Clay McKinney To Whom It May Concern: My Commitment as a teacher and furthermore as an orchestra teacher, is built upon the strong belief that all children deserve the opportunity to learn music and that all children have the ability to be accomplished in music. Music students deserve the best foundation we can give them, which is why I am especially committed to starting beginning string players on a good path to musical proficiency. How orchestra students begin is the most important part of their musical journey and I believe that through solid, fun instruction children of any age can learn to appreciate the rigor of string playing and the rich reward of string performance. I hope that we will be able to talk soon about your program and ways that we can bring about growth in your students. I know your program is growing into something that will become a rich tradition of excellence and success. This can happen at all levels from elementary to high school aged students. Each group brings with them different strengths and insights that are exciting to be a part of which is why I love working with all of them. Thank you for your time and I look forward to talking with you. Sincerely, Clay McKinney Director of Orchestras Hazelwood East High School & Hazelwood East Middle School Music Director, St. Martin s Episcopal Church Past President Alabama Orchestra Association muiscalistening@gmail.com
EDUCATION University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama Degree: Bachelor of Music, Cello Performance Date of Graduation: May 2003 Clay McKinney University of Missouri St. Louis, St. Louis, MO Currently enrolled in Master s degree program for Master of Music Education. Expected Graduation Date is Fall 2015 CERTIFICATIONS Missouri Certified Teacher, Career Continuous Professional Certificate EXPERIENCE Orchestra Director 2013-Present Hazelwood East High School and Hazelwood East Middle School Orchestra Conductor for All Orchestras including programming concerts and organizing and preparing groups for festival contest Orchestras include 6 th, 7 th & 8 th Grade at the middle school level, and Concert & Symphonic Orchestras at the high school level Strings Instructor Booker T. Washington Magnet Arts High School 2007 2012 Strings Instruction, Chamber Music, Scales & Technique, participation in the All State festival, Concert performances, community event performances, Music Appreciation & Music Theory. Develop Creative meaning curriculum for Music Appreciation and Music Theory Solo & Ensemble competitions including ASTA and Alabama Music Teachers Association (MTNA). Elementary Strings - Andrews Academy 2012-2013 Private Strings Instructor for K-5 th grade students including beginners and intermediate. Instruction in Violin, Guitar and Classical Guitar To see a video demonstration of me teaching an elementary school orchestra class click below. http://youtu.be/n8jbee2j4o4 Music Director 2012-Present St Martin s Episcopal Church Choral Director for Adult Choir and Sunday morning Worship Oversee the music planning for worship and other events in the life of the church including a concert series, Lenten concert series and Major Feast days such as Christmas, Easter, All Saints etc and music arranging when needed. Also Director for Handbell choir, Youth Choir and Children s Choir
Other Experience as Music Educator and Performer Clinician and Lecturer 2007 Present Present lectures on MusicaListening, music at the brain; at the State and local levels, including the Alabama Music Educators Association, the Montgomery Board of Education Professional Development for Instrumental Teachers, Missouri Music Educators Association Conference and the American String Teachers Association National Conference. Alabama Music Educators Conference, January 2011 Moving Toward Sound Missouri Music Educators Conference, January 2014 Build a better phrase, Build a better ensemble American String Teachers Association National Conference, March 2014 Build a better phrase, Build a better ensemble President, Alabama Orchestra Association 2011 2013 All-State Orchestra festival. Choose and communicate with conductors, sectional coaches, seating and entrance audition Judges, including mailing and organizing audition recordings for entrance auditions, Communicate with Executive Board, vendors, volunteers, teachers, and district chairs regarding the festival Freelance Cellist Cathedral Church of the Advent 2003 2012 Write, arrange, and perform cello parts for weekly contemporary afternoon worship service at the Cathedral for the Episcopal Church of Alabama. Wrote and recorded all cello parts for two faith-based albums, Lift Him Up and In the Hands of the Maker, including the solo cello track Amazing Grace http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jobrjq98o Blue Galaxy String Project 2007 2012 Play a wide range of musical styles including Modern Rock, Classic Rock, Jazz, American Standards including big band and classical. Improvise in these different styles. Orchestral Cellist 1992 2012 Montgomery, AL Symphony, Tuscaloosa, AL Symphony, Muscle Shoals, AL Symphony, Meridian, MS Symphony, Tupelo, MS Symphony. Musical Theater Pit Orchestra - Alabama Shakespeare Theater: An O Henry Christmas, and Beauty and the Beast. Troy State University: Children of Eden, and Kiss Me Kate.
