The Florida State University College of Music is proud to once again have a strong presence at the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Conference in Tampa, FL (January 14-17). With more than 90 esteemed alumni, current students, and faculty members leading sessions and performances, FSU’s representation at FMEA showcases the exceptional talent and leadership within our community.
We are thrilled to invite our students, faculty, staff and alumni to the annual FSU FMEA Alumni Reception on >>Thursday, January 15<< from 5:00-7:00 pm at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, HB Plant Salons E-F. (Please note new time and location for this year’s reception.)
Join us for food, drinks, and camaraderie as we celebrate our shared FSU heritage. A highlight of the evening will be the singing of the “Hymn to the Garnet and Gold” at 6:00 PM, a beloved tradition that unites Seminoles past and present.
The College of Music is proud to support and connect with our alumni and friends at FMEA. Whether you are attending sessions, presenting, or joining the reception, we look forward to celebrating the continued impact of FSU on music education across Florida and beyond. Go ‘Noles!
FMEA 2026 Professional Development Conference Schedule:
FSU College of Music Faculty, Students, and Alumni
The schedule is tentative. Dates, times, or locations are subject to change.
| WEDNESDAY (1/14) | |
| 7:30 AM TCC 105 | Meghan Alfaro (BA ’01), Ajori Spencer (BME ’13) Pinellas County Music Educators Meeting |
| 8:00 AM Meeting Room 1 | Raine Hollingsworth (BME ’11, MME ’15), Kasia Bugaj (Faculty) FOA New & Renewal Adjudicator Training |
| 1:00 PM TCC 118 | Ernesta Chicklowski (BME ’99) PRE-CONFERENCE – The Product |
| 3:00 PM TCC 301 | John Southall (MME ’88, PhD ’03) All-State Ensemble Coordinators Meeting |
| 7:30 PM TCC Ballroom A | Raine Hollingsworth (BME ’11, MME ’15) PRESIDENT’S CONCERT: Dr. Phillips High School Premiere Orchestra |
| THURSDAY 1/15 | |
| 8:00 AM TCC 103 | Zachary McKee (BME ’20) Don’t Just Survive—Thrive: A Guide to Thriving as a New Music Educator |
| 8:00 AM TCC 120 | Erin Bodnar, Matthew McCutchen (PhD ’09) The Music We Make: Omar Thomas on Composing, Teaching, and Connecting |
| 8:00 AM TCC 414 | Melissa Montoya (MME ’23), Harold Wright (MME ’23) You’re Not a Bad Teacher: Burnout, Boundaries, and the Music Educator’s Well-Being |
| 9:05 AM TCC 118 | Michael Antmann (BME ’01, MME ’07), Charlene Cannon (BME ’10) FMEA Student Experiences: Opening Session |
| 9:05 AM TCC 417 | Luke McManus (BME ’15) Go Home! Ideas to Maximize Classroom Efficiency to Achieve Better Work/Life Balance |
| 9:05 AM TCC West Hall A | David Frego (MM ’84, MME ’86, PhD ’96), Marla Butke Internalizing Rhythm with Dalcroze Eurhythmics |
| 9:05 AM TCC 103 | Morgan Luttig (PhD ’22), Kari Adams Play with Purpose: Gamification for Musical Excellence |
| 1:00 PM TCC 112 | Ajori Spencer (BME ’13), Lee Commander (BME ’12, MME ’18), Meghan Alfaro (BA ’01), Amanda Griffis (MME ’21) From Catastrophe to Catalyst: Building Effective Communication with Administrators |
| 1:00 PM TCC 120 | McKenna Stenson (Faculty), Jacob Augsten Leading the Charge: Fostering Student Leadership in Choral Communities |
| 1:00 PM TCC 118 | Michael Antmann (BME ’01, MME ’07) Raising the Bar |
| 1:00 PM TCC 301 | Kevin Fenton (Faculty), Sarita Olson-Gustely (MM ’24) Targeted Exercises for Shoulder Pain-Proactive Plan for Conductor Wellness |
| 1:00 PM TCC 101 | Aaron Witek (MM ’10, DM ’13) Trumpet Diagnostics: Training Your Ears and Eyes for Better Trumpet Teaching |
| 2:00 PM TCC Exhibits Performance Stage, East Hall | Florida State University College of Music Jazz Combo Eden Rewa, vocals; Harrison Rook, saxophone; Lander Austero, piano; Alexander Barry, bass; Keegan Mack, drumset EXHIBIT HALL PERFORMANCE |
| 2:05 PM TCC 105 | Alice Hammel (MME ’89) Connecting Social Justice, Music, and Disability |
| 2:05 PM TCC 411 | Kenney Potter, Steven Olson (MM ’24), Isiah Maxey (BME ’15) Emerging Musicians-Repertoire for Beginning/Intermediate Mixed Choirs-EC Schirmer/Galaxy Music |
| 2:05 PM TCC 107 | Matthew Davis (MME ’00) From Rehearsal to Revelation: Insightful Strategies Inspired by Master Teacher Cliff Colnot |
| 2:05 PM TCC 301 | Keith Dodson (MME ’16, PhD ’20), James Matthews (BME ’85, MME ’01) How do you create HABITS of Musicianship in your Warm Up? |
| 2:05 PM TCC 112 | Lindsey Williams (PhD ’04), Donald Fields, John Dupuis Tuned In: Championing your Program |
| 3:10 PM Meeting Room 3 | Gabrielle Tordi, Emilia Tenoré (BME ’19) Clarinet Pedagogy – Mastering the Fundamentals |
| 3:10 PM Grand Ballroom | Shelby Chipman (PhD ’04) Developing Great Sound: Listen Within the Circle, Individually |
| 3:10 PM TCC 105 | Lindsey Williams (PhD ’04), Barry Hartz March Madness: Choosing and Teaching Marches That Will Make Your Band Sound Great |
| 3:10 PM TCC 109 | Adaline Burwell (Master’s student) Transferable Tasks for the Emerging Orchestra Teacher |
| 3:10 PM TCC 112 | Kasia Bugaj (Faculty), Jennifer Haber What the MPA judges are listening for |
| 3:10 PM TCC 107 | Nerissa Rebagay, Alice Hammel (MME ’89) You Have Questions, We Have Answers! Including Students with Disabilities and Differences in Band |
| 4:15 PM TCC 107 | Michael Douty (PhD ’19) Jazz in Beginning Band |
| 4:15 PM TCC 414 | David Ramos (BME ’20), Michele Fernandez, Edgar Rubio (BME ’92), Giovanni Santos (PhD ’22) Para la Cultura! A Panel Discussion on Hispanic Culture in the Band Community |
| 4:15 PM TCC 109 | Raine Hollingsworth (BME ’11, MME ’15), Annamarie Bollino Practice Made Possible: Tools, Techniques, and Motivation for Today’s Learner |
| 4:15 PM Meeting Room 3 | Victoria Warnet (BME ’12, MME ’18, PhD ’21) Swing into Action: A Practical Jazz Toolkit for Music Educators |
| 4:15 PM TCC 411 | Keith Dodson (MME ’16, PhD ’20), Amon Eady (PhD ’17) The Singing Instrumentalists: Achieving Higher Levels of Musicianship in your Band or Orchestra through Song! |
| 4:15 PM TCC Ballroom D | Antoine Khouri (BME ’99), Portia Bradby, Christian Davis The Ultimate Warm-Up Remix: DJ Your Way to Better Sight Reading, Scales, Arpeggios, Improvisation and Student Engagement |
| 4:15 PM TCC 105 | John Lychner (PhD ’95) Variety is the Spice of Life! – Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Rehearsals |
| FRIDAY 1/16 | |
| 7:55 AM TCC 109 | Edward Ercilla (BME ’04, MME ’08), Matthew Weihmuller (BA ’07, MM ’10) Beyond the Senses: Creating Pathways to Musical Excellence! |
