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KEYNOTE
Globalization in the Local Classroom: Diversity and
the Glorious Mosaic
Presented by
Emma Rodríguez Suárez, Ph.D., Syracuse University
Concepts such as diversity, multi-ethnicity,
and multicultural music education have been frequent themes
at educational workshops, retreats, and conferences in
recent years. Teaching to individual students’ identities
and incorporating world cultures are important parts of
MENC’s National Standards. Yet each generation brings its
new strengths, weaknesses, and unique perspectives to a
developing society. Further, the Internet has resulted in a
new globalization and transformation of our teaching
environment. As part of this, world musics are immediately
accessible through a variety of media (CD-ROMs, DVDs, and
Web sites), and can be embraced as vital aides to music
educators in the classroom. In response to these changing
needs and opportunities, the music classroom has become a
glorious mosaic, one in which the emphasis begins to shift
from ‘diversity’ to ‘universality’. It is time for this
potential to be identified and explored.
Emma Rodríguez Suárez
(aka Emma R. Oberheuser)
was born and raised in the Canary Islands, Spain. She holds
a bachelor of music degree in music education and a master's
degree in music education from the Hartt School of Music,
University of Hartford, in West Hartford, Connecticut. She
also holds a doctor of philosophy in music education from
the University of Toronto. Dr. Rodríguez Suárez holds a
Level III Orff-Schulwerk Teacher Training certificate and a
Kodály Certificate from the Kodály Musical Training
Institute. She was awarded an Artist-Teacher Certificate by
the Association for Choral Music Education and she also
holds a Creating Artistry Conductors Workshop Level III
certificate. Dr. Rodríguez Suárez has studied choral
conducting under several of the world’s top choral
directors, including Doreen Rao, Henry Leck, James Jordan,
Paul Salamunovich, and Helen Kemp, Janet Galván, Sandra
Murphy and Joan Gregoryk. She has also studied music
learning theory under Edwin Gordon, choral repertoire under
Betty Bertaux, early childhood music development under John
Feierabend and Katalin Forrai, and movement under Phyllis
Weikart.
Dr. Rodríguez Suárez is the author of
Canciones de mi Tierra Española: Islas
Canarias/Songs of my Spanish Land: Canary Islands
and has published numerous articles. She was also a
contributor to the books,
Strategies for Teaching: K - 4 General
Music,
Performance Standards for Music:
Grades PreK - 12 and
Strategies for Teaching Elementary and
Middle-Level Chorus.
She has presented many workshops both
nationally and internationally, the 2007 International
Conference for Research in Music Education, the 2006 27th
International Society for Music Education World Conference,
the 2004 Annual Conference of The Society for
Ethnomusicology’s Education Section, the 2003 Organization
of American Kodály Educators National Conference, the 2002
American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division
Convention, the 2001 Music Educators National Conference
Eastern Division In-Service Conference, the 1998 American
Orff-Schulwerk Association National Conference, and the 1998
Organization of American Kodály Educators National
Conference. She has also received numerous grants and
awards.
In 1992 Dr. Rodríguez Suárez founded the
regionally popular Greenwich Public Schools Honor Choir and
was its music director. She also was the Connecticut Music
Educators Association's Choral Consultant and a Connecticut
American Orff-Schulwerk Association Member-At-Large. Dr.
Rodríguez Suárez is a former co-conductor of the Fairfield
County Children's Choir and in 1997 she received the
Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award from the Greenwich
(Connecticut) public schools where she has taught
elementary-level general music since 1992. Dr. Rodríguez
Suárez presently teaches music education at Syracuse
University.
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