On June 29, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) recognized the Lowell Mason Class of 2013; Scott C. Shuler, Daniel Deutsch, and Marvelene Moore.
NAfME President Nancy E. Ditmer presented their Lowell Mason medallions during NAfME’s National Assembly dinner in Tysons Corner, Virginia. In explaining the significance of the award she said,
“Lowell Mason, an educator, musician, and composer of over 1,600 hymn tunes, is widely considered to be the ‘father of music education.’ He is credited with introducing music instruction to American public schools in the 19th century, and for establishing teacher training in music education.
“The importance of his contribution of music education inspired our association to create the Lowell Mason Fellows award in 2002. Today, we will recognize the individuals inducted into the Lowell Mason Fellows Class of 2013, for their own outstanding contributions to the field of music education,” Ditmer said.
Scott C. Shuler, arts Consultant for Academic Office of Standards, Curriculum & Instruction, Connecticut State Department of Education, is NAfME Immediate Past President. He was a member of the task force that developed the National Standards for Music Education in the mid-1990’s and is currently a leader in the development of the second generation of these standards.
Ditmer said, “Through his leadership in this process, hundreds of music educators throughout the country are working together to create standards that have the potential to change the way music instruction is delivered and to impact increasing numbers of students in the public schools. He has demonstrated his deep knowledge of curriculum, standards and advocacy through published articles, testimony before Congress, and workshop presentations on such topics as music program development and assessment, teacher preparation, and the role of the arts in middle schools.”
Marvelene Moore is Professor of Music Education and a James A. Cox Endowed Chair at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She specializes in classroom music for students grades K-8 and choral music grades 3-8. Moore brings a breadth of experience for young people including study at the Jaques-Dalcroze Institute, Geneva, Switzerland; the Conservatory of Music, Ithaca College; the Orff Institute, Salzburg, Austria; and the Kodaly Institute, Estegom, Hungary.
She has served as clinician and guest conductor for music organizations in 44 of the United States. She is founder and chair of the biennial National Symposium on Multicultural Music at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville; President of the Tennessee Alliance for Arts Education, and was the first chairperson of the NAfME Council for In-ovations and has written or contributed to numerous books.
In accepting her medallion, Moore said,”I am truly overwhelmed to receive this prestigious award. I’ve sat where you sit and never thought I would receive such an award myself.” She talked about “teaching” music at a young age to other five-year-olds, urged on by her mother. She noted that her work with the Association goes back to her college days, when she was president of her Collegiate chapter.
Ditmer said Daniel Deutsch has “dedicated his life to the field of student composition.” Over the last 30 years, he has created and managed scores of workshops, festivals and contests in his school district, for the New York School Music Association (NYSSMA), the Eastern Division and the National Association for Music Education. Under his direction, the NYSSMA Composition and Improvisation Committee has grown to attract up to 150 scores for review on a yearly basis. The NAfME Student Composers Competition and Electronic Music Composition Contest have experienced similar attention and growth under his leadership.
With degrees in composition from Yale and Columbia University, Dan Deutsch is the first chair of the NAfME Council for Music Composition, a recipient of the NYSSMA Distinguished Service Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Composers Fellowship Grant, and the Harvard Club of Long Island Distinguished Teacher award. He is on the board of the Stony Brook University Pre-College Music Program, the Three Village Educational Foundation, as well as the Advisory Board of the American Composers Forum NextNotes Program.
Deutsch said was “was especially grateful” to music educator Carrol Rinehart, who started the then MENC Young Composers Concerts in 1993. He added, “In accepting this recognition, I see this as NAfME embracing composition as the heart of music education.”
Shuler’s Award Was Well-Kept Secret
Shuler had not been informed of his selection in advance.
Ditmer asked NAfME President-Elect Glenn E. Nierman to the stage to help her make the presentation and said, “We hope this is a surprise for this person. This is a person I wouldn’t normally say is clueless, but I think this person is clueless about this award. We have a third Lowell Mason designate: Scott C. Shuler.”
Shuler was moved as he took the stage and, in accepting his medallion, said of the award, “This is pretty amazing. As a person who supports teachers… Teachers are just remarkable. Teachers are to be celebrated for the absolute devotion to the children they teach… And when I see someone accept an award, and I think of all of the teachers who never get to step up on a stage and be recognized in this way…Tonight I get to stand up here and share this award with all of you. Thank you.”
Photo by JeanneMarie Photography
Roz Fehr, NAfME Managing Editor for News, July 3, 2013. © National Association for Music Education
