BELONGING
Cohort Lead
Shawn Copeland
Photo Credit: SWAK Photography and Karen Cubides Agency
Shawn L. Copeland is a pioneer in the fields of musician wellness, trauma-informed pedagogy, and performance training. His innovative, transformational approach to teaching and coaching has positioned him as a multidimensional musician, educator, and entrepreneur. As the founder of mBODYed, LLC, he is reshaping the landscape of arts education through integrative somatic practices that center the body, cultivate safety, and affirm belonging.
Shawn is the creator of Becoming mBODYed—a somatic coaching and training framework designed to help performers, educators, and creatives reconnect with their bodies, reclaim their voice, and embody the dignity of their lived experience. Through individual coaching, group programs, and immersive somatic facilitation, Shawn guides clients and students toward grounded presence, clarity, and self-trust.
An accredited teacher and esteemed clinician, Shawn masterfully integrates the Alexander Technique, Body Mapping, Somatic Trauma Therapy, and Integrative Somatic Coaching. He is internationally recognized for developing trauma-informed, body-based teaching practices that empower people to shift patterns of tension, inhibition, and disconnection. His pedagogy is rooted in the belief that self-belonging is the foundation of artistry, and that authentic expression emerges only when the nervous system feels safe enough to risk vulnerability.
Shawn is a highly sought-after speaker and clinician, presenting at conferences, conservatories, and masterclasses across the U.S. He currently chairs the Committee on Health, Access, and Well-Being for The College Music Society, and serves as Chair of the Diversity and Belonging Committee and a Training Mentor with the Association of Body Mapping Education. He also holds leadership roles with Alexander Technique International, serving as a Sponsoring Teaching Member and Executive Board Member.
A published author, Shawn is co-author of Body Mapping for Clarinetists and the forthcoming The mBODYed Breath: Body Mapping, Breathing, Balance, and Belonging—a somatic guide for musicians seeking wholeness in their artistic and embodied lives. His academic credentials include a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Bachelor of Music from Stetson University, and a Master of Arts in Non-Profit/Arts Management from the University of Central Florida. He holds advanced certifications in:
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Cornell University)
- Somatic Trauma Therapy (The Embodied Lab)
- Performing Arts Injury Prevention Education (Performing Arts Medicine Association)
He is a certified Master Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist through ISMETA, and is currently completing the Master Somatic Practitioner Certification with the Integrative Wellness Academy.
Shawn is also an Artist and Clinician for Buffet Crampon U.S.A., González Reeds, and Silverstein Works. With deep integrity, care, and vision, Shawn L. Copeland is leading a new generation of artists and educators to show up in their full, embodied humanity—one breath, one body, one courageous step at a time.
Committee Members
Liz Aleksander
Dr. Liz Aleksander is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Tennessee at Martin, where she teaches clarinet and music theory. She is a passionate teacher who strives to provide valuable learning experiences for her students. Since arriving at UTM in 2013, Dr. Aleksander has brought in visiting artists from across the country. She has also started a clarinet choir and established a clarinet studio recital to provide additional performance opportunities for her students. In addition to UTM, she has worked with clarinetists in Brazil, Mexico, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Nebraska, and Arizona.
Dr. Aleksander is an active chamber musician, performing primarily with the LCD Woodwind Trio, which has commissioned and premiered a number of works for the unusual combination of flute, clarinet, and saxophone. In addition, she is bass clarinetist with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the Jackson (TN) Symphony Orchestra, Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, and Omaha Symphonic Winds, including a concerto performance with the latter. Dr. Aleksander has also performed at a number of international conferences, including the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest, the Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, and Andover Educators International Conference; Dr. Aleksander has also performed at regional conferences for the ICA (southeast region), the College Music Society (southern region), and the Music by Women Festival. She has also been published in the ICA’s national journal (The Clarinet) and blog (BuzzReed).
Philanthropy is also important to Dr. Aleksander, who founded and serves as Director of UTM’s Community Music Academy; she also participates in many outreach trips with LCD Woodwind Trio. Sigma Alpha Iota international music fraternity is also an important philanthropic organization to Dr. Aleksander: she is currently an advisor for Epsilon Iota chapter, and she was previously Membership Trainer for the Bethel University colony and Province Officer for Xi A Province. In addition, during her time in Nebraska, she began the annual SAI outreach program Music at the Museum, which allows children to try different instruments and experience live classical music.
