Monday, April 5, 2021

If there's been anyone who has kept "the pedal to the metal" for music education through the pandemic, it's Scott Lang. For over a decade, Scott Lang has been educating and entertaining audiences through his nationally known leadership training sessions. He is also a well-regarded author and the creator of Be Part of the Music, a recruitment, retention, and advocacy resource. Lang and his team have put together a series of recruitment videos, customizable documents, automated engagement tools, and other helpful resources. He and Andrew Hrynyshyn, founder of Fundraise Genius and co-leader of Be Part of the Music, have been working tirelessly to benefit music educators by hosting webinars addressing recruiting, advocacy, and funding resources. Their most recent webinar, "Understanding ESSER: A Once in A Lifetime Opportunity," provides an easy roadmap for music educators to secure CARES Act monies for their programs.

ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This current bill provides more than double the previous two bills put together and can be used to purchase instruments, risers, support after school and summer learning programs, and even hire additional staff. Scott and Andrew's recent webinar is a MUST WATCH. Your district has the federal allotment, but you must act quickly to secure funding for your specific program. Click below for links to the recording and additional ESSER resources.

Kale White retired from band directing in May 2016 to join the Palen Music Center team. He was a band director in Oklahoma for 27 years, having taught in Purcell, Owasso, the Putnam City schools in OKC, and the last eighteen years in Jenks. He earned his BME and MME at the University of Oklahoma. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association, Oklahoma Music Educators Association, and the Percussive Arts Society.

Brooklynne Seale PMC Broken Arrow Brooklynne graduated from Minnesota State College Southeast in May of 2020 with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Band Instrument Repair. She also holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Oklahoma Baptist University. Brooklynne's interests in band instrument repair began while she was student teaching for her music education degree, where she was often having to make small adjustments to her students' instruments to help them play better until they could get to the shop. A year after graduating from OBU, she decided to attend MSC Southeast in Red Wing, MN to learn band instrument repair. Brooklynne began repairing for Palen Music Center shortly after graduating from MSC Southeast. When she's not working, Brooklynne's hobbies include fishing, sewing, playing video games, and spending time with family.