Meet Yamaha Master Educator Dana Sedatole

From serving as a head band director teaching beginning 6th grade instrumentalists to addressing the needs of over 20,000 music educators as president of the Texas Music Educators Association, Dana Pradervand-Sedatole has done it all! Her methodology of keeping fundamentals at the core of her teaching has led her students to become more responsible for finding their own solutions to challenges. She has found that this type of self-assessment has resulted in a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the repertoire being performed and the ensemble as a whole.

Sedatole has a soft spot for new teachers due to her experience supervising her first student teacher. The fact that young educators are often ill-equipped to handle the challenges of the classroom is not lost on Sedatole. Many of these educators were the best musicians in their high school programs and among the best in their collegiate programs. Ironically, they are freshmen all over again, and their level of self-confidence is, understandably, low, as is their level of knowledge in this new realm. Sedatole believes, “It’s O.K. to not know everything, but it’s not O.K. to not know and do nothing about it.”

In addition to providing pedagogical strategies on how to plan and conduct effective rehearsals, Sedatole has much to offer when it comes to the “other stuff,” such as planning a first band trip, purchasing a first set of uniforms, and choosing appropriate literature for the unbalanced ensemble.

With her tenet of investing in the teaching of fundamentals along with her drive to help new educators discover their passion for working with young people, Sedatole is steadfast in her belief that “if you want to be a great high school band director, you’ve got to be a great beginning band director.”

After engaging with Sedatole, educators leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a profound belief in their ability to make a difference. Her impactful thought leadership not only challenges directors to uncover the passion for artistry in music-making from their students, but also instills a spirit of “I can” in teachers of all levels of experience and expertise.

Some of Ms. Sedatole’s session titles are:

• Mapping Musicianship
• Right from the Start: Putting the “FUN” into Daily Fundamentals
• Let’s Talk Band! Building Your Toolbox

To learn more about clinics by Dana Sedatole, please contact Jalissa Gascho at jgascho@yamaha.com.