Meet Yamaha Master Educator Dr. Kevin Sedatole
Dr. Kevin Sedatole is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Michigan State University. He serves as administrator of the entire band program at Michigan State University, totaling over 700 students, which includes the wind symphony, symphony band, concert band, chamber winds, campus bands, Spartan Marching Band and Spartan Brass.
Having conducted and taught all over the world, Sedatole’s commitment to music-making and conducting is to the music itself, through the study of the score, the understanding of the intent of the composer and knowing what is best for the musicians. This provides a setting for increased musicianship on the part of the performers as individuals as well as the proficiency of the ensemble.
“When the ensemble knows that the director’s top priority is to serve the music,” Sedatole says, “the bar is raised.”
Sedatole continues to serve high school and collegiate level band and orchestral teachers as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator. As a young educator, one of the first things he learned from his mentors was to treat everyone equally. In their positions as leaders, ensemble directors walk a fine line of being perceived as an authority figure.
Directors who work with Sedatole soon discover that his conducting and teaching style provides more of an atmosphere of equivalence, as he presents different ways of doing and looking at things, giving musicians things to think about on their own. Whether working with students in an honor band setting or with educators in a workshop setting, his approachable style provides a genuine atmosphere that truly connects the director and the ensemble members.
A few of Dr. Kevin Sedatole’s session titles are:
- Expressive Conducting Gestures Based on the Laban Method
- Quality Repertoire — The What, Why and How
- Building Musical Depth Through Quality Experience
To learn more about clinics by Dr. Kevin Sedatole, please contact Jalissa Gascho at jgascho@yamaha.com.