Congratulations to Schmitt Music’s 2022-2023 EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR: Stacy Sip, Eric Songer, and Nora Tycast!

In an effort to recognize the work of outstanding school music educators in the Midwest, Schmitt Music and the SDC (Schmitt Director Center) set out to find the best of the best. We honor exceptional band and/or orchestra educators in three categories: elementary, middle school, and high school.

THANK YOU to all the music education colleagues and students who took time to nominate and recognize teachers in their schools. All of our deserving nominees show a dedication to music education that is truly inspirational. Get to know a bit about the 2023 Educator of the Year winners below:

Stacy Sip

Describe why you think you were nominated for this award.

I was honestly shocked to find out I was nominated for this award. Perhaps I was nominated because I always try to put my students first and make my classroom a safe and fun place to learn.

Describe your approach to your job.

If a student leaves my classroom learning how to play an instrument, then I have done my job. If a student leaves my classroom feeling safe, appreciated, happy and better about themself, then I have accomplished my goal. My approach to my job is to create a safe and fun atmosphere, where you can make mistakes and be yourself through learning muisc, and be a better person for it.

Dream big – what is the one thing that you would like to accomplish in your current job?

I want all students to feel important, heard, appreciated, loved and also learn how to play an instrument in a large group setting. That’s all I want and need. To make people feel better about themselves. That’s all that matters. We have so many students struggling with self worth and treating others respectfully, it’s getting worse and worse each year. How can any student learn anything if they don’t first feel like they matter? Let’s give students reasons to know they are important by just being them and with that, they will in return treat others better and we can make this world a better place for all people.

What are your career goals?

My career goals are the same as what I want to accomplish in my current job. I want to leave this career having made this world a better place for all people, through teaching music, and teaching kids to appreciate the arts and how it makes them feel to be a part of something bigger than themselves. One of the very best things about music is that it is a life skill. You can use it your entire life.

How would your students describe you?

I can only tell you what students have told me! I have been told that I am their “fun” teacher. I have had many students tell me that my classroom is the “safest” classroom they have ever been in and when they enter it, they are “in their happy place”. I have been told they love that I let them make mistakes and never yell at them or talk down to them for making mistakes, but instead help them correct their mistakes. I have been told by many students that I keep a positive attitude, I like to make learning fun for them, and make them laugh and feel happy.

What do you consider your finest accomplishment and why?

I think my finest accomplishment would be making students feel supported, safe and happy. It’s happened several times that a student emails me or writes me a letter (who does that anymore?!) to tell me that I am the reason they kept going because I was the one person who believed in them. Yes, I teach them how to play an instrument and some students email me later on to tell me that they decided to go into teaching music (which feels great!). But, I think what makes me feel even better are the students that had no one, and then come back years later to tell me that I was the person who believed in them and made them want to be better and be successful in life. I have never known that about a student when I’m actually teaching that kid. Those letters/emails mean the most. To make such an impactful positive difference in someone’s life.

What is the most memorable moment in your career so far?

There is a student who came in to class one day. He was the first one there. He sat down and said, “No one likes me.” (this student had a bit of a reputation for behavioral issues). When he said that, I said to him, “I like you.” He said, “Really?!” and I said, “Yes.”
He was a completely different kid in my classroom from then on. He stopped picking on others (in my class anyway) and even ended up with a friend. He came back years later to tell me he was experiencing a severe depression problem and my one little comment changed his life. I will never ever forget that encounter. I think about it every year and that’s what gets me through teaching the “hard” students!

What has been your biggest obstacle in your teaching career and how did you overcome it?

I would say that my biggest obstacle would be having so many students in one class that I couldn’t possibly give each student the attention they deserved. With 55-60 in a class, I was spread too thin and there was not a chance at any one-on-one or even small group help. I had to really advocate for myself in order to get an assistant so that I could work with more students more efficiently. It took a couple of years of advocating for my students, but I was the first orchestra director to get an orchestra assistant in the Sioux Falls School District. Now I can get to each and every student and build those relationships! Amazing difference for all our students!

Who do you most admire in the music education field and why?

I do not have one person that I most admire. I admire multiple teachers. I see the difference that other orchestra teachers, many band teachers and chorus teachers are making. There are so many amazing teachers out there! I follow and observe many other teachers from around our area. Through talking to them about their best practices and what works and what doesn’t work, I’m able to take what works best in their classrooms and try to apply it to my own. There isn’t a single one person that does everything amazing, but combine all the best teachers you come by and think about how effective of a teacher you could be!

