Draft 2026-2027 digital_Mini-Conference Program with Bios

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7:00 am

Registration - Au Rene Lobby

7:45 am

Teachers move to Porter Ballroom

8:00 am

National Anthem – Cypress Bay High School "Women's Barbershop Chorus"

8:05 am

Welcome Joe Luechauer, Music & Performing Arts Curriculum Supervisor, BCPS Jacob Aronin, Director of Education, Broward Center for the Performing Arts Donna Haynes-DeGraaf, Visual Arts Curriculum Supervisor, BCPS

8:15 am

Cypress Bay High School "Women's Barbershop Chorus"

8:30 am

Keynote Address - “We Ignite the Creators” Luke Frazier, Artistic & Music Director, Symphony of the Americas

9:15 am

Visual Arts moves to Thomas Learning Suite Performing Arts remain in Porter Ballroom

9:30 am

Curriculum Updates – “Need to Know”

10:15 am

Performing Arts moves to breakout areas: Band/Orchestra - Porter Ballroom Chorus – Harlow Classroom Dance – Au Rene Green Room Elementary Music – JM Family Studio Theatre –Amaturo Upper Lobby

10:30 am

Music & Performing Arts Breakout Sessions Visual Arts Breakout Session

12:30 pm

Curriculum Supervisors available for questions

1:00 pm

Adjourn

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Keynote Speaker

Luke Frazier “We Ignite the Creators” Luke Frazier is a conductor, music director and pianist who believes that the future of music depends on breaking down barriers between musicians and audiences. His philosophy is that the most important priority for a modern conductor is not only musical excellence, but also to create diverse and engaging programming that brings communities together through the joy of music. Luke believes that conductors are the bridge between the audience and the orchestra and what he programs and how it relates to the listeners, is the heartbeat of what keeps orchestral programming alive.

Luke began as the Principal Pops Conductor with Symphony of the Americas in the 2024-2025 season and was named Artistic and Music Director beginning in the 2025-2026 season.

In 2015, Frazier startedthe American Pops Orchestra (APO)to present a broad arrayof popular and classical music in innovative ways to bring new audiences into the orchestral world. APO has been featured in thirty national broadcasts on PBS with programs ranging in genre from classical to country, jazz to musical theatre. Artists like Renée Fleming, Patti LaBelle, Ariana DeBose, Joshua Bell, Josh Groban and so many more have joined the orchestra, sharing orchestral music with an audience of over sixty million viewers across the country, completely free of charge.

Creating opportunities for the next generation of music makers and music lovers is always a priority for Luke. Each year, Luke participates in tours to underserved elementary schools for free, and through monthly virtual streaming, has reached over 675,000 students across all 50 states. Luke is also passionate about finding outstanding college musicians-and providing meaningful paid experiences. He founded the Annual NextGen Vocal Competition, hosted annually by Lincoln Center, where winners earn cash prizes and career-boosting performance experiences. In partnership with the historic Winterthur Estate, Luke established the Ruth Wales DuPont Composition Competition for collegiate composers in both classical and popular music, providing coaching, cash prizes and professional recordings of finalist’s works. In honor of NATO’s 75th Anniversary, Luke founded the NATO Symphony Orchestra comprised of college musicians from all 32 NATO Countries who performed together at the Library of Congress for dignitaries both domestic and international. In partnership with the Hispanic Heritage foundation Luke provides performance opportunities for collegiate musicians in the nationally televised Hispanic Heritage Awards.

In addition to his work with Symphony of the Americas, APO and PBS, he maintains a busy schedule as a guest conductor and pianist. Luke is conducting an expanded concert series at Lincoln Center this coming season and he is the Artistic Director of Nouveau Productions. He appears regularly in venues from Lincoln Center to The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall to the Grammy Museum and has performed in such iconic American venues as Independence Hall, George Washington’s Mt. Vernon, the Supreme Court and The White House.

Luke is proud to represent the United States of America with APO, which was designated an official Arts Envoyby the United States Department of State in 2023 as well as being designated an official orchestra of AMERICA250 – One of only two orchestras in the country, shared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Luke looks forward to working at the Aspen Ideas Festival this summer where he will be curating a panel discussion on Cultural Diplomacy – And similarly this fall with the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School of Harvard University.

Luke is an advisory board member of the Tennessee Arts Academy and just recently joined the Madison Council 3 Board of the Library of Congress.

