MTL Faculty Activities

Teaching

In 2024, Dr. Azzara’s international teaching engagements included curriculum consulting and instruction at two leading institutions in Germany: the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg and the Bundesakademie für musikalische Jugendbildung in Trossingen. In May, he led a week-long residential course titled Creativity in Music Teaching and Learning in Trossingen, which brought together educators from across Germany and Austria. In October, his teaching in Hamburg engaged students from the Hochschule as well as professional musicians and music educators from the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, and major German cities including Mannheim, Berlin, Freiburg, Munich, and Hamburg. Eastman alumna Mary Bouras (’08E, MA) and her colleagues from the American International School Vienna were also among the participants.

Musicianship and Performance

Dr. Azzara contributed as both performer and clinician at the St. Charles Community College Jazz Camp in St. Louis, Missouri. He performed as the pianist with the faculty big band, which featured distinguished artists such as Bijon Watson (trumpet), Mary Fettig (alto saxophone), Jim Martin (bass trombone), and Rick Haydon (guitar). In addition to his performance role, he taught improvisation classes for middle and high school students and delivered professional development workshops for local music educators in the St. Louis area.

Research and Scholarship

Dr. Azzara is co-author, with Professor Emeritus Richard Grunow, of Jump Right In: The Instrumental Series (JRI: TIS) for Winds and Percussion. He is currently leading work on the third edition of the curriculum, which will include 13 student books, recordings, and a comprehensive teacher’s guide, scheduled for publication in late 2025 or early 2026. The project features contributions from Eastman’s Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion faculty, Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media faculty, and members of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Dr. Azzara serves as pianist and musical director, overseeing the development of recordings, lesson plans, piano accompaniments, and flexible arrangements that support a comprehensive approach to instrumental instruction.

Leadership and Teaching

Dr. Lisa Caravan served as Chair of the 2025 American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Conference Committee, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the conference’s structure and vision. In recognition of her outstanding service, she received ASTA’s Citation of Leadership and Merit, awarded at the 2025 national conference. ASTA President Dr. Karin S. Hendricks and Executive Director Lynn Tuttle praised her transformative leadership in a formal letter:

“Lisa, we are grateful for your thoughtful leadership while serving in this role. You have helped us rethink our proposal system, including building a rubric that we now share with those who apply, creating more transparency in the system, and being open to new ideas, such as collocating the conference with our Suzuki colleagues last year. In addition, you willingly took on more work on behalf of ASTA, incorporating the Virtual String Teachers Summit into the Conference Committee’s workload.”

In addition to her leadership, Dr. Caravan remains actively engaged in teacher education. At the ASTA Conference, she co-presented “Cultivating Teacher Mindset: Designing Field Experiences in the Orchestra Classroom” with PhD student Kelton Burnside, a session that explored innovative strategies for preparing preservice teachers through field-based experiences.

Research and Presentations

Dr. Caravan’s scholarly work focuses on equity, inclusion, and student empowerment in orchestral music education. At the 2025 ASTA Conference, she co-presented a poster session titled “Cultivating Belonging in Orchestra: Equity and Inclusion in Programming,” alongside doctoral students Jonathan Fleischman and Kelton Burnside. Additionally, she made her debut at the 2025 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention—one of the largest music education events in the nation—presenting “Goal Setting and Reflection for Student Autonomy” with Burnside. Her research and national presentations consistently support her vision of a responsive and reflective music classroom.

Performance

Complementing her roles as a teacher and researcher, Dr. Caravan remains an active performer. She continues to appear with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society during the 2024–2025 season, contributing to performances of major works such as Brahms’ String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Golijov’s Tenebrae, Amy Beach’s Theme and Variations for flute and string quartet, and Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 4 in E minor. Her ongoing performance work enriches her comprehensive approach to music education, where pedagogy, scholarship, and artistry intersect.

Teaching

In Fall 2024, Dr. Mara E. Culp (Associate Professor, Department of Music Teaching and Learning) partnered with Laura Turley, Director of the Early Childhood Music Program at the Eastman Community Music School, to lead the Early Childhood Music Labs. These sessions provided young children with play-based music-making experiences, while simultaneously offering Eastman students in the Early Childhood Music Methods course hands-on teaching opportunities. Designed to promote inclusion, accessibility, and educational outreach, the labs were offered tuition-free, with only a nominal $15 registration fee per child.

Professional Engagement

At the state level, Dr. Culp served as Research Committee Chair for the 2024 New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Winter Conference held in Rochester, NY. Her leadership included chairing oral presentation sessions, overseeing the research poster session, and facilitating a dynamic research committee meeting. She also co-presented a session alongside both current and former graduate students, fostering scholarly dialogue and mentorship within the field. Dr. Culp’s active role in NYSSMA underscores her ongoing contributions to professional development and music education leadership.

