Music, Dance, and Drama Workshops will be presented at the Westchester Music Conservatory, 216 Central Avenue, White Plains, NY

Please use the public parking lots or street parking as the conservatory will be open for regularly scheduled classes throughout the day.   

Art Educators will meet for the opening reception at 8:30 am at New Rochelle High School, HOUSE 4.

For GPS, use Braemar Ave & North Ave (not 265 Clove Road, which is on the opposite side of the school).

Please park in House 4 Parking Lot.   

Approaches to a Healthy Musical Theatre Belt 

Meg Test, Harrison

Techniques and tricks for helping students access a healthy belt; tangible ways to visualize "placement" of sound.

Band Instrument Repair Techniques

Grant Geiling, Music in Arts

Come experience music repairs from the professional!  Music in Arts will host workshops focusing on instrument repairs for band and orchestra. 

Band Reading Session

Patrick Murphy, Lakeland

New and interesting works for all grade levels from a diverse selection of composers.

Beats and Buckets

Tina Holmes, Lakeland

How to translate bucket drumming into digital music making with a DAW!

Beginning Note-Reading for The String Teacher 

Charlie Bennett, Harrison

An approach to note reading that emphasizes how our brains actually process visual information- in patterns. This session will focus on strategies for string teachers by connecting concepts like fingerboard geography to sound and melodic contour. While we will explore this through the lens of beginning students, concepts will be applicable to all levels of string instruction. I will be providing some materials that teachers can immediately use with their students to develop stronger note-reading skills.

Canva For the Music Classroom

Joanna Fusco, White Plains 

Ready to spice up your presentations and digital content for students?  Canva is for you!  This new way to add tech and instruct has so many applications, come see and try for yourself! Please bring a device and an idea so you can begin to prepare your first (or fifty-first) Canva project!

Choral Reading Session

Hannah Geiling, Bronxville

Open a new to you collection of chorus works for elementary, middle and high school groups!  Join your colleagues for a morning of song with packets sponsored with digital access from JW Pepper. 

Creating Podcasts Using Digital Audio Workstations

Gary Casity, White Plains

This is a hands-on session using a digital audio workstation, where participants will collaboratively create a short podcast using recorded audio and original music. This kind of project is highly adaptable for various grades, podcast, and use in a music course curriculum.

From Bach to Rock - Connecting General Music to Modern Music and Engaging Students

Gabriel Evans, Ossining Union Free School District

Oftentimes, we are tasked with teaching general music and find that the curriculums are daunting, dated, and completely out of touch. The hope of this presentation is to be able to connect Western European music to modern music in hopes to connect ideas, concepts and classical music to new ways that students can relate to. Being able to connect those ideas and bridges really help engage students, but also teach our curriculums, but do so in a new way.

Increase General Music Lesson Impact with Piano-Partner Learning (K-12)

Elana Master, Music and the Brain

A more rigorous general music experience that incorporates applied musicianship will elevate the music program across the district. Learn about Music and the Brain (MATB), an innovative general music method that blends whole-class piano learning, interdisciplinary connections, and essential life skills for all learners (K-12). With a 27-year track record of empowering music educators and building skills for 500,000+ students, we provide a meaningful experience of musicianship for all on a foundational instrument, piano/keyboards.  

The comprehensive resources in both our elementary and secondary approaches have been developed and honed through our partnerships with more than 600 music teachers who’ve successfully taught our curriculum.  This session will detail essential elements for a whole-class piano/keyboard experience and explore some of the thousands of MATB resources. 

It Started as a Side Hustle...Building a Non-Profit Arts Organization

Amanda Gundling, Scarsdale

Practical information for starting your business.  How to connect and expand your community outreach and provide access to all students.  How to build and foster your team for ultimate productivity and collaboration.  

Jazz Dance for Musical Theater

Debbie Toteda, Harrison

How to choreograph dance numbers for school musicals!  Workshop geared for various levels of students!

Let’s get Physical: A Physical Acting Improv Workshop for Arts Educators

Kelly McKenna Beyrer, Director of Performing Arts, Iona University

This engaging workshop is specifically designed for Westchester arts educators, focusing on integrating physicality and improvisational techniques that can be applied across various art forms, particularly theater. Participants will leave with practical improv exercises and physical acting techniques that can be readily applied in their classrooms, enhancing student engagement, creativity, and collaboration.

Making Classical MusicEngaging !: Creating engaging learning experiences with Classical Music

Erica Zimmerman, Mamaroneck and April Higgins, Katonah Lewisboro 

Come explore ways to make Carnival of the Animals (K-2) and  Danse Macabre (3-5) fun and accessible to elementary students.  Clinicians will lead an open discussion on the importance of using masterworks  in the classroom as well as,share resources while engaging our audience in the activities we do with the children in our classrooms.  

String Orchestra Reading Session- Varied Levels - BYOM! (BRING YOUR OWN MUSIC!)

Elyse Mullen, Mamaroneck

Come read through the new repertoire ideas from JW Pepper and some of those “golden oldies” you may have forgotten about!  Breathe new life into your music library and the strings of your students. Elementary through Secondary string repertoire. Teachers are encouraged to share their favorites from their libraries, as well (feel free to scan parts ahead of time and send to emullen@mamkschools.org for copying so you don’t have to bring). 

