Weekend Preview!!

Some fantastic episodes coming this weekend! A trifecta of greatness -- college, high school, and middle school specialists!!

Friday is Dr. David Pope from Baldwin Wallace University. Saturday I have Christine Gero who is orchestra director in Seattle, Washington. Then on Sunday is the incredible Angela Harman, Orchestra Director at Maple Grove Middle School in Utah and author of www.OrchestraClassroom.com! Tune in, like, and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts!

David Doke is a dedicated and accomplished music educator with over 30 years of experience in orchestra program development and conducting. He spent his teaching career in the Cobb County (GA) School System, where he holds the notable achievement of founding two high school orchestra programs. His teaching journey began in 1994 as the founding director of the North Cobb High School Orchestra, where he taught for 12 years. In 2006, he left North Cobb to establish the Hillgrove High School Orchestra program, where he served as Director of Orchestras, Advanced Placement Music Theory teacher, and Fine Arts Department Chair until his retirement in 2024.

As a music educator Dr. Doke cultivated a tradition of excellence among his students, earning recognition at state, national, and international levels. His ensembles were featured at the Georgia Music Educators State Conference with the North Cobb Symphony (2001) and the Hillgrove Symphony (2010 and 2015). He led student performances at esteemed venues, including Symphony Hall in Boston (2006), the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC (2012), Orchestra Hall in Chicago (2013), and Carnegie Hall in New York (2011, 2014, 2017, and 2022). Internationally, he conducted performances in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, China (2016); at the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Sainte-Mère-Église and Paris, France (2019); and at Harpa Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland (2024).

Many of Dr. Doke's students have gone on to pursue music degrees at prestigious music institutions, including the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Berklee College of Music, Belmont University, the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Dr. Doke received the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Honor Teacher Award in 2003 and was recognized as STAR Teacher at Hillgrove High School in both 2012 and 2024.

https://www.daviddokestrings.com

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Website: http://www.orchestrateacher.net

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Ben McWhorter is the orchestra teacher at Tates Creek High School in Lexington, Kentucky. Known for his professional, engaging, and collaborative approach to teaching, Ben’s orchestras have consistently earned “Distinguished” ratings at district performance assessments during his 19 year tenure. In 2023, Ben implemented a middle school mentoring program, with high school orchestra musicians providing individual instruction to over 50 younger students. This has significantly increased student achievement at both schools and fostered a strong connection between the two programs. Ben secured a grant in 2024 to provide weekly professional chamber music coaching to over 30 of his students, leading to significant growth in their musicianship and fostering a strong sense of collaboration and ensemble.

Thomas Chen is Director of Orchestras at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. Under his direction, the Carmel High School Symphony Orchestra earned regular appearances at the Indiana State School Music Association State High School Concert Finals, produced a recording of Dvorak Symphony No. 9, and performed at The Midwest Clinic in 2019 and 2024. Chen previously held the position of Assistant Director at Dobie High School in Houston, Texas, where he helped lead five orchestras to earn Superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sight Reading.

This the LAST episode for 2024! Thank you for the support this year! A ton of great content coming your way in 2025!

In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Dr. Rachael Keplin—a versatile violist, string educator, and free improviser—for a deep dive into the world of free improvisation, mindfulness, and their transformative impact on learning to play stringed instruments.Dr. Keplin shares her unique approach to fostering creativity and connection through free improvisation, offering insights into how mindfulness can enhance student engagement and musical growth. Dr. Keplin shares a few practical classroom strategies for integrating these concepts into both group and studio teaching environments, making this episode a must-listen for educators looking to inspire their students in new and innovative ways.🎶 About Dr. Rachael KeplinDr. Keplin serves as Associate Principal for the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and frequently performs with ensembles like the North Carolina Opera and North Charleston Pops. A passionate chamber musician, she co-founded the contemporary ensembles Chamber Brews and Sounding Board, championing new music and non-classical genres.Beyond performance, Rachael creates her own music using a Boss RC-600 loop station, performing solo looper shows throughout North Carolina. Recently awarded the ACGC Artist Grant, she’s currently producing her debut album. Her dissertation, Mindfulness and Free Improvisation, has been presented at national conferences, and she continues to integrate these practices into her teaching at Wake Forest University and The Music Academy of North Carolina.🎧 Tune in to learn how mindfulness and improvisation can transform your teaching and your students’ musical journeys! Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/nSGJHmQ6eAQ

For more information visit https://www.orchestrateacher.net

Read Dr. Keplin’s dissertation here: https://f051af03-d154-425f-bf90-05257cf0f8b0.filesusr.com/ugd/23e7a7_4a185ff0626c482890f9ed8f5c274cfc.pdf

In this heartfelt episode, I reunite with three remarkable former Alpharetta High School Orchestra students—Jason Juang, Kacie Xie, and Sarang Pujari—as they share their orchestra journeys and how those experiences have shaped their collegiate years and budding careers. From concert stages to cutting-edge innovation, their stories highlight the transformative power of music education and the lifelong impact of creative collaboration.

