Fall opportunities in music for university students and practicing teachers will be supported by the Claudette Sorel Endowment for Music.
The focus for the 2025-2026 Sorel Visiting Scholars program is “Amplifying Equity and Inclusion in Music Education and Therapy.” Highlights of events this fall include residencies with experts in music education and music therapy as well as a mini conference for preservice and in-service music educators that will be held Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thought-provoking and practical sessions that focus on culturally responsive approaches to teaching music in a variety of contexts will conclude the mini conference.
The keynote talk will be given by Dr. Connie McKoy and additional sessions will be provided by Drs. Marjoris Regus, Julie Derges, Sangmi Kang and Amy Spears.
Dr. Connie McKoy is the Marion Stedman Covington Distinguished Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of North Carolina Greensboro School of Music. Her research, which has been presented nationally and internationally, has focused on music teachers’ cross-cultural competence and culturally responsive pedagogy in music. She is also co-author of “Culturally Responsive Teaching in Music Education: From Understanding to Application,” published by Routledge.
Dr. Marjoris Regus is an assistant professor of Music Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Regus was previously a music educator in Salt Lake City, UT, where she taught high school band, jazz band, choir, orchestra, music theory, piano and music appreciation. Her research interests include secondary general music, ethnomusicological studies and linguistic, behavioral, and musical codeswitching.
Dr. Sangmi Kang is an associate professor of Music Teaching and Learning at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester. She is deeply committed to exploring how music teachers and students engage with diverse cultures and how to support underserved populations through culturally responsive and informed approaches in the music classroom.
The Claudette Sorel Endowment for Music, established, through the Fredonia College Foundation, provides annual support for musicians or music activities. The primary focus of the funding is to raise visibility and advancement of musicians in arts leadership, composition, conducting, film scoring, music education, performance and technology.
