Students and faculty from The Hartt School recently participated in the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) conference, held recently in Hartford. Music education majors attended sessions and connected with educators from across the state, while several Hartt faculty members shared their expertise through peer-reviewed presentations.
Faculty presenters included Birce Tanriguden, Colleen Casey-Nelson, and Lisabeth Miller, each contributing sessions focused on innovative and research-based approaches to music education.
Casey-Nelson’s session, “Global Music, Creative Movement & Folk Dance,” emphasized the role of global music and movement in fostering cultural understanding. She shared practical strategies designed to support creativity, connection, and student engagement in the classroom.
Tanriguden presented “The Musical Mosaic Method,” introducing her self-developed approach to notational literacy and sight-reading. Grounded in cognitive principles, the method offers accessible, classroom-ready techniques for building students’ musical fluency.
Miller’s session, “Vocal Health for the Music Classroom,” focused on research-informed strategies to help educators maintain vocal wellness. Her presentation addressed ways to prevent strain and promote sustainable voice use in teaching environments.
Reflecting on the experience, Casey-Nelson shared, “I am honored to have presented two sessions at CMEA—one on Global Music & Creative Movement, the other on Global Music & Folk Dance. In the Folk Dance session, Dr. Birce Tanriguden graciously shared a folk dance from Türkiye, representing her own cultural heritage. It was a special treat to be joined by my fellow Hartt faculty member for this event. For the Creative Movement session, Olya Fryz joined us to perform in person on her bandura, the national instrument of Ukraine.”
It is also worth noting that the same week, Fryz also served as a Guest Culture Bearer for Hartt’s World Music in Education course (MED 200) on the University of Hartford campus, further enriching students’ global musical perspectives.
In addition, Casey-Nelson recently presented at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, where her session, “Music & Identity: Influences and Expressers of Self and Culture,” explored how music shapes both personal and cultural identity. The presentation offered practical applications to help students engage in musical self-discovery and build meaningful community connections in the classroom.
Collectively, these contributions highlight Hartt’s ongoing commitment to excellence, innovation, and cultural engagement in music education.