Master of Music Education - Teaching Artistry Specialization

The Master of Music Education, Teaching Artistry Specialization is a 100% online degree designed to meet the growing demand of practitioners currently employed in the teaching profession desiring a path to continue development of current skills, gain new skills and insight into the profession, and to deepen knowledge of pedagogy. Through the use of mentor teachers, faculty committees, individualized and group in­struction, and faculty driven curricular benchmarks, students will gain important peda­gogical skills, which can be implemented immediately in their own professional work. We turn your classroom into our classroom - allowing you to immediately apply what you learn into your own planning and instruction.

The program is designed for summer admission, and can be completed in 15 months (summer, fall, spring, summer). Application deadline for summer 2027 admission is TBA.

For more information or to apply now, please visit the BGSU eCampus site
or contact Dr. Kenneth Moore, Director of the MM in Teaching Artistry. 

Meet the 2026-2027 Mentor Cohort 

Janet Fu is an experienced music educator and string specialist with extensive expertise in orchestral instruction, performance, and program development. She serves as Orchestra Director for Bowling Green City Schools, where she teaches students in grades 5–12 and leads a string program with a longstanding tradition of excellence.

In addition to her public-school teaching, Ms. Fu is actively engaged in music educator preparation at Bowling Green State University, where she mentors graduate students in the Teaching Artistry program, supervises student teachers, and supports pre-service teachers through field experiences, helping to prepare the next generation of music educators.

A leader in the profession, Ms. Fu serves as the Northwest Region Chair for the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) and is a qualified adjudicator for solo and ensemble, as well as large group adjudicated events, at the district, regional, and state levels.

Originally from Hong Kong, Ms. Fu earned a Master of Music Education degree from Bowling Green State University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Music and a Diploma in Education (Music Specialist) from Hong Kong Baptist University. She is fluent in English and Cantonese.

Before joining Bowling Green City Schools, Ms. Fu held teaching appointments and private instruction positions with Springfield City Schools, Sidney City Schools, Wittenberg University’s Center for Musical Development, and the Springfield Youth Orchestras. Her students have consistently been selected for district honors festivals and OMEA All-State ensembles.

An active performer, Ms. Fu has appeared as a violinist and violist with the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and other regional ensembles. She maintains professional memberships in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA), and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA).

Dr. Ji Hyun Kim is a highly sought-after soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, educator, and music director. Born in South Korea, raised in New Zealand and Australia, and now residing in the United States, Ji Hyun has built a dynamic and diverse musical career significantly shaped by her multicultural background.

Ji Hyun is the Director of Orchestra and String Studies and an Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at Albion College. She is also delighted to serve as a Faculty Mentor in Bowling Green State University’s Teaching Artistry graduate program. Actively engaged with the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), Ji Hyun serves as Vice-Chair of the College Committee and chairs the annual Michigan ASTA Chamber Music Festival and Competition. A regular presenter at national and state conferences, she shares her work in string pedagogy, ensemble performance and research, and music education.

As an acclaimed violinist, Ji Hyun has made numerous media appearances worldwide and performed internationally, including in South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, New Caledonia, Luxembourg, Austria, and the United States. Her live performances and recordings have been featured in television and radio broadcasts in New Zealand, Australia, and across the United States. Ji Hyun’s exceptional musicality has been recognized through her achievements in national and international competitions, including those hosted by Chamber Music New Zealand, the International Grieg Society, and the International Golden Classical Music Awards.

Ji Hyun has served as concertmaster and principal violinist for several ensembles and orchestras, including Ad Libitum, Musique 21, Sydney Sinfonia, Vianden Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Varna International Music Academy Festival Orchestra, Society of International Music Artists Orchestra, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, and Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra.

As a dedicated educator, Ji Hyun has made significant contributions on campus and within the broader musical community. Her expertise is widely sought after, leading her to travel nationally and internationally to present lecture recitals and master classes, as well as to lead chamber and orchestral clinics. Her commitment to music education extends to her work as an adjudicator, string clinician, pre-festival clinician, and early-career teacher mentor. She has served on adjudicating panels for numerous events, including the ENKOR International Competition, the American String Teachers Association Certificate Advancement Program (ASTACAP), and the Michigan Schools Band & Orchestra Association (MSBOA) Festivals. She has also adjudicated concerto and performance competitions, professional orchestra auditions, and regularly visits schools across Michigan to work with orchestra programs.

Ji Hyun is the founder, artistic director, and violinist of the ConTempus Initiative, a Michigan-based contemporary music collective dedicated to creative and collaborative performances of works by living composers and historically overlooked women composers. Through ConTempus, she has premiered and recorded numerous works by professional and student composers and developed interdisciplinary programs with jazz and world music artists, dancers, storytellers, chefs, and other collaborators. With the ConTempus Quartet, Ji Hyun released Strings Intertwined, the ensemble’s 10th-anniversary album, featuring works by Florence Price, Fernande Decruck, and Ivette Herryman Rodríguez. The recording has received positive reviews and growing radio airplay. Notable performances and collaborations include engagements with the Detroit Institute of Arts, ArtLab J Dance Company, Michigan State University, Whitworth University, Eastern Washington University, SUNY Potsdam, Spring Arbor University, Albion College, Flint Institute of Music, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, the City of East Lansing, and the Big Rapids Festival of the Arts, among others.

Ji Hyun received a Bachelor of Music Performance from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia, and completed her Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at Michigan State University, with cognate studies in Contemporary Art Music, Viola Performance, and Music Therapy. She has closely collaborated with and performed alongside esteemed violinists, conductors, and educators, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Jonna Arthur, Kolja Blacher, Wolfram Christ, Youngwoo Chun, Yuri Gandelsman, Richard Gill, Raphael Jimenéz, Christopher Kimber, Jin-Kyoung Lee, Mary O’Brien, Imre Palló, Walter Verdehr, and Wanda Wilkomirska.

As an advocate for “cultivating a culture of belonging through embracing our differences,” Ji Hyun continues her efforts to program a diverse and inclusive repertoire, promote a respectful and positive learning and performing environment, and foster a broader understanding of the ever-expanding collaborative and entrepreneurial opportunities in the music profession.

Joel Kirk is a composer of contemporary classical chamber music. He holds a PhD in music composition from the University at Buffalo where he studied as a Presidential Fellow under David Felder and Jonathan Golove. He previously studied at the University of Huddersfield under Aaron Cassidy, reading orchestration with Lucy Pankhurst. Joel also holds a music education degree from Cambridge University, winning the Charles Fox Prize for his final thesis. 

Joel has worked with internationally renowned ensembles including the Arditti Quartet, ELISION, the Divertimento Ensemble, Ensemble Court Circuit, Ensemble Écoute, Tempus Konnex, Barcelona Modern, the SEM Ensemble, ensemble Suono Gialo, Ensemble Tacet(i), loadbang, and Ensemble Signal. Virtuoso soloists he has worked with include Roberta Michel (flute), Teagan Faran (violin), and Lorenzo Gorli (violin). 

Joel has received numerous awards and fellowships for his work. Recent accolades include Ensemble Écoute's 2023 Young Composer Commission, alongside the John Golland Award and a prestigious ASCAP Morton Gould Award in 2022. He was also a finalist for the 2023 MATA Festival and received a nomination for a 2024 American Academy of Arts and Letters Award. He has had works performed at festivals and concert series such as the RNCM Brass Band Festival, June in Buffalo, the Remus Georgescu International Festival, ilSUONO Contemporary Music Week, the Barcelona Modern Festival, the Divertimento Ensemble Rondò, IntAct, Tempus Konnex ICE Week, and the CeReNeM Concert Series.

Mr. Nate Lampman spent twenty-eight years as a public school educator, serving as Director of Bands and Music Department Chair at Saline High School in Michigan. In Saline, he oversaw one of the state’s exemplary band programs, and his marching and concert bands performed at a variety of venues across the country. Under his direction, the Saline Wind Ensemble performed three times as a featured ensemble at the Michigan Music Conference. He is a past president of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) District 12 and was named MSBOA District 12 Teacher of the Year three times.

Nate earned his BS in Music Education at Michigan State University and continued at MSU to earn a Masters in Music Performance where he studied wind conducting with Professor John Whitwell. He also served as the graduate assistant with the Spartan Marching Band and Spartan Brass.  During his time at Saline High School, Mr. Lampman supervised fifty-two student teachers from The University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Eastern Michigan University. In 2017, he was selected by the Michigan Association of Teacher Educators as Cooperating Teacher of the Year for the State of Michigan.His professional memberships include ASBDA, MENC, ASC, and MSBOA (emeritus). He remains active as an adjudicator, clinician, guest conductor, and is on the conducting faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

Brian Nutting is the former Director of Bands at Troy High School (MI) and has dedicated more than three decades to music education, beginning his teaching career in 1988. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Western Michigan University and a Master of Music in Conducting from Bowling Green State University. As a graduate assistant, he conducted the University Band, arranged and instructed the color guard for the Falcon Marching Band, and assisted with undergraduate conducting and band methods courses. His principal teachers included Robert Whaley (tuba), Richard Suddendorf and Mark Kelly (conducting), and Mel Ivey (voice). During his undergraduate studies, he performed with the WMU University Chorale, Grand Chorus, and Gold Company. He also completed graduate studies in education at Marygrove College and pursued doctoral coursework in the Philosophy of Music Education at Oakland University.

Mr. Nutting began his career as middle and high school band and choir director in Bad Axe, Michigan. Following graduate school, he was appointed Director of Bands for Eaton Rapids Public Schools (MI). During his eight-year tenure, the band program grew from 37 to 150 students, expanded from one concert band to three, and added a second band director to meet increasing enrollment. His leadership earned him Teacher of the Year honors from the American Association of University Women (1993) and Eaton Rapids Public Schools (1995). During this time, he also served as Assistant Conductor of the Lansing Concert Band.

In 2000, Mr. Nutting was appointed Director of Bands at Troy High School, where he led the cadet, concert, symphonic, jazz, and marching bands, pit orchestra, and numerous chamber ensembles, serving more than 240 student musicians annually. Under his direction, the Troy High School Bands consistently earned top ratings at district, state, and national festivals in concert, jazz, and marching performance. The ensembles performed at prestigious festivals and venues throughout the United States and Europe, including leading the London New Year's Day Parade in 2006.

Committed to creating meaningful musical experiences beyond the traditional classroom, Mr. Nutting developed several innovative educational initiatives. In 2009, he founded the Promoting Rewarding Instrumental Music Ensembles (P.R.I.M.E.) Project, a collaboration with musicians from the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings that provided students with individualized chamber music coaching culminating in a public recital. He also established a Jazz Artist-in-Residence program featuring acclaimed trumpeter Kris Johnson. In 2011, he launched "Taking It to the Streets," a community outreach initiative designed to bring live performances beyond the concert hall and into the community, sharing the joy and transformative power of music with audiences of all ages.

Mr. Nutting's dedication to excellence in music education has earned widespread recognition throughout his career. He was nominated three times for Troy School District Teacher of the Year before receiving the honor in 2009. The Detroit News recognized him as Teacher of the Week in 2003, and in 2011 he was named Teacher of the Year by the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) District XVI. In 2012, the University Musical Society honored him as the DTE Energy Foundation Educator of the Year, recognizing his passionate commitment to arts education and his belief in the transformative power of music within both schools and the broader community.

His professional accomplishments also include induction into the American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA), an organization dedicated to advancing excellence in K–12 band education, and honorary membership in Kappa Kappa Psi, the National Honorary Band Fraternity.

Gregory Snyder is founder and conductor of the Nashville Youth Wind Ensemble (NYWE). providing an intensive musical opportunity and a deeper study of iconic wind band literature for some of Middle Tennessee’s finest high school musicians.

Mr. Snyder mentors band directors, coaching them in conducting and rehearsal techniques. He also holds clinics for band programs in Nashville and across the U.S.

As a highly sought-after guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician, Mr. Snyder regularly travels the country. Recently, he guest-conducted the Mississippi State University Honor Band; the W.D. Packard Concert Band, a professional Northeast Ohio ensemble; All-State bands for the Middle Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association (MTSBOA); the University of Tennessee at Martin Honor Band; the Utah State Concert Band Festival; the East Tennessee Honor Band; the Northern Kentucky Select Band; the Illinois State Concert Band Festival; KMEA Concert Band State Festival, the Grant County Indiana Honor Band, and the Alabama Marching Championship.

Mr. Snyder is a consultant for KHS America. Go here to see blog posts Mr. Snyder writes for KHS America’s Academic Alliance. He serves as a clinician for VH1 Save the Music, conducting clinics in San Diego, Calif. and New Britain, Conn. He is the Nashville clinician for both Music Travel Consultants and World Strides Educational Tours. He was also a conductor for American Music Abroad. Mr. Snyder recently served as a clinician for Mississippi State University; the Charleston County School District (Music & Arts), Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; The Fresno State University Sutherland Wind Festival, Fresno, Calif., and the Boise State Band Clinic Festival, Boise, Idaho. He also conducted clinics for Fayette County High School, Fayetteville, Ga.; Hoover High School, Hoover, Ala.; Jackson High School, Jackson, Ohio; South Forsythe Middle School, Cumming, Ga., and Williamson County (Tenn.) band directors.

Mr. Snyder is director of bands emeritus, Lakota West High School, West Chester, Ohio. He taught and conducted high school band for 35 years, teaching 27 years in Lakota—9 years at Lakota High School, and 18 years at Lakota West High School. His concert bands toured Europe and earned a nearly unprecedented three invitations to the internationally acclaimed Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic (Chicago, Ill.). The Marching Firebirds earned more than 75 grand champion awards and numerous accolades, including two invitations to perform in the iconic Tournament of Roses Parade (Pasadena, Calif.), and in the legendary Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (New York, N.Y.).

From 1988 – 2015, Mr. Snyder led the Lakota/Lakota West High School bands to success in performance and victory in competition. For two decades, Lakota/Lakota West students were awarded the most positions in OMEA All-State Ensembles each year. Not only did the Lakota West program grow to a nearly unprecedented seven concert bands, but the top three ensembles performed in state competition in classes AA and A, earning superior ratings annually. Under his tenure, the instrumental music program grew from 100 students in grades 9 – 12 to more than 800 district-wide. As director of bands, he directed Symphonic Winds, the Symphonic Red and Symphonic White Bands, and the 280-strong Marching Firebirds. He assisted with two freshmen concert bands and was music supervisor for 17 years.

Under his leadership, the Lakota West instrumental program gained a national and international reputation for excellence. Symphonic Winds was invited to perform at the world-renowned Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago three times, a first for Ohio, in 2000, 2006, and 2011. Mr. Snyder partnered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO), performing Community Concerts in 2007 and 2010. Other major performances include: Great Southern Contest of Champions, Orlando, 1990; Bowling Green State University New Music Reading Clinic, 1993 and 1998; American School Band Directors Association Conference, 1995; Dixie Classic Music Festival (grand champion award), Chattanooga/Atlanta/Richmond, 1996, 1998, and 2010; Toronto Music Festival, 1996; Music in the Parks Festival, Chicago, 1999; 30th Annual Ohio Band Directors Conference, University of Akron, 2001; New Concert Band Music Reading Clinic, Capital University, 2002; OMEA State Convention, Cincinnati/Dayton/Columbus/Cleveland, 1992, 1996, 2004, and 2015; European tour with performances in Paris, Brussels, and London, 2004; Jupiter National Concert Band Competition champion, performing with the Boston Brass, 2008; Youngstown State University Wind and Percussion Invitational, 2009; Rutgers University Music Festival, New Brunswick, 2010; Branson Music Festival, 2013; Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s iconic Music Hall, 2015.

The Lakota Marching Thunderbirds and Lakota West Marching Firebirds earned more than 75 grand champion awards under Mr. Snyder’s direction. They were invited to march in the Reds Opening Day Parade and to perform as

the Bengals’ halftime show several times. Additional major performances include: The Great Southern Contest of Champions, Orlando, 1990; the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1991. Citrus Bowl Parade and Music Festival, Orlando, 1993 and 1996; the Hollywood Christmas Parade, 1999; the Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, 2003; Pearl Harbor and the Waikiki Holiday Parade, Maui, 2005; the 119th Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena, 2008; Disney World and Universal Studios, Orlando, 2010; the 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City, 2013, and the 126th Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena, 2015.

To solicit their expertise, Mr. Snyder invites many prominent composers and conductors to conduct his ensembles, including: David Booth, John Bourgeois, Geoffrey Brand, Marcellus Brown, John Climer, Eugene Corporon, Raymond Cramer, James Curnow, Elliot Del Borgo, Stephen Gage, David Gillingham, Gary Gilroy, Gary Green, Joseph Hermann, Robert Jorgensen, Brant Karrick, Mark S. Kelly, Craig Kirchhoff, Barry Kopetz, Edward Lisk, Donald McGinnis, Stephen Melillo, Stan Michalski, Russel Mikkelson, Glenn Price, Ryan Nowlin, Alfred Reed, David Shaffer, Robert Sheldon, Phillip Sparke, Gary Speck, James Swearingen, Mallory Thompson, Jan van der Roost, Myron Welch, John Whitwell, Frank Wickes, and Rodney Winther.

Chairing many Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA)-adjudicated events, including Ohio All-State Band, he also served as All-State chair. He is past president of OMEA, District XIII. Prior to his tenure at Lakota, Mr. Snyder served as assistant director for five years and director of bands for three years in the Clyde-Green Springs School District, Clyde, Ohio.

Mr. Snyder is an elected member of the exclusive American Bandmasters Association. He was inducted into the Ohio Band Director's Hall of Fame in 2020. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from Bowling Green State University in 2014. In recognition of his accomplishments and “extraordinary success,” the Ohio State House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate officially commended him in 2014. Mr. Snyder crafted a proprietary program on how to develop musicians through chamber music, presenting how-to-style clinics at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and the OMEA State Conference. He is recognized as a visionary on the topic, penning an article for the TRIAD professional journal, Chamber Playing’s Impact: Bringing Your Students out of the Audible Shadow. The program is also featured in The Conductor’s Companion by Gary Stith.

Prior to earning a Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music, Chicago, Mr. Snyder earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Bowling Green State University in 1980. He acquired additional post-graduate work from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, and Boston University. Mr. Snyder is a member of Phi Beta Mu, Tennessee Music Education Association, and the National Association for Music Education.

Mr. Snyder and his wife Sandra live in Mount Juliet, Tenn. They have two sons: Alexander (Ashlinn), Nashville, Tenn. and Adam, La Habra, Calif. They love spending time with their precious granddaughter, Lucille.

For more information, go to GregSnyderBand.com.

Kathleen Stebal is a PhD student and graduate student instructor at the University of Michigan. Prior to this appointment, she taught orchestra for ten years at Perrysburg Schools in Perrysburg, Ohio. She taught 5th-12th grade orchestra, developed the district music curriculum, and established an extracurricular multi-styles string ensemble. Kathleen conducts the Toledo Symphony Youth Orchestra Concert Strings. She has presented at the Michigan and Ohio Music Education Conferences, as well as the American String Teacher Association conference. Kathleen has been published in the American String Teachers Journal. Kathleen earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Michigan.

Kent W. Vandock, Ed.S, is a Teacher on Special Assignment in the Teaching and Learning Department of Perrysburg Schools where his duties include: Fine and Performing Arts Coordinator; Resident Educator and New Teacher Coordinator; District Schoology Support, and Instructional Coach. Prior to the Teaching and Learning Department, he was the Director of Choral Activities at Perrysburg High School. He taught for 12 years in the Archbold Area Schools where his teaching responsibilities encompassed both middle school and high school choirs. Prior to Archbold, he taught K-12 Vocal Music in the Kalida Local Schools. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Bowling Green State University, a master’s degree in music education from the University of Michigan, and an Ed.S in Educational Administration and Leadership from Bowling Green State University. His research interests focus on the literature selection process and the influence of personality factors on ensemble attrition rates. Mr.

Vandock is Part-time Faculty at Northwest State Community College and an Adjunct Instructor at BGSU working with the Masters of Teaching Artistry Program.

Mr. Vandock holds memberships in the Ohio Choral Directors Association, where he has served as the State Treasurer for the past 20 years. In 2022, he received the OCDA Distinguished Service Award. He has served the Ohio Music Education Association as District 1 President, State Choral Chair (2015-2018), All-State Choir Chair (2016), and All-State Ensembles Chair (2022). Mr. Vandock is the recipient of numerous awards, scholarships, and grants. He was a 2017 Grammy Foundation National Music Educator Award (Quarterfinalist).

Mr. Vandock received his Instructional Leadership Certification from the Corwin Institute and his SHRM-CP designation (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional) from the Society for Human Resource Management. Mr. Vandock has presented numerous sessions at local and state conferences. He is a sought-after clinician having worked with choirs across the nation. Mr. Vandock has served as the choral director for Shiloh Christian Union Church in Delta, Ohio for the past 20 years.

Mr. Vandock is a proud husband and father. He resides in Delta with his wife of 20 years, Danielle, and their two children, Aubree and Brennan.

Dr. Michael Knight currently serves as Director of Bands and Lecturer of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. His duties at UWGB include directing the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and teaching courses in conducting and music education. He has served as Faculty Mentor in the BGSU Teaching Artistry graduate program since its inception. 

Dr. Knight has also served on the faculties of the University of Delaware, St. Norbert College, Iowa Wesleyan University, and the University of Missouri. His work with the University of Delaware Wind Ensemble is featured on the Bruce Tychinski recording Interplay, highlighting new works for trombone and wind band. Prior to his collegiate teaching career, Dr. Knight taught in the Rockwood School District and Columbia Public School District in Missouri. He holds degrees from the University of Missouri, the University of Georgia and the University of Iowa. Dr. Knight has served as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the nation and is a regular contributor to the Teaching Music through Performance in Band textbook series. He is also the conductor of VENTO Winds, a professional wind ensemble based in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Joseph Dobos directed high school bands in Michigan for 40 years. His bands at Lapeer East High School earned First Division Ratings at the MSBOA State Band Festival for 31 consecutive years. They performed seven times at Hill Auditorium during the Midwestern Music Conference and at music education conventions in Toronto, Chicago, Knoxville, Montreal, and at Western Michigan University. Mr. Dobos taught music education for seven years at Wayne State University, where he led the Concert Band and supervised student teachers. He has been on the conducting faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp for 37 years and is a former conductor of the Genesee Wind Symphony. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at Bowling Green State University and the University of Michigan-Flint, and he serves as the Director of Sacred Music and organist at Saint Matthew Church in Flint, Michigan. Mr. Dobos earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music from the University of Michigan, studying under William Revelli and Elizabeth Green. He has received awards and recognition, including “Teacher of the Year” from the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, and has served as a guest conductor for the State of Michigan Youth Arts Festival High School Honors Band. He received the Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association and was the first Midwest band director recognized by the Interscholastic Association of High Schools. Mr. Dobos was inducted into the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Hall of Fame and has presented music education clinics at various conferences. His organ performance at the Organ Historical Society convention was broadcast on National Public Radio's Pipe Dreams. He wrote a biography of William Revelli.

Dr. Mark Statler is the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Tennessee at Martin where he conducts the University Singers, New Pacer Singers, and teaches choral music education courses. Additionally, he mentors students in the Master of Music Education, Teaching Artistry Specialization degree through Bowling Green State University. He and his wife, Audrey, have three children: Mattie, Eliana, and Sam. 

Mark grew up in the cornfields of Rochester, Indiana before graduating from Taylor University with a music education degree in 2010 and teaching general music at Center Grove Elementary School in Greenwood, Indiana. Mark then moved to Kenya in 2011 to direct the middle school and high school choral program at Rosslyn Academy, an international school in the capital city of Nairobi. In addition to teaching, he had the joy of being a part of the classical music scene by conducting the Nairobi Music Society and the Nairobi Orchestra in choral/symphonic works such as Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Bach’s Christ Lag in Todes Banden, Handel’s Israel in Egypt, and Brahms’ Schicksalslied. He also sang with and conducted the Greenwood Singers, a 16-member chamber choir. 

In 2018, the Statler family moved back to the U.S. where Mark studied choral conducting at Bowling Green State University, graduating with his master’s degree in 2020. During this time, Mark assisted with choral music education classes under Dr. Emily Pence Brown, conducted choirs under Dr. Mark Munson and Dr. Richard Schnipke, and directed the Fostoria Lake Plains Barbershop Chorus. Mark then continued his graduate studies at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana with a primary focus in choral conducting and a secondary focus in music education. While at Ball State, Mark was the instructor of record for music theory and aural skills classes, conducted the undergraduate choir University Choral Union, assisted conducting classes under Dr. Kerry Glann, and was an assistant conductor for choirs under Dr. Andrew Crow. Working as an adjunct professor, he conducted the Taylor University Women’s Chorus. The choral music of Florence B. Price (1887-1953) was the focus of his dissertation lecture recital, and he continues to research, perform, and present these artistic and important under-performed works. Graduating from Ball State in 2023 with a Doctor of Arts in Music degree, he officially became Dr. Mark Statler. 

In the past few years, he has had the privilege to conduct honor and festival choirs for elementary, middle school, and high school students in Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, and the International Honors High School Music Festival in Budapest, Hungary. He is grateful to the educators who have influenced his musical journey, and he believes music education is exactly what the world needs right now to heal from its wounds and move forward to a more positive future. Thank you to all of the music educators who are making a difference in the lives of students!

Matthew W. Shephard has served as the Director of Bands at Meridian Public Schools since 2001. He attended Central Michigan University, where he earned both his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Conducting degrees and was named the 2026 CMU College of Arts and Media Outstanding Alumni recipient.

Mr. Shephard has been honored as a four-time GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year Finalist (2023-2026), and was named a 2025 Country Music Association Music Teacher of Excellence.

Under his leadership, the Meridian Early College High School Bands represent one-third of the student population. The Symphonic Band has performed at the 2011, 2016, 2020 and 2024 Michigan Music Conferences, and his jazz bands have been featured annually at the Detroit Jazz Festival since 2012. Mr. Shephard was named the 2015 MSBOA District V Teacher of the Year, and was a finalist for the 2016 MSBOA State Teacher of the Year. In 2013, he was awarded the ASBDA Michigan Chapter Award of Excellence. In addition, Mr. Shephard published a comprehensive beginning method book for adults titled, “Do-It-Yourself Trombone” through Hal Leonard Publishing.

A featured keynote speaker and guest conductor, Mr. Shephard has traveled across the Midwest presenting to both educators and students. He maintains a passion for promoting growth in small schools through a positive culture and emphasizing student engagement strategies to improve retention through musical achievement. Mr. Shephard is a member of the Recording Academy, ASBDA, NBA, JEN, and NAfME, and most recently served as the State President of the MSBOA.

Dr. Lisa Martin currently serves on the Honors Tutorial College faculty at Ohio University. Prior to her appointment at Ohio University, she served as Associate Professor of Music Education at Bowling Green State University. She is also a Yale Faculty Fellow through the Life Worth Living program and teaches coursework at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Before her time in academia, she enjoyed a decade of teaching middle school band and orchestra in both Illinois and Colorado. 

Dr. Martin has presented her research locally, nationally, and internationally, and she has published her work in the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Musi Education, Music Educators Journal, Contributions to Music Education, and the Journal of Music Teacher Education. She currently serves as Past Academic Editor and Chair of Music Educators Journal and is on the Editorial Committee for the Journal of Music Teacher Education.