Research and Scholarship

Nationally, Dr. Culp contributed to the 2024 Biennial NAfME Music Research and Teacher Education Conference in Atlanta, GA, by co-authoring two sessions that addressed inclusion and accessibility in music education. The first, Preparing Preservice Music Teachers to Support K-12 Learners with Complex Communication Needs Using Assistive Technology, was an interactive session co-authored with Dr. Angela Guerriero and Lisa Pierce-Goldstein and presented by Dr. Guerriero and Dr. Jason Jones. The second session, co-authored with Dr. Karen Salvador, titled Preparing Preservice Music Teachers to Support Students with Dis/abilities in Elementary General Music, provided practical strategies for teacher educators. Through these national presentations, Dr. Culp advanced critical conversations on supporting diverse learners in music classrooms.

Research and Scholarship

In 2025, Dr. Sangmi Kang published two empirical studies examining cultural discourses in music teaching and learning. Her article in Music Education Research, titled Dialectic Tension: Music Education Majors’ Lived Experience in an International Choral Trip, explores the complexities of global music education experiences. Another study, forthcoming in the Journal of Research in Music Education and titled Adaptations, Code-Switching, and Novelty with Cultural Integrity, investigates how musicians perform and learn instruments across different musical traditions. Additionally, Dr. Kang is co-editing the Oxford Handbook of Artificial Intelligence in Music Education with Frank Abrahams (Professor Emeritus, Westminster Choir College) and Clint Randles (University of South Florida), contributing to emerging conversations on AI and music pedagogy.

Teaching and Collaboration

Dr. Kang actively collaborates with doctoral students to support their development as scholars and educators. This work has resulted in two co-authored articles in the Music Educators Journal: Supporting Immigrant, Intercountry Adopted, and Refugee Students in Music Classrooms with Culturally Relevant and Responsive Approaches (appearing June 2025, with J. W. Lee), and Bulletin Boards and Classroom Decorations: A Visual Representation of Your Music Teaching Philosophy (2024, with R. Sanguinetti and S. Webber). These collaborative efforts reflect Dr. Kang’s dedication to integrating mentorship, research, and inclusive pedagogy.

Musicianship and Performance

As a performer, Dr. Kang remains engaged in presenting both Korean and Western musical traditions to diverse audiences. Highlights from the 2024–25 season include a candlelight concert with Schola Cantorum at Christ Church on October 6 and Gugak (Traditional Korean Music) Meets Carol, held on December 15. An upcoming performance for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at the Strong National Museum of Play is scheduled for May 17. Through appearances at venues including the Harley School and the University of Rochester’s River Campus, Dr. Kang continues to foster cross-cultural musical understanding and community engagement through performance.

Teaching and Conducting

In Fall 2024, Dr. Phillip Silvey led the University of Rochester / Eastman School of Music Treble Chorus on a meaningful outreach trip to Seneca Falls, New York. The ensemble toured the Women’s Rights National Historical Park and performed a specially curated program at the National Women’s Hall of Fame, featuring repertoire that uplifted and empowered women-identifying individuals. The program included an original a cappella medley from the Broadway musical Suffs, arranged by Dr. Silvey. His dedication to shaping impactful choral experiences continued into 2025, when he conducted the Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Middle School Treble Chorus in Athens, Georgia, premiering a new composition under his own direction.

Composition

Dr. Silvey’s work as a composer was highlighted by multiple high-profile performances during the 2024–25 season. His original composition Colorful was performed on December 7, 2024, by the New York State School Music Association All-State Treble Chorus under the direction of Dr. Amy Voorhees. Prior to the performance, Dr. Silvey met with the chorus to provide insight and guidance, offering a unique connection between composer and performers. In early 2025, his newly composed work Mixed Feelings was premiered by the Georgia All-State Middle School Treble Chorus, further expanding his contributions to the treble choral repertoire.

Professional Engagement

As a recognized leader in vocal music education, Dr. Silvey was invited as one of two headlining presenters by the Vocal Music Council at the 2025 Colorado Music Educators Association Conference. Held January 30–31 in Colorado Springs, the conference featured six interest sessions led by Dr. Silvey, showcasing his expertise in choral pedagogy, repertoire, and rehearsal techniques. His presentations reflected a continued commitment to supporting music educators through practical, research-informed professional development.

Research and Scholarship

Dr. Alden Snell continues to advance research at the intersection of music education, creativity, and digital innovation. He recently completed National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)-funded research comparing three instructional approaches to teaching creativity in instrumental music contexts. Central to his scholarly efforts is the ongoing development of musiccpr.org, a free web application offering standards-based activities inspired by students’ current repertoire. This work includes building participatory design partnerships, in which music educators contribute to the development of new content—ensuring the platform remains teacher-informed and pedagogically grounded.

Teaching and Development

Dr. Snell integrates his research directly into his teaching by incorporating content from musiccpr.org into preservice instrumental music courses. This approach allows students to engage with technology-enhanced pedagogy while exploring creativity and performance-based learning. As the platform evolves, he continues to develop resources tailored for classroom use, supporting future music educators with accessible, standards-aligned tools designed to enrich instrumental instruction.

Professional Engagement

Dr. Snell has shared his research and web application development at a range of national and international conferences. In 2024–25, he presented at the International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference in Helsinki, the NAfME National Research Conference in Atlanta, the Suncoast Music Education Research Symposium XV in Tampa, and the 10th International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education in Kansas City. These presentations reflect Dr. Snell’s ongoing commitment to bridging scholarly inquiry, classroom practice, and digital innovation in music education.