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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.  
  • 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

Daniel Berard

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Direrctor of Bands
Chatfield Senior High School
Littleton, Colorado
Frederic Chiu

Frederic Chiu

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

Mirian Conti

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

Dr. Travis J. Cross

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Professor of Music,
Director of Bands
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. 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
Berea, Ohio
Serona Elton

Serona Elton

MUSIC BUSINESS
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

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
State Dir. 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
Tarpon Spriings, Florida
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 Activities; Artistic Director and Conductor of Oklahoma Youth Orchestras
Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Youth Orchestras
Yamaha Master Educator Donny Gruendler

Dr. Donny Gruendler

MUSIC BUSINESS
Vice President of Music Education
Guitar Center
Los Angeles, California
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
Franklin, Tennessee
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
Anthony Maiello

Anthony Maiello

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Distinguished University Professor
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
Andrea McAlister

Andrea McAlister

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY
Professor of Piano Pedagogy
Oberlin College and Conservatory
Oberlin, Ohio
Yamaha Master Educator Marcia Neel

Marcia Neel

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

Dr. Jeffrey Nytch

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

Dr. Pamela D. Pike

KEYBOARD PEDAGOGY
Herndon Spillman Professor of Piano Pedagogy
Louisiana State University, School of Music
Yamaha Master Educator Michael Pote

Michael Pote

BAND AND ORCHESTRA
Director of Bands
Carmel High School
Carmel, Indiana
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
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
Clarkesville, Georgia