2025 MMC HEADLINERS
MASTA - Michigan Chapter of the American String Teachers Association
Sarah Ball
Sarah Ball has been teaching orchestra for twenty-eight years, currently at North Gwinnett Middle School in Sugar Hill, Ga, where she is one of three orchestra directors. The NGMS orchestra program has 600+ students enrolled in grades 6-8. The 8th grade orchestra was selected to perform at GMEA in January (2012 and 2024), and received the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award in 2009 and 2015. In December 2013, the NGMS Honor Orchestra was one of three middle school orchestras selected internationally to perform in Chicago, Illinois at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, and has performed at Carnegie Hall.The NGMS music department was recently awarded the inaugural Exemplary Program Award from GMEA (2017-18).
Mrs. Ball holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Appalachian State University and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University. She was named the NGMS Teacher of the Year for 2011-12 and was selected as the middle school Teacher of the Year for Gwinnett County. In 2018, Mrs. Ball was chosen as the GA ASTA String Educator of the year and in 2023, was named the Elizabeth A.H. Green award recipient at ASTA in Orlando. She has served as state treasurer and president for GA-ASTA and is cu K-12 orchestra curriculum committee chair for national ASTA, and member-at-large. Mrs. Ball was the GMEA Orchestra Division Chair, and has held school leadership roles as curriculum and department chair at both Lanier MS and NGMS and GMEA Vice President for All-State events. Mrs. Ball has presented professional development sessions at the school, county, state and national level including the national ASTA conference and The Ohio State University String Teacher’s Workshop, and the Habits Institute in Charleston, SC. She is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and conductor throughout the country. Mrs. Ball is on the author team for the new GIA Publication, Habits of a Successful Young String Musician. She is passionate about making learning fun, impactiful, and inspiring all while holding students to highs standards. Ball started violin at the age of 10 in the Henderson County (NC) strings program. She currently resides in Johns Creek, Georgia with her husband Jerrod, and their cats, Topsy and Turvy.
Sessions:
MASTA Headliner #1 - Setting Beginners Up for Success - Friday, 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
MASTA Headliner #2 - Rutbusters 101 - Friday, 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
MASTA Headliner #3 - SOS: Selections Offering Success - Saturday, 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
MASTA Headliner #4 - Recruiting and Retention - Saturday, 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
MMEA - Michigan Music Education Association
Coty Morris
New Orleans native Coty Raven Morris is a proud alumnus of Texas State University-San Marcos and Michigan State University where she attained a Masters in choral conducting. Along with her work at Portland State University as the Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education, and Social Justice, she is also the founder of Being Human Together (BHT), a budding community utilizing music education striving to normalize difficult topics in our field through conversation and connection. Morris is a sought-after clinician, speaker and artist across the country and is passionate about fostering community in and outside of the classroom. She is excited to be an Artist-in-Residence for the Choirs of America Festival where she will travel with her Portland State Choirs to premiere a new work in June of 2025. Her most recent acknowledgments include being a nominee for the Portland State University George C. Hoffman Faculty award, Quarter-Finalist for the 2025 Music Educator Grammy, and Finalist for the 2024 Music Educators Grammy. Morris is excited to be an Artist-in-Residence for the Choirs of America Festival where she will travel with her Portland State Choirs to premiere a new work in June of 2025!
Sessions:
MMEA Headliner #1 - Discovering Our Inner Superhero: Bringing Your Authentic Self to Your Class and Community - Friday, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
MMEA Headliner #2 - Keeping It Real: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Today’s Classroom - Friday, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
MMEA Headliner #3 - Sightreading Workshop - Saturday, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
MMEA Headliner #4 - Leading with Your Spirit: An Interactive Rehearsal and Workshop - Saturday, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
MSBOA - Michigan School Band & Orchestra Association
Dr. Jenny Neff
Jenny L. Neff, Ed.D joined the University of Delaware's music education faculty in Fall 2024. Prior to this, she was Professor and Program Director for Music Education at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia for six years. She brings 25 years of public-school teaching to higher education, with experience teaching music (primarily bands, orchestras, and jazz bands) at all levels in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Dr. Neff has served as the Eastern Division Representative for NAfME's Council for Band, and in roles of advocacy and professional development for PMEA. She serves as the Pennsylvania representative and is a member of the scholarship and grants committee for Women Band Directors International. She is an active presenter, clinician, guest conductor, writer, and adjudicator.
Dr. Neff received her doctorate in educational leadership from Immaculata University, and her bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from Michigan State University, where she played in MSU's top bands and orchestras.
Sessions:
MSBOA Headliner #1 - Friday, 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
MSBOA Headliner #2 - Friday, 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
MSVMA - Michigan School Vocal Music Association
Dr. Amanda Quist
Dr. Amanda Quist is the Director of Choral Activities at Western Michigan University’s Irving S. Gilmore School of Music. A WMU alum and Michigan native, Dr. Quist arrived at WMU from the University of Miami, where she has served as Director of Choral Studies for the Frost School of Music for the past five years. Quist’s previous post was at Westminster Choir College, where she served as Chair of the Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Department. She is the recipient of Westminster Choir College’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the Mazzotti Award for Women’s Leadership, and she was named the Carol F. Spinelli Conducting Fellow. Prior to her tenure at Westminster, Dr. Quist was Director of Choral Activities at San José State University, and taught high school and middle school music in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education and MM in Choral Conducting from WMU, and earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas, and Doctoral Cognate in Voice Pedagogy and Science.
The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and New York Classical Review have described Amanda Quist’s work as “transformative,” “beautifully prepared, gripping,” “bridging the vocal and instrumental textures with perfect intonation,” and “leaving the audience breathless.” Dr. Quist has collaborated in choral preparations with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Palm Beach Symphony, Dresden Staatskapelle, and the Spoleto Festival. Her early music ensemble, Westminster Kantorei, won first place in the 2018 American Prize for Choral Performance. Under Quist’s direction, Kantorei was invited to perform at the American Choral Directors Association’s (ACDA) Eastern Division Conference, Boston Early Music Festival, American Handel Festival, and Interkultur, and released its first commercial recording in 2017, Lumina, distributed by Naxos. Quist’s other honors include the James Mulholland National Choral Award and the Audrey Davidson Early Music Award. Quist was invited to serve as a clinician in Indonesia, Australia, and to participate in the International Exchange Program in South Africa through the American Choral Directors Association.
A professional member of the GRAMMY recording academy, Dr. Quist recently served on the Choral GRAMMY Screening Committee for the 64th awards ceremony. Her research is published in the Choral Journal, Lexington Books, and GIA Publications. Her choral compositions are published by Walton Music and GIA. Dr. Quist serves as the editor for the Amanda Quist Choral Series, one with Walton Music, and with Gentry Publications.
Sessions:
MSVMA Headliner #1: Building Sound and Spirit - Friday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
MSVMA Headliner #2: Voicing and Seating the Choir – Friday, 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
MSVMA Headliner #3 - We are the Choir - Saturday, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM