Currently working as an Education Clinician for Music Solutions Group and Conn-Selmer Corporation. He is involved in a number of national music education projects including All IN with NAfME and the Guitar Center, and is widely sought after to present at University’s across the United States. David is highly involved in developing an Art and Wellness program in Casper Wyoming in conjunction with the Wyoming Symphony, Casper medical center and Casper College. He is an active performer in the Casper area. David recently retired as the Administrator for Fine arts/music for the Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada. His duties included coordinating all music and arts activities for the school district. Development and coordination all professional development training for the fine arts program staff. He also was responsible for the hiring, supervision and evaluation of staff. Prior to his current assignment David taught at Clayton middle school, Edward C. Reed high school and other elementary schools in the WCSD. Before moving to Reno, David served as music coordinator for the Livermore Unified school district in California as well as teaching Band, Jazz, Orchestra and Choir. He was also a part time instructor for Chabot College in Hayward, California.
David is a past Western Division President for MENC; he has served as a state president in Nevada and has had various positions on section and state boards for the past 30 years. He is an active adjudicator for music festivals and Bands of America, and as a conductor for honor bands and music camps. In addition to his duties with the Washoe County School District he served on the faculty at the Truckee Meadows Community College. During his tenure in WCSD he developed over 25 strategic partnerships with business and community groups to improve music education and access for all students. He has been called upon to speak to the Nevada Legislature committees on the benefits of arts education on student achievement. David was awarded the Administrator of the Year, and the Service to Music Education awards by the Nevada Music Education Association.
“There have been many great accomplishments in music education in recent years creating a time of unprecedented opportunity. One of the most influential advances in our field has been the proliferation of neuroscience research that has lent credibility to what music educators have always promoted using anecdotal evidence: music education is vitally important for the complete development of children. Therefore, I believe that the primary challenge we will face in music education during my presidential term is ensuring that all children in our schools have access to a high quality, meaningful music education. This challenge impacts many areas of music education including; teacher recruitment and retention, teacher preparation and ongoing professional development, music advocacy and creates a need to do the following:
- Recruit and retain music educators who represent diverse cultures.
- Prepare teachers to provide music opportunities that are responsive to diverse student cultures and interests.
- Recognize and respond to the fact that teachers working in urban and rural school districts face unique challenges.
- Partner with the business and medical communities on music advocacy issues.
As the world’s leading professional organization for music educators, NAfME plays a pivotal role in supporting solutions to the challenges listed above. In addition, NAfME will continue to face challenges inherent to the functioning of a large professional association, including the need to address the following:
- Increase worldwide NAfME membership.
- Bolster the relevancy of membership in NAfME by striving to meet the distinct needs of all our members.
- Coordinate nationwide music advocacy efforts.
I believe that a primary goal of NAfME is to support every child’s access to a comprehensive and meaningful music education. Achieving this goal will be challenging, but I strongly believe that these challenges can be translated into opportunities to advance our vitally important music education agenda through the following strategies:
- Utilize Tri-M to nurture student interest in music education as a career, particularly those students who represent diverse cultures.
- Partner with higher education faculty to evaluate college curriculum and consider modifications in order to more fully prepare students to work with increasingly diverse students.
- Develop a powerful collation of business, medical, and education leaders at the national level.
- Provide training to NAfME members on effective ways to develop and sustain strategic partnerships in their communities.
- Continue to provide professional development resources to NAfME members, particularly in the areas of student-centered teaching, new teacher mentoring, meeting the needs of diverse learners and advocating for your program.
- Assist smaller state music education associations (MEA) to help them with leadership development, conferences, and the business of running a state MEA.
- Continue to find ways to increase two-way communication with state leadership and members to meet the needs of our profession and students.
- Employ continual evaluation of resource allocation to ensure effective, efficient and responsive utiliization of internal and external assets.
Music education is extremely important to a child’s complete development. Music educators supported by NAfME can work together to ensure that all children have the opportunity to benefit from a comprehensive, meaningful music education.”
