A New Approach to Mentorship: Working with Alliances and Making It Sustainable
Clinic Synopsis:
Traditional mentorship models often struggle with sustainability. This session explores how state alliances like the Iowa and Idaho Alliances, along with Teach Music, are creating lasting mentorship networks. Learn how to structure, fund, and sustain mentorship programs through alliances, ensuring stronger support for arts educators. Gain practical tools and strategies to build impactful mentorship in your community.
James Weaver
- Biographical Information
Dr. James Weaver is the CEO and President of Music
for All. A native of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Weaver has served as a
teacher, administrator, and national leader in music education across district,
state, and national levels.
He began his career as the director of orchestras in Perham,
Minnesota, then returned to Aberdeen Public Schools, where he led a period of
unprecedented program growth and competitive success. He went on to serve as
assistant executive director of the South Dakota High School Activities
Association (SDHSAA), launching new statewide fine arts programs and
modernizing adjudication systems.
Later, as district administrator of fine and performing arts for
the Sioux Falls School District, Weaver oversaw music, visual arts, speech,
debate, theatre, and adaptive arts across 37 schools, managing a team of 140
and leading a full K-12 curriculum redesign.
In 2016, Weaver became Director of Performing Arts and Sports at
the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), where he led
major national initiatives in performing arts advocacy, professional
development, and copyright compliance. He played a pivotal role as co-chair of
the International Performing Arts Aerosol Study, helping over 125 organizations
navigate a safe return to school music and arts programs during the COVID-19
pandemic.
Weaver currently serves as president of the National Music
Council and holds appointments to several national arts boards and policy
groups. His leadership continues to shape the future of school music through
innovation, advocacy, and coalition building.
Bob Morrison - Biographical Information
Robert B. Morrison is a nationally renowned leader in arts and
music education, recognized for his pioneering research, influential advocacy,
and transformative policy initiatives. As founder and CEO of Quadrant
Research—the nation’s leading arts education data analytics and market research
firm—Morrison has driven groundbreaking advancements in expanding access to
music and arts programs across the United States.
A tireless advocate for arts education policy, Morrison played a
pivotal role in establishing New Jersey as a national model. He founded and
directed Arts Ed NJ, New Jersey’s statewide arts education policy group, and
spearheaded initiatives that led to the state being the first in the country to
include arts education in annual school reporting. In Arkansas, his
collaboration with the governor helped mandate music and arts programs for all public-school
students, a policy later adopted by Louisiana.
Morrison’s research efforts have been equally transformative. He
authored the seminal report The Sound of Silence: The Unprecedented Decline
of Music Education in California Public Schools, which helped catalyze a $1
billion reinvestment in music and arts education.
Morrison currently leads the national Arts Education Data Project
and a host of state-level projects in nearly three dozen states, providing
critical data that has influenced policy and improved access to arts education
for millions of students.
Before founding Quadrant Research, Morrison established Music for
All, one of the nation’s most influential music education organizations, and
served as CEO of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, where he directed the
donation of over $25 million in musical instruments to restore programs in more
than 1,200 schools. His leadership roles also include senior positions at the
National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and the American Music
Conference, where he worked alongside Michael Kamen and Richard Dreyfus to
create the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
Morrison’s extensive contributions have earned
him numerous accolades, including a Prime-Time Emmy, a Peabody Award, the New
Jersey Governor’s Award for Arts Education, and an honorary doctorate from the
State University of New York. He is a founding member of the National
Coalition for Music Education, a champion for the National Standards for Arts
Education, and a sought-after board member for leading national and local arts
organizations. Through his ongoing work, Robert B. Morrison continues to shape
the future of music and arts education, ensuring that every child has the
opportunity to experience the transformative power of music and the arts.
Leon Kuehner - Biographical Information
Leon Kuehner earned
both his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Music Education from the University
of Northern Iowa.
