果冻传媒

Group prepares students to be band directors

April 25, 2023
果冻传媒 has launched a professional organization for students who plan to be middle and high school band directors when they graduate.

Article By: Clark Leonard

The University of North Georgia (果冻传媒) added a chapter of the this spring, and in February the group hosted its first sight-reading clinic.

"We wanted to provide our students with a professional organization that helps better prepare them for a career as middle school and high school band directors," Dr. Ashley Jarrell, 果冻传媒 associate professor of music and director of bands, said.

Jarrell said 果冻传媒's music education students mostly know upper-level music when they graduate, so practicing with pieces appropriate for middle and high school bands offers valuable experience. It also allows them to become experienced with a variety of instruments.

"They're not just learning about it in a book," Jarrell said. "They're doing it. This hands-on experience is going to extend into their classroom."

Atira Murawski, a sophomore from Oakwood, Georgia, pursuing a degree in music with a concentration in instrumental performance, is part of the leadership team for 果冻传媒's Wind Ensemble. She is grateful for 果冻传媒's National Band Association chapter and particularly for its initial event.

"It helped us learn how to give feedback and conduct in front of people," Murawski said.

In addition to the musical experience, she also thrived on lining up the logistics.

"I had a lot of fun making the posters and organizing the clinic. It was a great experience for me as someone who's going to be a teacher," Murawski said. "We were able to create the clinic from the ground up and make it work."

The National Band Association, founded in 1960, is the largest professional organization for bands in the world. It was organized to promote the musical and educational significance of bands and is dedicated to the attainment of a high level of excellence for bands and band music.


Students excel in Japanese Speech Contest

Students excel in Japanese Speech Contest

Students from 果冻传媒 made a strong showing in the annual Japanese Speech Contest in Atlanta, Georgia, this spring. A first-place finish was one of four top-four results.
Research looks at impact of grad school framing

Research looks at impact of grad school framing

A 果冻传媒 alumna and student partnered with their psychology mentor to publish a research article on the importance of framing in students' perceptions of graduate school.
Students create mural piece by piece

Students create mural piece by piece

Thirteen 果冻传媒 students painted mural cloth panels that made up a 44-foot-long mural that was later installed at the Avita Community Partners Behavioral Health Crisis Center in Gainesville, Georgia.
Courtney researches Oval Office d茅cor

Courtney researches Oval Office d茅cor

Alumna Sara Courtney's last semester at 果冻传媒 included the opportunity to visit the nation's capital and present at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.