Take Note

Dr. Daniel Johnson, editor of the new two-volume publication Music Education in Rural America, joins us to explore the unique landscape of rural music programs. We examine both the challenges and the often-overlooked strengths of these communities, and share practical insights on how educators can leverage those strengths to build thriving, sustainable programs.

On this edition of Take Note, we talk with Marko Marcinko, the Founder and Artistic Director of the Pennsylvania Jazz Alliance. We learn about the Pennsylvania Jazz Alliance and their plans to help celebrate America 250 throughout Pennsylvania.

You may have heard about music therapy but do you really know what the field is and how to enter it? We're joined by Dr. Nicole Hahna and Madison Frank to talk about this field and the state of music therapy licensure in Pennsylvania.

Marissa Guarriello joins us to talk about the her career path, Musikfest, and the Musikfest Music Industry Conference happening this August. Learn about some great opportunities for music students, educators, and members of the music industry.

During the 2026 PMEA Conference, we talked with the 2026 PMEA Outstanding Superintendent - Krista Mathias from the Somerset Area School District. Learn about her district, her support for music education, and advice for other superintendents on how to support music education in any school.

We're joined by Ethan Hsu who is a Pennsylvania high school junior. Ethan is already composing orchestral works and we talk with him at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh just after the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performed one of his works.

We're talking with the two candidates for PMEA President-Elect - Susan Basalik and Chad Toporski.

We conclude our series getting ready for the 2026 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all seven All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Kaitlin Bove, All-State Wind Ensemble Conductor and Jeff Gershman, All-State Concert Band Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We continue our series getting ready for the 2026 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all seven All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Paul Shewan, All-State Orchestra Conductor and Brian Winnie, All-State Chorus Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

Bob Morrison is someone so many in the music education world know for his work in advocacy and arts education data. We talk with Bob about those topics and his fascinating career path.

Kelsee Kimmel is a Broadway actor and musician and is a product of music education in Pennsylvania and PMEA. We talk to Kelsee about her path to Broadway and get some behind the scenes info about working on Broadway.

We start our series getting ready for the 2026 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all seven All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Paul Bratcher, All-State Jazz Ensemble Conductor and Spencer Camacho, All-State Contemporary A Cappella Ensemble Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We start our series getting ready for the 2026 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all seven All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Dr. Bryan Powell, and Dr. Raina Murnak, All-State Modern Band Coaches.

We're talking with the newly crowned Miss America 2026, Cassie Donegan. She talks with us about how the arts shaped her and how she is using her voice as Miss America to bring attention to the arts.

Music for All is celebrating their 50th anniversary. We're talking with someone that has been part of many of those 50 years - Cam Stasa, Music for All's Senior Director of Participant Relations.

This week, Pennsylvania's Temple University will appear in the 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! We talk with their director Dr. Matthew Brunner and student Carynn O'Banion about all of the excitement leading up to the parade.

We're talking with a team of professors and student from Penn State about a program where they used teaching artists to create an opera with a second grade class. Learn about the project and the role of teaching artists in music education.

We're talking with Dr. Brad Townsend, Director of Bands at the University of Pittsburgh. Learn about his career and the Pitt Band.

You many have heard of the NFHS but do you know who they are and what they do? Chris Paulson is the Director of Performing Arts and Sports for the NFHS and he joins us to talk about what they offer for music education. Here are some NFHS resources Chris references in the podcast: https://nfhs.org/ https://nfhs.org/activities/music https://artsadvocacy.nfhs.org/ https://nfhslearn.com/ https://copyr...

The Museum of Making Music is located in the NAMM music products industry headquarters in Carlsbad, CA. We're talking with Carolyn Grant, the Executive Director of the museum about what you can find there and a new program that can help bring the museum to your classroom. Learn more at: https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/education/curriculum

We're joined by Pennsylvania's Acting Secretary of Education, Dr. Carrie Rowe. She talks with us about the importance of music and the arts in education and addresses some of the challenges schools and educators are facing.

Dr. Laura Jacob is the superintendent of the California Area School District. She joins us to talk about an innovative program she's implemented to get instruments in students hands.

Pittsburgh based singer/songwriter Anyah Nancy joins us to talk about her music making and her participation in UniSound's Black Teaching Artist in Residence program.

The PMEA Day of Service just celebrated five years of giving back to communities where PMEA holds a summer event. We take a look at this year's Day of Service in State College at The Music Academy.

This edition of Take Note was recorded live at the PMEA Leadership Summit on July 22, 2025 at The Penn Stater Conference Center. PMEA's Executive Committee: Scott Cullen, Rebecca Sensor, and Brett Keith, update what's currently happening in PMEA.