Jason Juang, a Georgia Tech alumnus and Henry Luce Scholar, is now a climate change researcher at the Delta Electronics Foundation in Taipei, Taiwan. A former cellist with 7 years of orchestra experience, Jason reminisces about his middle and high school music days and how impromptu college jam sessions with his roommate kept his love for music alive.

Kaci Xie, a recent Yale graduate in Computing and the Arts and Education Studies, reflects on her time as a violist and how it fueled her passion for early childhood education and her involvement with the Yale Symphony Orchestra. Now the founder of Cimu, a startup helping fashion retailers reduce returns, Kacie shares how the discipline and creativity she cultivated in orchestra continue to inspire her entrepreneurial and educational endeavors.

Sarang Pujari, a dual-degree recipient in Computer Science from Georgia Tech, recalls his rich musical background, including six years in All-State, performing with the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, and his time in Georgia Tech's Symphony Orchestra. Now a software engineer in Miami, Sarang discusses how his orchestra experience instilled teamwork and focus—skills he carries into his career in tech.Join us as we explore how their time in the orchestra prepared them for success, nurtured their passions, and created lifelong memories.

Whether you're a music enthusiast, educator, or former performer, this episode celebrates the enduring influence of music education on personal and professional growth. 🎻✨Also watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YnIvEhgDNXk

For resources and more information visit https://www.orchestrateacher.net#OrchestraPodcast #MusicEducation #StringTeaching #OrchestraLife #studentsuccess #orchestraalumni #musiceducationmatters #StringsInspiration #ArtsEducation #MusicMatters

A trailer about upcoming episodes featuring some incredible former students! You won't want to miss them!

In episode #77 of The Orchestra Teacher Podcast, we are joined by Vinny Conrod, Director of Orchestras at Innovation High School in Orlando, FL, and President of the Florida chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). With years of experience teaching at both the middle and high school levels, Vinny shares his journey of opening a brand-new high school orchestra program, offering insights into the challenges and rewards of starting from scratch, building a strong program, and fostering a positive culture for both students and staff.Vinny has led orchestras to prestigious events such as the ASTA National Orchestra Festival, the Florida Music Education Association’s State Conference, and the Texas Music Educators Association State Conference. His passion for music education and his commitment to excellence have made him a standout figure in the field.Tune in for this exciting conversation and hear more about Vinny’s innovative approach to teaching, leadership, and growing a thriving orchestra program at a brand-new school.--About Vinny Conrod...Vinny Conrod is the Director of Orchestras at Innovation High School in Orlando, FL, and serves as President of the Florida ASTA chapter. Previously, Mr. Conrod taught Orchestra at Lake Nona High School (Orange County Public Schools - Orlando, FL), Doerre Intermediate School (Klein Independent School District - Houston, TX) and Avalon Middle School (Orange County Public Schools - Orlando, FL).Orchestras under Mr. Conrod’s direction have performed at the ASTA National Orchestra Festival, Florida Music Education Association's State Conference, and Texas Music Educators Association State Conference. Mr. Conrod holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a minor in Performing Arts Administration, and a Master’s of Arts in Music with a concentration in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Central Florida.#OrchestraPodcast #MusicEducation #StringTeaching #OrchestraLife #TeachingTips #TeacherVoices #StringPedagogy #CreativeTeachers #MusicTeacherTribe #ProfessionalDevelopment #OrchestraClassroom #OrchestraPodcast #MusicEducation #StringTeaching #TeacherInterviews #OrchestraTeacher #CreativeTeachers #ListenAndLearn

In this episode of The Orchestra Teacher Podcast, I sit down with the legendary Bob Phillips, an innovator in string education, composer, and conductor, whose work has shaped the landscape of string music education. Known for his pioneering contributions to large group pedagogy and eclectic styles for strings, Bob has written over 25 book series and more than 225 published works for orchestras and bands, reaching thousands of students each year.