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Diane Geller

 Professional Development for Music Educators 

Upcoming workshops 2022-2023

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Workshop #1: September 24th, 2022

Registration: 9:00-9:25 am

Workshop: 9:30 am - 3:00 pm 

Energize Your Repertoire!

Clinician: Dr. Jill Trinka

IN PERSON at Azusa Pacific University

Warren Music Center, Room 122 

901 E Alosta Ave, Azusa, CA 91702

*WE ARE TAKING LUNCH ORDERS IN ADVANCE FROM PANERA BREAD! Please use this link to order the sandwich you would like by 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 22nd.  Bring cash to the workshop.  The cost is $15.00.  KASC will provide water!  We know it is likely to be hot, so we are providing the option to order in! https://forms.gle/5acp8CYkq3gvTkWo7*

 

Join us in what promises to be an amazing day of experiencing, thinking about, and learning music!  Through the knowledge, skill and virtuosity of Jill Trinka, participants will be introduced to repertoire and sequential activities to energize their music classrooms. This is sure to be a quick moving workshop as Jill covers singing games, dances, performance practice, classroom activities with repertoire, improvisation, sequential instruction, historical research - all of which serve to provide a foundation for unfolding and nurturing children's musical skills.  As a special feature, Jill will present her research on the subject of Balladry as it relates to George Floyd. The workshop will be a hands-on experience.

 

Dr. Jill Trinka is an internationally acknowledged Master Teacher in the Kodály philosophy of music education. She retired from full-time university teaching in 2019 at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, where she taught undergraduate and graduate ear training and sight-singing, elementary music methods, American Music, and classroom instrument courses. Dr. Trinka has directed and taught in Kodály Teacher Training Institutes throughout the United States. She currently directs the West Chester University (PA) Kodály Certificate Program. Previous academic posts include The University of North Texas, the University of St. Thomas, and the University of Central Arkansas.  She is a past president of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and was the 2003 recipient of their Outstanding Educator Award. Dr. Trinka is well known by children, parents, and music educators as “a dynamic, winsome, and energetic teacher and performer.” Her performances bring new life to the musical and cultural treasures of American folk music as she accompanies herself on the dulcimer, autoharp, guitar, and banjo.  Jill has many publications through GIA,  https://www.giamusic.com/store/artists/jill-trinka

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Workshop #2: November 5th, 2022

9:30 am-1:00 pm PST

Building a Foundation Together with Inclusive Repertoire

Clinician: Larena Code

Online (Zoom)

In this actionable session, I’ll share step-by-step how I used the foundation of my Kodály training to gradually become a more inclusive, anti-bias music educator. Attendees will sing and play kid-tested activities and repertoire that validate multiple identities and center joy. We will also explore lesson segments that use guiding questions and thinking routines to support identity and diversity work within the Kodály framework. Additionally, participants will reflect on where they are on their own anti-bias journeys and identify what their next steps might be. Join in my ongoing journey as a white Kodály-inspired educator striving toward anti-bias praxis the Kodály Way.

Larena Code is an elementary music teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and national recipient of the 2022 Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) Outstanding Emerging Educator Award. She holds a Master’s in Music Education from the University of St. Thomas (2021) and Bachelor of Music Education from DePaul University (2015). Code completed her Kodály certification at DePaul University (2016) and again at University of St. Thomas (2021), and Orff Certification at the University of Kentucky (2018). Taking her passions into the community, Larena is an active presenter at statewide, regional, and national music conferences, including the 2022 OAKE Conference. Her work is published in the Illinois, Minnesota, and Kentucky Music Educator Journals on topics such as race and equity in the music room, culturally responsive pedagogy, and elementary hip-hop curriculum. Code is the immediate past president of Chicago Area Kodály Educators.

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Workshop #3: February 4, 2023

Registration: 9:00-9:25 am

Workshop: 9:30 am-1:00pm

From Vocal Exploration to A Cappella Expertise

Clinician: Rob Dietz

Online on Zoom or In-Person at St. Paul’s 1st Lutheran Church, 

5244 Tujunga Ave, North Hollywood CA, 91601

 

Come join us as Rob Dietz, (Co-Founder of A CAPPELLA ACADEMY),(Arranger and coach for NBC's The Sing-Off), shares his professional experience and expertise in the areas of arranging, rehearsal techniques, a capella, and pop singing/contemporary voice. Vocal arranging is not as difficult as you would expect! This workshop will equip you with important tips about arranging for a cappella groups and choirs. Rob will present effective rehearsal techniques beginning with basic foundation and approaches. The activities will be focused toward middle and high school contemporary vocal music to help participants discover new skills and hone the skills they already have. Upper elementary music teachers will be able to inform their teaching practice and benefit from experiencing more in-depth skills that can be expected of students when they reach middle school!