| 7:55 AM TCC 107 | Charlie Rankin (BME ’20, MME ’07) Leading with Impact: The CEO Approach to Confidence—Built on Behavior, Not Results |
| 10:30 AM TCC 118 | Ann Harrington (Faculty) From Grandparents to Grade School: Using Ukulele Teaching Strategies Inspired By Older Beginners With Young Learners |
| 10:30 AM Grand Ballroom | Kelly Dorsey (BME ’89), Kenneth Boyd, Charles Watford (MME ’01), Keith Griffis (BM ’13, BME ’13), Alex Pedigo How To Fix It Series sponsored by the ASBDA |
| 10:30 AM TCC 120 | Kevin Fenton (Faculty), Bryan Stenson (Faculty) Is What They See What You Want: Lessons Learned from Rod Eichenberger |
| 10:30 AM TCC West Hall B | Keith Dodson (MME ’16, PhD ’20), Jason Jerald (BME ’02) Rehearsal Techniques to Elevate your Orchestra with the Blake High School Chamber Orchestra |
| 10:30 AM TCC 101 | Andrew Thompson (MME ’24) Rewriting the Narrative: Building a Thriving Choral Program in a Title I School |
| 10:30 AM TCC 417 | Mark Belfast (Faculty) The Goldilocks Principle: How to Find a Job That’s “Just Right” |
| 11:35 AM TCC 411 | Matthew McCutchen (PhD ’09) Clinic Your Own Band: Tips for More Effective Rehearsals |
| 11:35 AM TCC 414 | Greg LeFils (PhD ’14), John Lychner (PhD ’95) Ensembles that Think, Hear, and Respond: Interactive Strategies for Harmonic and Melodic Awareness |
| 11:35 AM TCC 101 | Rachel Sorenson (MME ’19, PhD ’22) Feedback, Failure, & Flexibility: Cultivating Growth Mindset in Pre-Service Music Teachers |
| 11:35 AM TCC West Hall B | Michael Antmann (BME ’01, MME ’07) FMEA Student Experiences: Symphony of Voices |
| 11:35 AM TCC 103 | Tian Sanchez-Ballado (Faculty) Prompt and Circumstance: Mastering AI in Your Music Classroom |
| 11:35 AM TCC 307 | Ann Harrington (Faculty) Tales That Teach: Selecting Children’s Literature For Playful Music Skill Building |
| 11:35 AM TCC 301 | Cody Puckett, Christine Lapka, Nerissa Rebagay, Edward Ercilla (BME ’04, MME ’08), Daniel Beilman The Power of Collaboration Teaching our Diverse Learners |
| 11:35 AM TCC 120 | Angel Marchese, Elizabeth Cid (MME ’17) Unlocking Confident Choristers: Practical Sight Reading Strategies with Sight Reading Factory |
| 11:35 AM TCC 109 | Benjamin Gerrard (BME ’14), Pablo Elias-Rodriguez (BME ’14) When We’re Part of the Problem…and the Solution |
| 12:00 PM TCC West Hall A | RESEARCH POSTER SESSIONS |
| Chandler Bridges (BA ’11, MA ’13, PhD ’16) Using Digital Audio Workstations to Visualize Scales and Chords in Introductory Music Theory | |
| Addy Burwell (Master’s student) Preference and Comfort Level of Non-Strings Undergraduate Music Education Majors Towards Teaching Strings | |
| Addy Burwell (Master’s student) Preservice Music Teachers’ Perceptions of Divisive Concepts Laws | |
| Danielle Castellucci (MME ’25) Perceptions of Social-Emotional Learning in Music Education: A Comparison of Elementary, Middle, and High School Teachers | |
| Collin Clark (BME ’18, MME ’23) Per-Pupil Expenditure as a predictor of Music Enrollment | |
| Collin Clark (BME ’18, MME ’23) The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Music Enrollment – An Interrupted Time series Analysis | |
| Collin Clark (BME ’18, MME ’23); David Knapp (Faculty); Bryan Powell Music Enrollment and Student Attendance: Evidence from Propensity Score Matching With Temporal Ordering | |
| Andy Dubbert (BME ’13, MME ’23) The Effect of Conductors’ Left-Hand Involvement on Observers’ Perceptions of Clarity and Expressivity: A Pilot Study | |
| Kren Fernandes (Doctoral student) Identifying and Isolating Sight-Reading Strategies and Findings for Pianists: A Literature Review | |
| Sarita Gustely (MM ’24) The Effects of Conducting Gesture Size on Vocal Pitch, Vibrato, and Intensity: A Pilot Study | |
| Rose Hellmers (Doctoral student) Expressive Movement and Facial Expression in Choral Performance: Perceptions, Practices, and Pedagogical Implications | |
| Steven Olson (MM ’24) The Effect of Baton Usage in Varying Articulations on Perceptions of Conductor Effectiveness and Ensemble Performance: A Pilot Study | |
| Parintorn Pankaew (Doctoral student) Healthy and Unhealthy Uses of Music as a Coping Skill Among Music Students: Descriptive Research | |
| Alicia Romero-Sardiñas (MME ’06) Y’all Come Sing: The Perceived Impact of Choral Singing on Pre-Service Music Educators | |
| Sanchez-Ballado, Tian (Faculty) Unmuted: A Pilot Study Examining Collegiate Music Students’ Perceptions of Applied Studio Teaching, Mentorship, and Career Preparation | |
| Gabriel Silva (Doctoral student) The First Approach: How Advanced Pianists Begin Learning Challenging Pieces | |
| Rachel Sorenson (MME ’19, PhD ’22) Student Teacher Journaling as a Tool for Reflection and Identity Development | |
| Ruth Springer (MM ’25) Undergraduate Choral Conducting Practice: An Evaluation of Student Practice and Expert Expectation | |
| Kaleb Switanek (BME ’19, MME ’24) Middle School Band Directors’ Usage & Perceptions of Flex Band Literature | |
| Jacquelyn Tabone (MME ’21, PhD ’25) The Development and Recognition of Empathy in Preservice Music Teachers | |
| Kenna Veronee (BME ’08, MME ’14, PhD ’17); Victoria Warnet Richter (BME ’12, MME ’18, PhD ’21); Rachel Sorenson (MME ’19, PhD ’22) Gateway Procedures for Upper Division Music Education Curriculum | |
| 1:00 PM TCC 417 | Chandler L. Wilson (PhD ’19) A refreshed viewpoint: ABC’s guide for Band Directors in their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years |
| 1:00 PM TCC 407 | David Knapp (Faculty) Cueing up Creativity: Resources for Classroom DJing |
| 1:00 PM TCC 105 | Cheri Sleeper (BME ’86), Dakeyan Graham Getting Beyond Page One: Tools and helpful hints for the Non-String educator |
| 1:00 PM TCC 118 | Tiffany HItz, Raine Hollingsworth (BME ’11, MME ’15) Performance Solutions: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Resources for Band and Orchestra |
| 2:05 PM TCC 403 | Brian Hanson (BME ’21, MME ’25) Aural Skills Boot Camp: The POWER of Listening |
| 2:05 PM TCC 401 | Cassidy Gleaton (BME ’05, MME ’12) Creating a Culture of Practice |
| 2:05 PM TCC 411 | Marc Decker, Michele Fernandez, Chandler L. Wilson (PhD ’19) Empowering Student Arrangers: Strategies and Tips for Success |
| 2:05 PM Florida Ballroom Salons 1-3 | Jacob Wright (MM ’24) From Bb to Blues: Beginning Tools for Improvisation |
| 2:05 PM TCC 111 | Victoria Warnet (BME ’12, MME ’18, PhD ’21) Level Up the Basics: Gamifying Music Fundamentals for Kids |
| 2:05 PM TCC 109 | Diana Dumlavwalla (Faculty), Kren Fernandes (Doctoral student), Gabriel De Freitas Silva (Doctoral student) Piano Power: Cultivating Community and Connection in the Classroom |
| 2:05 PM Meeting Room 5 | Edward Prasse (BME ’94, MME ’06) Strategies for Successfully Reading Standard Notation in your Guitar Class |
| 2:05 PM TCC 417 | Morgan Luttig (PhD ’22) The Wheel of Choral Pedagogy: Rehearsing Beyond Notes and Rhythms |
| 2:05 PM TCC 307 | McKenna Stenson (Faculty) Voices Alike, Songs Aligned: A Reading Session for Like-Voiced Choirs |
| 3:10 PM TCC West Hall B | Charlene Cannon (BME ’10) FMEA Student Conference Experience: Conference Wrap-Up and the Way Forward! |
| 3:10 PM TCC 414 | Alicia Romero-Sardinas (MME ’06), Stefanie Sagaro Living in the AND: Reimagining Vocal Music Education |
| 3:10 PM TCC 107 | Rachel Allen, Chase Banks (BME ’16) Making Beginning Band Work for You: Engaging Students with Essential Elements |
| 3:10 PM TCC 417 | Rachel Sorenson (MME ’19, PhD ’22), Joseph Powell (BME ’70) Sharing the Podium: Collaborating for a Successful Music Student Teaching Experience |
| 3:10 PM TCC 301 | Andrea Szarowicz (MME ’12), Laurie Bitters, Lauren Pardee, Cheri Sleeper (BME ’86) Taking the Next Step: How to Become an FOA Leader |
| 3:10 PM Meeting Room 5 | Edward Prasse (BME ’94, MME ’06) Teaching Electric Guitar and Amp Settings AND Effects Pedals in Your Guitar Class |
| 3:10 PM TCC 101 | Erin Scully Kolodinsky (MME ’04), Annabelle Mills (MME ’24) Unlock the Potential: Supporting Treble Singers for Artistic Excellence |
| 4:00 PM TCC Exhibits Performance Stage, East Hall | Ajori Spencer (BME ’13), Marie Hill, Kira Spunar, Blake Hudson (MM), Christopher Faison EXHIBIT HALL PERFORMANCE: Pinellas County Schools Showcase |
| 4:15 PM TCC 118 | Matthew Spindler (Master’s student), Katlyn Spindler (BM ’21) Essentially Elementary: Building a Pipeline between Elementary and Secondary Music Programs |
| 4:15 PM TCC 103 | Evan Jones (Faculty), Alisa Hauser (Faculty) Music Theater tools for the K-12 Vocal Educator |
| 4:15 PM Florida Ballroom Salons 1-3 | Adaline Burwell (Master’s student) The Limit Does Not Exist! Keys for Success in the Student-centered Keyboard Classroom |
| SATURDAY 1/17 | |
| 8:00 AM TCC 307 | Kenna Veronee (BME ’08, MME ’14, PhD ’17) More Than Just Surviving: Making the Most of Your Student Teaching |
| 9:05 AM TCC 304 | Steven Kelly (Faculty) College Teachers and Secondary Band Directors: Collaborations to Impact All |
| 9:05 AM TCC 105 | Darci Wright (MM ’23) Crash Cymbal Crash Course: A Step-By-Step Guide for the Young Percussionist |
| 9:05 AM TCC 118 | Amanda Griffis (MME ’21) Meaningful Goals: Tailoring Objectives for Your Band Program’s Growth |
| 9:05 AM TCC 109 | Vivian Ventura (BME ’03, MME ’25) Miami-Dade Teacher of the Year – How She Doubled Her Program! |
| 9:05 AM TCC 101 | David Ramos (BME ’20) Quintessentially Cuban: Identifying the Characteristics of Cuban Band Music and Best Practices for an Authentic Performance |
| 9:05 AM TCC 114 | Ernesta Chicklowski (BME ’99) Ready, Set, Sing!!! |
| 9:05 AM TCC 107 | Jonathan Maerkl (BME ’02) Small Bands, Big Impact: Successful Performances On and Off the Field |
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