Music Education Archives - �鶹ӰԺ University

�鶹ӰԺ summer music programs bring nearly 80 young musicians to Appleton

Communications — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:22:27 +0000

�鶹ӰԺ and the Appleton community welcome nearly 80 young classical musicians from across the United States and abroad this July as �鶹ӰԺ University expands its summer music programming and brings a series of public performances to campus and downtown venues.

The summer lineup includes the �鶹ӰԺ Summer Music Institute, a weeklong program for high school musicians, and the return of the �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival, now in its third year on the �鶹ӰԺ campus, running July 18–Aug. 2.

�鶹ӰԺ Summer Music Institute students perform at Memorial Chapel.

Together, the programs bring high school, college-aged, and early-career musicians to Appleton for intensive training with �鶹ӰԺ faculty and guest artists while offering the community opportunities to hear rising young performers in concert.

New this summer is a Classical Voice track within the �鶹ӰԺ Summer Music Institute, joining the Piano & Strings program, now in its fourth year. The institute will bring 37 high school musicians from 12 states to campus for chamber rehearsals, private lessons, coaching, workshops, and performance preparation.

The �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival will bring 40 pre-professional musicians from 19 states and three countries to Appleton for two weeks of advanced chamber music study, collaboration, and public performances. Five current �鶹ӰԺ students and five �鶹ӰԺ alumni are among this year’s festival participants.

“We are continuing to expand summer music programming here at �鶹ӰԺ, and we are particularly excited to be creating unique opportunities for high schoolers, current �鶹ӰԺ students, and recent alumni,” said Michael Mizrahi, the Frank C. Shattuck Professor of Piano and faculty member for the �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival. “These programs allow us to deepen the ties between �鶹ӰԺ and Appleton while offering a unique, high-quality musical experience for the young artists participating. These programs are another way in which �鶹ӰԺ augments its national profile as a leader in music performance and education.”

The summer programming also connects directly with Appleton’s broader arts community. �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival participants will collaborate with visiting musicians during Mile of Music, the all-original music festival held in downtown Appleton July 30–Aug. 2. The young musicians will create original arrangements and compositions and perform 50-minute sets at �鶹ӰԺ and downtown venues.

�鶹ӰԺ will also host multiple Mile of Music venues on campus and support Music Education Team programming led by �鶹ӰԺ faculty, students, and alumni.

One featured community event is Music in Motion, an interactive concert for adults and children ages 5 and older presented by Play Out, the �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival, and Mile of Music. Hosted by Caitlin Sullivan, the program celebrates music inspired by movement—from grooves, dances, strolls, and swings to a musical interpretation of Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion. The performance will include video art by Jorge Carvajal and live drawing projections by Caroline Chu.

The programs also provide professional experience for current �鶹ӰԺ students. �鶹ӰԺ Summer Music Programs offer three internships in arts administration, giving students hands-on experience in marketing, artist relations, event production, and audience engagement. The internships complement �鶹ӰԺ’s new Business and Entrepreneurship major—including its arts entrepreneurship track—by connecting classroom learning with professional practice.

�鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival performances include:

● 7 p.m. Monday, July 20 — Gibson Community Music Hall

● 7 p.m. Friday, July 24 — �鶹ӰԺ Memorial Chapel

● 7 p.m. Saturday, July 25 — �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival Young Artists Concert No. 1, �鶹ӰԺ Memorial Chapel

● 1 p.m. Sunday, July 26 — �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival Young Artists Concert No. 2, �鶹ӰԺ Memorial Chapel

During Mile of Music, �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival participants will collaborate with visiting musicians to create original arrangements and compositions. Performances include:

● 11 a.m. Thursday, July 30 — Mile of Music kickoff featuring the �鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival, �鶹ӰԺ Memorial Chapel

● 9 a.m. Friday, July 31 — Music in Motion: An Interactive Concert for Adults and Children Ages 5 and Up

● 11 a.m. Friday, July 31 — Mile of Music LCMF Young Artist Showcase No. 1, Hilton Paper Valley Ballroom, featuring Ruby Mac

● 2 p.m. Friday, July 31 — Mile of Music LCMF Young Artist Showcase No. 2, Riverview Gardens, featuring Buddy Red

● 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 — Mile of Music LCMF Young Artist Showcase No. 3, Copper Rock Coffee Co., featuring Ron Artis II

● 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 — Mile of Music LCMF Young Artist Showcase No. 4, Appleton Public Library, featuring Kate Stenson ’24 & Gold Standard

Faculty for the �鶹ӰԺ Summer Music Institute includes Samantha George, violin; Wen-Lei Gu, violin; Jenny Kozoroz, viola; Kivie Cahn-Lipman, cello; Mark Urness, double bass; Anthony Padilla, piano; and Michael Mizrahi, piano.