Clay McKinney Clay McKinney has immersed himself in the music community by serving as a teacher, leader, lecturer, clinician, conductor, and performer. From 2007-2012, Mr. McKinney taught strings at the Booker T. Washington Magnet Arts High School in Montgomery, Alabama. During his time there, his students won numerous awards and honors including first place and honorable mention in the Chamber music competition of the Alabama Music Teachers Association (member of MTNA), superior ratings at the Alabama Chapter of the American String Teachers Association competition, prizes and honorable mentions at Montgomery s Artistic Competition for Exceptional students, and advanced placement in the All-State Orchestra festival. Mr. McKinney s students have been asked to perform often in the community for various events and fundraisers. Several of his students also perform with the Symphony there, the Montgomery Symphony and other local groups. As a leader, Mr. McKinney currently serves as President of the Alabama Orchestra Association (AOA), where he organizes festivals and the AOA s participation in the annual conference of Alabama Music Educators Association (member of NAFME). The AOA seeks to promote orchestral playing around the State including the All-State Orchestra festival, where more than 200 talented music students experience a weekend of intensive learning and orchestral performance. Mr. McKinney remains involved as a conductor and lecturer. He has presented workshop lectures on his topic MusicaListening, Discussions on Music and the Brain, at the local and state level including the Alabama Music Educators Conference. Upcoming lectures include the Missouri Music Educators Conference and the American String Teachers Association National Conference. He has conducted school orchestras including the Booker T. Washington String Orchestra and has been a guest conductor at the Alabama Southeast District Honors Orchestra. Mr. McKinney holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance from the University of Alabama and will begin working on his Master s Degree in Music Education from Auburn University in January 2013. Although cello is his main instrument, he has played classical guitar since he was 12 years old, and also plays standard steel string guitar. From 2003-2012, Mr. McKinney was the cellist for the afternoon contemporary service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. The Advent 5 O clock Band performs throughout the Southeast and has recorded two albums, Lift Him Up and In the Hand of the Maker, both of which feature cello solos written and performed by Mr. McKinney. Mr. McKinney s own cello arrangement of Amazing Grace can be found on In the Hands of the Maker, available from cdbaby, Amazon, and itunes. From 2007-2012, Mr. McKinney performed as cellist for the Blue Galaxy String Project in Birmingham, Alabama. An eclectic band, the Blue Galaxy String Project is an instrumental pop group that plays a wide variety of music including The Beatles, Dave Brubeck, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Radiohead, and others. All members of the group are classically trained musicians who are comfortable performing practically any style of music. Currently Mr. McKinney is Director of Orchestra for Hazelwood East High School and Hazelwood East Middle School where he conducts all orchestras including the Concert and Symphonic Orchestras. Mr. McKinney is also Music Director for St. Martin s Episcopal Church in Ellisville Missouri. There he conducts the Adult Choir, Handbell Choir, Youth Choir, Children s Choir and is responsible for planning the musical life of the parish including Sunday morning worship, a concert series and various musical offerings throughout the year including a Lenten Concert series. Mr. McKinney makes his home in St. Louis Missouri with Julia Sakharova, where Julia is a violinist in the Arianna String quartet, in residence at the University of Missouri St. Louis.