He has been president of the Iowa Bandmasters Association, state chair
of American School Band Directors Association and state chair of the Iowa
Alliance for Arts Education. He has
served on the Iowa Music Educators Board and is a past president of the Executive
Board of the Iowa High School Music Association. He was the instrumental music chair of the
Iowa Fine Arts Standards Adoption Team for the Iowa Department of
Education. He currently serves on the
Fine Arts Leadership Team for the Iowa Department of Education and has served
as the Co-Administrator of the IAAE mentorship program since 2006. In July of 2013, he became the Executive
Director of IAAE. He is the recipient of the Karl King
Distinguished Service Awards for both and active retired members of the Iowa
Bandmasters Association. He has also
been named a “Distinguished Alumnus” of the University of Northern Iowa School
of Music. In 2012, he was named the
national winner of the National Federation of High School Association’s
Citation for contributions to music education. In 2023, he was awarded the
Governor’s Arts Education award by the Iowa Arts Council. He currently teaches
music education classes for North Iowa Area Community College and the University
of Iowa.
Rebecca Martin - Biographical Information
Rebecca Martin is a dedicated arts educator, an accomplished arts
administrator, and a visionary arts advocate who brings two decades of
experience in Idaho classrooms and state-level arts education service to her
current position as Arts Education Director for Arts Idaho: Idaho’s State Arts
Agency. Martin began her career as an
orchestra teacher for the Boise Public School District, eventually serving as
the Orchestra Director for the Wood River Middle School and Wood River High
School Orchestras in Hailey, Idaho. During this time, she also served as the
string and chamber orchestra chair for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony
Institutes, collaborating with local arts organizations to secure Hailey's
recognition as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by NAMM for
seven consecutive years. When her family moved back to
Boise, Idaho, Martin then transitioned from music educator to arts administrator
at the Idaho State Department of Education, where she served as the Arts &
Humanities Coordinator for five years. In this role, she facilitated a
statewide arts and world languages standard revision and provided support for
Idaho educators to connect with state content standards and professional
development. She also represents Idaho as a member-at-large for SEADAE (State
Education Agency Directors of Arts Education) and serves on the executive
board. Martin holds a BA in Music
Education from Boise State University and a Master’s in Violin Performance and
String Pedagogy from East Carolina University. She is a certified Suzuki Violin
Instructor, began playing violin at age three, and continues to perform with
the Serenata Orchestra. She returns to the Wood River Valley every summer as
the conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Martin is currently pursuing a
doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Boise State University.
Thad Driskell - Biographical Information
Thad K. Driskell is Executive Director of the Iowa High
School Music Association, bringing over 30 years of experience as a music
educator, conductor, and program leader. Prior to his current role, he served
in Class 1A through 4A public schools across Iowa and the Chicago suburbs,
including 21 years as Director of Bands at Thomas Jefferson High School in
Cedar Rapids.
As Executive Director, Mr. Driskell oversees Iowa’s interscholastic music
festivals, including State Marching Band, All-State Auditions and All-State
Music Festival, State Jazz Band, Jazz Choir and Show Choir, Solo/Ensemble
Festival and Outstanding Performance Showcase, and the State Large Group
Festival. His leadership has elevated statewide performance standards and
strengthened music education advocacy.
Driskell holds a Master of Music from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of
Music Education from Wartburg College, with advanced conducting study under Dr.
Myron Welch at the University of Iowa. His accolades include the National
Federation of State High School Associations' Heart of the Arts Award (2017),
School Band and Orchestra Magazine’s 50 Directors Who Make a Difference (2012),
and the Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction honor (2010). He was also
recognized by the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association with the Phillip
Sehmann Excellence in Teaching Award.
A frequent clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor, Driskell is active in
numerous professional organizations including the Iowa Alliance for Arts
Education, Iowa Fine Arts Education Leadership Team, and a previous North
Central Division Chair and State Chair for the National Band Association.
. He and his wife, Elizabeth, are the proud parents of two
children, Carolyn and James.
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