Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Summer 2022 15 SAIs in e News Dr. Margaret Schmidt, professor of music learning and teaching in Arizona State University's (ASU) School of Music, Dance and Theatre, was recently named the Music Educator of the Year by the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA). Schmidt was presented the award at the 2022 Conference, "Going Back to Our Future." The highest honor bestowed by AMEA, the Music Educator of the Year personifies the goals and visions of AMEA and exemplifies excellence in teaching, leadership, and advocacy for music and arts education in Arizona. Dr. Schmidt, an SAI initiate of the Alpha Sigma Chapter at the University of New Mexico and former Albuquerque Alumnae Chapter affiliate, holds a Doctorate in music education from the University of Michigan, a Master's in violin performance from SUNY-StonyBrook, and a Bachelor's in music education from Lawrence University. Prior to her appointment at ASU, Professor Schmidt was associate professor of music education and chairperson of the Music Department at St. Cloud State University. A specialist in string education, she has held public school string positions in Naperville, IL, Jackson, MI, Albuquerque, NM, and Austin, MN. Professor Schmidt's research focuses on preservice and beginning teachers, and teachers and students in underserved schools. She has published articles in leading education journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education and the American String Teacher. Dr. Schmidt is a frequent presenter at conferences including the Music Educators National Conference, the American String Teachers Association, and the American Educational Research Association. She is founder and director of the ASU String Project, which won the Robert Jesselson String Project Consortium Award in 2005 for the nation's outstanding String Project. SAI Named Arizona Music Educator of the Year 2022 Music Educator 2022 Music Educator of the Year Dr. Marg Schmidt of the Year Dr. Marg Schmidt with 2021 Music Educator of with 2021 Music Educator of the Year Brian Murphy the Year Brian Murphy T heta Nu Chapter sisters Christa Bailey and Wesleigh Jarrell were a part of a select group of Florida A&M University's Marching 100 Band members to participate in the 2022 Louis Vuitton Men's Paris Fashion Show in Paris, France. It was held outdoors in the Cour Carrée, one of the main courtyards of the Louvre museum. e band last performed in France in 1989 at the Bastille Day Parade. irty-five members of the band, led by Drum Majors Jarvis Rittman and Jalen Roberts, opened the event with the song Mighty Rattler. at was followed by Rattler to the Bone, and they then performed their version of Get Up. e show continued with male models walking the runway while Kendrick Lamar performed live. e FAMU band returned to perform their standard SOS (Sounds of Success) at the close of the fashion show. When asked about the experience, Wesleigh Jarrell said, "e experiences in Paris felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. I felt honored to be a part of the continuation and legacy of monumental performances within e Marching 100. is was a great opportunity for worldwide education and exposure to the unique HBCU culture and the impact it has. e experience will always be memorable and I will value the many professional, educational, musical, and overall enjoyable experiences that I encountered from the rehearsals to the performance." Christa Bailey said of the event, "Honestly, the entire experience was surreal. I have always wanted to travel and perform, so when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn't say no. I had the opportunity to meet other musicians and experience the logistics of a production as grand as the Louis Vuitton fashion show. It was a great experience and an honor to represent not only the Marching 100 but also Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity." Roses in Paris

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