Prior to working at UTM, Dr. Aleksander taught at Midland University, Cornerstone Academy of Clarinet, and Southeast Community College in Nebraska. She holds a D.M.A. from the University of Nebraska, a M.Mus. with distinction from Northern Arizona University, and a B.Mus. summa cum laude from Ohio University. Her teachers include Diane Barger, Michael Sullivan, Rebecca Rischin, and Kevin Schempf.
Eva Casado Ariza
Eva Carizza, artistic name of Dr. Eva Casado Ariza, is an awarded multi-instrumentalist, conductor, and singer from Barcelona, Spain. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance with a Cognate in Instrumental Conducting.
Dr. Casado Ariza began her music studies at five years old. At age twelve, she developed a severe type of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that forced her to be in bed for six years. She then became the first person who ever earned a professional degree while playing violin in bed. She also prompted a law in Catalonia improving the situation of people with disabilities in artistic degrees—which was finally approved by the Parliament in November 2013.
She graduated from the “Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña” in Barcelona and West Virginia University. She later earned her Master Degree in Violin and Conducting at the University of Florida, always with outstanding achievement.
She is a winner of the 2018 VSA International Young Soloist Competition, and awarded the most important fellowship of Spain, delivered by the King and Queen of Spain in person. She is also winner of the South Beach Jazz Award and funder and soloist-conductor of the Miami Diamond Chamber Orchestra.
She has worked as a conductor of professional orchestras and director-conductor of student orchestras since 2015. She studied under the mentorship of acclaimed Maestros such as Antoni Ros Marbà (former conductor of Spanish Radio and Television Orchestra RTVE), Salvador Brotons (music director and conductor of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra), and Gerard Schwarz (music director and conductor of the Palm Beach Symphony).
She is committed to using her expertise to help students with disabilities. For that purpose, she dedicated her nine years at university to develop recognized scholarly work presented at Yale University and at the College Music Society’s National and International Conferences. She is also a member of the South Beach Jazz Festival Advisory Council and a member of the College Music Society Health, Wellness, and Accessibility Committee.
Dr. Casado Ariza has performed as a soloist at internationally recognized venues. These include the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Following her conditions' positive progression throughout the years, Dr. Eva Casado Ariza has been able to regain her ability to walk after intense Physical Therapy following the end of her Doctorate. She is also producing her own songwriting compositions. She has a total of one classical album and diverse singles.
Rob Cutietta
Robert Alan Cutietta is best known as an educator, author, researcher, and arts leader. He is the author or co-author of seven books and over fifty research articles in music psychology and education. He is also a composer, having written for television shows and movies.
Cutietta has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cleveland State University, a Doctorate from The Pennsylvania State University and a leadership Certificate from the Disney Institute. He has held tenured professorships at Montana State University, Kent State University, The University of Arizona, and The University of Southern California. His many books include “What Music Schools Learned from the Pandemic” (Routledge Press, 2024), “Who Knew?! Questions you never thought to ask about Classical Music” (Oxford University Press, 2017) and two editions of “Raising Musical Kids: A Parent’s Guide” (Oxford University Press,
2001, 2013). He also is an author of chapters in both Handbooks on Music Learning and Teaching as well as author of multiple articles in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Psychology ofMusic, and a host of other national and international journals.
From 2006 to 2016 he hosted a weekly radio segment called “Ask the Dean” on the largest classical music radio station in the U.S. He has been involved with the GRAMMY awards since 1992 as a host of GRAMMY in the Schools from 1992-1999, GRAMMY Camp from 2002-2022 and as a member of two Blue Ribbon Adjudication Committees from 1998 to the present.
He served as Dean of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music for 20 years (four terms) before stepping down in 2022. During his time as dean, he was credited with expanding the definition of a Music School by leading the creation of many innovative degrees including popular music performance, a rethinking of how classical music is taught, song writing, music production, film scoring, and Arts Leadership. In 2012, he was asked to create the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, the first new school at USC in 41 years, and was appointed as the inaugural Dean. He held that position simultaneously with the Thornton Deanship until 2022.
Throughout his career he has stayed active as an electric bass player and upon moving to Los Angeles, began composing for television and movies. His first endeavor was Lost Legends of the West, a 13-episode folk history of the American West in which he wrote and performed all the music. The series was nominated for two EMMY Awards. In 2006, he researched, composed, and orchestrated original and historic music for the documentary Welcome Back Riders.
Cutietta is currently a music faculty member at the University of Southern California and a really nice guy.