How are you involved in music/music education outside of the school day?

Outside of school I play the violin and piano for events as I am able. I also have been a guest conductor for area orchestra festivals where I work with their students all day and then conduct the concert that evening. I also enjoy teaching my son and nieces how to play instruments and we play as a family just for fun and the enjoyment of playing together.

Eric Songer

Describe why you think you were nominated for this award.

I think I was nominated for this award for a few reasons. First, it’s because I put students first. I am a big believer in building relationships with students and their families which helps me know what is the best way to help and support them. Second, it’s because I am innovative and believe in music for all. My job description is 6-8 Band Director, but I do much more than that. I have an after school program that includes rock bands, country/bluegrass bands, hip hop groups, a DJ club, pop ensembles, music production courses, jazz bands, marching bands, Mariachi bands and more. I implement a variety of standards into my concert band rehearsals including songwriting, improvisation, popular music methods, world music, and more. I write music for my students and have come up with creative warmups that include backtracks to popular music. I have expanded our pull-out band lesson program to include lessons on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, drum set, production, songwriting, deejaying and more. I have a chamber ensemble program where students do everything from the traditional (brass quintets, flute ensembles) to contemporary (thrash metal, hip hop groups). Lastly, it’s because I am a leader in the music education field. I share my methods at conferences, workshops and through conversations with others. I helped start a modern band festival and speak at universities to future music educators.

Describe your approach to your job.

Student-centered. I get to know my students and figure out what they need. For many of them a concert band is a perfect place to get their music education. But for others, it either isn’t, or they need more. That is why I do the things described above. And all the students need to be seen, heard and loved. Sometimes this means going above and beyond like when I caroled to all my students’ home during the pandemic or inviting them to eat lunch in the band room. Lastly, I am always looking to grow and find ways to be better. Sometimes I have to teach material, or in a way that I am not familiar with, and I need to figure out how to achieve this.

Dream big – what is the one thing that you would like to accomplish in your current job?

I would like every student in the school to have a positive interaction with music every day in our building. For many, this would be a class, but others might hear me or other students deejay or perform in the lunch room or hallways or hear it on the daily morning show. Maybe it’s an after school class or coming up during WIN (flex) time to learn how to play guitar or make beats. In addition, I’d like all our students to appreciate music and look at it as a “cool” and necessary part of our lives; even if they aren’t in a music class.

What are your career goals?

My goals include increasing support and appreciation for education and specifically music education in our community, giving our policy makers and community leaders knowledge regarding how the lack of funding and value in student opportunity in music education is having a negative impact, working with college students studying to become teachers and my current colleagues to become better music educators, and most of all continuing to make music a huge part of our community and help my students reach their dreams.

How would your students describe you?

My students would describe me as caring, passionate, kind, fair, driven, musical, dependable, fun and yet someone that sets the bar high and expects his students to try their best. I just had a student describe me as someone that has helped her realize that she can reach her dreams and that there are people in this world that truly care for others. That was special to hear.

What do you consider your finest accomplishment and why?

I am very proud of doing the work I do that is outside the box. I was teaching modern bands fifteen years before the term existed in education. I have been pushing for all students to have music but in a way that offers students a musical choice (songwriting, guitar, beat making, production) for years. I have faced some opposition the past 25 years, mainly from other music educators. However, I have also watched so many students thrive in these “non-traditional” opportunities. I have watched other music programs across the country adopt similar programs. Music at its core is innovation and the creative spirit. I am proud that I have applied that to the way I teach music and the impact it has had on thousands of people.

What is the most memorable moment in your career so far?

There are two moments that stand out to me in my career. One was in 2019 when we took our rock band program on a four-day tour to Chicago, Illinois. School music programs take their bands, choirs, orchestras, marching bands and jazz bands on big tours all the time. But to take our rock bands on a national tour was amazing. This came a couple years after being the first middle school rock bands to play at MMEA.

The other moment was when the pandemic hit in 2020, I instantly went into creative mode to find ways to continue delivering music to my students. My favorite moment was going to each one of my students’ homes in December 2020 over the course of three weeks and playing holiday songs on their front porch and then visiting with them. Caroling brought so much joy during a time when we were all stuck at home. I did a similar activity earlier that calendar year when I did an 8-day tour of the community and we did neighborhood concerts. We played in parks and driveways all across the district. The performance was a medley of pop songs from 2020 that we played along with a backtrack that was blaring out of my car speakers.

What has been your biggest obstacle in your teaching career and how did you overcome it?

Staying on the theme of the pandemic, in February 2021 we did a virtual band concert. All the students used Soundtrap to record one of their band songs. I edited each of the 350 tracks and mixed the songs. Some of the kids filmed themselves playing and sent me their video footage. Other students sent still pics of them with their instruments. Along with this we had students speaking, guest artists like Dave Ryan from KDWB and Tim Blotz from FOX 9 and even an alumni rock band premiering a new song. Then we had a night that we premiered in on YouTube. PTO provided snack packs with movie candy and popcorn for families to pick up at the school main office earlier in the day to enjoy during the concert. After the show, we had a huge Google Meet with about 200 kids logging in to celebrate our achievement. Check it out here.

Who do you most admire in the music education field and why?

I most admire other educators that are innovative and outspoken trying to push education and music education forward. Maybe the person that I admire the most is Chris Gleason who I went to college with and went on to become a National Teacher of the Year finalist. Chris pushes the envelope. He puts kids first. He realizes that music education is more than learning a few songs and giving a couple concerts. He shares his knowledge with others. He is a leader in our profession. He challenges himself like he challenges his students and fellow educators. And he is such a kind and loving person.

How are you involved in music/music education outside of the school day?

Oh my. So many ways. I am a gigging musician in the Twin Cities. I write and arrange music constantly for both my pro bands and for my students (and other schools). I am an avid music chart watcher and am constantly listening to music new and old learning as much as I can. I am an active member of MBDA, MMEA, and APME (Association of Popular Music Education). I present at conferences and at colleges. I am writing a book on modern band education. I have a music podcast called Pop Life. I make fun music videos with my family. I absolutely love music and music education.

Nora Tycast

Describe why you think you were nominated for this award.

My hope is that I have a parent, colleague or student musician that is appreciative of my three main initiatives that I am working on in the Hopkins Schools music program:
1.) Creating opportunities for all 7-12th grade music students to see themselves and someone very different from them elevated as a composer and/or performer in their music classroom.
2.) Rebuilding the k-12 music experience across the Hopkins School District; creating more visibility, advocacy and standards based music learning experiences that administration, community, parents and musicians want to be a part of and support.
3.) Connecting with music learners at all levels, helping them feel valued and connected to a music community where they know they are valued, are able to express themselves and develop skills that go beyond the technique of their musicianship.

Describe your approach to your job.

My approach to being the band director at Hopkins High School, where I am also a parent and a community member, is to make sure that all of my students feel valued through the opportunities that I create and help my arts colleagues also feel valued through positive and data-driven advocacy around effective music education.

Dream big – what is the one thing that you would like to accomplish in your current job?

This year, I am test driving offering small group lessons to my 10th graders in Concert Band in clarinet, trumpet, percussion and trombone. I am using a rubric to track skill development with these students to see if there is a correlation between retention and skill development, that goes beyond socio economic, academic, and racial barriers that typically impact both retention and skill acquisition. My dream would be to offer small group co-teaching at every level of instrumental music that would allow every student to work towards strong skill development, while also working with a second arts-focused adult to connect with during their day in a class that they are choosing to be in (affinity based.)

What are your career goals?

1 year:
By the end of 2022-23, I would like to have the Collaborative Teaching model that I proposed at the district level, implemented in all 7-12 music classrooms to develop stronger collegiality and better student connections.
5 years:
To have vertically aligned professional development for all music teachers that includes (music and general) strong literacy components, laterally aligned assessments at the grade level for all music students and a strong composition experience where all k-12 music students have voice and choice in their performance.
10 years:
To be involved in supporting the next generation of teachers making sense of trends in music education.

How would your students describe you?

Ideally, as a “warm demander,” and if not, that’s what I am working towards.

What do you consider your finest accomplishment and why?

Musically: Creating a performance environment for Dessa, Aby Wolfe and Joshua Holmgren that was as engaging for my students as it was for incredibly talented and well-versed performers.

Program-wise: Maintaining a 90%+ retention rate from grades 8-12 for 10+ years at Spring Lake Park High School.

Professionally: Being asked to be part of the decision making process from a district perspective in several large scale initiatives – not as a music teacher, but as a thought leader.

What is the most memorable moment in your career so far?

