On October 19, 2024, Deanna (Kraft) Thaler was honored with Cherry Creek School District’s Teacher Belt Award. As a choral music director at Falcon Creek Middle School, Thaler received the award for building relationships and making education fun.
Music alumna, Xareny Polanco, named 2025 CMEA Outstanding Young Educator
Recent graduate Paul Beyer reflects on his first year teaching music We recently connected with Paul Beyer, who graduated from CSU with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2023. Paul reflected on his first year teaching elementary and middle school music in Colorado. Tell us a little about your job–where you teach, the […]
Phuong Nguyen has built a classroom culture around high standards and making music fun Dai-Phuong Nguyen (B.M.E. ’01, M.M.E. ’08) is a perfectionist as a performer of multiple instruments and genres and a music educator. He has created a classroom environment that balances high standards, curiosity, and interactive play. His range of musical interests is […]
Hollie Ryckman embraces multiple cultures and student-led approaches in her Denver classroom Hollie Ryckman, M.M. in Music Education ’20 Many CSU music education graduates expand upon normalized approaches to music pedagogy to accommodate their students’ needs and interests. Denver music teacher Hollie Ryckman is part of this transformative movement. Ryckman’s teaching philosophy embodies a belief […]
Jana Webster-Wheeler’s experiences were a catalyst for teaching music and more Jana Webster-Wheeler in her music classroom at Webber Middle School in Fort Collins, Colorado. As a woman with a rich history who has turned her trauma into a wellspring of wisdom, Jana Webster-Wheeler, B.M.E. ’00, has used her difficult experiences to teach so much […]
CSU Music Education alums and family were treated to a reception and matinee performance by the Colorado Symphony and Colorado Symphony Chorus at Boettcher Concert Hall on Sunday, March 24. Peter Oundjian conducted W.A. Mozart’s final and greatest masterpiece, Requiem Mass. A principal conductor with an international career, Oundjian has led orchestras in major musical […]
Colorado State University music alum, Theresa Soriano Lansberry (nee Bunger, M.M., ’18), was named artist liaison for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in February. The CSO’s mission is to seek and share inspiration and be the most relevant Orchestra in America.. cincinnatisymphony.org
Dr. Erik Johnson, Colorado State University associate professor of Music Education, was honored to contribute his expertise to Teaching Instrumental Music: Contemporary Perspectives and Pedagogies, edited by Bryan Powell, Kristen Pellegrino, and Quincy Hilliard from Oxford University Press. Press Description: Teaching Instrumental Music: Contemporary Perspectives and Pedagogies reflects the music pedagogy of recent years while […]
Announcing the 2024 Middle School Outreach Ensemble Composition Competition! Winners will have their piece performed during the 2024 MSOE Concert. We would like to invite all music students to participate in the 2024 MSOE Composition Competition. The competition is open to ALL middle school and high school students who are enrolled in their school music […]