Andy Hunt
A native of Greensboro, NC, Andy Hunt discovered a love of music and the arts at a young age. Hunt graduated from Stetson University with a degree in Instrumental Music Education (2014) and went on to earn the Master of Music degree in Woodwind Performance (clarinet) from Ball State University (2016) and the Professional Performer’s Certificate in Clarinet Performance from Penn State (2018). He eventually made his way into the arts administration world, working as an assistant in the Florida State University College of Music Admissions Office for almost four years. Hunt received the Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration from FSU in 2023 and now works in the College’s newly-formed Office of Student Success.
Hunt is passionate about diversifying and creating more access to the arts as well as supporting the next generation of music professionals. He remains active as a musician in the community, performing with the Tallahassee Winds, the Tallahassee Community Chorus, and as a church musician. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the International Clarinet Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Yeeseon Kwon
Dr. Yeeseon Kwon is Professor and Co-Chair of the Interdisciplinary Conservatory in the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She is pianist and teaches piano musicianship, piano pedagogy, piano chamber music, and special topic graduate seminars. Dr. Kwon brings with her expertise and scholarship in piano performance and pedagogy as a teacher and performing artist. She is a recipient of the 2023 Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy Outstanding Service Recognition Award.
Among the numerous collaborative experiences in music industry and publishing include Piano Magazine’s Column Editor for Books, Materials, and Music. As an editor of keyboard music she collaborated with various composers, editing numerous educational piano music publications, including Written For You Collections, Books 1-4 with Teaching and Practice Guides (F.J.H). She has presented masterclasses and interactive lectures on developing the technical and musical artistry of Romantic pianism, and to motivate students to play expressively through her ongoing scholarship, discovery, and expansion of the teaching repertoire. Kwon’s continuing research and scholarship include inclusive music pedagogy, Strengths-Based teaching approaches in piano pedagogy, innovative uses of technology in group piano musicianship, and best practices in adult learning pedagogy.
Dr. Kwon is the Director of Institutional Engagement at the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy. She is active nationally and in demand as an adjudicator, workshop clinician, conference and masterclass presenter. Her international performances include solo, duo piano, and collaborative engagements. Yeeseon Kwon serves on the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP) Teaching Adults Steering Committee and is a Course Contributor for A Pianist’s Guide to Teaching in Groups, from The Frances Clark Center Teacher Education Courses. She is President of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association, Music Teachers National Association East Central Division Director- Elect, and Vice President of The College Music Society.
Jacqueline McIlwain
Dr. McIlwain studied clarinet at Middle Tennessee State University (B.M.), Indiana University (M.M.), and Florida State University (D.M.) with Dr. Todd Waldecker, Prof. Klug, and Dr. Frank Kowalsky as her respective major professors. Each degree earned was in clarinet performance, however, Dr. McIlwain approached her studies with music education and pedagogy in mind. She earned a Certificate for College Teaching at FSU and a cognate in music education at IU.
Dr. McIlwain began teaching at The University of Southern Mississippi in 2013 after having teaching posts at Southeastern Louisiana University and The Florida State University. She has cultivated a positive, encouraging, and safe studio atmosphere for students to flourish as themselves. This holistic approach allows students to express themselves freely as a person and musician, which is the prime state for growth and maturation, both personally and musically.
The orchestral performance schedule remains consistently active as the second clarinetist of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra and Bass Clarinet/Eb clarinetist of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Dr. McIlwain also regularly performs with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra and Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra. Other groups she has performed in include the Northwest Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and Tennessee Philharmonic.
Chamber music has been an exciting venture with many wonderful colleagues. Dr. McIlwain has participated in Category 5 Wind Quintet and Magnolia Reed Trio, both composed of USM School of Music faculty. These groups have taken regional, national, and international stages in many contexts including featured guest artist teaching and performing contracts, conference invitations, and performances for the International Double Reed Society and International Clarinet Association.
While a music student, Dr. McIlwain experienced a performance-related injury that posed a significant threat to her career. After finding the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping she was able to recover and create a healthier and more mindful approach to music that inspired a survey of over 600 college-aged clarinetists as the basis for her doctoral treatise. When she began teaching a full studio Dr. McIlwain quickly realized that she could recognize alignment and body-use issues in her students but wasn’t sure how to address these interferences. After this realization, she started the training process to become a Licensed Body Mapping Educator. After completing the training in 2017 Dr. McIlwain was quick to incorporate the training into her clarinet teaching and has cultivated a culture of mindfulness and attention to the body and mind within her studio. Dr. McIlwain has been a member of the Association for Body Mapping Education since 2014 and is currently serving as a training mentor.
As an inspired teacher, Dr. McIlwain is co-author of three upcoming publications: Body Mapping for Clarinetists: New Frontiers in Clarinet Pedagogy published by GIA Publications, The Breathing Book for Clarinetists, and Flow Studies for Clarinetists, both of which are published by Mountain Peak Music. One of the greatest pleasures in her career is to share her knowledge of Body Mapping and clarinet pedagogy. These books bring her two passions together as a guide for all clarinetists to incorporate principles of Body Mapping into their everyday performance and teaching.
Quality equipment that feels and sounds great is essential for all performers, which is why Dr. McIlwain chooses to perform on Buffet clarinets and Vandoren mouthpieces, reeds, and ligatures. In 2017 Vandoren USA reached out to Dr. McIlwain to recruit her as a Vandoren Artist-Clinician. This position allows her to visit middle and high schools and bring equipment for the students to try. This outreach has proved to be beneficial to the surrounding communities.
Dr. McIlwain has been a devoted member of the International Clarinet Association for two decades and is honored to have recently been appointed the Mississippi State Chair.
Mist Thorkelsdottir
After completing studies in composition in the USA, Mist embraced Icelandic musical life, teaching and being active in various artistic organizations as well as composing. She has received commissions and grants from performers and organizations in America and Europe.
In 2001, Mist Thorkelsdottir founded the Music Department of the Iceland Academy of the Arts and was Dean of Music until 2014. From 2014 – 2016 she was the Head of the Academy of Music and Drama of the University of Gothenburg. She has been a member of the board of the Association of Nordic Music Academies since 2002 and was a council member of the European Association of Music Conservatories (AEC) between 2006 - 20012. She was a founding- and board member of MusiQuE, European Quality Enhancement and Accreditation Agency for higher music education through 2016.
In July 2016, Mist came to the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music as Senior Advisor to the Dean on International Relations, designing and developing international programs for the school.
In August 2017, Mist joined the USC Office of Global and Strategic Initiatives, heading the international programs for the performing arts at the University of Southern California. In 2022, she retired from USC and has since been a repeating Visiting Faculty member at the College of Music, Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mihoko Watanabe
Flutist Mihoko Watanabe, a native of Japan, is Professor of Flute at Ball State University and chair of the Certificate in Entrepreneurial Music program. Before joining the School of Music, Dr. Watanabe taught at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, and the University of Windsor, Canada.
Dr. Watanabe has won competitions sponsored by the Japan Flute Association and the National Flute Association (NFA) and has appeared in Japan, Israel, Canada, England, and the USA as a celebrated and versatile international performer, recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist. She is a member of the faculty woodwind quintet, the MUSICAL ARTS QUINTET (MAQ). The MAQ has been awarded the prestigious 2010 American Masterpieces grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support a performance tour and CD entitled “American Breeze,” released in 2012 from Albany Records. She was the founding member of the HIBIKI (響) Trio, comprised of Ball State faculty (flute, viola, and harp). The Hibiki Trio was invited by the College Music Society (CMS) to present a performance and lecture recital nationally in 2015 and 2016. She was a member of TRIO FLURINETO (flute, clarinet, and piano) at Ball State, and the Trio performed nationally at various universities, the 2010 NFA Convention, and the 2011 International Clarinet Association Convention. Independent of participating in Ball State chamber ensembles, she is a founding member of TRIO PIACERE (flute, cello, piano), which has performed internationally, and a member of DUO VIVA (two flutes). In 2006, DUO VIVA recorded “Doppler Effect,” a CD released by and available from Little Piper. TRIO HARMONIA (flute, viola, and piano) was invited to perform at the 2017 NFA Convention in Minneapolis, MN. On February 2, 2024, DUO ROUGE (two flutes) will release an album of Flute Music by Nathan Froebe, entitled “Two by Three,” from Parma Recordings.
Dr. Watanabe has held principal flute positions and performed with American and Canadian orchestras. She is the principal flutist of the Orchestra Indiana (former Muncie Symphony Orchestra) and has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Previously, she has performed with the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Lansing Philharmonic Orchestra, Farmington Area Philharmonic, Warren Symphony Orchestra, Pontiac-Oakland Symphony, Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Music Center Orchestra, Windsor Symphony Orchestra (Canada), and Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (Canada). In 2012, she premiered From Days of Yore, a flute concerto written by Jody Nagel, with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra. In 2007, she was invited to perform CPE Bach Flute Concerto in d minor with the Mt. Carmel Chamber Orchestra in Israel. Dr. Watanabe has performed numerous lecture recitals, panel discussions, and workshops at conferences nationally and internationally, such as the annual conferences of the National Flute Association (NFA), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flöte e.V. (DGfF e.V.), British Flute Society, International Double Reed Society, International Clarinet Association, and CMS. She has also been invited to perform for regional flute festivals in the USA. Dr. Watanabe is an enthusiastic teacher and travels widely as a clinician, presenting master classes throughout the United States, Canada, and Japan. She has adjudicated at national and international competitions, including the Kiwanis Music Festival in Canada, Regional Flute Festival competitions in the USA, and various NFA Competitions (Young Artist, Arts Venture, and Graduate Research). She was appointed to be on the Brevard Music Center summer festival faculty in 2005, and she has been on the Music for All Summer Symposium faculty since 2012, the Benefic Chamber Music Camp faculty since 2013, and the Fresno Opera & Orchestra Summer Academy (FOOSA) since 2015. As a pedagogue, she was featured in the December issue of Flute Talk magazine in 2009.
In addition to being a gifted flutist, Dr. Watanabe is also devoted to ethnomusicology, which she studied extensively at the University of Michigan. Her interest in Japanese traditional music led to a faculty development grant from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, to research Kazuo Fukushima’s Mei for solo flute in Japan. Her research resulted in a feature article in the Spring 2008 issue of The Flutist Quarterly. It led to lecture recitals at the 2007 NFA Convention, the 2010 British Flute Association Convention in England, and the 2013 International Flute Festival at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Germany. In 2011, her article was translated into Dutch and published in the Nederlands Fluit Genootschap’s Fluit, the official journal of the Dutch Flute Association. 2013, the article was translated into German for the DGfG e.V.’s Flöte aktuell, official journal.
As an advocate of studies in entrepreneurship in music, Dr. Watanabe participated in the Savvy Musicians in Action Workshop in 2015 and received the top prize in “the 2015 SAVVY Arts Venture Challenge” with Janet’s band. 2016, she was invited to present at the CMS National Conference in Santa Fe, NM, and the National Association of School of Music (NASM) Conferences in Dallas, TX, 2016. She was invited to be a panelist and a facilitator for a meeting for the 2019 Carolina/CMS Summit 2.0: 21st Century Music. In 2021, she will present at the NETMCDO 2021 Virtual Conference.
Dr. Watanabe served as the Greater Indianapolis Flute Club president from 2010 to 2013 and is currently the flute club board member. She is a member of the NFA Performance Health Care Committee.
Dr. Watanabe received her doctorate from the University of Michigan, her master’s degree and performer's certificate from the Eastman School of Music, and her bachelor’s degree from the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Japan. Her teachers have included Bonita Boyd, Leone Buyse, Fenwick Smith, and Takao Saeki. She attended the Aspen Music Festival with Martha Aaron and Mark Sparks, Julius Baker’s Summer Masterclasses, Orchestral Institute with Ervin Monroe, and Domaine Forget International Music and Dance Academy with Alain Marion, Emmanuel Pahud, Lise Daoust, André Papillon, and Jean Morin. Also, she participated in Jeanne Baxtresser’s Orchestral Masterclass in Maryland and Walfrid Kujala’s Orchestral Masterclass in Chicago. She also has privately studied with Jeff Zook.
CREATIVITY
Cohort Lead
Suzanne Hall
Suzanne Hall is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Temple University, where she teaches general music courses. Her primary research interests focus on the connections between music and language arts, as well as on cultivating inclusive and creative learning spaces. She frequently presents at conferences and conducts professional development workshops on music and literacy integration strategies for school districts nationwide. She is the author of The Musical Bookshelf and co-author of Teaching Elementary Music: Integrative Strategies between Music and Other Subjects and General Music: A K–12 Experience. Her articles appear in journals such as the Journal of General Music Education, Music Educators Journal, Philosophy of Music Education Review, Journal for Music Teacher Education, and College Music Symposium. Her forthcoming book, Repositioning Musical Creativity in Higher Education: Leading Change Toward a More Panoptic, Creative Future (Routledge), explores human-centered approaches to creativity, drawing on diverse perspectives and epistemologies to inform how educators teach and engage with creative practice in the future. She currently chairs the College Music Society’s Council on Music Education and serves as a board member for the Save The Music Foundation. She earned her Master of Education and Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Central Florida and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Memphis.
Committee Members
Brian Pertl
I am an innovative leader, musician, Deep Listener, creator, collaborator, scholar, and passionate advocate for helping organizations and their leaders reach their full creative, collaborative, and innovative potential. As an executive coach and consultant, I love nothing more than empowering leaders and their organizations through thoughtful self-reflection, identifying current strengths, highlighting potential opportunities, then using intentional culture-building a a catalyst for creating radically responsive organizations.
Before taking on the role as Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, I had a 16-year career at Microsoft leading the Media Acquisitions Team through the development of the CD-ROM, media-enabled internet, and high-end gaming platforms. I realized early on that my background as a conservator-trained musician was foundational to my success in the rapidly changing world of high tech. The high level skills in listening, creating communities of belonging, collaboration, improvisation, creativity, and play that I developed as an aspiring artist were the key to creating an organizational culture that could effortlessly adapt to a rapidly changing world and also act as a catalyst to create new ideas and technologies that had never existed before. It was at Microsoft that I realized that the right kind of culture could create radically responsive organizations.
When I had the opportunity to re-enter the beautiful world of university arts education as the Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, the central mission was clear: we need to prepare the next generations of high-level artists to successfully take on the challenges and maximize the opportunities of our rapidly changing world. Just like at Microsoft, culture-building was the key.
For me, creating a culture that is built on belonging, wellbeing, collaboration, creativity, improvisation, curiosity, wonder, play, and joy is key to developing artists and entrepreneurs who will best overcome the obstacles and capitalize on the opportunities of our rapidly changing world. Helping others create their own transformational cultures is my life’s work. I speak regularly at national conferences, give workshops across the country, and have written extensively on the subject, including my most recent book, Radically Responsive Music Schools: Leading Change through Culture Building.
I am endlessly optimistic that the right kind of culture building can transform any organization into a radically responsive organization. I am excited to move forward together.
Leila Pertl
Leila Ramagopal Pertl teaches Music Education at Lawrence University and is the Music Education Curator for the Mile of Music Festival and founder of the Music Education Team, a team which serves over 7,000 people a year in, diverse, hands-on music-making workshops throughout the four day festival. She created the innovative Music curricula at Next Generation School in Champaign, IL and at Appleton Public Montessori, and now, Edison Elementary, where music is treated as a core subject; each student being immersed in drumming, dancing, singing, improvisation, composition, and music theory. In 2022, Leila created a lab partnership with Edison Elementary, just 3 block from the Lawrence Conservatory, where her Lawrence music education students can get real, hands-on experience teaching elementary students in an actual school classroom.
She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Lawrence University, a Master of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois, and is a recipient of Pi Kappa Lambda Honors, Excellence in Music Education. She is an active presenter and has recently given workshops for the College Music Society, Smithsonian Year of Music panel on the Future of Music Education, Wisconsin Choral Directors Association, Milwaukee Children’s Choir, and numerous WMEA State Conferences. She is a curriculum writer for PBS Wisconsin: Re/sound, connecting classroom music educators to global musical culture bearers in Wisconsin. She recently authored,”Creating Communities of Belonging: Keeping Creativity at the Heart of Inclusion,” a chapter in Becoming an Artist to the World: Music and Social Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century (Summer ’24), on which she is also the DEI editor and audio book narrator.
Leila was the 2018 recipient of the Mentor Award from the Wisconsin Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (WACTE). She served as the Wisconsin Music Educators Association State Chair for Composition and Improvisation from 2018-22, a recipient of the Fox Cities Chamber’s 2024 Excellence in Education Shining Star Awards., is one of two Equity Chairs for WMEA, is the Chair of the Committee on Cultural Inclusion for the College Music Society, and is on the Music Education Committee for Smithsonian Folkways. Leila is married to Brian Pertl, Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of music, and together they enjoy spending time with their 5 adult children and their Australian Cattle Dog, River. Leila believes that music is a birthright, and loves being with people in collaborative, powerful, creative spaces!
TECHNOLOGY & AI
Cohort Lead
Rey Sanchez
An educator, scholar, producer, songwriter and guitarist, Rey is also the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and a Professor of Music Business and Entertainment Industries at the FROST School of Music at the University of Miami. This multi-faceted educator and musician is Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program, and has been responsible for expanding the educational opportunities offered by the FROST School of Music overall.
An accomplished multi-tasker, he also serves as Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program, an innovative performing and songwriting program curriculum developed with Frost School alumnus Bruce Hornsby to incorporate both American roots music and contemporary composition. The program has become one of the school’s fastest growing areas of study. It also offers those with an interest in electronic music performance an opportunity to become full music majors, a first for a major music school in the U.S.
It’s that degree of commitment and initiative that Dean Sanchez has not only brought to the FROST School of Music, but also to the university as a whole. He was instrumental in establishing the first-of-a-kind joint JD/MM and MA degrees in Music Business & Entertainment Industries and Arts Presenting & Live Entertainment Management in cooperation with the University of Miami School of Law. He also spearheaded the development and launch of the online extension of the FROST School of Music - FROST Online - allowing students to take advantage of the aforementioned Master’s programs from the comfort of their computers.
Dean Rey not only brings that enthusiasm and exuberance to the classroom, but to every project he undertakes. An accomplished artist in his own right, Dean Sanchez has worked with numerous international artists, including Latin superstar Chayanne, for whom he’s served as his longtime musical director. His lengthy career has found him associated with such distinguished organizations as EMI Music Publishing, Sony Music, Universal Music and Columbia Pictures Publications among others. In addition, his band Yerba Blue released its debut album Americaña in 2010, a fusion of Bluegrass, Americana and Latin music.
The author of numerous educational guitar books published by FJH Music Publishing, Dean Sanchez is a voting member of the Recording Academy, a former President of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educator’s Association (MEIEA) and a current and founding member of the Board of Directors of the Association for Popular Music Education (APME). A specialist in international music copyright, he wrote an article, “Unfair? The Unique Status of Sound Recordings under U.S. Copyright Law and its Impact on the Progress of Sample-Based Music,” which was published in the 2012 edition of the Journal of the Music & Entertainment Industry Educators Association.
Dean Sanchez holds degrees in Music Theory/Composition and Studio Writing/Production.
ADVOCACY
Cohort Lead
Abra Bush
Abra K. Bush is David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean and professor of music in voice at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She is the school’s first-ever woman dean. She was previously senior associate dean of institute studies at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute.
At the Peabody Institute, one of the nation’s oldest and most celebrated music conservatories, Bush oversaw curriculum and personnel for academic and applied areas including faculty and academic affairs, concert and ensemble operations, learning innovation, and the Arthur Friedheim Music Library and Archive.
In the role of senior associate dean, Bush developed groundbreaking curricula, forged new strategic partnerships, and oversaw the recruitment and hiring of more than 100 preeminent artistic and academic faculty. From 2017 to 2021, she increased underrepresented faculty by more than 65 percent.
Prior to joining Peabody, Bush was the first woman director of the Music Division at The Boston Conservatory, where she developed a strategic vision for the division, established the Master of Music degree in Classical Contemporary Music Performance, and was a member of the Academic Planning Committee for the Boston Conservatory/Berklee merger.
Previous academic appointments have included roles at the University of Rochester, Concordia College, and Kenyon College. She also served as assistant dean of academic affairs at the Eastman School of Music.
Bush earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Ohio State University. She has been an invited presenter at multiple national meetings and conferences of the National Association of Schools of Music, National Association of Teachers of Singing, College Music Society, and Assessment in the Arts. She is a member of the Council of the Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Europe’s culture and education network, reaching over 300 member institutions in 57 countries.
A soprano, Bush made her professional opera debut as Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea at Opera Columbus with Boston Baroque. Her operatic roles encompass works from all periods of opera, including Paix in Les Arts Flourissants, Mrs. McClean in Susannah, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Laurie in The Tender Land. She has delivered numerous recitals, master classes, and oratorio performances across the U.S. and in China.
Committee Members
Todd Queen
Dr. M. Todd Queen serves as Dean of the College of Music at Florida State University, an appointment he has held since January 2021. Queen previously served as Dean and Penniman Family Professor of Music at the LSU College of Music & Dramatic Arts (CMDA), a position he held from 2014 – 2021.
In his first year at FSU, Queen led representative faculty, staff, students, and community members in a strategic visioning exercise that resulted in an identification of the College’s core values and strategic focus areas for the future. As a result of the new Strategic Vision, the College announced the establishment of the Ruth and Les Akers Endowed Chair in Community Music and the faculty are developing curriculum for a new BA in Community Music. Queen has also overseen several major renovation projects in the College, including the Florence Ashby and Laird Anderson Mezzanine, a new Office of Student Success, renovations to the 4th floor practice rooms in Kuersteiner Music Building, new seating in Opperman Music Hall, and the Dorothy Flory Holroyd Rehearsal Room.
