Lissa Benson Lissa Benson received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal & Instrumental Music Education K-12 from the University of Minnesota Duluth and her Master of Arts in Education from Viterbo University. At the present, Lissa is the Kindergarten through 5th Grade Classroom Music educator at Kegonsa Elementary School in Stoughton, WI for the Stoughton Area School District. She is also a private piano, voice, and flute teacher and conducts a youth church choir called First Kids. Lissa?s interests within student-centered learning include the use of technology, digital portfoios/ePortfolios, and fostering self-sufficient thinking and creating skills in her students. You can reach Lissa Benson via email at Lissa.Benson@stoughton.k12.wi.us.

Jason Brinker currently serves as the choir director at Waukesha South High School. He previously taught at Parker High School and St. John Vianney Catholic School, both in Janesville, WI. He received his Bachelor of Music from St. Norbert College, and will begin coursework toward a Masters degree in the summer of 2009. Jason is a member of ACDA, MENC, and serves on the planning committee for the Next Direction Conference. His professional interests include incorporating music theory and sight-singing in the performance-based classroom, music technology and cross-curricular musical topics. Jason can be contacted at jbrinker@waukesha.k12.wi.us.

Adam Brown is a middle level strings teacher in the Fond du Lac School District. He received his M.M from Northwestern University’s Four Summer Music Education program, and his B. M. from Lawrence University. Adam is active as a performing cellist in local orchestras and the Heritage String Quartet (Green Bay), as well as a sectional coach for the Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra. His professional interests include the curricular role of small group instruction, using conducting techniques to teach musical literacy, and composition and improvisation in the strings classroom. Adam lives in Appleton with his wife, Julie. You can reach Adam Brown via email at browna@fonddulac.k12.wi.us.

Julie Brown is a middle level band director in the Appleton Area School District. She is a recent graduate of Northwestern University’s Four Summer Masters in Music Education program. Her undergraduate work was done at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Julie has been a member of the Wisconsin SCLA group for several years and a cMENC coordinator. Her specific areas of interest within student-centered learning include student composition projects, integrating popular culture into the classroom, and fostering self-sufficient thinking and creating skills in her students. Julie was a recipient of a 2008 Kohl Foundation Fellowship, and her work on Student-Centered learning can be read in the May 2008 issue of Music Educators’ Journal. You can reach Julie Brown via email at brownjulie@aasd.k12.wi.us.

Renée Hanson received her B.S. in Music Education from the University of Lacrosse. She received her Master of Science in Education Media Design and Technology from Full Sail University. At the present, Renée is the vocal music teacher for grades K-12 at the Barneveld School District in Barneveld, WI. Renée is currently designing and managing the SCLA website. She is also an organist at a local church in Dodgeville, WI. Renée’s interests within student-centered learning include assessment, digital portfolios/ePortfolios, and project-based learning. You can reach Renée Hanson via email at rhanson@barneveld.k12.wi.us.

Lori Heidenreich is a high school choral director in the Whitewater Unified School District. She received her B.M. and Masters in Music Education from UW-Whitewater. She has taught all levels of vocal, instrumental, and general music. She has been n the governing board for WI Association of Music Supervisors, Coordinators and Directors (WAMSCAD) as well as WMEA and is a life member of ACDA. She is an active adjudicator for WSMA contest events, Lori uses a lot of different student-centered projects and learning techniques in her classes. You can reach Lori Heidenreich at lheidenreich@wwusd.org.

Judith Kirby is the choral director at Gilbert S. Lance Middle School and Whittier Elementary School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Judith has been a music teacher in the Kenosha Unified School District since 1980. Prior to her position in Kenosha, she taught in Rio, Wisconsin. She is a 1978 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and completed her master of education degree at National Louis University in 2002. She was a member of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus from 1982 until 1994. She is currently singing with the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin. She is a life member of ACDA and a member of the Beta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. Judith and her husband Don, are both natives of Racine and enjoy the beauty and recreational opportunities Lake Michigan presents. Judith coordinates and organizes the Wisconsin SCLA group’s educational opportunities. You can reach Judith Kirby via email at jkirby@kusd.edu.

Mel Pontious is the State Fine Arts Consultant for Wisconsin and began with DPI in 1985 as the Music Consultant. His teaching experience spans 27 years from elementary through college levels and includes general, choral, and instrumental areas. He directed the 1992 Arts PROPEL Project in Wisconsin and has presented inservices in other states and at national conferences. He has chaired the Music Committee for SCASS-Arts, a national consortium of states working on assessment in the arts. Currently he is serving as an advisor and DPI liaison for the Wisconsin SCLA group. You can reach el Pontious at melvin.pontious@dpi.wi.gov.

Angela Roberts Angela became interested in music early in life. At the age of 3, dance lessons opened the window to the music and performing world. She started piano lessons in 3rd grade, was a member of many different choirs starting in 4th grade and band (flute)in 5th grade.  In 1998 she graduated from UW-Whitewater with a Bachelor of Music Education in Choral and General Music.  She started her career in general music in Janesville and Columbus and moved up to middle and high school chorus. After completing a Master of Arts in Education at Viterbo University in 2009 she knew that middle school chorus was her calling and took a position at Waunakee Middle School. Throughout her career she has enjoyed directing all levels of choirs, musicals, jazz/swing choirs and private lessons. She enjoys being an active member of her local church music program, being a life-long learner, collaborating with colleagues in professional organizations and learning from her students everyday!

Sandy Seibert has 15 years business experience as an entrepreneur in building and real estate and international sales in major corporation in Wisconsin. She became a general music/choral teacher 6 years ago, graduating from St. Norbert College as a vocal major. Sandy create her own musicals with the help of the students in her class. Differentiating instruction plays and important role in the design of the curriculum in her classroom. She has written a children’s book, entitled The Tale of Sudan and Zimbabwe. Please see sandraseibert.com.

Karen Tordera received her B.A. in Music Education from  Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She earned her Masters in Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Her final thesis/project was titled “Portfolios as Assessment Tools in the General Music Classroom.” She  has taught General Music and Choir students in Pre-K through 9th grade in Janesville, Wisconsin, Hamburg, Germany, Barcelona, Spain, and most recently in Whitewater Wisconsin. She has presented her work on assessment in music education on assessment in music education at national and state conferences and in-services in Wisconsin. She recently accepted the position  as General Music Chair in  the Wisconsin Music Educators Association. Karen serves as coordinator of SCLA Wisconsin. She lives in Cambridge  Wisconsin with her husband and son. You can reach Karen Tordera via email at Ktordera@wwusd.org.

Mary Anne Zupan has taught music in the Kettle Moraine School District since 1977. She received her bachelor’s of music education from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State) in Kirksville, Missouri and her MA from Silver Lake College with an emphasis in Kodaly methodology. Her interest in innovations in music education took her to Harvard University to study Arts Propel philosophy with Howard Gardner and David Perkins at Harvard’s Project Zero. Deeply interested in research that investigates the impact of music study on children’s cognition, expressive abilities, self-esteem, and creativity. Mary Anne has presented at local, statewide, and national conferences on her work in those areas. You can reach Mary Anne Zupan via email at Zupanm@kmsd.edu.