References Kurt Baldwin Associate Professor of Cello, Cellist Arianna String Quartet University of Missouri, St. Louis School of Music 1 University Blvd St. Louis MO 63121 (314) 749-4968 baldwink@umsl.edu www.ariannaquartet.com Mary White Strings Instructor Rockwood School District Pond Elementary & Ridge Meadows Elementary 17200 Manchester Rd. Grover, MO 63040 (314) 712-7526 whitemary@rockwood.k12.mo.us Carolyn Day Orchestra Director Rockwood Summit High School Rockwood School District 1780 Hawkins Rd. Fenton, MO 63026 (630) 272-8839 daycarolyn@rockwood.k12.mo.us Jon Hall Rector, St. Martin s Episcopal Church 15764 Clayton Road Ellisville, MO 63011 (636) 227-1484 jhall@stmartinschurch.org Dr. Paul G. Davis, DMA Associate Professor of Music, Director of Instrumental Studies Conductor of Orchestra Webster University 470 E. Lockwood Ave. St. Louis MO 63119 pauldavis34@webster.edu Ed Sandheinrich Director of Orchestras and Guitar Parkway West High School 14653 Clayton Rd Ballwin MO 63011 cell (314) 541-4934 work (314) 415-7573 esandheinrich@pkwy.k12.mo.us Denise Marsh Lead Accompanist Parkway Central High School 369 North Woods Mill Rd Chesterfield MO 63017 (314) 402-2871 denisemusic@sbcglobal.net John McGrosso Associate Professor of Violin Violinist Arianna String Quartet University of Missouri, St. Louis School of Music 1 University Blvd St. Louis MO 63121 (314) 922-7564 mcgrossoj@umsl.edu www.ariannaquartet.com Sharon Benefield Director of Children s Choirs Music Director, Five O clock Service Cathedral Church of the Advent 2017 Sixth Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203 (205) 482-6651 Sharon@cathedraladvent.com
5 O clock Band, Cathedral Church of the Advent Birmingham, Alabama Blue Galaxy String Project Birmingham, Alabama
Kurt Baldwin Associate Professor of Cello Arianna String Quartet University of Missouri, St Louis One University Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63121 Office: 314-516-4257 baldwink@umsl.edu www.ariannaquartet.com To Whom It May Concern: It is my pleasure to offer this letter of recommendation on behalf Mr. Clay McKinney, whom I have had the opportunity to get to know and work with over the past year. Mr. McKinney is an accomplished performer and educator, and is someone whose skill sets I find to be of the highest caliber. Because he has approached the cultivation of his skills as a music educator from multiple perspectives, including both theoretical and performance experience, Mr. McKinney is uniquely qualified and positioned for an effective and successful career as a music educator. I recently had the opportunity to work as part of a team with Mr. McKinney in the development of a music education curriculum focusing on a new, innovative approach to teaching improved string technique through interpretation of printed music. Mr. McKinney s insights into the challenges of technical problem solving for both instructors and students was inspiring and extremely well informed. During our discussions regarding music curriculum, practice techniques, and challenges related to performance for young students, Mr. McKinney shared numerous impressive insights into effective problem solving for teaching on the elementary, middle and high school levels. I have also had the opportunity to perform with Mr. McKinney; he is a very fine cellist and musician who maintains the highest level of attention to detail and craft in his own playing. Mr. McKinney s investment in his own growth as a performer is invaluable to his skills as an educator, as he clearly brings his working knowledge of the challenges related to playing to his teaching, thereby offering an augmented set of solution options for his students. I am happy to give Clay McKinney my highest recommendation. Please don t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding my recommendation. Most sincerely, Kurt Baldwin
To Whom It May Concern: It is my distinct pleasure to write you in support of Mr. Clay McKinney. As the Director of Instrumental Studies at Webster University, I have had the opportunity to know Mr. McKinney as a musician, teacher, and colleague. He possesses great attributes that make him well suited as a music educator. He is easy to work with, friendly, respectful, and works with great enthusiasm. Mr. McKinney s background has strongly prepared him to succeed. His experience in teaching at Booker T. Washington Magnet Arts School in Alabama garnered the respect of his colleagues to elect him to the office of President of the Alabama Orchestra Association. Mr. McKinney is ready to become an immediately effective member and valued contributor to the statewide orchestra education community in Missouri. Finally, you will find Mr. McKinney s work ethic and desire to be beyond compare. His genuine enthusiasm for music and excellence is infectious to students and colleagues. Even as a proven musician, teacher and conductor, he continues to develop continued excellence in his craft. He will be a revered colleague and admired teacher. It is without hesitation that I offer this recommendation for Clay McKinney. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can offer further insight on his abilities and qualifications. Best wishes, Paul G. Davis, D.M.A. Associate Professor of Music Conductor of Orchestras Director of Instrumental Studies Webster University
To Whom It May Concern: My name is Robert Gibson. I have been a co-worker and friend of Clay McKinney for almost five years. In this period of time he has shown excellent work ethic and good moral character. He is trustworthy and honest and always follows through on commitments. It is for these reasons that I would highly recommend Clay McKinney. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Dr. Robert Gibson 308 Navajo Dr. Montgomery Al 36117 210-378-6781 robbygibson@hotmail.com