Schmitz Sextet, and the Tom Marko ensemble. Stone has four recordings to his credit as a co-bandleader: Doug Stone/Josiah Williams “The Early Riser”, Stone/Ziemba Duo “In the Zone”, Nick Fryer/Doug Stone “Quartet”, and The Stone/Bratt Big Band “SBBB”.
Tyler Swick is a music teacher, author, and songwriter in Las Vegas, NV where he runs an award-winning elementary music program of 700+ students. Swick is a part of the inaugural Yamaha 40 Under 40 Music Educator class and is the only elementary music teacher in his district to receive the Heart of Education Award. Swick’s lessons and songs can be found on his YouTube channel, Swick’s Classroom, which was featured on PBS. Swick is also an avid supporter of the steel pan community, participating in Pan Rocks events across the United States. He has performed at the Latin Grammys, Panorama, and was featured in an international LG phone commercial. Swick has played alongside Keith Urban, Logic, Mike Portnoy, Bad Bunny, and can be heard on the upcoming video game, “Beyond Good and Evil 2.”
Mr. Kedric Taylor is the Director of Bands Southern University A & M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He started his musical career arranging music at Mattie T. Blount High School in Mobile, Alabama, where he served as band captain and assistant to the director. Relocating to Baton Rouge to attend Southern University, Mr. Taylor marched in the World-renowned Human Jukebox Marching Band for four years. During his tenure, he earned the position of section leader. He also served as assistant director of the Mobile All-Star Band, as well as the Feliciana Community All-Star Band. When he graduated from Southern University in with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music, his career immediately took off.
Franklin Willis. For more than a decade, educator, and leader, Franklin Willis has served the students and families of the Metro Nashville Public Schools community. Through music, Willis has educated, mentored, and developed young minds to be forward thinking contributors to society. A servant leader specializing in authentic culturally relevant teaching, empowering student contributions, and developing teachers to reach their full capacity, Willis finds true joy when at the service of others.
As Elementary Music Coach for MNPS, he equips teachers with instructional support and necessary resources to strengthen their professional acumen and enhance their classrooms. This includes shepherding colleagues and teachers through the reality’s students are faced with around equity, inclusion and racism. Through his work, he has developed a passion in the cultivation of musicianship for young minds as every child has musical potential and deserves a music teacher who will see the best in them. Willis believes that music education is a vital tool to teach students about other cultures, create community, and inspire a love for learning. Willis consistently uses his network to provide opportunities for students to utilize their passion for music for all to see. This includes producing music videos and stadium performances at CMA Fest, a four-day music festival in Nashville, TN.