Author Sandy Goldie is the director of music education at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Before moving to Richmond, Dr. Goldie taught string music education courses at the University of Florida, where she completed her Ph.D. and was awarded the David Wilmot Prize for Excellence in Music Education. She received her master’s degree in music education from the University of Georgia and her bachelor’s degree in instrumental music education and performance from the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Goldie has presented her music education research and pedagogy ideas at state, national, and international conferences, including the International Society for Assessment in Music Education, National Association for Music Education, American String Teachers Association, The Midwest Clinic, Society for Music Teacher Education, and State Music Education Association Conferences in Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. She has worked to promote music education at the local, state, and national levels through leadership positions in professional organizations such as the American String Teachers Association (former state president of the South Carolina Chapter and Virginia Chapter), South Carolina Music Educators Association (former executive board member of the orchestra division), Virginia Music Educators Association (President of the Higher Education Division), NAfME Collegiate Council (Southern representative), and American Viola Society (executive board member of the South Carolina and Virginia chapters). Dr. Goldie also serves on local arts advisory councils and works with area schools who serve disadvantaged and at-risk students to help provide access to string instruments and instruction.

Dr. Goldie is an active conductor/clinician, professional performer (violist), and advocate for music education. She enjoys working with young musicians throughout the United States and has conducted many honors groups, all-region orchestras, district clinics, youth orchestras, as well as the 2009 South Carolina All-State Orchestra. She has enjoyed working with students of all ages in the public schools as an orchestra teacher for fourteen years. Her school orchestras have consistently received superior ratings each year at state performance festivals in South Carolina, Georgia, and throughout the United States and abroad, performing in places including Hawaii (1st Place High School Orchestra Division), Italy (2007 tour of Rome, Venice, Cremona, and Florence), Orlando, Williamsburg, Myrtle Beach, Atlanta, and New York. Her orchestras have also routinely performed in local nursing homes and elementary schools in order to share the joy of music and music education with others in the community. She has performed professionally with symphonies in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia (South Carolina Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Charlotte Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra Augusta, and others). She currently directs the Richmond Symphony Youth Concert Orchestra and runs the Future Music Educator Honors Program for high school students. Her greatest loves are her family, her dog (Murray), her cat (Charlie), and the joy of sharing the excitement of great music teaching and performing with her students and fellow teachers.

Dr. Goldie can be reached at [email protected]

Note: Starting with this episode I will begin numbering the episodes to make it easier for the audience to keep track of what they have listened to. Please reach out to me if you have ideas for future Orchestra Teacher Podcast episodes or guests.