�鶹ӰԺ Chamber Music Festival faculty includes Tim Albright, trombone; Michael Clayville, trombone; Andy Hudson, clarinet; Erin Lesser, flute; Brigit Pacher, bassoon; Joe Connor, saxophone; and Jean Carlo Ureña González, percussion. Guest faculty include Brandon Ridenour, trumpet; Caitlin Sullivan, cello; Teagan Faran, violin/viola; Ben Russell, violin; and Leo Sussman ’15, flute.

About �鶹ӰԺ University �鶹ӰԺ University is a liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Its world-renowned Conservatory of Music offers rigorous training in performance, composition, music education, and related fields while connecting students with a broad liberal arts education.

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Lab School partnership with Edison cited as Ramagopal Pertl earns Shining Star Award

Communications — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:04:42 +0000

Leila Ramagopal Pertl ’87, instructor of music education at �鶹ӰԺ University, is among 10 recipients of the Fox Cities Chamber’s 2024 Excellence in Education Shining Star Awards.

The 10 Fox Cities educators will be honored at an awards ceremony March 21. One of the 10 will be named Educator of the Year.

Ramagopal Pertl, who splits her day between teaching at �鶹ӰԺ and teaching in the Appleton Area School District’s Edison Elementary School, was cited for her work with �鶹ӰԺ’s “Lab School” and building other connections between �鶹ӰԺ and her elementary school students.

Leila Ramagopal Pertl splits her time between teaching at �鶹ӰԺ University and Edison Elementary School in Appleton. Her �鶹ӰԺ music students join her at Edison as part of a Lab School partnership.

The Lab School is an extension of collaborative work that has been ongoing between �鶹ӰԺ and Edison, the closest elementary school to the �鶹ӰԺ campus.

“Over the years, I would take my �鶹ӰԺ classes over to the school as a group so they could get hands-on experience teaching the lessons that they created,” Ramagopal Pertl said. “The Edison music teachers were always generous with their time and knowledge. But our �鶹ӰԺ Music Education Department had a bigger dream—what if we could create a Lab School where �鶹ӰԺ students could learn from their �鶹ӰԺ professors in an actual public school environment?”

In 2022, that opportunity presented itself when the 3rd-6th grade music position opened at Edison. Ramagopal Pertl jumped at the chance to make the Lab School dream a reality, collaborating with AASD Fine Arts Coordinator Renee Reimer Ulman ’94 and Edison Principal Katie Schmeltzer.

Ramagopal Pertl now teaches �鶹ӰԺ classes in the morning, then heads to Edison in the afternoon, joined by some of her �鶹ӰԺ pre-service music students.

“Nothing compares to classroom experience as we train the next generation of life-changing music educators,” she said. “The �鶹ӰԺ-Edison Lab School partnership is a dream come true.”

Joey O’Connor, a �鶹ӰԺ music education student, teaches at Edison Elementary as part of the Lab School.

In its award citation, the Chamber said, “Ms. Pertl approaches her students with the belief that they have unlimited potential, and she provides the instruction and encouragement for her students to create, grapple with, and perform music at a level far beyond what is normally seen at the elementary grade level. Leila has turned her elementary music classrooms into a Lab School for �鶹ӰԺ music education students, enriching the lives of the young students and pre-professional music education students.”

Ramagopal Pertl helped lead the Children’s Concert at Memorial Chapel in early February, a performance by �鶹ӰԺ music students designed for a young audience. And she leads the Music Education Team that presents interactive music events throughout the Mile of Music festival in downtown Appleton each August.

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Ramagopal Pertl called it a thrill to be chosen for the Chamber award from among the more than 150 nominations.

“There are extremely talented educators in the Fox Valley, so it means the world to not only be able to celebrate our accomplishments in pedagogy but to have the teaching art form uplifted by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce in such a beautiful way,” she said. “It will be an honor to celebrate the event with my �鶹ӰԺ and Edison colleagues.”

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Saxophone student Jasper Kashou finds joy as both composer, performer

Communications — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 20:09:02 +0000

When someone says Let’s Lift the Bandstand, they usually mean it metaphorically, but the audience’s standing ovation at the recent premiere of Jasper Kashou’s aptly named composition just might have done the trick.

Kashou, a fourth-year student from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, has been successful in both his composition and performance work at �鶹ӰԺ. Double majoring in saxophone performance with a jazz emphasis and instrumental music education, Kashou said he is grateful for the support of the �鶹ӰԺ community.

Jasper Kashou performs a Concerto for Stan Getz with the �鶹ӰԺ Symphony Orchestra.

Kashou recently had two huge opportunities to showcase his work.

In early March, the �鶹ӰԺ Symphonic Band, directed by Matthew Arau ’97, associate professor of music education and associate director of bands, premiered Kashou’s Let’s Lift the Bandstand.

“I wasn’t incredibly nervous when I came to the premiere,” Kashou said. “I wrote the piece for this ensemble because of my trust in Dr. Arau and the musicians in the ensemble.”

The performance of the piece drew a huge ovation.

A week later, the �鶹ӰԺ Symphony Orchestra (LSO), led by Mark Dupere, associate professor of music and director of orchestral studies, performed Let’s Lift the Bandstand at its Winter Term concert, with Kashou joining as a featured soloist. He earned the LSO honor by winning the Conservatory’s annual concerto competition.

Drawn to the music

Being the fifth generation of professional musicians, Kashou was raised with music all around him. He started with Arabic drumming and piano but found his passion in playing the saxophone. Kashou has found �鶹ӰԺ to be a spectacular fit for his musical interests.

“When you shop around for colleges [as a musician], the professors are practically the only thing that matters,” Kashou said. “I came to �鶹ӰԺ specifically for professors José Encarnación and Steven Jordheim. … My success is largely due to their guidance.”

Jasper Kashou, a fourth-year double degree student, will present his senior recital at 5 p.m. May 13 in Memorial Chapel. (Photo by Danny Damiani)

Kashou said he was honored to be a featured soloist with LSO and perform a jazz-inspired concerto with the orchestra.

“A lot of it is really a conversation between the orchestra and the soloist,” Kashou said. “My posture during the performance was more aimed at being able to see Professor [Mark] Dupere and the orchestra [as opposed to facing the audience directly] because I wanted to communicate with them and make it more of a collaborative thing. I’ve been working on this piece for a year; It’s a pretty big payoff to get to share it with so many people and to play it with so many people.”

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Let’s Lift the Bandstand is part of a larger collection from Kashou called Monk’s 25 Tips. Each piece takes its name from a quote from Thelonious Monk, the iconic jazz pianist and composer. These 25 pieces of advice were written down by jazz saxophonist and composer Steve Lacy early in his career as he traveled with Monk’s band. The 25 tips are things Monk would often say. Kashou is taking these pieces of advice and turning them into music for a variety of ensembles, from solo saxophone to full wind ensembles. He’s hoping to complete all 25 before he graduates.

Lawrentians can tune in for Kashou’s senior recital at 5 p.m. May 13 in Memorial Chapel. He will be premiering four new pieces from Monk’s 25 Tips, ranging from solo saxophone to a 15-piece jazz ensemble.

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�鶹ӰԺ senior Emily Dorr leads symposium on music education

Communications — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:22:23 +0000

Emily Dorr ’23, a music education major, has been committed to building community among others at �鶹ӰԺ who are aspiring to teach music.

As president of �鶹ӰԺ’s chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the senior from St. Paul, Minnesota, will be leading an annual symposium April 7–8, one featuring an international guest.

is an organization providing support, community, and administrative input for music education majors. With five members on the board, NAfME’s branch at �鶹ӰԺ holds weekly meetings and one symposium per year.

“We all want to foster this community… It’s important to me that everyone on the board has a voice,” Dorr said.

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Reflecting the value of voices, Dorr said multiple board members wanted queer theory and music education to be the topic of this year’s symposium. Anybody, regardless of major, is welcome at the symposium, to be held in Room 163 of the Music-Drama Center throughout the day on April 8. A performance by LGBTuben will be held at 8:30 p.m. April 7 in Memorial Chapel. .

