Shenandoah Students, Faculty and Alumni Well Represented at 2019 VMEA State Conference

Sixty-eight Shenandoah Conservatory music education majors traveled to the 2019 Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) state conference at the Homestead from Thursday, Nov. 21, through Saturday, Nov. 23. These students provided support for the conference, including registration and guiding services for school ensembles. The Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Director of Orchestral Studies, Conductor and Professor of Conducting Jan Wagner, Diploma and Korrepetitions Praxis, Academy of Music in Vienna (Austria), helped kick off the conference as the featured ensemble during a performance on Thursday evening.

Shenandoah was well represented at the Collegiate Recital with performances by tenor Julian Baldwin ’21 and bass A.J. Jones ’21; soprano Maggie Bullock ’20; and violinist Signe Mortensen ’21 and A.J. Jones; as well as by a vocal chamber group featuring Elizabeth Anderson ’20, Maggie Bullock, Jenny Hale ’21, Mariah Hanson ’21, Griffin Hellebuyck ’21, Nickole Kennedy ’20 and Damaris Odebode ’21.

Alumnae Dr. Alice Hammel ’87, ’99 (B.M. in Music Education, D.M.A. in Music Education) was elected as president-elect for VMEA and Laura Mulligan Thomas ’96 was elected as president-elect for the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA). Director and Professor of Music Education Stephanie Standerfer, Ph.D., was elected as president-elect for the VMEA higher education section.

Nickole Kennedy ’20 is the outgoing president of the VMEA Collegiate section and Jan Marie Laman ’21 is the newly elected collegiate president.

Brian Kelly ’09 is the outgoing president of the Virginia Choral Directors Association (VCDA).

Daniel Schoemmell ’64, ’96 continues to serve VMEA as conference treasurer and music education faculty member. Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, Charlotte A. & Verne E. Collins Endowed Professorship and Associate Professor of Music Education Jeffery Marlatt, Ph.D., continues to serve as the VMEA Conference coordinator.