Pedagogical composing and arranging made easy

Michael Caprino, Port Chester

Tips and tricks to help educators compose and arrange music for their ensembles.

Percussion Techniques- Beginner Percussion Methods and Hand Drumming 101 

Robert Guilford, White Plains

Get your students (of any age) set up for long term success on snare drum, mallet percussion, and accessories (tambourine, triangle, etc). Participants will walk away with a better understanding of how to play these instruments and how to teach the skills needed to learn them. Additional focus of hand drumming rhythms and technique for the general music classroom.

Sounds that Sing: Discovering the Singing Voice in the General Music Room

Jennifer Sheldon Hommez, White Plains

 Continuously connect singing skills to everyday activities in the GM classroom.  Develop the voices of your inexperienced singers at any level with simple activities to connect them to a healthy singing technique.  Discover tips and tricks for students who are not yet vocal or not yet accessing their full range.  Discuss the process for moving novice singers towards a desired sound to enhance your singing groups

The Not-So-Dark Side: Information for Aspiring Arts Leaders

Matthew Royal, Harrison

This session is targeted to teachers interested in learning more about the ins and outs of school arts leadership. The clinician will provide information on the realities of arts leadership in a school setting for the next generation of arts administrators. 

Tools for Sight Reading Success using Sight Reading Factory

Nadia Rizzo, Pleasantville

A forum for sharing this amazing tool with teachers of all ages!

Theatre as an Interdisciplinary Tool

Stacey Bone Gleason, ARC Stages

Using theatre and playwriting as an interdisciplinary tool for learning. Over the course of this hands-on workshop, we will explore how theatrical ideas and playwriting can be used to support curriculum in other classrooms within your school; deepening learning and creating a love for the arts at the same time. Attendees will acquire tools to be able to engage with other learning disciplines within the school; providing an opportunity for students and other faculty to become excited by the art of theatre, and prove how the arts can help in-class learning. This workshop is ideal for theatre teachers as well as general music teachers to cross the bridges of all content areas and ages. 

Using Music Production Tools For Student Engagement (6-12)

Anthony Maceli, Valhalla

This workshop is designed for educators looking to incorporate music production skills into their curriculum. Teach students to collaborate using production skills like loops, sampling, tempo modification, AI, and step sequencers, 

Teachers will learn how to create a classroom framework for creating appropriate projects for students in your general music classroom, production class, or ensemble. We will utilize DAWs Soundtrap and Logic Pro, but these frameworks may be used with any DAW that fits your classroom. 

Canva for Art Education

Leah Bernabei, New Rochelle

Attendees will learn the variety of functions Canva has for creating lessons, demonstrating projects, and creating teacher resources. Please bring your own device for this workshop - laptops are encouraged.

Collaborative Process Art Murals: Creating Connection through Creativity in the Art Room

Linnea Engles, White Plains

Attendees will learn that process-based collaborative art has many purposes for young children, including creating a space in which students can work on cooperation and sharing, individual and group decision making skills, develop and hone fine motor skills through a variety of materials, and can be a part of discussions that teach studio habits of mind as they are working on the layers of their art. 

Creating Stencils to add pattern, texture and layers to your paintings.

Catherine Ibanez, Ossining

In this workshop we will experiment with a variety of methods for creating stencils. We will then use the stencils to paint through, adding pattern, texture and layers. Hands on experience with making and using stencils for painting at all levels.

Elem Lesson Ideas for Cultural Heritage Months (Hispanic, Native American, or Black History)

Chrystal Chambers, Port Chester

Embracing Play to Explore Creativity

Lauren Berrios, White Plains

In this session, participants will explore the way play can build creativity and community. We will start with a small game to build connection and will use the structure of Oliver Herring's Task Party to embrace play as an exploration of creativity. Participants will leave with resources to throw their own task party in their classrooms. 

The Art of the Sketchbook Unlocking Creativity and Self-Expression

Sarah Rowe, Harrison

In this workshop, teachers will explore activities and exercises to help students create and develop a robust sketchbook practice. Prompts and exercises will center around making the sketchbook a productive place to document, plan, take risks, experiment, play and build technical skills. Using the provided activities, teachers will discover strategies to help students unlock lingering questions, uncover positive habits, and get to know themselves better through the use of a sketchbook. Sample prompt themes include Fast & Slow, Deconstruct, Reconstruct, Less as More, Dissect an Artwork, Cross Examination, Alternative Endings, and Search and Research. 

The Art of Venetian Masks

Gina D’Orazio, Eastchester

A hands on experience of how to create a Model Magic Venetian mask and how to incorporate it  into your  curriculum. Each participant will leave with a mask they have created to be painted on their own.  

Tips for Art on a Cart and  Making Video Demonstrations

Chrystal Chambers, Port Chester

Wire and Plaster Beginner armatures Inspired by Keith Haring

Christine Vitarello, Harrison

Workshop attendees will learn simple ways to introduce their students to figurative sculpture with a playful and fail proof approach.