Several faculty and students from Missouri State University’s Department of Music attended the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) conference Jan. 27-31 at the Tan-Tar-A Conference Center in Osage Beach, Missouri.

Dr. Paula Patterson, music department head, described the event as “a great success.” Among the highlights, Dr. Daniel Hellman, professor of music education, was inducted into the MMEA Hall of Fame. In addition, seven music students performed with MMEA’s All-Collegiate Orchestra.

Hellman inducted into Hall of Fame

According to the organization’s website, MMEA’s Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have “made a lasting or enduring impact on the stature and condition of music education in the state of Missouri.” This year, the organization selected Missouri State’s Dr. Daniel Hellman for that distinction.

Hellman said he felt “deeply honored and genuinely humbled” to receive the award. He was nominated for his long-term efforts to support music educators and students through teacher preparation, service, research and advocacy.

“Being recognized in a room filled with dedicated Missouri music educators was especially meaningful,” he noted. “I have an immense amount of respect for my colleagues around the state.”

Teaching is a “privilege”

Being a professor at Missouri State is both a privilege and a responsibility, Hellman said.

“My work involves helping future teachers in our undergraduate programs and current teachers in our graduate program turn their musicianship, their understanding of teaching, learning and research-informed ideas, into the daily decisions that they make with students.”

The rewards are clear, he added, because he sees the impact Missouri State’s music graduates have on students every single day.

Symphony orchestra gets standing ovation

Immediately after Hellman’s induction, the Missouri State Symphony Orchestra performed under the direction of Dr. Yi-Ping Chen.

With their renditions of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol” and Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter,” the symphony garnered a standing ovation.

Chen described the moment as “fulfilling and joyous.” She felt proud “to share this meaningful recognition with my colleagues and students.”

The concert was also a demonstration of a sensory-friendly concert, Chen added. She hopes it inspires other music educators to host sensory-friendly concerts that are more inclusive to the public.

Seven students perform in All-Collegiate Orchestra

Among the other honors Missouri State received at the MMEA conference, seven music students were selected to perform with the prestigious All-Collegiate Orchestra. Those students were Zoey Matis, Matthias Blaylock, Charles Wolfe, Brownie Brimage, Emilio Silvan-Javier, Bethanie Koone and Lily Moreland.

The orchestra performed Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” orchestrated by Maurice Ravel.

The orchestra rehearsed Monday through Wednesday, with Tuesday’s rehearsal lasting over six hours, Silvan-Javier recalled. He still enjoyed the experience.

“All the time we put together with the short turnaround time led up to an exhilarating performance,” he said.

Boswell and Scott present research

During the conference, Missouri State had a scholarly presence as well.

Assistant Professor of Music and Associate Director of Bands Dr. Matthew Boswell presented his latest research on navigating today’s music options for school bands.

In “You Pick Your Music—You Pick Your Rating,” Boswell gave a practitioner-focused presentation on the intricacies of choosing repertoire for school bands to study and perform.

“I reviewed the relevant professional literature, along with my own professional experience and that of colleagues, to present a tiered-list of criteria for music selection,” he said.

“Repertoire selection is essential to student and music program success,” Boswell added. “In the past, the amount of music available for music teachers to choose from was limited by music publishers. Nowadays the internet has opened up a new avenue for composers to reach teachers and consumers more directly.”

The result has been an increase in the number of works available every year, he said. This is a “good problem,” Boswell said, but can be challenging when trying to find the right music that allows students to develop as musicians.

“I wanted to do what I can to help teachers make the best choices possible. Helping teachers is always my top goal,” he said.

Scott presents on Kodály method

Meanwhile, Senior Instructor of Music Education Vicky Scott co-presented a session on folk dance for elementary music teachers.

“We taught and facilitated a variety of folk dances of varying difficulty, providing participants with resources they can use in their own elementary music classrooms,” Scott explained. “Folk dance is an integral part of elementary music teaching in general and the Kodály method specifically.”

Scott was a dance caller, along with Rene Spencer, during the session. She also leads the music department’s Kodály Institute.

Committed to public affairs mission

Hellman said the MMEA creates a sense of community for Missouri’s music educators. By extension, the music department’s participation in MMEA reflects its commitment to Missouri State’s public affairs mission.

“[MMEA] is a service organization that provides professional development opportunities for music teachers to continue learning each year of their career,” Hellman said. “Our department presents, performs and learns from others in the state. This is an important avenue for us to strengthen our partnerships with teachers, school districts and alumni.”

Destination campus for music students

Boswell agreed. “The work that the music faculty and our music students do with MMEA epitomizes the public affairs mission,” he said.

Describing the MMEA conference as a “celebration of music education” in Missouri, Boswell noted that Missouri State’s imprint is noticeable.

“You can’t walk down an aisle of the convention hall without running into Missouri State graduates everywhere,” he observed.

Participating in MMEA brings Missouri State closer to being a “destination campus for the arts,” Boswell added. “To me, participation and engagement at the state level is one powerful way for us all to continue making that goal a reality.”

For Scott, the music department’s participation in MMEA creates a personal connection with Missouri’s music education community.

“Teachers leave the conference with a positive impression of our institution,” she said. Consequently, those teachers see Missouri State as a good place for their students to pursue a college degree.

Hellman echoed that sentiment as he reflected on Missouri State’s larger mission.

“I am grateful to work at Missouri State with a long tradition of serving students and the community,” he said. “That’s what I hope our department, college and university continues to champion.”