Emily Maurek, 2023 Headliner

Emily Maurek earned a bachelor’s degree in music education with a minor in journalism at Ball State University and a master’s degree in music technology at Indiana University where she was awarded the Fine Arts Chancellor’s Scholar award. Since 1998, Emily has taught Kindergarten through fourth grade general music and choir with the Lake Central School Corporation in St. John, Indiana.

Emily has presented a number of sessions at music education conferences including the Feierabend Association for Music Education (FAME), Indiana Music Education Association (IMEA), Wisconsin Music Education Association (WMEA) and Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA).

Emily is an FAME Endorsed Teacher Trainer of First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege and is the past president of the FAME Board of Directors. She currently serves FAME as Executive Director. Emily resides in Valparaiso, Indiana with her husband, John, and their son Max.

Session Descriptions:
 

First Steps in Music: An Overview

• First Steps in Music (™) is a research-based, curricular framework combining the development of singing and movement skills in order to maximize musical aptitude in young children, typically grades PreK-2. The eight-part “workout” is designed to encourage musical independence and creativity through joyful activities and experiences shared with others while developing the prerequisite skills needed for music literacy: singing in tune, keeping a steady beat, and developing sensitivity to the expressive elements of music. This active session will guide participants through an overview of the eight-part First Steps in Music framework while providing ready-to-teach examples of engaging activities ready for use in the classroom.

First Steps in Part Singing

• Once students are tuneful, beatful, and artful it is time to enter into part-singing! In this session, participants will experience a sequential approach to singing in parts. Beginning with partner songs and simple bass lines then moving into rounds and canons and finally harmony, participants will experience beginning part-singing strategies using age-appropriate literature suited to students in the upper elementary grades and beyond. Tried-and-true methods and plenty of examples will be shared to encourage singing in parts joyfully.