Innovation, Inspiration, Inclusion
LOWELL MASON HOUSE COMPETITION 2023
Lowell Mason was the champion of public school music education. The Lowell Mason House is working to re-imagine his 1792 birthplace in Medfield, MA. While Lowell Mason was innovative for his time, we are working diligently to make sure the Lowell Mason House community continues to be innovative and forward-thinking.
We are launching the 4th annual Lowell Mason House Competition with the theme of Innovation, Inspiration, and Inclusion. While the organization is working very hard to raise money and awareness for renovating the building in Medfield, we continue to look to the future of music education advocacy.
In the past, we have asked competition participants to share their best music education lesson plans. Another year we asked for videos about the importance of public school music education. Last year we requested that competition participants re-interpret a piece of music for the modern era.
This year we are looking to the Global Community of the Lowell Mason House to be innovative, inspiring, and inclusive.
2023 Competition Guidelines:
Create an original video, podcast, or blog of 5 to 10 minutes or less.
The key elements should be:
1) What or who inspired you to be a music educator or musician? Provide one or two examples of innovation that fed this inspiration.
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2)Within the global music educators/musicians community, what teaching practices and/or technology applications do you use or envision to encourage the exchange of music, ideas, and innovation?
3) What could the Lowell Mason House do to foster innovation, inspiration, and inclusion?
Thank you to all who applied!
Winners:
1st Place:
Ella Stark
Ella Stark is a sophomore at Fox Lane High School in New York State. She has been playing the flute since she was nine years old. Music has always been a passion of hers. She participates in many different ensembles at her school such as Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Sinfonia, Pep Band, Pit Band, and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. She has also participated in many summer music programs such as Mansfield Music Camp, Ithaca Music Academy, Fredonia Music Festival, and Crane Youth Music. Helping people with special needs has always been something that is deeply important to her. She is very active in both her school district and community programs that help people with special needs, which sparked the idea for this competition.
2nd Place:
Brandon Chan
Brandon Chan (he/him) is a music educator who operates on the southern coast of Massachusetts. He is currently a middle school band director in the Blackstone-Millville School District where he also works with the Charger marching band as an assistant band director. In addition to his work in the Blackstone-Millville School District, he is the founder, director, and conductor of the Voices Unheard Ensemble, an instrumental initiative to program, perform, and commission women’s music. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from UMass Amherst where he studied clarinet with Romie de Guise-Langlois. He currently resides in the town of North Attleborough with his cat Cruiser.
3rd Place:
Esther Figueroa
Esther Figueroa is an aspiring future educator with plans to one day lead her own orchestra. She is currently a violinist at VanderCook College of Music. Through her time at VanderCook she has been trained to become an orchestra, band, and/or choir director.
Ms. Figueroa has had countless teaching experiences throughout her time at VanderCook. She currently teaches at the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance where she teaches the beginning and intermediate violin classes, as well as the Little Genius courses that consist of students ages 4-7. Throughout her time, she has been able to develop herself as an educator in string education and general music education. Ms. Figueroa also enjoys performing. She has been a part of the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance Latin Music Project Ensemble for many years where she has performed in many venues across the city including the Harris Theater, Navy Pier, the Chicago Cultural Center, and many more.
Upon graduating, Ms. Figueroa hopes to pursue a career in music education as an orchestra director, as well as a general music teacher. She also hopes to continue her love of performing and perform with different ensembles in different styles.