The quarterly publication of Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA), TRIAD, featured writings by Kent State University’s School of Music faculty member, Dr. Rachael Fleischaker, and a doctoral student, Lisa Heinrich.
Dr. Rachael Fleischaker is an adjunct professor of Music Education at Kent State University’s School of Music. She earned her B.M.E. from the College of Wooster, as well as her M.Ed. and Ph.D. from Kent State University. Over her teaching career, she has taught undergraduate courses at institutions including Baldwin Wallace University, the College of Wooster, and The Ohio State University’s Mansfield campus. In addition to adjunct work at various colleges, Rachael has taught elementary general music, band and choir in the Canton City Schools for the past 24 years. She has presented numerous sessions at OMEA Professional Development Conferences, NAfME Professional Development Conferences and has reached international audiences by presenting at the 2022 International Society for Music Education conference. Rachael is currently a Chair of the OMEA Teacher Evaluation Committee.
KSU Alumn Dr. Rachael Fleischaker’s research includes music teacher development and support. Her recent article on the newly revised and fully implemented Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) Framework helps music educators understand and incorporate new techniques. This article is the first in a three-part series that will review components of the evaluation framework and envision ways music educators can utilize them in their teaching, rehearsals and activities. Additional articles will be coming in upcoming editions of TRIAD.
Lisa Heinrich is a doctoral student at Kent State University and currently teaches K-5 general music in Cloverleaf Local Schools. She has previously taught at Lakewood City Schools, Lakewood Congregational Church, and the Austrian Ministry of Education. Lisa has a Master of Music degree from Cleveland State University and Bachelor of Arts in German and Bachelor of Music in Education degrees from Bowling Green State University. She has completed multiple courses in Orff-Schulwerk, Music Learning Theory, and Eurhythmics. She presented several sessions at OMEA Professional Development Conferences as well as general music teacher workshops. She is the 2019 Medina County Teacher of the Year and a recipient of a Fulbright teaching grant.
In her TRIAD article, Lisa Heinrich provides educators with suggestions for successfully teaching ukulele in the music classroom. Ukulele learning can make formal music instruction relevant to students’ lives outside of school. Ukulele is a versatile instrument that can be adapted to meet students’ diverse needs as it can be played a variety of ways.
TRIAD is the official publication of the OMEA. It is written for music educators, college students pursuing a career in music education, and others interested in music education. It can be found digitally online three times a year at www.omea-ohio.org.