Take a look at Luke’s PBS Reel Luke + PBS Highlight Reel https://youtu.be/073o1733Pc8

Ba & O nd rch est ra

“Activity Safety and Awareness”

Raphaella Petrosino, MS, LAT, ATC Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, U18 Sports Medicine, Board Certified and Florida State Licensed Athletic Trainer

This session will provide Band directors with information to help ensure a safe environment for their student performers by reviewing emergency action plans and emergency responses.

Additionally, directors will be provided information on the importance of hydration to help prevent dehydration and heat illness. The last segments will provide an overview of signs and symptoms of heat illness and concussion and the appropriate actions to be taken in order to help ensure the student receives the most appropriate care.

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Michael Gabriel

Ba Or nd & che str a

“Repertoire = Relevance: Finding Music to Motivate You and Your Students” Our repertoire is our curriculum, and the music we select shapes our students’ educational experiences. As our students and society evolve, we must ask ourselves if our programming is evolving with them, or if we are remaining within our artistic comfort zones. In an educational landscape that is more results-driven than ever before, we must also consider why we select the music that we do: do we pick pieces to teach to the test of MPA, or do we select repertoire that provides our students the most comprehensive musical education possible?

In this session, we will explore how to program repertoire for the entire academic year, in a way that keeps both you and your students engaged from beginning to end, and for every performance in between. We will also discuss how to keep your knowledge of repertoire fresh, as myriads of new pieces are published every year. I also hope to inspire you to connect directly with composers who would love the chance to interact with your students. The more that our students feel a sense of connection to the music they play, the more they will be invested in its performance, and in your program as a whole.

Michael Gabriel is a conductor, teacher, and contemporary music specialist based in Lansing, MI where he is completing a Doctoral degree in Conducting and a Master’s degree in Music Theory at Michigan State University. He recently was named a finalist for the WASBE International Conducting Competition and the American Prize in Conducting. He has guest lectured, conducted, and taught internationally, including most recently the MidEurope Festival and the American University in Paris. He has also presented sessions for the NAfME National Assembly, College Band Director’s National Association, and FMEA. A fervent support of new music permeates his research, which has included collaborations with composers Joseph Schwantner, Ricardo Lorenz, and the estate Chick Corea. His dissertation, “Reframing the American Wind Ensemble…the Centrality of Latin American Composition” was awarded the Dissertation Completion Fellowship by the MSU College of Music.

A Florida native, he taught in BCPS for five years, most recently at Charles W. Flanagan High School, where the ensembles consistently received meritorious ratings and performance invitations, and collaborated with some of the nation’s leading composers and conductors.

He received a B.M.E. (Hon.) from Florida State University. His research mentor was Clifford Madsen, for whom he produced a thesis awarded a grant by the National Band Association.

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Ch oru s

Dr. Alicia Romero-Sardiñas

“The Sustainable Director: Repertoire, Routines, and Recharge” Choral directing is a marathon, not a sprint, and the choices you make about repertoire, rehearsal routines, and your own well-being determine how you make it to spring. This workshop offers practical, immediately usable strategies for choosing music that fits the choir you actually have, building rehearsal procedures that save time and build skill, and protecting your own energy as a director. Walk away with a repertoire-selection framework, rehearsal routines you can implement tomorrow, and a personal plan for recharging all year long.

Dr. Alicia Romero-Sardiñas is a choral music educator, conductor, and scholar committed to excellence, access, and collaboration in music education. She serves as Director of Education and Artistic Programming for Vocal Youth Miami, overseeing curriculum, teacher training, and artistic programming for young singers, and as adjunct professor and conductor of the University Singers at Florida International University.

A first-generation Cuban American, she holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and a B.S. in Music Education from FIU, and an M.M.Ed. from Florida State University. As a board member of the Florida Vocal Association, she champions student composers, early-career teachers, and mentorship, and serves as an adjudicator and clinician for assessments and honor choirs.

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Da nce

Anthony Velazquez

“Dance Education Roundtable”

Please join us for a roundtable discussion on Dance Education

Anthony Velazquez is a native of Miami, FL. He graduated from Marygrove college in Detroit, Michigan, where he received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in dance in 2013. He has had the privilege to work with choreographers such as Michael Rooney, Galen Hooks, Shane Sparks, Tyce Diorio, Nika Kljun, Lady GaGa’s creative director Sophia Noephitou and Hamish Hamilton, Kevin Iega Jeff, Edward Stierlie, Carolyn Dorfman, and last but certainly not least Diego Salterini and Hannah Baumgarten.