Queen is recognized as a national thought leader on modernizing curriculum to meet the needs of the 21st-century artist, having given multiple invited presentations at NASM and CMS over the last decade. Those national conversations resulted in curricular reform both at LSU and at Colorado State University, where he served as voice professor and Director of Opera since 2001 and Chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance from 2009-2014. In 2012, Queen was the catalyst for the formation of the LEAP (Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Arts Advocacy and the Public) Institute for the Arts at Colorado State, an interdisciplinary academic unit that houses both an undergraduate minor and graduate program in Arts Leadership and Administration.
A passionate fundraiser, Queen works closely with donors who believe in investing in the arts to help students and faculty achieve their maximum potential. At LSU, Queen developed and led the CMDA in a comprehensive fundraising campaign, which included a $4M opera naming gift in 2018, the largest gift in the college’s history. Additional significant gifts at LSU included two new endowed chairs, the lead gift for a recital hall renovation, and multiple new endowed scholarships. During his time at CSU, Queen established ten new endowed scholarships for the department and endowed the Charles and Reta Ralph Opera Center at CSU. Queen works regularly with Academic Impressions, a professional development firm for higher education, where he developed an interactive video curriculum “Fundraising for Department Chairs” and has participated in webinars for deans looking to further develop fundraising skills.
Queen earned the DMA and MM degrees from the Eastman School of Music after completing his undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University. Queen served as Artistic Director of Opera Fort Collins from 2004-2011. Under his leadership, the company tripled the number of season productions, significantly increased fundraising efforts, and brought in high-level artists from around the world to sing in Fort Collins. Queen is also a strong advocate for international study and has traveled to Asia on multiple occasions to forge a partnership with East China Normal University in Shanghai, where he was named Visiting Professor. He has spent over a dozen summers in Italy, working with Opera Orvieto and Operafestival di Roma, where he served as Executive Director.
Throughout his professional career, Queen has produced and directed more than 60 opera and musical theatre productions. His performing career included faculty and guest recitals, master classes, and solo engagements with international and regional opera companies, orchestras, choruses, and concert series.
Tayloe Harding
Tayloe Harding, has been Dean of the School of Music and Ira McKissick Koger Professor of the Arts at the University of South Carolina since July 2005. A passionate advocate for advancing the impact of higher education music on American communities, he is devoted to organizations whose missions are consistent with this ethos. He is President of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and has served as President of the national music honorary, Pi Kappa Lambda. As President of the College Music Society (2005-2006) and as President of their foundation, The CMS Fund (2009-2015), he helped create the Engagement & Outreach Initiative where efforts of the music professoriate are articulated with national partners to meet common musical and civic goals. At South Carolina he brought a bold idea to fruition: to more fully prepare tomorrow’s professional musicians by combining conventional professional music study with a systematic curricular and co-curricular exploration of music advocacy, music entrepreneurship, and community engagement by forming SPARK: Carolina’s Leadership Laboratory. His presentations at the two CMS Summits (2016/2019) on the 21st Century Music School and his 2014 TedX talk “Music & Hope: Towards a More Musical America,” constitute a public expression of his interests and work. In February 2021, Dr. Harding was recognized with South Carolina’s highest honor for arts and music educators when he was awarded the 2021 Governors’ in the Arts for Arts Education. A frequent presenter on futures issues for university music units and their leadership, he remains an active composer earning commissions, performances, and recordings around the world.
Jennifer Snow
Dr. Jennifer Snow is an internationally recognized executive, artist, educator, and thought leader. She leads all divisions of The Frances Clark Center: Piano Magazine, Piano Inspires Kids, Journal of Piano Research, NCKP: The Piano Conference, New School for Music Study, Online Teacher Education, and Piano Education Press. Passionate about the transformative power of the arts, Jennifer is dedicated to serving and advancing the mission of the Center.
Mary Luehrsen
Mary Luehrsen serves as Professor of Practice in the School of Music at the University of South Carolina and supports music majors as they develop as musical and artistic leaders in communities and organizations. Mary was the director of public affairs and government relations for NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants for 23 years and was the founding executive director of the NAMM Foundation (2006). As a leader in policy and advocacy efforts, Mary developed NAMM’s Washington DC Advocacy Fly-in that trains NAMM business leaders as music education advocates working on federal, state and local levels. She also created NAMM’s GenNext and Music Education Days programs that host thousands of university music faculty, students and music educators at the annual NAMM Show to inspire career options in music, connections with the music industry and advance opportunities for music learning. Luehrsen also created the NAMM Foundation’s Nonprofit Management Institute held at the NAMM Show that supports and trains leaders and staff of over 300 music service organizations with goals to strengthen their effectiveness. Luehrsen focuses on rallying talents and energies of people and organizations to advance opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to know the joys and benefits of making and learning music.
