
EVENTS
Town Hall: Embracing and Influencing Change in Small School Music Programs

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About the Event
Presenters: Vincent Bates and Daniel Johnson, Guest Panelists, with Small Schools Task Force members Lance Jones and Rich Tengowski.
Join members of NAfME’s Small Schools Initiative Task Force, invited speakers, and fellow small school music educators from throughout the United States for an interactive town hall focused on examining, embracing, and influencing change in small school programs. The format of this event will include sharing practical ideas for strengthening your program, a breakout room discussion opportunity, and a panel discussion with researchers sharing their insights on trends, policies, opportunities, and practices impacting small schools. The presenters will share examples and key factors for building sustainable music programs in small schools and provide guidance on how music teachers can provide quality music education in small schools today and into the future.
Vincent C. Bates earned music degrees at Brigham Young University (BME, MM) and the University of Arizona (PhD). He was salutatorian of the West Desert High School graduating class of 1985—a class of two! He drew from his love of rural places and small schools for 12 years as a K-12 music teacher (elementary music, guitar, musical theatre, band, choir, visual art) in Eureka, Utah, and later as a music education professor (general music and horn) at Northwest Missouri State University. Vincent currently works in the teacher education department at Weber State University in Utah, where he teaches elementary arts integration and history and philosophy of education. He served as editor of Action, Criticism, and Theory in Music Education and continues as production editor. Vincent has published 37 articles or book chapters and has written two books, Critical Thinking for All: Reviving the Promise of Democracy in American Public Education (forthcoming from Gibbs-Smith) and Music Lessons for a Living Planet (with Dan Shevock, forthcoming from Routledge).
Daniel C. Johnson is a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he coordinates undergraduate and graduate studies in music education. During the past 30 years, he has taught music across the K-12 spectrum for public, interdependent, and community-based schools and universities. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, the University of Arizona, and Emory University (PhD), his scholarship includes research journal and book publications on rural music education, integrated arts education, and teachers’ professional development. His interdisciplinary courses and seminars provide meaningful musical engagement for classroom teachers and health-care professionals to benefit their students and clients. An international authority on classroom music instruction, Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy, and music listening, Johnson has presented for conference and workshops throughout the world for organizations including the National Association for Music Education, the International Society for Music Education, and the College Music Society. He is the editor of the forthcoming publication Music Education in Rural America. Other publications include his most recent book, Holistic Musical Thinking (Routledge), and Musical Explorations: Fundamentals Through Experience, now in its seventh edition (Kendall-Hunt).
Lance Jones is a music educator at West Branch Area School District in Morrisdale Pennsylvania, where he teaches grades 5-12 instrumental music, eighth grade general music, high school music electives, and serves as the high school arts department chair. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Lance also hosts The Backwoods Bandroom, a podcast dedicated to celebrating music in small schools. He is an active clinician/conductor and has contributed articles to PMEA News and Teaching Music Publications.
Richard Tengowski has been teaching bands and general music for more than 30 years for the School District of Kohler in Kohler, Wisconsin. He received his B.M. in Music Education from St. Norbert College and his M.M. from Northwestern University. He also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in Music at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan teaching applied clarinet and saxophone. In addition to chair of the Small Schools Initiative Task Force, he serves as NAfME’s North Central Division President and has held several leadership positions for related music educator associations in Wisconsin.
NAfME presents this live virtual event at no charge to all as a service to the music education profession. To register, you must enter your NAfME member information or create a nonmember account. After registering, check your email for instructions. A recording of this program will be available to all registrants for one week following the live event. Members can also view archived NAfME webinars in the NAfME Academy. The views expressed are those of the presenter; they do not necessarily reflect the views of NAfME.
Start Date
January 17, 2024
End Date
January 17, 2024
Start and End Time
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm (ET)
Event Category
- Live Virtual
- Town Hall
- Webinar
School Type
- Small
Specialities
- Choral
- General Music
- Instrumental
- Vocal
Teaching Levels
- PreK-12