 

Rob Dietz is a multiple CARA winning singer and vocal percussionist who has been arranging, composing, teaching, and performing contemporary a cappella music for over 20 years. Based in Los Angeles, Rob is best known for his work as an arranger and group coach for NBC’s The Sing-Off.  A native of Ithaca, NY, Rob got his start singing in high school as a member of the a cappella quintet, Ascending Height, with whom he wrote and produced the first ever album of all original music at the high school level. He graduated from Ithaca College in 2010 where he received a dual degree in music and business. As a performer, Rob is an award-winning vocal percussionist. His distinctive sound has been featured on several TV shows including Fox’s Glee and the Late Late Show with James Corden. Rob has had the pleasure of collaborating with and arranging for top talent and world-renowned artists, including Pentatonix, Voiceplay, Smokey Robinson, Flo Rida, and Sara Bareilles. Rob has a deep passion for a cappella education and is a founding co-director (along with Ben Bram and Avi Kaplan) of A CAPPELLA ACADEMY. Rob is a sought-after presenter and clinician who has led vocal music workshops at events such as the National A Cappella Convention and the ACDA National convention. Alongside his work in contemporary a cappella music, Rob is an avid choral composer, with work published by Alfred Music Publishing and GIA Publications. His pieces continue to be performed by choirs from all over the world. https://www.robdietzmusic.com/ 

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Workshop #4: March 25th, 2023

Registration: 9:00-9:25 am

Workshop: 9:30 am-1:00pm

From Folksong Arrangements to Jazz and Pop Tunes

Clinician: László Cser

Online on Zoom or In-Person at Wagner Hall,  St. Paul's First Lutheran School
11330 McCormick St., North Hollywood, CA 91601

 

Get ready to freshen up your solfa skills, with Professor Cser.  The melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements of music of the Common Practice Period (1600-1900) and beyond will be illustrated through the use of "solfege".  The workshop will include jazz and pop developments of the 20th century.  Mr. Cser is a professional pianist with extensive experience teaching and playing a wide range of styles.  His enthusiastic teaching often employs older and newer materials to illustrate his points. Here are some comments from his students:  “László Cser is as playful as he is talented. His unique humor and gifts are a delight to be around." KASC  proudly presents our longtime associate for this master class.

 

László Cser is Professor Emeritus of Music of Los Angeles City College, where he worked from 1975 to 2005, teaching harmony, musicianship, counterpoint, 20th-century compositional techniques, piano, and jazz subjects.  His textbook, Harmony and Musicianship with Solfege (1997) in its new enlarged form (2016), co-authored with Dan Wanner, is now the music theory textbook of the Music Department of LACC.  Mr. Cser has been part of KASC’s Summer Certification Program for over 35 years.

Workshop Prices

OAKE (KASC) Members: $25 (members receive coupon code for $10 off)

Non-members: $35

4 Workshop Package Deal- Get access to 4 workshops for the price of 3 (for current members only): $75

Full-Time College Students and Administrators: FREE

FREE Full-time students:
If you are a full-time student and want to attend our workshops for free, then become a FREE member of OAKE with KASC as your chapter! Be sure to select "full-time student" as your membership type.
https://www.oake.org/become-a-member/ 

(Current student members will receive a coupon code for free admission via email 2 weeks before each workshop. If you become a full-time student and haven't received the coupon code, email us at kascmail@gmail.com and we will provide it!)

District Workshop PAckage

We are excited to announce we are now offering a special "District Workshop Package" deal where a school district can pay a total of $700, which will allow up to 10 participants to attend each of our workshops through the year. If your district is interested in a package deal, please contact us for more information at kascmail@gmail.com.

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Join Us!

Join us all year long for one of our engaging professional development workshops throughout the school year. KASC brings in quality clinicians from all over the world to provide inspiration to music educators in the Southern California region.

OAKE’s Commitment to Equity


The members of OAKE are committed to championing diversity, welcoming all people, and advancing inclusivity and equity for all. Inspired by Zoltán Kodály’s unyielding assertion that music belongs to everyone, we affirm that music is a fundamental aspect of shared human experiences. As such, we pledge to promote active music making merged with intentionally respectful practices as the basis of comprehensive music education.

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