He also has appeared in music videos/live performances of music superstars like Jennifer Lopez, Martha Wash, Luis Fonzi, Jbalvin, Todrick Hall, Ricky Martin and many more. Anthony has Recently participated several commercials and television shows including The Victoria Secret Fashion Show 2017 in Shanghai. Premio lo Nuestro, and La Banda. Now he is returning after a hiatus in China to DanceNowMiami to return to his roots as a fifth season member where he will continue to dance professional and at the same time educate the youth by teaching dance.

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Dr. Sandra Adorno

Ele me n Mu tary sic

“Orff Schulwerk Unplugged”

Orff Schulwerk: Unplugged explores the Orff approach without relying on classroom instruments. Participants will engage in creative movement, speech, body percussion, singing, and composition activities that require little to no equipment. Leave with adaptable ideas you can use whether you teach music in your room or on a cart.

Dr. Sandra Sanchez Adorno is an associate professor of music education at Florida International University. She teaches courses in elementary general music, assessment and evaluation in music education, music psychology, and modern band. She is a native of Florida and holds degrees in music education from the University of Florida (B.A.) and the University of Miami (M.M., Ph.D.), and was named Florida College Music Educator for 2025.

Dr. Adorno’s research aims to understand children’s musical cultures and identity development, highlight voices of marginalized populations in music education, and enhance professional learning in music teacher education. Sandra has presented her research internationally and nationally, including the International Conference on Musical Cultures, National Association for Music Education National Research Conference, Society for Music Teacher Education National Conference, Mountain Lake Colloquium, and Desert Skies Research Symposium. She has publications in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin for the Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Music Educators Journal, and Journal of General Music Education. Dr. Adorno has also published book chapters in the notable texts Music, Words, and Nationalism and The Modern Band Handbook. She currently serves as immediate past-president of the Florida College Music Educators Association and on the editorial board of Research Perspectives in Music Education, while previously serving on The Orff Echo editorial board and the evaluation team for the Early Childhood Music Education Pilot Program Grant supported by Florida Senate Bill 156.

Dr. Adorno is certified in Orff-Schulwerk, World Music Pedagogy, and Modern Band and has presented teaching workshops nationally, regionally, and locally at the American Orff Schulwerk Association National Conference, Association for Popular Music Education National Conference, Florida Music Educators State Conference, Orff Chapter workshops around the state, and in-service district workshops in the tri-county area. She was a faculty member of the Tennessee Arts Academy in 2017 and was awarded the Modern Band Fellowship in Higher Education in 2018. In 2019, she directed the Florida Elementary Music Educators Association Southern Regional and Miami-Dade Honors Orff Ensembles 2019 as well as the Volusia and Broward Counties Honors Orff Ensembles in 2025. Prior to her appointment, she was a visiting professor of music education at Stetson University and a general music teacher in Palm Beach County Schools, Frost Music Reach, and the Stetson University Community School of Music.

Th ea ter

Christopher Jahn

“Two Boards and a Bucket of Paint”

Designing scenery on a tight budget is the challenge facing every theater program; a little imagination can go a long way.

Christopher Jahn has been working in South Florida theater since 1985. He’s built props and scenery for the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater, Florida Stage, and was a resident set designer at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables, where he designed over 80 children’s theater production. He has been a production manager at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts since 2008

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Daniel Suarez

Vis ua lA rt

“AI, Art Education & Ethics”

This workshop is designed for K-12 visual art educators to navigate the rapid integration of artificial intelligence in the classroom. The session acknowledges the valid fears artists have regarding copyright, livelihoods, and the devaluation of human creativity, while equipping teachers with practical frameworks to manage AI responsibly.

Daniel R. Suarez, M.Ed., is a doctoral candidate at Florida Atlantic University and a veteran arts educator with a 23-year career. He has served as an elementary music teacher, choral director, and musical theater director before transitioning into video and audio education for film and live production.

Currently, his doctoral research explores authorship and creative ownership for teens and adults working with AI in spatial and immersive design tools. He recently presented on generative AI in creative classroom work at SITE 2026. Last year, he served as the featured AI presenter at a Palm Beach County Schools Arts Pre-School session on integrating Adobe Firefly, and he continues to bridge academic research with hands-on K-12 arts practice.

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