Professional Development

District 7 Professional Development Council

Elementary Rep.: Lisa Sempsey
Middle School Rep.: Jared Daubert
High School Rep.: Jay Althouse
Higher Education Rep.: Jennifer Jester
PD Chair: Lisa Sempsey

2025 Professional Development Day


​Attention all music educators! The PMEA District 7 Professional Development Council is thrilled to announce the PMEA District 7 Professional Development Day on October 13, 2025, hosted at Hempfield High School! This enriching event promises a day filled with insightful workshops, engaging presentations, and collaborative sessions designed to enhance your teaching practice and deepen your understanding of music education. Join us for a unique opportunity to connect with fellow professionals, explore innovative strategies, and rejuvenate your passion for music.

On-site registration will be available again this year, but lunch will not be included with on-site registration.
​
If you have any questions for the PD Council regarding this event, please direct them to the PD Chair, Lisa Sempsey at [email protected]!


Pre-registration is now closed. On-site registration will be available on Monday, October 13, but lunch will not be included.
​
Overview:
Date - Monday, October 13, 2025
Time -
  • registration/check-in begins at 7 AM
  • sessions run from 8 AM to 3 PM
Strands - band, choir, orchestra, general music, and cross-curricular
Location - Hempfield High School, 200 Stanley Ave., Landisville, PA. 17538
*Please park and enter near the Performing Arts Center and enter through door D4.  Thank you!
**Map for parking linked here and at the bottom of this page.
Cost - Lunch is included with pre-registration, but cannot be offered with on-site registration.
  • PMEA/PADESTA member, $50
  • PCMEA member, $15
  • Non-member, $80
Act 48 hours awarded for full-day workshop attendees.  

Presenters and Session Titles:
​***Click here for session descriptions.
***Click here for presenter bios.
Band
  • George Bradshaw with Samantha Roberts - "Recruiting and Rehearsal Techniques for Your Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Band" 
  • William Stowman - "Brass Performance, Pedagogy, and Preservation"
  • Shaun Thompson - "Developing and Enhancing Instrumental Ensemble Recruitment Strategies"
  • David Yinger - "Teaching Improv for the 'Jazzaphobic'"
  • Andrew Yozviak - "Things I've Learned - Rehearsal Techniques for Band"​
Choir
  • Rebecca Achenbach - "Just Sing!"
  • Ryan Carlin - "A Cappella 101"
  • Mark Williams - "Grand Theft Choral - Strategies and Tips for High School Choir"
Orchestra
  • *Brian Buterbaugh - "Orchestra Reading Session" - Please bring an instrument to play!
  • Timothy Dixon - "Building Your Rehearsal Toolbox" & "Score Study Hacks:  Ten Tools for Time-Crunched Teachers"
  • *Brian Buterbaugh with Scott Kalziak - "What Violinists and Violists Need to Know about Teaching Cello and Bass"
  • *Brian Buterbaugh with Michelle Kisner - "Building a Skill Video Library for Your String Lessons"
          *For all sessions with Brian Buterbaugh, please bring a device you can type on!
General Music
  • Kate Bright - "Voice and Choice in Singing Games"
  • Drue Bullington - "Playful Pedagogy:  Keith Haring and Hip Hop Holiday Fun!"
  • Hollie Mendenhall - "Uke Can Do It - Strategies for Teaching Ukulele" - Please bring a ukulele if you can.  Limited ukuleles will be available for participants.
  • Leslie Weaver - "Rhythmic and Melodic Literacy through Conversational Solfege"
  • Warkenda Williams-Casey - "Small Learners, Big Fun"
Cross-curricular
  • Kate Bright - "Dancing Together:  Folk Dance for Every Classroom"
  • Warren Gramm - "Scaffolded Approaches to Songwriting"
  • Brandon Martinez - "Managing the Vocal Load in a Band Using Vocal Acoustics and Amplification"
  • Anthony Molinaro - "Teaching Artistry with Dalcroze Movement"
  • Erin Price-Hamilton - "Supporting Music Learners with Trauma Histories"

Hempfield High School - Performing Arts Center - parking and entrance

Act 48 Hours

PMEA is approved as an Act 48 provider by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
​Questions? Contact Lisa Sempsey, PMEA District 7 Professional Development Chair.

Participants

Participants looking to receive continuing education hours for attendance at a PMEA sponsored event (i.e. fest, festival, workshop) must sign in and confirm their PDE number at the event. Following the event, the survey below must be completed within two weeks of the event:

1) PMEA Survey for District/Region Events

(Only one PMEA survey should be completed per participant so participants need to wait until the conclusion of the event to complete these forms. Please do not try to complete them immediately following one session if there are still professional development opportunities available as you will not be able to access the same form at a later time.)

​Address Updates to PDE must be completed through TIMS.

Instructions for Logging into TIMS
Once logged in to TIMS, you can make changes under “View & Update My Profile”

Hosts

Please see the PMEA Act 48 Procedures for Fest-Festival Hosts (2024-25) for complete details on how to apply for Act 48 hours for professional development offerings during your events. If requesting hours for guest conductor observation or a reading session, please complete the Guest Conductor/Reading Session Act 48 Form 
​*It is imperative that you work with you district professional development representatives to make sure the process is properly completed.
*Both a completed online Act 48 presenter form for each session as well as a schedule, including start and end times for each item on the schedule, must be submitted (emailed to [email protected]) in order for Act 48 hours to be approved.
Once hours have been approved to receive Act 48 hours, please use the following roster to keep track of those in attendance at the event – Act 48 Roster for District/Region Events --email or mail the LEGIBLE roster to Kelly Gressley – [email protected] 
*If an event is held virtually, a list of attendees/registrants should be sent to Kelly Gressley within one week following the event.

Clinicians


Need assistance completing the forms? See the PMEA Act 48 Clinician Instructions.

**Fest, Festival, Workshop Clinicians must list the specific event, including the PMEA District/Region, for which you are presenting: i.e. District 6 Chorus, Region IV Band, etc.  We are District 7.
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