Northwest News

Greetings from the Northwest District. Fall is definitely in the air and the end of the first nine weeks is here.  Many of us are busy with musicals, marching band and league festivals as well as preparing for Veteran’s Day programs and Christmas concerts.  Our District is in the second audition season with the use of Festival Scores. We have selected our honored educators and are preparing for our Mini Conventions, on November 4, 2017 at Hays High School and December 2, 2017 at Fort Hays State University.

The Northwest district decided to use Festival Scores in our audition process a year ago for the High School Orchestra, High School Jazz Band and the Junior High Band.  This year we have added the use of Festival Scores for the High School Band as well.  Festival Scores enables directors to upload recordings to a website. The judges then go in, listen and score. This allows our district to have students audition without CD’s and mailings. We have had mostly positive feedback  in this process.  Thank you Troy Johnson for all of your work on this!  This is the first year the Northwest has required the membership of NAFME in order to register kids for Elementary and Junior High Honor groups and the transition was smooth.

We have also welcomed some new teachers to our District and  our Advocacy/Mentoring chair as well as our Board members, met for a wonderful afternoon of entertainment and dinner hosted by William Shick, at the Huck Boyd Center in Phillipsburg.  The event was specifically planned to welcome our new teachers.

This years District Mini Conventions look to be rewarding and educational for our students.  The November Convention clinicians include: Randy Berls of Colby Community College, Colby, (Junior High Honor Choir);  Kyle Hopkins of McPherson College (Junior High Honor Band), and James Pisano, Bethel College (High School Honor Jazz Band). The December Convention clinicians include: Holly Taylor of Wichita (Elementary Honor Choir), Dr. Raul Munguia of Pittsburg State University, (High School Orchestra); Dr. Terry Crull of Fort Hays State University (High School Honor Choir), and Tim Farrell  of University of Nebraska at Kearney, (High School Honor Band).

Our November Convention was hosted by Hays High School in Hays on November 4th. The Junior High Choir, Junior High Band and High School Honor Jazz Band Concert was in the Hays High School gymnasium.  The December Convention was hosted by Fort Hays State University on December 2nd. The Elementary Honor Choir will perform in the Beech/Schmidt Performing Arts Center . The High School Choir, High School Band  and High School Orchestra performed in the Beech/Schmidt Auditorium.

2016 Northwest District Outstanding Educator Awards

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NORTHWEST DISTRICT  OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS. The educators include:  Susan Keith of Ellsworth (Elementary Honored Educator), Tamra Cochran of  Norton (Middle Level Honored Educator), Joan Crull of Hays (High School Honored Educator), Pat Ziegelmeier of Colby (College Level Honored Educator), and Stacy Green  of Stockton (Honored Administrator).

Susan Keith is in her 27th year of teaching music for the USD 327 Ellsworth school system. She serves as the Kindergarten through 4th grade general music instructor, and as the accompanist for the Ellsworth High School choir and Ellsworth Singers, along with being an assistant volleyball coach. Susan studied privately with Janeal Ryan, Alta Mellick, Gloria Blackwell, Dr. John Huber, Dr. Robert Edwards, and Dr. Mary Ellen Sutton. She honors these instructors, along with Dr. Jana Fallin, Dr. David Royse, and Stanley Finck for their contribution to her musical education. A native of McCracken Kansas, Susan attended schools in Alexander, McCracken, and graduated from Ransom High School, where she had many fine teachers and coaches who helped shape her life. Susan went on to study music education at Kansas State University earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education. Susan has previously served as the CMENC Vice-President of KSMEA, NWKSMEA District Elementary Assistant Chairman and the KSU Music Symposium Co-Chairman. She was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honorary and holds membership in Mu Phi Epsilon Music Honorary. Susan is a pianist/organist for St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, along with accompanying in Ellsworth and the surrounding area. Susan is the wife of Mike Keith, who is also a teacher, and mother of Shannon, a junior at KSU and a member of the Pride of Wildcatland. Susan is extremely proud of all her former students who have pursued music in their adult life, but is equally proud of all the accomplishments of the great young adults in the professional world that she has had the honor of teaching

Tamra Cochran teaches junior and senior high vocal music and music theory in Norton, KS.  She is in her 29^th year of teaching.  She has taught kindergarten through college level students. Additionally, she has directed several adult choirs.  Tamra has served as an adjudicator at several music festivals in Kansas.  She has also had the privilege to be the guest clinician for the Northern Plains League and was also asked to serve as Director of the Women’s Honor Choir for the Western State Honor Choir Festival in Gunnison, CO.

Tamra earned her B.A. from Trinity College in Deerfield, IL.  Studying with Dr. John Paul Johnson and Dr. Paul Tucker, Tamra earned a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Kansas. While at KU, she was the director of the KU Women’s Glee and the University Singers.

Choral music, more specifically the love of singing, has been her passion from a very early age.  The opportunity to connect with the students is what keeps her vested in education.  “The resilience of our students has always amazed me.  Their ability to rise to the challenge and succeed is an exciting adventure.  Music just happens to be that vehicle and I have been given the opportunity to work and learn with them.”

In addition to teaching, Ms. Cochran loves singing and leading worship at her church.  Outside of music she can be found fishing, camping, walking with her Mini Aussies and simply loving the great outdoors. She is active in ACDA, KCDA, NAfME and KMEA.

Joan Crull’s teaching experience has spanned 38 years, 5 states, thousands of students, and subjects as diverse as orchestra, general music, choir, and 1^st grade classroom. She holds a B.A. from Dordt College, and has done graduate work at the University of Southern California, St. Thomas University, University of North Dakota, and the University of South Dakota. Currently she teaches Orchestra at Hays High, where her students consistently receive Superior ratings, Hays Middle School, and is the general music teacher at O’Loughlin Elementary. She has served on the KASTA board and is currently KMEA NW District orchestra chair. Joan is married to Terry and has four grown children. Her motto is a quote from Yeats: “Teaching is not a filling of the pail, but a lighting of the fire.”

 

 

Pat Ziegelmeier has served as music instructor and accompanist for Colby Community College since 1988.  She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming and her Master’s degree from Fort Hays State University.  Pat is the executive secretary for the Kansas Music Teachers Association, and the Executive Director of Western Plains Arts Association.  She also serves as organist and music coordinator at the Colby United Methodist Church.

Pat and her husband Carl reside on their farm near Gem, and they have five children, Matt, Steve, Lisa, Amy and Lori.  They also have fourteen wonderful grandchildren.

Pat credits her love of music to her parents, especially her mother. She tries to help her students experience the joy of music while striving for excellence in their musical endeavors.  She hopes all her students will take with them a love of music that will last throughout their lives.

 

 

Congratulations again to our Honored Educators!