Take Note

We're talking with Dr. Alice Hammel as she shares practical strategies for building inclusive music classrooms and ensembles. Tune in for insight on accessibility, collaboration, and helping every student participate meaningfully in music education.

Join us for a conversation with Rachel Hales from Rock Lititz about the live-event industry hub, her career path, and the many opportunities Rock Lititz offers for students and emerging professionals interested in production, design, technology, and entertainment careers.

Join us for a conversation with Greg Bimm on this episode of PMEA's Take Note podcast. Greg is the Band Director Emeritus at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, IL and he shares stories from his career, lessons he has learned along the way, and thoughts on what makes music education so meaningful.

This edition of Take Note was recorded live at the PMEA Leadership Summit on July 20, 2026 at The Penn Stater Conference Center. PMEA's Executive Committee: Susan Basalik, Rebecca Sensor, and Brett Keith, update what's currently happening in PMEA.

We're talking with Joe Sensor and Kristina Andrei about their participation in this summer's Phantom Regiment Alumni Corps. Learn about their participation in Phantom Regiment, why they're participating in the alumni corps, and the lessons they'll take back to their students.

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/musichttps://artsadvocacy.nfhs.org/https://nfhslearn.com/https://copyright.nfhs.org/ - (note – materials will soon be under review, and some may become temporarily unavailable)

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.

We're joined by two members of THUD: The Harvard Undergraduate Drummers to talk about what they do and what music educators can take away from THUD.

Joseph Arnold is the director of the Soulforce Arts Institute in Philadelphia and the author of the book, Soulforce: How to Discover Your Artistic Purpose, Create More Freely, and Make Art that Matters. He joins us to discuss the role of the arts in society and how he uses the Alexander Technique to teach.

During the 2025 PMEA Conference, we talked with the 2025 PMEA Outstanding Superintendents - Dr. Philip Domencic from the Cornwall-Lebanon School District and Dr. MaryJo Yannacone from the School District of Springfield Township. Learn about their districts, their support for music education, and advice for music teachers and superintendents on how to support music education in any school.

We're talking with Dr. Missy Strong who is one of the keynote speakers at the 2025 PMEA Conference. Missy talks with us about what to expect from her sessions at the conference and how you can incorporate movement into your music classroom.

We conclude our series getting ready for the 2025 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Jason Noble, All-State Concert Band Conductor and Rollo Dilworth, All-State Chorus Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We continue our series getting ready for the 2025 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with Michael Hall, All-State Orchestra Conductor and Dr. Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin, All-State Wind Ensemble Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We're talking with Dr. Kathy Melago, Professor of Music Education at Slippery Rock University and Slippery Rock University Music Education majors Rose Obergefell and Nate Presutti about their field experience trip to New Mexico. Learn about what the trip is and how it expands their horizons for a career in music education.

We start to gear up for the 2025 PMEA All-State Festival by talking with the conductors of all six All-State ensembles. Today we talk with JD Frizzell, All-State Contemporary A Cappella Ensemble Conductor and Gary Smulyan, All-State Jazz Ensemble Conductor. Learn about the musical programs and what student participants can expect.

We're celebrating Take Note's 100th Edition by talking with PMEA President-Elect Becky Sensor. We take a look back at some guests and share clips of our favorite Take Note memories.

We're joined by Pennsylvania native, Racheal Murray. She talks with us about her career in the entertainment industry and how music influenced her life.

We're joined by Edward Doyle and Wayne Mallette - the candidates for NAfME Eastern Division President. The election is open through February 13th.

We're joined by PMEA's current president, Brett Keith, to look back on 2024 and look ahead to 2025.

We're talking about the Pennsylvania Collegiate Music Educators (PCMEA) with PCMEA President Ellie Vito and PCMEA Advisor Kelly Gumble. Hear about what PCMEA is, what they're dong, and what the current reality for a college music education student looks like.

We're talking with Dr. Jerry Zahorchak about the impacts of the 2024 elections on education and education policy. Jerry was the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education in the Rendell administration and is still active in education policy today.

It's the end of the 2024 marching band season and we're doing a wrap up to it where we talk with Bianca Wallace about current trends in the marching arts and advice for students and instructors.

Mike Buterbaugh, Music Education Advisor at the Reading Musical Foundation, joins us to talk about the importance of collecting data on your music education programs and how you can use it to your advantage.

Dr. Adam Gustafson is an Associate Teaching Professor of Music at Penn State Harrisburg. He joins us to talk about the cultural and musical impacts of Taylor Swift. Hear what he's learned through his research and what the students he teaches have to say about Taylor Swift.

Dr. Sean Powell is the author of "The Ideology of Competition in School Music" and he joins us to discuss the implications of competitive structures in school music programs.

We're talking with Tonia Asel Kaufman, a Pennsylvania music educator, that has just taken on a new PMEA role related to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - known as JEDI. Learn about the new role and what it means for music educators.

We're joined by NAMM's Senior Public Policy Advisor Mary Luehrsen as she gets ready to retire at the end of September. Mary reflects on her career including her work advocating for music and provide some advice for all of us.