Richard Tengowski

Richard Tengowski is in his thirty-third year as a music teacher 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 teaches middle and high school concert bands, jazz ensemble, pep band, drumline, and secondary general music. He also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in Music at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan teaching applied clarinet and saxophone.

Mr. Tengowski has taken leadership roles in the field of music education. He is the Past-President of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association, Past-President of the Wisconsin Association of Music Supervisors, Coordinators, and Department Chairpersons, and a member of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance Project.

Currently, he is on the leadership team developing state music standards for Wisconsin on behalf of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association.

His work has been published in Shaping Sound Musicians and MENC publications entitled Performance Standards for Music, Strategies for Teaching Beginning and Intermediate Band, and Strategies for Teaching High School Band. He has also served on the National Association for Music Education Music Educators Journal Editorial Committee.

Mr. Tengowski is a Herb Kohl Educational Fellowship Award Recipient, a School District of Kohler Teacher of the Year, and was recently inducted into the Wisconsin Bandmaster Association. Mr. Tengowski is an active clinician, conductor, master adjudicator, speaker, and freelance performer. He has addressed numerous state, regional, and national education groups including the NAfME national conference. He is a member of NAfME, WMEA, AFM, and an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

He is married to wife Beth Ellen and has four sons, Ryan, John, Benjamin, and Gregory—all musicians.