The Yamaha Master Educator Collective
You have a long list of goals when you enter the classroom each day: Be a better music educator. Help students succeed. Feel inspired and empowered.
We can help you achieve all of your goals with our Yamaha Master Educator Collective, a roster of 30 all-star educators. This esteemed group covers a range of school levels and topics, and offers music teachers mentorship, expert advice and tried-and-true tips that will support and enhance your music programs.
The Yamaha Master Educator Collective currently has three distinct groupings:
- Band and Orchestra is made up of instrumental conductors or educators who specialize in the advancement of instrumental music education. Each is celebrated in several areas of expertise including conducting technique, rehearsal strategy, student leadership, program building, retention and more.
- Keyboard Pedagogy comprises renowned and adept educators and composers who teach piano pedagogy, keyboard labs and keyboard methods in a K-12 or post-secondary setting. They are accomplished in many areas including virtual keyboard lab settings, adult learning, connecting the student to the music and more.
- Music Business and Entrepreneurship includes educators and career professionals who specialize in teaching music business and arts entrepreneurship in the modern music industry. They prepare students for a wide range of career paths in the music industry. Their mastery covers a variety of topics including income diversification, unlocking innovation, music copyright and more.
The Yamaha Master Educators are available to work on-site with music teachers during staff development, as well as speak and conduct appointments with state music education associations, district meetings for music teachers and fine arts departments, districtwide in-service days, and both virtual and in-person clinics for educators or students.
To learn more about the collective and to discuss which Yamaha Master Educator and topic will best meet your needs, please contact Jalissa Gascho at jgascho@yamaha.com.
View the Yamaha Master Educator Collective brochure.
Meet the Yamaha Master Educators
Daniel Berard
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Assistant Director of Bands
Wakeland High School
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Frederic Chiu
KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY GROUP
Assistant Professor of Piano
Carnegie Mellon University
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Mirian Conti
KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY GROUP
Faculty of the Evening Division
The Juilliard School
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Dr. Travis J. Cross
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Music,
Chair of the Department of Music
University of California, Los Angeles
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Dr. David Cutler
MUSIC BUSINESS GROUP
Distinguished Professor of Music,
Director of Music Entrepreneurship
University of South Carolina
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Dr. Rodney Dorsey
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Music in Bands
Indiana University
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Douglas Droste
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Orchestra
Ball State University
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Serona Elton
MUSIC BUSINESS GROUP
Director of the Music Business and
Entertainment Industries Program
University of Miami
Frost School of Music
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Cheryl Floyd
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Retired Director of Bands
Hill Country Middle School
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Richard Floyd
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
State Director of Music Emeritus
The University of Texas at Austin
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Kevin Ford
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of the Leadership
Conservatory for the Arts
Tarpon Springs High School
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Larry Gookin
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Distinguished Professor and
Emeritus Professor of Music
Central Washington University
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Jeffrey Grogan
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Orchestral Activities,
Professor of Music
Oklahoma City University
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Dr. Donny Gruendler
MUSIC BUSINESS GROUP
Vice President of Music Education
Guitar Center
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Barry Houser
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Associate Director of Bands,
Director of Athletic Bands
University of illinois, Champaign-Urbana
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Jerry Junkin
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Bands,
Professor of Instrumental Conducting
The University of Texas at Austin
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Phillip Keveren
KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY GROUP
Composer/Pianist
Co-author of the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library
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Craig Kirchhoff
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Conducting,
Director Emeritus of University of Bands
University of Minnesota
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Gary Lewis
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Orchestral Studies,
Professor of Conducting
University of Colorado Boulder
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Anthony Maiello
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Music
George Mason University
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Andrea McAlister
KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY
Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy, Oberlin College,
Director of Digital Content for the Frances Clark Center,
Senior Editor for Piano Magazine
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Marcia Neel
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Clinician, Educator, Consultant,
Senior Director of Education
Yamaha Corporation of America
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Dr. Jeffrey Nytch
MUSIC BUSINESS GROUP
Director of the Entrepreneurship
Center for Music
University of Colorado Boulder
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Pamela Pike
KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY GROUP
Herndon Spillman Professor of
Piano Pedagogy
Louisiana State University
Editor-in-Chief, Piano Magazine
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Michael Pote
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Bands
Carmel High School
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Dr. Stan Renard
MUSIC BUSINESS GROUP
Assistant Professor of Music Marketing,
Assistant Director of CITE,
Director of Arts Incubation Research Lab
The University of Texas at San Antonio
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Dr. Kevin Sedatole
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Music,
Director of Bands
Michigan State University
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Omar Thomas
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Assistant Professor of Composition
The University of Texas at Austin,
Butler School of Music
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Dr. Emily Threinen
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Bands,
Associate Professor of Music
University of Minnesota
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Marguerite Wilder
BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Middle School Conductor,
Clinician and Consultant
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