“The word ‘symposium’ is fancy, but also a little scary,” Dorr said. “I want everyone to feel welcome and invited because I feel that’s something at the core of queer theory and what we’ll be discussing.”

The keynote speaker is Elizabeth Gould, a retired associate professor from the University of Toronto. Her work frequently connects LGBTQ+ and music themes.

“We started looking into her works and were like, ‘OK, she’s a leader in this field and we really want her here,’” Dorr said.

With NAfME’s last few symposia unable to host guests due to COVID, Dorr said Gould’s attendance is special.

“We’re very excited to have her on campus, especially as an international guest as well,” Dorr said.

Other symposium participants include Julie McQuinn, associate professor of music, who first recommended Gould to the group; Ann Ellsworth, a horns professor, and her ensemble, LGBTuben; alumnus Benjamin Hiles ‘22, who has researched queer theory in the music room and will be presenting on his findings; and Jessica Pruett, visiting assistant professor of gender studies, who will discuss queer theory and its influence on her teaching.

“I feel having this run successfully is my greatest task and, hopefully, accomplishment as president of the board,” Dorr said.

A musical journey

Music and education have long been central to Dorr. It was while playing clarinet for the Minnesota All-State Band and Orchestra that she first was drawn to �鶹ӰԺ. Andrew Mast, �鶹ӰԺ’s wind ensemble conductor, associate dean of the Conservatory, Kimberly-Clark Professor of Music, and director of bands, made a fateful visit to guest conduct.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, this guy is awesome. I love how he’s leading rehearsals,’ and he would talk about �鶹ӰԺ,” Dorr said.

Settling on a music education major and French minor at �鶹ӰԺ, Dorr joined NAfME during the 2019–20 school year. NAfME is one of the longest-standing student associations at �鶹ӰԺ.

“I really liked it,” Dorr said. “I thought it was a great community, so I applied to join.”

Dorr said ideas central to NAfME are lifelong learning and providing fun and engaging learning outside the curriculum.

“As a teacher, you’re always learning,” she said. “You’re learning from your students, we learn from each other, and I learn from the people on the board every day.”

Dorr became president this year. Her responsibilities include leading meetings, delegating tasks, and reaching out to potential symposium guests.

Dorr said her favorite part of the job is the ability to work with other students and communities around �鶹ӰԺ. She also sees this symposium as an example of student leadership in action.

With Dorr graduating soon, NAfME will be holding board elections for next year. Dorr said students interested in NAfME can check out on Instagram or email Dorr directly to join the email list.

Dorr’s plan is to teach general elementary music, but she said her absolute dream is to teach music in a French-speaking nation.

“We’re just really excited about the symposium,” Dorr said. “We’re hoping to engage people on campus and we’re open to anyone who’s interested and wants to come, so it’s going to be a great time.”

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Student snapshot: Cindy Kaiser finds a connection in Conservatory

Communications — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 21:15:53 +0000

In her college search, Cindy Kaiser was hoping to find a double degree program where she could excel in both a music conservatory and a college of liberal arts and sciences.

After meeting flute professor Erin Lesser, she decided �鶹ӰԺ University could give her exactly that. Originally intending to study flute performance, Kaiser soon discovered a love for both music education and psychology.

In her free time, Kaiser, a sophomore from New Jersey, enjoys staying active in the Wellness Center as well as taking walks around campus.

“There are so many resources here, not just music-wise but also health and wellness-wise, that are really beneficial,” she said.

Kaiser credits the flute studio for making her time at �鶹ӰԺ the best it can be. She says it is because of the supportive environment the professors create that students are able to feel so welcome and transition so easily into college life at �鶹ӰԺ.

“I have never been in a flute studio that was more caring, supportive, or compassionate,” she said. “We’re like a big flute family.”

With several options before her after graduation, Kaiser plans on student teaching in the area before possibly pursuing grad school for flute performance.

QUICK FACTS

Name: Cindy Kaiser

Class Year: 2024

Area(s) of study: Flute performance, psychology, music education 

Hometown: New Jersey

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Student snapshot: Emily Dorr explores music education, French

Communications — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 20:32:02 +0000

Emily Dorr, a junior from the Twin Cities, first found �鶹ӰԺ through the Minnesota Allstate Band Program, where she met Andrew Mast, the Conservatory’s Kimberly-Clark Professor of Music and director of bands.

After speaking with him about the music degree programs at �鶹ӰԺ, she decided it would be a perfect fit. Originally intending to study clarinet performance, Dorr found a love for teaching after taking the Intro to Music Education course, and eventually ended up switching her major to the music education track with a general music emphasis.

Outside of her time in class, she enjoys taking advantage of the many cafes near campus, as well as participating in several music ensembles.

Dorr said she enjoys serving as vice president of a local chapter of the National Association for Music Educators. She notes that NAfME comes up with biweekly meeting topics and invites guest speakers to work with students. She is also looking forward to studying abroad in France, hoping to combine her interest in the French language with her love for teaching.

In her time in the clarinet studio, Dorr has been able to grow as a musician and educator, as well as being able to find a family of sorts.

“We are very supportive of each other and we all really want to see each other succeed,” she said. “It’s a very welcoming community.”

Following her time at �鶹ӰԺ, Dorr plans to get her teaching license, hoping to one day be able to combine her interests in French and music education.

QUICK FACTS

Name: Emily Dorr

Class year: 2023

Area(s) of study: Music Education with an instrumental and general focus

Hometown: Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Conservatory’s purveyor of positivity goes all in on benefits of an upbeat mindset

Communications — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 15:00:30 +0000

Matthew Arau ’97 knows many of the educators he speaks with are stressed, often exhausted. The pandemic has worn on them, and he knows the struggle to find a path forward is complicated.

But Arau, an ever-upbeat associate professor of music in �鶹ӰԺ University’s Conservatory of Music, is preaching a steady diet of positivity in the face of those stressors. Reset the mindset and others will follow. It’s a mantra he’s willing into existence in almost everything he does, and he’s doing so to an increasingly engaged national—and sometimes international—audience.

A �鶹ӰԺ alumnus who chairs the university’s Music Education Department and conducts the �鶹ӰԺ Symphonic Band, Arau launched a side project three years ago, an LLC called Upbeat Global. He did so as more speaking opportunities at music education conferences were coming his way—taking him across the United States, as well as to Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Greece, Malaysia, and Singapore. He sensed an appetite among educators to hear his message of leadership through a positive mindset.

In June 2020, .

And now Arau’s first book, Upbeat! Mindset, Mindfulness, and Leadership in Music Education and Beyond, has been released by (it’s also available on Amazon). The book digs deeper into Arau’s vision for classroom and student leadership, a melding of positivity-infused lessons he’s taken from authors of popular mindset books—Carol Dweck, Stephen Covey, among others—and his experiences as an educator and a practitioner of yoga and meditation.

The book speaks to self-care, in that we need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others. It speaks to the teaching of servant leadership, to the use of breathing techniques to center a teacher’s thoughts and those of their students, to finding gratitude in even the simplest of tasks, and to bringing enthusiasm to the daily grind.

“I created Upbeat Global as an umbrella for all the work I was doing,” Arau said. “By the time that happened in early 2019, I was presenting all over the world, as a guest conductor and as a speaker on motivation and leadership concepts.”

When the pandemic put things in lockdown in the spring of 2020, Arau said he found himself in a strangely quiet place. Classes went remote; travel was canceled; the streets near his Neenah home were eerily empty.

“As someone who practices mindfulness and meditation, it was pretty profound,” he said. “So, I started journaling, trying to process my thoughts more deeply.”

With encouragement from colleagues and mentors, that journaling became the basis of the book he’d long wanted to write.

“I realized there was a great need for this content,” Arau said. “It was really about serving and helping people. It goes beyond music.”

He was struck by how well the word “upbeat” resonates with his message—as it pertains to attitude but also in its meaning in music. His wife, Merilee Ott-Arau, had first suggested the word as they were looking to elevate Arau’s work.

“In the conducting world, we think of upbeat as the preparatory beat,” Arau said. “It’s all that information—the sound, the tempo, the dynamic, the color, the emotion—that we imagine ahead of time. That’s the upbeat.”

When the music starts, that’s the downbeat.

And that is something that plays out in all facets of life, not just music, Arau said.

“Upbeats are the thoughts; actions are the downbeats. We choose our attitude, we choose our response in any situation, and, ultimately, we choose our thoughts. So, we choose our upbeat.”

Walking the talk

Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory, has watched Arau’s motivational work evolve since bringing him onto the Conservatory faculty eight years ago. He said Arau lives and works with the same passions that have made him an in-demand public speaker. It’s an energy that rubs off on colleagues and students alike.

“Matthew embodies the upbeat positivity that is so beautifully conveyed in his book,” Pertl said. “Whether he is leading the Symphonic Band, teaching in a classroom, or giving the keynote at a national music education conference, he inspires and empowers those around him.”

Arau points to his undergraduate days at �鶹ӰԺ in the mid-1990s for setting him on this path. He was a double-degree student, studying music and government and drawing important lessons from both.

“That planted the first seeds of my interest in leadership,” Arau said.

“I always give a shout out to �鶹ӰԺ. The idea of thinking broader, the liberal arts education, that’s what influenced my own thinking. When I read a book on personal development or leadership or mindset or mindfulness, I always think about how can that be applied to music and music education, which I think is a very liberal arts way of thinking.”

Arau, who went on to earn a master’s degree from the American Band College at Southern Oregon University and a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, was a high school band director in Colorado in 2006 when he started creating student leadership initiatives, anchored by those lessons he took from �鶹ӰԺ. That put in motion the journey that would lead him back to �鶹ӰԺ. By the time he joined the �鶹ӰԺ faculty in 2014, he was deep into research on the ways mindset can affect what you do and how you do it.

“I got really interested in growth mindset,” Arau said. “I realized how important our attitude and our mindset are in skill acquisition. Much more than natural attributes. I started this crusade against the word talent. I replaced the word talent with skill. I always say, talent is recognized after the hard work, not before. Talent is really layer upon layer of skill. So, I started giving sessions about unlocking potential. When a teacher truly believes in their students, there is no limit on what the student can achieve.”

He’s been building on those concepts ever since, incorporating the psychology of positivity into his message as he champions upbeat leadership to teachers, band directors, and anyone else willing to listen. The pandemic, he believes, has added context and urgency to the message.

“It’s important we have a lot of positive energy in the world at a time when it seems negativity is everywhere,” he said.

Teachers and other educators have been front and center throughout the pandemic, and the toll it’s taking is significant. Finding a healthy mindset can be a struggle, but once there the payoff can be life-changing, Arau said.

“You can’t just snap your fingers and, ‘oh, I’m going to choose a good attitude,’” he said. “I’m really careful to acknowledge that it’s not looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. It’s using what we have within us to help choose what we focus on.

“If we’re experiencing challenges, one thing to do is focus on gratitude. Find one little thing you’re grateful for. Maybe the smallest detail. And just by shifting our mind to something we’re grateful for we begin to see a little bit more in our line of vision that we’re grateful for. That’s an intentional choice.

“And then there’s that connection between our breathing and our emotions. If we’re stressed or angry, our breathing gets tight, high in our chest. It’s a physiological response. When we get to that centered, grounded place where we make the best decisions, maybe the best versions of ourselves, our breathing is low. We can intentionally change our breathing.”

As Arau spoke those words, he was preparing for a weekend trip to Philadelphia, where he’d be speaking at a four-state education conference. The following weekend he would be speaking to a gathering of student leaders in Missouri. And the weekend after that he was being featured at a music education conference in the state of Washington.

His message on positivity is in demand.

“He is shaping the future of music education at the national and international level, with �鶹ӰԺ as his home and with our students and our community as his inspiration,” Pertl said. “I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

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Global music traditions at heart of new interactive children’s workshop series

Communications — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 00:01:43 +0000

During long walks over the summer, Leila Ramagopal Pertl ’87 and Betsy Kowal would talk at length about ways they could collaborate to dynamically connect Pertl’s �鶹ӰԺ University music education students with Appleton youngsters whose classes had gone virtual amid the pandemic.

Pertl, an instructor in music education in �鶹ӰԺ’s Conservatory of Music, and Kowal, the Conservatory’s specialist in community outreach, saw a need as overwhelmed elementary school teachers and parents grappled with the demands of online instruction.

They also saw a learning opportunity for their �鶹ӰԺ students.

The resulting project, a series of live virtual music workshops in collaboration with the Appleton Public Library, debuted on Oct. 24 and will continue with two more this fall and another three or so in Winter Term. Called the Backyard Groove, the free workshops tap into culture bearers in the areas of mariachi, samba, and gamelan music to introduce a wider range of music to students in kindergarten through sixth grade, all wrapped in interaction and participation.

Sign-up for the 10 a.m. Nov. 7 and 21 virtual workshops can be found .

The students in Pertl’s elementary performing arts methods class prepare the 45-minute workshops, create “grab and go” music kits that participating families can get from the library, and then deliver the workshops live on Saturday mornings.

“This pandemic has given us an opportunity to think differently,” Pertl said. “What are the ways in which we can think about online engagement? Can we use our screens creatively, can we get to every child in a way that allows them to not only perform music but make their own music?”

The project also was approached from the desire to incorporate antiracism into the instruction. How can the workshops speak to global music traditions that are alive and well here in the Fox Valley? That led to partnerships with I Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana and Sonja Downing, �鶹ӰԺ instructors in Balinese gamelan, Clarice Cast, an accomplished samba drummer from Brazil, and Nestor Dominguez ’14 and Jando Valdez ’24, who have each created mariachi programs.

Students are socially distanced in a Conservatory classroom as they prepare for the Backyard Groove workshops.

“In our �鶹ӰԺ music education class, we ask the question, ‘What is the music of our community?’ Pertl said. “We can’t know this until we open our doors, extend our hands to our neighbors, and listen. Right here in Appleton we have culture bearers from many global music traditions. When our students are learning to create inclusive and culturally responsive classrooms, they are learning to take a close look at who is in their classroom, and in our larger community, before designing curriculum; a curriculum that engages every child and for which a teacher must renew their sense of being a beginner again—to engage with new music traditions and model joy, curiosity, and respect.”

See more on �鶹ӰԺ’s music education program .

The mariachi session kicked off the workshop series. It’ll be followed by the samba workshop on Nov. 7 and the gamelan workshop on Nov. 21, with additional workshops to be scheduled in early 2021. Pertl said she’s hopeful the sessions will draw upwards of 40 screens each, perhaps more as word spreads and interest grows.

For Alex DeBello ’23, part of the mariachi group, the process of creating and then delivering the workshop was both educational and inspiring, for both the �鶹ӰԺ students and the Appleton youngsters.

“It allowed us to share the beauty and richness of mariachi in a way that was just as vibrant and fun as it was informative,” DeBello said. “Not all of our workshop participants, or even us students who were tasked with creating this workshop, had a mariachi background, so it was an immensely powerful thing to be able to awaken so many minds to this intricate musical tradition.”

Moreau Halliburton ’22, also a student in Pertl’s class, understands how important it is right now for families to find those connections when children may be feeling particularly isolated.

“Music connects us all, no matter how far apart we are,” she said. “I worked with groups of children over Zoom this past summer and they all expressed their sadness in not being able to play and have fun with their friends. Having creative online spaces for children right now, like these online music workshops, provides a safe space for children to come with their families, dance, sing, and meet new friends.”

Jando Valdez ’24 takes part in the Oct. 24 Zoom workshop featuring mariachi music.

The library was excited to join forces with �鶹ӰԺ and reach out to area families looking for those opportunities, said Kowal, who is working with library staff to facilitate the workshops.

“The Backyard Groove is an opportunity to celebrate and uplift the many ways that folks in our community make music,” she said.

The workshops are giving the �鶹ӰԺ music education students a chance to do what they love—making music and sharing their love of music with kids. DeBello said seeing “everyone’s smiling faces” on the day of the workshop was a huge boost during a difficult time.

“We’re still learning, singing, moving, and dancing despite all that this year has thrown at us,” she said.

In addition to the workshops, the �鶹ӰԺ students are creating video resources that Appleton teachers—and those in other districts who show interest—can then use in their online teaching. The pandemic has forced music teachers to explore different ways to reach elementary school students, and turning loose the creative minds of Conservatory students to tackle that challenge has been exciting, Pertl said.

“It’s one way our students can engage in responsive classroom creation, foster professional relationships, and serve the community; all skills needed for impactful teaching” she said. “As usual, it’s a complete joy to hand the �鶹ӰԺ pre-service teachers this project and see the many different ways they come up with its expression.”

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