Music Education alum compiles book with fellow School of Music contributors

Choral pedagogue and Penn State Music Education alumnus Dr. Brian J. Winnie compiled The Conductor's Companion: 100 Rehearsal Techniques, Imaginative Ideas, Quotes and Facts. Inspired by Gary Sith’s The Conductor’s Companion, this book provides resources that the choral conductor-educator can access all in one place, and includes contributions from School of Music alumni and current faculty. Because Dr. Winnie wanted to include a wide variety of topics, he collaborated with several expert contributors to create this accessible resource. “This companion includes 100 authors from around the world who are expert choral pedagogues, composers, conductors, vocologists, music therapists, researchers, speech-language pathologists, studio teachers and more,” he said. Penn State School of Music alumni contributors include Ianthe Onelia Marini, Lori L. Sonnenberg and Matthew Swope, as well as Winnie. Faculty members Bryan E. Nichols and Anthony T. Leach (now retired) are also contributors. Dr. Winnie is currently the director of choral activities at Western Illinois University, where he teaches vocal courses and conducts choral ensembles. He has guest-conducted and adjudicated in areas across the United States and has served as an artist-in-residence in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Passionate about vocal pedagogy and choral education, Dr. Winnie has presented at conferences including state-level National Association for Music Education (NAfME), state and regional American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and international conferences.