Taking 61 students to Cuba in March of 2020 and participating in a music exchange concert in an open air high school in Havana, Cuba. Stats: 1 grammy award winning Cuban high school, 4 days before COVID shut both countries, 120 students playing and talking about music for an hour, countless Snaps/Instas exchanged, 60 minutes of trading 4s, 85 degrees in downtown Havana.

What has been your biggest obstacle in your teaching career and how did you overcome it?

Barrier(s): Assumptions about what I can and can’t do based on my gender early in my career and imposter syndrome once I’d moved past those barriers.

Overcoming them: Show up every day, learn something new every day, use a set of professional development norms that inform your personal and professional practice that leave you “completed, not defeated.”

These are ongoing. It’s not one thing or one moment.

Who do you most admire in the music education field and why?

Cait Nishimura. As a professional she has been transparent about morphing from a teacher to a creative. As a teacher, since she views and creates her work for the student performance, she has been open about mental health, weaving them into her compositions, as a way to empower student voice.

Watching her carefully and compassionately break down barriers across the music educational field, while still being authentic to herself and her process is incredibly powerful.

How are you involved in music/music education outside of the school day?

I teach my three teenage daughters on their instrument, enjoy music in the community, and participate in social and professional development gatherings of music professionals. As a HS band director, this job happily eats up 60+ hours a week, most weeks of the year. I am dedicated to my craft and my job, but also to my family. I may not participate in honor band clinic-ing and serving on professional leadership boards at the moment, but I do bring my best self to rebuilding a large high school and district music program.

A big thank you goes out to this year’s esteemed adjudication panel: Erin Holmes, Katie Hauser & Jeanne Kauffman.

Congratulations to all 130 educators nominated this year.

Alex Albertson
Alexander Woodside 
Alison Sawyer
Alison Swiggum
Amanda Kaus
Amber Malone
Andrea Arnold
Andrew Peters 
Anissa Grotjohn
Antonio Tarara
Art Aytay
Austin Herrboldt
Ben Koch
Beth Halverson
Betsy Hahn
Brian Selander
Britta Bauer
Callie Girodat
Cassie Vallis
Chris Tucker
Christa Saeger-Dean
Christopher Bolson
Courtney Bell
Craig Peterson
Dagan Hanson
Dale Plasket
Dan Irvin
Daniel Carlson
Daniel Felton
Daniel Mansfield
Darrin Bleess
David Bechard
David Scalise
Devon Melillo
Donald Pochmara
Donna Ries
Dr. Christa Saeger-Dean
Elizabeth Harwood
Ellie Kenkel
Eric Olson
Eric Songer
Geneva Fitzsimonds
Haley Schoenfelder
Heidi Olson
Helen Suhr
Jackie Jordheim
Jacob Karkula
James Anderson
James Landman
Jeff Engholm
Jeff Gilbertson
Jenny PartinOlson
Jerald Ferdig
Jo Schmitz
Joe Churchich
Joesie Bertsch
Joesph Lasko
John Twernbold
Johnna Lawrence
Joshua Hopper
Julie Seiler
Julie Strang
Kate Wallace Hinderer
Katelynn Doohen
Katie Blunck
Kattie Peterson
Kay Herrboldt
Kristen Jacobsen
Kristina Kuehn
Kristine Strege
Laura Cooper
Leland Lantz
Leon Sieve
Levi Kimmet
Levi Kolwinska
Linda Koenig
Lisa Moses
Liz Hardwood
Lori Towner
Lucas Shogren
Margaret Zeidel
Marie Freitas
Matt Caron
Matthew Oyen
Matthew Stubbs
Michael Knutson
Michael Moeller
Michael Park
Michael Pearson
Michael Walk
Michael Werner
Michael Werner
Micheal Watson
Nicholas Armstrong
Nicholas Verheyen
Nora Tycast
Patricia Burns
Patrick Bents
Peter Buller
Phil Snyder
Phill Erickson
Race Hoglund
Reagan Foree
Rebecca Hahn
Regan Foree
Robert Conrad
Ronda Palmlund-Olson
Rudolf Semar
Ryan Freitas
Ryan Palmer
Sadie Eddleston
Samuel Arrieta
Sandra Boynton
Sara Klingelhofer
Sara O’Conner
Sarah Bauck
Sarah Rusin
Sarah Vinzant
Spencer Walton
Stacy Sip
Susan Smith
Tammy Wahlin
Taylor Matuszeski
Ted Hallberg
Tim Siewert
Todd Boyd
Tyler Youngquist
Verlene Stotts
Vicki Tam-Anderson