Tonia Asel Kaufman

Tonia Asel Kaufman is the band director at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in suburban Philadelphia. She proudly serves as a NAfME Equity Committee member, an Institute for Composer Diversity Wind Band Database Co-coordinator, and the Mission Independent Percussion Ensemble Director.

She was awarded a 2014 Pennsylvania Music Education Association Citation of Teaching Excellence and recognized as a Colonial School District Master Teacher. Serving in a variety of additional roles, she has been an adjunct professor of music education, teacher leader, music arranger, visual designer, jazz adjudicator, nonprofit board member, and jazz circuit administrator. Kaufman has conducted various ensembles on the American Music Abroad Bronze Tour to Europe. She has presented sessions at the NAfME Eastern Division Conference, PMEA Annual In-Service Conference, PMEA Summer Virtual Conference, Maryland MEA Fall In-service Conference, PCMEA Region Virtual Colloquium, the Key of She Jazz Conference, and at several universities. She has been a guest conductor in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Kaufman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and Music Performance from Slippery Rock University and a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration from Temple University. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student in Music Education with a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management at Temple University. She also maintains National Board Certification in EA/YA Music and is a life coach. She loves teaching music and uses it as a vehicle to promote kindness and decency toward others.

“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” -Performed by Janis Joplin and written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster.