Music Education at Winthrop University

05/18/2026

congratulations to Brooke Rice and Rick Langdale, both Winthrop music education alumni! 🦅

05/18/2026

Congratulations to all the directors, particularly the Winthrop alumni, on this list whose choral programs earned the Outstanding Performance Award this year! We're so proud of you and your students. 🦅

Melissa Henderson
NeTorrian Patton
Kaitlyn Hayward
Alex Jones
Heather Wilcox
Joshua Wald
Lizzi Elliott

Congratulations to the following High School Choral Programs on earning the Outstanding Performance Award for the 2025-2026 academic year.

This is the highest annual honor that a choral program in South Carolina can earn. It demonstrates a commitment to and the achievement of excellence across the board in all of the events that the South Carolina Music Educators Association Choral Division has to offer. Directors, thank you for investing in the students within your program in such a profound way, and inspiring every one of us in the SC choral community.

Tomorrow, we are excited to share the recipients of the inaugural Middle School Outstanding Performance Award. Congrats again, directors and students!

05/08/2026

Our final graduate this semester is Hunter Garrison! Hunter is an instrumental music education major from Greer, SC. He studied trombone with Dr. Justin Isenhour, and completed his internships with Matt Bratton at Cherry Park Elementary in Rock Hill and at Forest Creek Middle School in Fort Mill with Jordan Rososky. He was also chosen as the Presser Scholar in music by the music department faculty. Next year, Hunter will be teaching general music and beginner band at Hendersonville Elementary in Colleton County, SC!

Some words from Hunter:

Something I valued/enjoyed: I enjoyed the close-knit nature of the music program and the school as a whole. There were always opportunities to be involved and to interact with music students and faculty, and that made the Winthrop experience a lot more positive.

Advice for future music ed students: Work hard to learn early on in your degree so that you can focus more in your student teaching. You use a lot more skills in a music classroom than you realize, so take time to learn these skills while you aren’t also having to worry about internship.

Congratulations, Hunter! We are so proud of you, and we wish you all the best.

05/08/2026

Our next featured graduate is Kaylee Stanaland! Kaylee is a choral music education major from Rock Hill, SC, who has studied voice with Dr. Jeff McEvoy. Kaylee completed her internships with Jonathan Welch at Gold Hill Middle School in Fort Mill and Emily Eakes at Bethany Elementary in Clover. Kaylee is seeking an elementary music position in South Carolina for next year.

Kaylee says: I greatly value the relationships I have built at Winthrop University, both with my friends and my professors. I will forever be grateful to every professor that has guided me along the way. I want other students to remember that people around you want to support you and want to see you do well - do NOT be afraid to reach out or admit that you need help!

Congratulations, Kaylee! We are so proud of you, and we wish you all the best.

05/06/2026

Today, our graduates were honored at the convocation hosted by the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences ! Each graduate received a blue cord to wear at commencement, representing the academic discipline of education. Hunter Garrison also received a cord for the Presser Scholar Award for outstanding achievement in music. Pictured here are Dr. Jermy Mims, Dr. Kristin Jeri, Kaylee Stanaland, Hunter Garrison, Kobe Moses, Ian Garland, Jada Turner, and Ms. Julia McCallum.

Congratulations, graduates!

05/06/2026

Today's featured graduate is Jada Turner! Jada is an instrumental music education major from Union, SC, and studied clarinet with Dr. Debbie Loomer. She completed her internships with Zack McCarter at Oakridge Middle School in Clover, and Mary Catherine Osborne at Lesslie Elementary in Rock Hill. She is seeking an elementary music position in the upstate for next year!

Jada says:

What I’ve enjoyed most about my time at Winthrop has been the tight-knit community you become a part of as soon as you enter the music program. I value every relationship I’ve made with professors and faculty, students, clinicians, and all the other musicians I’ve met along the way. I am especially grateful for my professors who have always believed in me and encouragedme to keep moving forward while guiding me through some of the most difficult moments in my life.

My advice for future music educators is to find joy in the little moments each new day brings. Sometimes the small victories are just as important as the big ones, so give yourself grace, allow yourself to be “new” at something, challenge yourself, but don’t forget about your support system. Soak up every moment Winthrop has to offer, learn something new everyday, and never forget what made you love music in the first place! (Also take lots of notes in Dr. Manwarren’s music history class!)

Congratulations, Jada! We are so proud of you, and we wish you all the best.

05/05/2026

Today's featured graduate is Ian Garland! Ian is an instrumental music education major from Graniteville, SC. He studied euphonium with Dr. Derek Fenstermacher and trombone with Dr. Justin Isenhour. Ian completed his student teaching with Emily Eakes at Bethany Elementary and Nick Gibson at Clover Middle School. In the fall, Ian will begin his career as the band director at Banks Trail Middle School in Fort Mill, SC!

Ian says:

One thing I have particularly enjoyed about Winthrop is the normality of professors acting as mentors as well. They are all incredibly knowledgeable and eager to help guide you on your journey, even if the matter does not pertain to what they teach in the classroom. My advice to young students would be to lean on each other when things are stressful, and always, always, always use your resources!

Congratulations, Ian! We are so proud of you, and we wish you all the best.

05/05/2026

It's time for our Graduate Spotlight feature!

Our first featured graduate is Kobe Moses. Kobe is an instrumental music education major from Sumter, SC. He studied saxophone with Dr. Tracy Patterson and Dr. Noah Bruening, and he did his internships with Julie Albertson at Doby's Bridge Elementary in Fort Mill and Zack McCarter at Oakridge Middle School in Clover.

Next year, Kobe will be the elementary music teacher at Pleasant Hill Elementary STREAM Academy in Georgetown!

Kobe says:

What I enjoyed most about my time at Winthrop was being able to establish relationships with its fantastic professors, many of whom I consider to be great mentors of mine. Their steadfast belief in my ability to overcome the challenges that I faced at Winthrop provided much support and comfort when I needed it most. My advice to future and current music education students would be this: always make time for yourself, separate from your studies. Have your own time management tactics so that, when budgeting your time, you always leave some time to yourself and time for loved ones. This is the most important tool that you can use to avoid burnout and to make the most of your Winthrop experience. To paraphrase Warren Zevon, always remember to “enjoy every sandwich.” 🦅

Congratulations, Kobe! We are so proud of you, and we wish you all the best.

04/20/2026

All good things must come to an end...including our student teachers' time in their internship schools. The last weeks have been busy ones, full of excitement and learning, and now our interns are preparing for graduation and what comes after!

Thank you to the following schools and teachers for hosting our music education interns this year. We are grateful for all the guidance and support you have given these new music educators!

Zach McCarter, Oakridge Middle School, Clover
Nick Gibson, Clover Middle School, Clover
Emily Eakes, Bethany Elementary School, Clover
Jordan Rososky, Forest Creek Middle School, Fort Mill
Julie Albertson, Doby's Bridge Elementary School, Fort Mill
Mary Catherine Osborne, Lesslie Elementary School, Rock Hill
Matt Bratton, Cherry Park Elementary School, Rock Hill
Melissa Higdon, Ebinport Elementary School, Rock Hill

02/07/2026

Aaron Milner, BME '21, leading the Clover High School Trombone Collective in performance at SCMEA today. Great work, Aaron!