Alexa Tarantino
BM Jazz Saxophone Performance and Music Education plus Arts Leadership Certificate 2014
Named Top 5 Jazz Saxophonists of 2019 by JazzTimes Magazine
Tours internationally with Wynton Marsalis & The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Cecile McLorin Salvant
“Eastman provides the most incredible ecosystem for us to grow as musicians, teachers, and humans. The hard work, discipline, time management, and interpersonal skills that I developed in school have contributed to who I am today and led me to many of the unique opportunities I’ve experienced in my career since graduation. When I decided to apply to the music education degree program in my sophomore year, I had no idea that the faculty, staff, and students in the Department of Music Teaching and Learning would become such a wonderful and supportive family.
Not only did the MTL curriculum teach us how to be better musicians and teachers of all ages/abilities, but it provided the landscape for us to understand people in a deeper way. The music education degree was not just a piece of paper for a backup plan, it was what unlocked the importance of human connection and empathy, communication and listening, and respecting others’ perspectives, all under the umbrella of learning how to be the best music teacher and performer that one can be.”
James McKay Jr.
BM Music Education 1996 (double bass)
2017 Co-Founder, Vice President, Music Director of Gateway Music Outreach
2021 Art Educator of the year, St. Louis Arts and Education Council Arts Awards
“Eastman quickly became a home away from home for me. The close relationships formed in the double bass studio felt more like a family than a competitive incubator. I am grateful for my professor’s patience and diligent teaching style, which helped me grow and flourish as a musician. Receiving a Music Education Degree from Eastman has opened many doors in the education field over the years, and I am proud to be an alum.”
Ellen Rowe
BM Music Education 1980
MM Jazz and Contemporary Media 1982
Designated the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at the University of Michigan in 2017 in recognition of undergraduate teaching excellence
Selected to conduct the NAfME All-Eastern and All-Northwest Honor Jazz Ensembles
“The best decisions I made while at Eastman involved versatility. I sang in the choir, played celeste in the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra and played in Jazz Ensembles and small groups. I also accompanied for lots of different teaching studios, learning lots of great repertoire and being exposed to lots of different pedagogical styles. I am grateful that this department encouraged me to take advantage of so many opportunities!”
Scott Shuler
PhD Music Education 1987
Writing team for 1994 National Standards in Arts Education
Writing team co-chair for 2014 National Core Arts Standards
MENC/NAfME national president 2010-2012
“I’ve reflected often about my Eastman experiences, which provided a powerful continuation of studies that I had completed previously. The value of the Eastman doctoral program was attributable not just to the expertise but also to the caring nature of its music education faculty. Those are precisely the qualities that music education programs must model and elicit, so their graduates are inspired to carry those qualities into the classrooms they subsequently lead.”