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Ask Me Anything Panel
Spring 2024
We are thrilled to invite you to the first-ever Girls Who Conduct Ask Me Anything Panel Discussion Series! This is an excellent opportunity to have your questions answered by our wonderful conductors from all over the world. Nothing is off limits!
Why Attend?
- Learn from the experiences and advice of leading female conductors.
- Engage in an open dialogue and get your questions answered.
- Connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about music and conducting.
Sign up NOW!
TIME: ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ. ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ด๐ฝ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ง, ๐ณ๐ฝ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ง, ๐ฑ๐ฝ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ง, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ.๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ.
Panelists (in alphabetical order):
๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น, 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence & former Assistant Conductor, Memphis Symphony
๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ถ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ผ, Dudamel Fellow, LA Philharmonic; Associate Conductor, North Carolina Symphony
๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ, Assistant Conductor & Diversity Fellow, Buffalo Philharmonic
๐ฆ๐๐ป๐ป๐ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ฎ, Associate Conductor, Seattle Symphony
The webinar is FREE and open to EVERYONE. Sign up here!
TIME:ย ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ. ๐ฎ๐ด, ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ง, ๐ญ๐ฝ๐บ ๐๐๐ง, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฝ๐บ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น.
Panelists (in alphabetical order):
Marta Gardolinska, Music Director, Opera national de Lorraine
Stephanie Rhodes Russell, Founder, Womenโs Artistic Leadership Initiative; Guest Conductor, Wolf Trap Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Washington National Opera
Michelle Rofrano, Artistic Director, PROTESTRA;Guest Conductor, Madison Opera, City Lyric Opera, Curtis Institute of Music
The webinar is FREE open to EVERYONE. Sign up here!ย
TIME:ย ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ด๐ฝ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ง, ๐ฑ๐ฝ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ง, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ/๐ง๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ต๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ/๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ.
Panelists (in alphabetical order):
Juhi Bensal, composer, conductor, and educator
Joanna Drimatis, Music Director and Chief Conductor, Beecroft Orchestra
Katie LaBrie, composer, conductor, and educator
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The webinar is FREE open to EVERYONE. Sign up here!ย
TIME:ย May 6 at 1pm EST, 10am PST, or 7pm European Central.
Panelists (in alphabetical order):
Arianne Abela, Director of the Choral Program, Amherst College
Maria A. Ellis, Girl Conductor
Amanda Hanzlik, Director of Choirs, E.O. Smith High School; President – Elect, ACDA Eastern Region
Liana Salinas, Artistic Director, Miami Children’s Chorus
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The webinar is FREE open to EVERYONE. Sign up here!ย
TIME:ย May 20 at 7pm EST, 4pm PST, 11pm European Central, or May 21 at 9am in Sydney, Australia.
Panelists (in alphabetical order):
Shelley Axelson, Director of Bands, Radford University
Dr. Shelley Axelson is currently the Director of Bands at Radford University in Virginia where she conducts the Wind Ensemble, Campus-Community Band, graduate conducting students, and teaches courses in the music education curriculum.ย She was previously an Assistant Professor of Music Education and Assistant Director of Bands at Montclair State University in New Jersey for twelve years where her duties included conducting the Symphonic Band and teaching courses in conducting, instrumental methods, and music education.ย She also served as an academic advisor, faculty advisor for Sigma Alpha Iota, and created a Campus Band and Pep Band so students majoring in a subject other than music would have an opportunity to continue their musical education and experiences.
Dr. Axelson earned her undergraduate degree in music education from the University of South Florida, where she studied conducting with Jerry Junkin, Michael Votta, and Mallory Thompson.ย She continued her training by earning a Master of Music degree in Conducting at the University of Michigan, where her principal teacher was H. Robert Reynolds. ย ย After graduating from Michigan, she taught at Pasco Middle School in Dade City, Florida (co-author of the Secondary Music Curriculum), and Richardson Junior High in Richardson, Texas.
After earning her Doctorate in Conducting with Mallory Thompson at Northwestern University, Dr. Axelson was appointed Director of Bands at Central College in Pella, Iowa where she was responsible for running all aspects of the band program.ย After three years in Iowa, she relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana to become the Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Indianapolis.ย In 2009, she joined the faculty of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University in New Jersey and has been at Radford University since the fall of 2022.
Dr. Axelson is a highly sought-after conductor, clinician, presenter, and adjudicator for professional development events, band festivals, honor bands, and conferences throughout the United States and Canada.ย She recently presented at the National Association for Music Education Regional Conference in Atlantic City and the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.
Dr. Axelson is a proud member of the College Music Society, College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, and Sigma Alpha Iota.
Julia Baumanis, Associate Director of Bands, Rutgers University
Dr. Julia Baumanis is Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Bands at Rutgers University and is the first female band director in the 257 year universityโs history. In 2022, she was named Artistic Director of the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra, a professional orchestra in the central New Jersey area. She is the co-curator of the book GO ON, Tell Your Story! Voices of Women Band Directors, which serves as a blueprint and guide to reading digestible, yet powerful stories from women band directors of all teaching levels and mediums (GIA Publications). She is a member of the Education and Repertoire Committee for the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), is the Mentorship Co-Chair for Women Band Directors International (WBDI) and is on the Music for All Educational Advisory Committee. A graduate of Florida State University College of Music, she received her bachelorโs in Instrumental Music Education, her masterโs degree in Instrumental Conducting, and her PhD in Music Education and Instrumental Conducting. She taught public school in south Florida as the Associate Director of Bands and Orchestras at J.P. Taravella High School and the Director of Orchestras at Ramblewood Middle School. She has presented her research at the NAfME Research Symposium, the CBDNA National Conference, and the Midwest Clinic. Most recently, her research has focused on developing a conductorโs baton that records data collected from a conductorโs expressive gestures as a technological tool to assist beginning conductors in developing their craft.
Tina Dimeglio, Associate Director of Bands, University of South Florida
Tina DiMeglio is the Associate Director of Bands at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. Dr. DiMeglio conducts the USF Symphonic Band and teaches courses in conducting and music education. She has served as the Music Director of the Tampa Brass Band since 2021.
Recently, Dr. DiMeglio won first prize at the Inaugural Frederick Fennell International Conducting Competition, held in Modica, Italy in November 2021. She was a Conducting Fellow in the 2019 Midwest Clinic Reynolds Conducting Institute, and was also a recipient of the 2019 CBDNA Mike Moss Diversity Conducting Fellowship Study Grant. She actively works toward increased diversity and inclusion in the wind band medium, collaborating with composers and artists from historically marginalized communities and mentoring young women and non-binary conductors.
Tina DiMeglio earned a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree from the University of Miami, where she studied Instrumental Conducting with Dr. Robert Carnochan. She holds a Master of Music Degree in Wind Conducting from West Chester University and a bachelorโs degree in music education, clarinet concentration, from Temple Universityโs Boyer College of Music, where she studied clarinet with Paul Demers of the Philadelphia Orchestra and graduated Magna Cum Laude as a member of the academic honors program. She was a high school band director in the Philadelphia area for seven years.
Dr. DiMeglio often serves as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor for band programs and honor band festivals nationwide. She maintains a private lesson studio and performs professionally as a conductor and clarinetist.
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The webinar is FREE open to EVERYONE. Sign up here!