Master Educator Collective

YME Collective

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

Daniel Berard

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Assistant Director of Bands
Wakeland High School

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Frederic Chiu

Frederic Chiu

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY GROUP
Assistant Professor of Piano
Carnegie Mellon University

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Mirian Conti

Mirian Conti

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY GROUP
Faculty of the Evening Division
The Juilliard School

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Dr. Travis J. Cross

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

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

Dr. Rodney Dorsey

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Music in Bands
Indiana University

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Douglas Droste

Douglas Droste

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Orchestra
Ball State University

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Serona Elton

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

Cheryl Floyd

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Retired Director of Bands
Hill Country Middle School

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Richard Floyd

Richard Floyd

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
State Director of Music Emeritus
The University of Texas at Austin

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Kevin Ford

Kevin Ford

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of the Leadership
Conservatory for the Arts
Tarpon Springs High School

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Larry Gookin

Larry Gookin

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Distinguished Professor and
Emeritus Professor of Music
Central Washington University

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Jeffrey Grogan

Jeffrey Grogan

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Orchestral Activities,
Professor of Music
Oklahoma City University

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Dr. Donny Gruendler

Dr. Donny Gruendler

MUSIC BUSINESS GROUP
Vice President of Music Education
Guitar Center

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Barry Houser

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

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

Phillip Keveren

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY GROUP
Composer/Pianist
Co-author of the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library

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Craig Kirchhoff

Craig Kirchhoff

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Conducting,
Director Emeritus of University of Bands
University of Minnesota

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Gary Lewis

Gary Lewis

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Orchestral Studies,
Professor of Conducting
University of Colorado Boulder

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Anthony Maiello

Anthony Maiello

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Music
George Mason University

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Andrea McAlister

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

Marcia Neel

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Clinician, Educator, Consultant,
Senior Director of Education
Yamaha Corporation of America

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Dr. Jeffrey Nytch

Dr. Jeffrey Nytch

MUSIC BUSINESS GROUP
Director of the Entrepreneurship
Center for Music
University of Colorado Boulder

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Pamela Pike

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

Michael Pote

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Bands
Carmel High School

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Dr. Stan Renard

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

Dr. Kevin Sedatole

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Professor of Music,
Director of Bands
Michigan State University

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Omar Thomas

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

Dr. Emily Threinen

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Director of Bands,
Associate Professor of Music
University of Minnesota

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Marguerite Wilder

Marguerite Wilder

BAND AND ORCHESTRA GROUP
Middle School Conductor,
Clinician and Consultant

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