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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.  

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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

Yamaha Master Educator Dan Berard

Daniel Berard

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Clinician and Education Consultant
Retired K-12 Music Educator
Frederic Chiu

Frederic Chiu

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY
Assistant Prof. of Piano
Carnegie Mellon University
Mirian Conti

Mirian Conti

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY
Concert Pianist, Faculty of the Juilliard School Evening Division
The Juilliard School
Dr. Travis J. Cross

Dr. Travis J. Cross

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Professor of Music,
Director of Bands
University of California, Los Angeles
Yamaha Master Educator David Cutler

Dr. David Cutler

MUSIC BUSINESS
Distinguished Professor of Music Entrepreneurship and Innovation
University of South Carolina
Dr. Rodney Dorsey

Dr. Rodney Dorsey

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Prof. of Music, Conductor of Wind Orchestra, Director of Graduate Wind Conducting Studies
Florida State University College of Music
Yamaha Master Educator Doug Droste

Douglas Droste

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Dir. of Orchestral Studies
Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music
Serona Elton

Serona Elton

MUSIC BUSINESS
Director of the Music Industry Program,
Chair of the Music Industry Department / Head of Educational Partnerships
University of Miami, Frost School of Music
The Mechanical Licensing Collective
Yamaha Master Educator Cheryl Floyd

Cheryl Floyd

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Hill Country MS Director of Bands (retired), Leander ISD flute instructor, music consultant and mentor
Hill Country Middle School, Leander ISD, Eanes ISD
Yamaha Master Educator Richard Floyd

Richard Floyd

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

Kevin Ford

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Dir. of the Leadership Conservatory for the Arts
Tarpon Springs High School
Larry Gookin

Larry Gookin

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Distinguished Prof. and Emeritus Prof. of Music
Central Washington University
Yamaha Master Educator Jeffrey Grogan

Jeffrey Grogan

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Professor of Music, Director of Orchestral Studies / Artistic Director and Conductor
Oklahoma City University / Oklahoma Youth Orchestras
Yamaha Master Educator Donny Gruendler

Dr. Donny Gruendler

MUSIC BUSINESS
Faculty, Doctor of Education in Learning Technologies Program
Pepperdine University
Barry Houser

Barry Houser

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Associate Director of Bands, Director of the Marching Illini, Chair of the Conducting Area
University of illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Jerry Junkin

Jerry Junkin

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Director of Bands,
Prof. of Wind Conducting
The University of Texas at Austin
Phillip Keveren

Phillip Keveren

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY
Composer/Pianist
The Hal Leonard Student Piano Library
Craig Kirchhoff

Craig Kirchhoff

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Prof. of Music, Dir. Emeritus of University Bands
University of Minnesota
Gary Lewis

Gary Lewis

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Dir. of Orchestral Studies, Bob and Judy Charles Professor of Conducting, Music Director of the West Texas Symphony Orchestra
University of Colorado Boulder
Yamaha Master Educator Dennis Llinás

Dr. Dennis Llinás

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Director of Bands, Associate Professor of Conducting & Music
University of Oregon
Anthony Maiello

Anthony Maiello

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Distinguished University Professor
George Mason University
Andrea McAlister

Andrea McAlister

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY
Professor of Piano Pedagogy
Oberlin College and Conservatory
Yamaha Master Educator Sarah McKoin

Dr. Sarah McKoin

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Director of Bands, Professor of Music
Texas Tech University
Yamaha Master Educator Marcia Neel

Marcia Neel

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Senior Director of Education for Yamaha Corp. of America;
President of Music Education Consultants
Dr. Jeffrey Nytch

Dr. Jeffrey Nytch

MUSIC BUSINESS
Professor of Composition,
Director of the Entrepreneurship Center for Music
University of Colorado Boulder
Pamela Pike

Dr. Pamela D. Pike

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY
Herndon Spillman Professorship in Piano Pedagogy / Editor in Chief, Chief Content Director
Louisiana State University / Piano Magazine
Yamaha Master Educator Michael Pote

Michael Pote

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Director of Bands
Carmel High School
Dr. Stan Renard

Dr. Stan Renard

MUSIC BUSINESS
Assoc. Dean, Assoc. Prof. of Arts Management and Entrepreneurship, Dir. of the Arts Incubation Lab, The University of Oklahoma
Exec. Dir., Monteux School & Music Festival
Yamaha Master Educator Dana Sedatole

Dana Sedatole

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Music Education Specialist / Past President
Michigan State University / Texas Music Educator Association 
Dr. Kevin Sedatole

Dr. Kevin Sedatole

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Prof. of Music, Dir. of Bands
Michigan State University
Omar Thomas

Omar Thomas

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Assistant Professor of Composition
The University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Emily Threinen

Dr. Emily Threinen

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Director of Bands,
Associate Prof. of Music
University of Minnesota
Marguerite Wilder

Marguerite Wilder

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Middle School Conductor (retired), Clinician and Consultant