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 EDUCATOR NEWSLETTER: Join to receive a round-up of our latest articles and programs!
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](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/d4/Daniel_Berard-d4146172.jpeg)
Daniel Berard
Direrctor of Bands
Chatfield Senior High School
Littleton, Colorado
![Frederic Chiu](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/e5/Frederic_Chiu_sq-e5ee9fb3.jpeg)
Frederic Chiu
Assistant Prof. of Piano
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
![Mirian Conti](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/b2/Mirian_Conti_sq-b225a8a5.jpeg)
Mirian Conti
Concert Pianist, Faculty of the Juilliard School Evening Division
The Juilliard School
New York, New York
![Dr. Travis J. Cross](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/3b/Travis_Cross_2-3b535508.jpeg)
Dr. Travis J. Cross
Professor of Music,
Director of Bands
University of California, Los Angeles
![Dr. David Cutler](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/9e/David_Cutler2-9e8e1135.jpeg)
Dr. David Cutler
Distinguished Professor of Music Entrepreneurship and Innovation
University of South Carolina
![Dr. Rodney Dorsey](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/79/Rodney_Dorsey-79770ab1.jpeg)
Dr. Rodney Dorsey
Prof. of Music, Conductor of Wind Orchestra, Director of Graduate Wind Conducting Studies
Florida State University College of Music
![Yamaha Master Educator Doug Droste](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/a2/Doug_Droste_2023_close_crop-a24500f3.jpeg)
Douglas Droste
Dir. of Orchestral Studies
Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music
Berea, Ohio
![Serona Elton](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/01/Serona_Elton_sq-01b5e380.jpeg)
Serona Elton
Professor and Director of Music Industry / Head of Educational Partnerships
University of Miami
Frost School of Music / The Mechanical Licensing Collective
![Yamaha Master Educator Cheryl Floyd](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/8d/Cheryl_Floyd_2023_crop-8d12aa0c.jpeg)
Cheryl Floyd
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](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/dc/Richard_Floyd_2023_crop-dca83470.jpeg)
Richard Floyd
State Dir. of Music Emeritus
The University of Texas at Austin
![Kevin Ford](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/c4/Kevin_Ford_sq-c438b01e.jpeg)
Kevin Ford
Dir. of the Leadership Conservatory for the Arts
Tarpon Springs High School
Tarpon Spriings, Florida
![Larry Gookin](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/c3/Larry_Gookin-c3a76bab.jpeg)
Larry Gookin
Distinguished Prof. and Emeritus Prof. of Music
Central Washington University
![Yamaha Master Educator Jeffrey Grogan](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/72/Jeff_Grogan_2023_crop-72a6ac56.jpeg)
Jeffrey Grogan
Professor of Music, Director of Orchestral Activities; Artistic Director and Conductor of Oklahoma Youth Orchestras
Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Youth Orchestras
![Yamaha Master Educator Donny Gruendler](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/b4/Donny_Gruendler_2023_crop-b4336ead.jpeg)
Dr. Donny Gruendler
Vice President of Music Education
Guitar Center
Los Angeles, California
![Barry Houser](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/a9/Barry_Houser_Updated-a9fac28a.jpeg)
Barry Houser
Associate Director of Bands, Director of the Marching Illini, Chair of the Conducting Area
University of illinois, Urbana-Champaign
![Jerry Junkin](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/47/Jerry_Junkin_YME-47c76879.jpeg)
Jerry Junkin
Director of Bands,
Prof. of Wind Conducting
The University of Texas at Austin
![Phillip Keveren](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/21/PhilipKeveren2014-sq-2154246c.jpeg)
Phillip Keveren
Composer/Pianist
The Hal Leonard Student Piano Library
Franklin, Tennessee
![Craig Kirchhoff](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/9b/craig_kirchhoff_sq-9b8d3cfd.jpeg)
Craig Kirchhoff
Prof. of Music, Dir. Emeritus of University Bands
University of Minnesota
![Gary Lewis](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/5d/Gary_Lewis-5d579d63.jpeg)
Gary Lewis
Dir. of Orchestral Studies, Bob and Judy Charles Professor of Conducting, Music Director of the West Texas Symphony Orchestra
University of Colorado Boulder
![Anthony Maiello](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/da/Anthony_Maiello-dab76b8d.jpeg)
Anthony Maiello
Distinguished University Professor
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
![Andrea McAlister](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/6a/Andrea_McAlister_sq-6a2728ac.jpeg)
Andrea McAlister
Professor of Piano Pedagogy
Oberlin College and Conservatory
Oberlin, Ohio
![Yamaha Master Educator Marcia Neel](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/f1/Marcia_Neel_2023_crop-f13c5ef4.jpeg)
Marcia Neel
Senior Director of Education for Yamaha Corp. of America;
President of Music Education Consultants
Las Vegas, Nevada
![Dr. Jeffrey Nytch](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/4c/jeffrey_nytch_sq-4c7e0fed.jpeg)
Dr. Jeffrey Nytch
Professor and Director, Entrepreneurship Center for Music
University of Colorado Boulder
![Pamela Pike](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/62/Pamela_Pike_sq-62849f89.jpeg)
Dr. Pamela D. Pike
Herndon Spillman Professor of Piano Pedagogy
Louisiana State University, School of Music
![Dr. Stan Renard](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/b6/Stan_Renard-sq-b6c6e3e3.jpeg)
Dr. Stan Renard
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
![Dr. Kevin Sedatole](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/30/Kevin_Sedatole-3018096c.jpeg)
Dr. Kevin Sedatole
Prof. of Music, Dir. of Bands
Michigan State University
![Omar Thomas](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/d5/OmarThomas_sq-d57bc99e.jpeg)
Omar Thomas
Assistant Professor of Composition
The University of Texas at Austin