Deb Confredo

Deborah (Capperella, Sheldon) Confredo, is a veteran music educator who has given 45 years to the profession. She is Professor Emeritus of Music Education at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) where she served for 23 years prior to retiring in 2025. She is founder of Temple’s Night Owls Campus/Community Band which launched Temple’s community music performance outreach program and is past conductor of the Philadelphia All-City High School Band. Confredo is President of the National Association for Music Education and Past-Chair of the NAfME Music Teacher Profession Initiative (MTPI). During her time as MTPI Chair, she led the research and writing of the NAfME publication, A Blueprint for Strengthening the Music Teacher Profession. Confredo resides in Louisiana where she is an active member of the Louisiana Music Educators Association (she is also a proud member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Music Educators Associations). Confredo has headed the chamber ensemble program and served as symphonic band coordinator and conductor for the New England Adult Music Camp (Sidney, ME). She has co-authored the texts The Complete Woodwind Instructor: A Guidebook for the Music Educator and Lessons in Performance (FJH), and is editor of Superior Bands in Sixteen Weeks, and Chorales and Rhythmic Etudes for Superior Bands. Confredo is lead author for the FJH publication Measures of Success®, a multi-level band method for beginning and intermediate instrumentalists. She developed and is featured in the Measures of Success® Video Practice Buddy Series, an online video tutorial program for developing band musicians. Her numerous articles are published in journals such as the Journal for Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education (CRME), Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal for Music Teacher Education, Journal of Music Therapy, Music Educators Journal, Journal of Band Research, The Instrumentalist, SBO+, and Contributions to Music Education, as well as in several state music education journals. She served two 6-year terms on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education and and has served single terms on other professional journals. She is currently an editorial board member for the Journal of Band Research. She is in demand as conductor, clinician, adjudicator, speaker, and lecturer. Tau Beta Sigma, the Illinois Music Education Association, and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association have honored her for distinguished service to music education. Mansfield University (PA) has recognized her as a distinguished alumnus. She is recipient of the Pennsylvania State University College of Arts and Architecture Distinguished Alumni Award, the Florida State University Faculty Citation for Graduate Alumni Award, and the Temple University Outstanding Faculty Service Award. In Louisiana, Confredo continues to perform as a saxophonist with the Lafayette Concert Band. She also performs and records with her bassist/guitarist husband, Ralph, in their music studio, Electric Étoufée-dyland. In her spare time, she and Ralph enjoy dancing to Zydeco and Cajun music which they do as often as possible. Ralph and Deb are also Grandpa and Nonna to their beautiful granddaughter Harper Lee Wolfe!