MEET THE Music Education

graduate assistants and Presidential Fellows

Nate Buonviri

Sangbum Kim

Mary Kate Newell

Corin Overland

Jill Reese

Marlena Rudzinski

Heather Russell

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Nate Buonviri, Ph.D. Candidate and Presidential Fellow

Nate Buonviri holds the Bachelor of Music Education from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA, the Master of Music in Percussion Performance from SMU in Dallas, TX, and is currently a Presidential Fellow in the PhD program in Music Education at Temple. Nate has performed with renowned artists such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, Empire Brass, Nell Carter, and Utah Festival Opera, and he has played solo and duo recitals across the United States and in South America. His past teaching appointments include: Instrumental Music Faculty and Department Head, Justin-Siena High School, Napa, CA; Adjunct Instructor of Percussion, Texas A&M University, Commerce, TX; and Music Director, Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Dallas, TX. Regarding graduate work at Temple, Buonviri says, "Temple provides a wealth of opportunities for learning, experience, and growth. Faculty and administration are forward thinkers who challenge students to do their best work and then support them in every way. I clearly see that I will be well-prepared to assume a college faculty position when I graduate, and I have created many lifelong friendships with my colleagues".

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Sangbum Kim, Ph.D. Candidate

Sangbum Kim is a Ph.D. candidate in music education at Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University. When he was pursuing MM in Music Education at Central Michigan University, he taught for trombone choir class with undergraduate students and wind ensemble at West-Intermediate school in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Before coming to the United States, Sangbum was a music director for three year at Dunsan Middle school and ChungNam High school in DaeJeon, South Korea. During his teaching days in Korea, he was a three-time recipient of the outstanding music teacher award. He also performed with several ensembles including WoongJin Brass Quintet, Seoul Wind Ensemble, and Amabile Orchestra. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Teacher’s College at KongJu National University in South Korea. Regarding graduate work at Temple, Sangbum says, "Since I joined in the program at Temple, I realized this is not just good school; this is truly an outstanding school. Professors are admired mentors for me.  I would say, especially for international students, studying music education and research at Temple allows you the opportunity to shift your paradigm as a music educator."

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Mary Kate Newell, Ph.D. Candidate

Mary Kate Newell is a Ph.D candidate in her first year at Temple University.  She received her Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from the University of Delaware.  She is fascinated by early childhood education, general music, movement in learning, and how music is related to the other arts.  She enjoys playing piano, organ, and steelpan.  She has traveled throughout Europe and Israel touring with Delaware Steel.  In her spare time, she enjoys learning foreign languages, dancing, and playing Guitar Hero.

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Corin Overland, Ph.D. Candidate

Corin Overland received the B.A. in Music Education from Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) and holds certification in choral, instrumental and classroom education. He received the M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri (Kansas City) Conservatory of Music as a student of Eph Ehly. Between 1999-2001 he served as conductor of numerous ensembles, including the UMKC Women’s Chorus, the UMKC Musica Antiqua, the Bach Chamber Choir, Jazz Choir, and Heritage Chorale.  Overland also served as Assistant Conductor of the Johnson County Community Chorale with Eugene Butler and Anita Cyrier, and the Conducting Intern of the Kansas City Chorale under Charles Bruffy. Overland has taught middle and secondary choral music in Minnesota, Kansas and Missouri at public and private institutions.  Most recently, Overland was Director of Choirs at Punahou Academy in Honolulu (HI)—the nation’s largest independent school. Under his direction the program grew to nearly 300 students, and were consistently given top ratings in state, regional and national competitions.  Overland also served as Assistant Conductor of the Hawaii Symphony Chorus, preparing such works as Orff’s Carmina Burana, Durufle’s Requiem, and Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms. In 2004, Overland was given the Po’okela Award, recognizing outstanding contribution to the school community. In 2005, Overland was inducted into the Hawaii Music Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to Hawaiian music education. Overland is frequently in demand as a conductor, composer and independent clinician around the country, and is regularly featured as a clinician for Worldstrides Heritage Festivals.  He has several choral publications currently in print with Alliance and Santa Barbara Music Publishing. He remains active in the discipline’s professional organizations, holding leadership positions with MENC and ACDA, where he served as the 2005 Hawaii Honor Choir Chair.

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Jill Reese, Ph.D. Candidate and Presidential Fellow

Jill Reese is a graduate fellow and PhD candidate at Temple University and holds degrees in Music Education from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.  She taught elementary general music and choir for seven years in Michigan.  She has been published in the Music Educators Journal, several state MENC journals and has presented practical clinics and research at various state and regional MENC conferences, the SMTE Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, the International New Directions in Music Education Conference in East Lansing, Michigan and at the National GIML Conference in Dayton, Ohio.  She has Level I Orff Certification, and Level I and II Elementary General Music Certification through GIML.  Research interests include creativity and improvisation in elementary general music and music perception and cognition in infants and young children.

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Marlena Rudzinski, M.M. Candidate

Marlena Rudzinski graduated Temple University in 2006 with a Bachelors degree in Music Education.  She worked at St. Timothy’s Catholic Elementary School in Philadelphia for the 2006-2007 school year, and has since returned to Temple to earn a Masters degree in Music Education.  Marlena studied percussion as an undergraduate and also has a background in piano and organ.  She is currently the Music Director at St. George Catholic Church in Philadelphia and provides private music instruction to local students.

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Heather Russell, Ph.D. Candidate

Doctoral candidate in Music Education. B.S. Hartwick College; M.Ed. Eastern College (Multicultural/Elementary Education). Certificates in Music Learning Theory from the Gordon Institute for Music Learning, and Education Through Movement from the High/Scope Educational Foundation. Endorsed Trainer Candidate in Phyllis Weikart’s Education Through Movement approach. Research interests: movement and dance, gender issues related to singing, the integration of music and movement across the curriculum. Specialties: elementary general music, choral music, movement and folk dance. Most recently, Ms. Russell was the music teacher at Coopertown Elementary School and assistant instructor of Middle School choral music in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania. At Haverford she also taught Middle School band and general music, and was the creator and co-director of the Haverford Men and Boys Choir and the Summer Choral Workshop. She has presented workshops for Haverford faculty on music technology, movement and dance, literature in the music classroom, and the appalachian dulcimer. Prior to teaching in Haverford, Ms. Russell taught pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade general and choral music in several public and parochial schools in New York State and Pennsylvania. In addition, she served as the Music Director of Into the Woods (Sondheim), and H.M.S. Pinafore (Gilbert and Sullivan) at Eastern College, and was the Assistant Music Director of the Anna Crusis Women’s Choir, and co-director of Diva, an a cappella women’s vocal ensemble. Ms. Russell sings soprano, plays the piano, guitar, and alto saxophone, and enjoys all kinds of folk dancing.

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