Developing Diversity through Early Recruitment
Dr. Hannah C. Morrison
West Chester University
Pecos I
Friday, March 28th
10:30 am
Clinic Synopsis
With the aim of increasing diversity in instrumental ensembles ever present, the need for actionable steps becomes more pressing. This session will explore opportunities available to collegiate educators and musicians to engage young elementary students (K-2) through interactive wind chamber concerts. Using a children’s concert series that took place across the Kansas City metro in spring 2024 as an example, discussions will focus on increasing exposure and access for elementary students, enhancing engagement and performance levels of chamber musicians, and cultivating long-term impacts on recruitment and diversity. As part of the example children’s concert series, further discussions will revolve around the music of Florence Price, Jose Padilla, and Amanda Harberg, as well as the use of arranging to connect with students in underrepresented communities. Additional research will be presented on the pedagogical strategies required to craft a children’s concert that is engaging, age-appropriate, and inspiring.
Biography
Dr. Hannah C. Morrison is the Associate Director of Bands at West Chester University, conducting the Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds, assisting the “INCOMPARABLE” Golden Rams Marching Band, and teaching graduate and undergraduate conducting classes. Dr. Morrison holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory (UMKC), where she studied with Steven D. Davis and Joseph Parisi. She holds a Master of Music Degree in Instrumental Conducting and a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Baylor University, where she studied with J. Eric Wilson and Isaiah Odajima.
Dr. Morrison is highly sought after as a collaborator, with experience conducting wind ensembles, chamber ensembles, new music ensembles, and athletic bands. In the spring of 2024, she pioneered a chamber winds outreach concert at UMKC performing for approximately 1,000 elementary students across Kansas City. Dr. Morrison was selected for the 2024 National Band Association Young Composer/Conductor Mentor Project, guest conducting the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Morrison serves as the Director of the Intermediate Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Arts Camp. Before her graduate studies, she worked as a band director in the Dallas Metro schools at Lamar Middle School and as a horn instructor and brass pedagogy specialist with the Marcus High School Band.
Through ensembles at Interlochen and the Disneyland All-American College Band, Dr. Morrison performed on horn with notable artists such as Brad Gemeinhardt (Principal Horn, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) and Wayne Bergeron (trumpet soloist). As an arranger, Dr. Morrison has written for numerous athletic bands and developed outstanding conducting pedagogy reductions for the Kansas City Conducting Symposium, featuring music by Jennifer Higdon, Chen Yi, Roshanne Etezady, and Zhou Tian.
Dr. Morrison is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda.