Kevin Mixon Kevin Mixon Kevin Mixon began his teaching career in rural schools in Illinois and currently teaches instrumental music at Blodgett K-8 School, Syracuse City Schools, New York. His urban instrumental groups have received the highest ratings at regional festivals and have been honored by the Syracuse City Schools and the New York State Band Directors Association for achievement. Mr. Mixon has presented several sessions at state and national conventions including The Midwest Clinic and MENC regional and national conferences. His clinic topics include instrumental music in urban and rural schools, instrumental music for special learners, and alternate rehearsal techniques. He holds degrees, summa cum laude, from Syracuse University and the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). Several of his articles have appeared in Music Educators Journal, Teaching Music, The Instrumentalist, and The National Band Association Journal. He is author of a forthcoming book entitled Reaching andTeaching All Instrumental Music Students and also a contributing author for Perspectives on Music in Urban Schools (both MENC: The National Association for Music Education Publications, in press). His growing list of noted compositions for band and orchestra are available through Alfred Publishing.
Designed for instrumental music teachers in urban, rural, as well as suburban schools with similar characteristics, this presentation will focus on three areas crucial to success: student recruiting and retention; parental involvement; and funding and administrative support.