Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • SUMMER 2017 • PAN PIPES 29 Music Learning Theory (Elementary I & II and Early Childhood I) and Orff-Schulwerk (Levels I-III). Dr. Kastner's research interests include vernacular and informal music learning, early childhood music, and professional development for music teachers. Her work has been published in the book Learning from Young Children: Research in Early Childhood Music and in Perspectives: Journal of the Early Childhood Music & Movement Association. She has presented at numerous conferences, including the NAfME Biennial Conference, the Desert Skies Symposium on Research in Music Education, the Suncoast Music Education Research Symposium, and the Mountain Lake Colloquium. Dr. Kastner is one of the most influential educators at the University of Houston. She is extremely knowledgeable and contributes a high amount of research to her content area. Dr. Kastner models the role of teacher, mentor, musician, and encourager to her students, which inspires her students to then impact their own students in similar ways. Donna Lafferty Donna Lafferty was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Bloomington Alumnae Chapter in April. She is completing her fourth year as Executive Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. This is the Orchestra's 47th season and it is a vital part of the music community in Bloomington, IN. Lafferty is responsible for promotion, marketing, development, production, contract negotiations, venue procurement, budgeting, accounting, and other duties. She has also served as Personnel Manager for six years and plays Second Trombone in the orchestra. She manages her own brass quintet and occasionally performs with other community ensembles. Lafferty received a Bachelor of Arts in Music in Trombone from Northwestern University and also studied at Indiana University. Robin Leigh Massie Robin Leigh Massie was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Lambda Tau Chapter at the Westminster Choir College at Rider University in March. Massie has established herself as a versatile artist in opera, concert, and musical theatre. She made her New York City Opera debut as Flora in Benjamin Britten's The Turn of The Screw. She has also performed with the Tulsa, Kentucky, Glimmerglass, and Princeton Opera companies. In musical theatre, she performed the role of Jellylorum in Andrew Lloyd Weber's CATS in Hamburg, Germany. She has also sung with the Bucks County, Pocono, and Gateway Playhouses and toured South America singing the role of Christine in Ivan Jacobs' The Phantom of the Opera. In concert repertoire, Ms. Massie has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for eleven consecutive seasons in Yuletide Celebration. In other concert repertoire, she performed with the Utah Symphony Orchestra in Leonard Bernstein's Mass for the farewell concert of Maestro Keith Lockhart. She can be heard on a recording with the Westminster Choir (Like As a Hart) as the soprano soloist in Mozart's Laudate Dominum. In August 2010, she served as both stage director of opera scenes and voice teacher for the Crescendo Summer Arts Institute in Sárospatak, Hungary. A native of Austin, Texas, Ms. Massie has a Bachelor's Degree in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College and a Master's Degree in Voice/Opera Performance from Yale University. In August 2013, she traveled to Changsha, China to perform and teach private voice lessons and masterclasses with The MasterWorks Festival China. Ms. Massie is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Voice at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and a member of the voice faculty at Cairn University. She joins her husband, Steven Condy, as the Assistant Director of the Vocal Intensive Study Program at the MasterWorks Summer Music Festival. Gary Morris Gary Morris was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Zeta Rho Chapter at the Arkansas Tech University in May. He holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education Degrees from Arkansas State University, and he has done additional study at Westminster Choir College and Vandercook College of Music. Morris taught at Jonesboro High School in Arkansas for 20 years. His choirs performed for the National Music Educators Association in San Antonio, Texas in 1982 along with President Bill Clinton's Inaugural Prayer Service in the National Cathedral in 1993. Mr. Morris has served as Choral Director at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas for 15 years. He regularly takes his choirs on tour where they have performed in over 30 churches and 120 schools. Mr. Morris is a founding board member of the Arkansas Choral Connection Choir Camp. Dr. Joseph Murphy Dr. Joseph Murphy was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Delta Phi Chapter at Mansfield University in April. He has been the saxophone professor there since 1987 and served as Assistant Director of Bands and Chairman of the Music Department. In 1985- 86 he received a Fulbright Award for a year of study in Bordeaux, France with Jean-Marie Londeix, where he received a Premier Prix. In June 1996 Dr. Murphy performed a solo recital at Lincoln Center. He has premiered over 50 new works and has performed over 500 concerts in all 50 states, eight Canadian Provinces, and 30 countries, and he has recorded on the Erol (France) label and Opus One. He has written several pedagogical articles on the saxophone and his doctoral dissertation "Early Saxophone Instruction in American Educational Institutions" is considered a significant contribution to historical saxophone research. Dr. Murphy received a Bachelor of Music Education from Bowling Green State University with John Sampen, and both Masters and Doctorate degrees from Northwestern University with Fred Hemke, and Conducting with John Paynter. Andrew Nevala Andrew Nevala was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Theta Beta Chapter at Jacksonville State University in April. He directs the jazz ensembles at Jacksonville State University and leads the annual jazz festival which is held at the university each year. DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS Lafferty Kastner Massie Morris Murphy

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