Speakers
Nancy Youmans
Ferguson Township and Gray’s Woods Elementary Schools
Nancy Youmans is an elementary general music teacher and choir director at Ferguson Township and Gray’s Woods Elementary Schools in the State College Area School District. 2022-23 starts her 10th year in that position. Nancy has enjoyed her connection with the music education program at the Penn State School of Music where she has served as the cooperating teacher for students in the elementary emphasis class since 2015. She was an invited speaker at the annual “Orfftoberfest” workshop held by the Penn State School of Music on the topic, “Mindfulness in the Music Classroom”. She also was a featured teacher in the book, Volume 1: Early Childhood Education of the Routledge World Music Pedagogy Series by Dr. Sarah Watts. Outside of teaching, Nancy is a singing member of the State College Choral Society and serves in leadership roles within the organization. Nancy has a master’s degree from Penn State in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Children’s Literature (another passion of hers!) Her bachelor’s degree is in music education from The University of Georgia with an emphasis in vocal performance. She loves to hike with her dog, Freddie, and travel with her husband, Chuck to visit their two daughters, who both live in Germany!
Dr. Dana Varona
Loudoun County School District and Ithaca College
Dr. Dana Arbaugh Varona is an elementary general music teacher with Loudoun County Public Schools and a lecturer at Ithaca College. Passionate about teacher wellness, Dr. Varona's research investigates the effectiveness of mindfulness training in reducing music teachers’ stress and burnout. Previously, Dr. Varona taught instrumental and vocal-general music in her home state of Hawai’i. Dr. Varona earned her PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park, and MM and BM degrees from Ithaca College. Outside of teaching, Dr. Varona is most fulfilled spending time with her husband, Chris, son, Russell, and Carolina Dog, Tyson, in Leesburg, Virginia.
Dr. Kathryn Hylton
Penn State University
Kathryn Hylton serves as the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Penn State where she conducts the Oriana Singers and Vocal Dimensions Jazz Ensemble, and teaches courses in choral literature, conducting, and choral methodology. She has guest conducted for PMEA, NYSSMA, the Maryland Summer Chorus and Orchestra, and the UMD Bach Cantata series as well as prepared choirs for collaborations with the National and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras. Dr. Hylton is a dedicated member of the American Choral Directors Association, currently serving on the Pennsylvania Board as Repertoire and Resources Chair for Upper Voices. In addition to her work as a conductor and music educator, Dr. Hylton is a composer, arranger, and Dalcroze practitioner. Her research aims to facilitate authentic choral performances of Renaissance vocal music through the application of Dalcroze techniques. Dr. Hylton earned her bachelor’s degree in music composition and theory from Hofstra University, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in choral conducting from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Maryland.
Rainamei Luna
Penn State University
Rainamei Luna specializes in general music and choir at the elementary-secondary level. Prior to her doctoral studies, Rainamei taught K-6 general music, served as Music Director for a local community program working with students 0 - 2 years old, and instructed Theory in Motion classes for elementary students. Her research interests revolve around music creativity (i.e. digital technology) and program development in the arts. Current research projects include adaptive music for students with disabilities and teaching virtual music classes for senior adults.
Rainamei holds a Bachelor of Music in General Music Education (piano primary) from the Eastman School of Music and received a Master of Arts degree in Music and Music Education from Teachers’ College, Columbia University. Rainamei is currently a Ph.D. student in Music Education at Pennsylvania State University.
Xin Xie
Penn State University
Xin Xie is currently a Ph.D. student in the Music Education program at Pennsylvania State University. She was an early childhood and general music teacher before studying in the U.S. Her primary areas are piano, voice, and Guzheng. She completed her BA in music education at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music and received her MA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Before her doctoral study, she taught early childhood and elementary music in China. Her research interests include early childhood music education, Chinese music, and multicultural music education. The current research project includes parent-child musical interaction at home.
Dr. Lauren Ryals
West Chester University and Temple University
Lauren A. Ryals (Ph.D.) earned her doctoral degree in music education (instrumental cognate) from Temple University. Her dissertation explored one trauma-informed music education program. She also holds a Master of Music Education degree from the VanderCook College of Music and a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Colorado. In the public-school setting, Dr. Ryals taught secondary instrumental and general music in Colorado and Illinois.
Her research interests reside in trauma informed music education, social emotional learning in arts-based settings, and identities within the music classroom. She has presented her research internationally and nationally at conferences including, the International Conference on Narrative Inquiry in Music Education (NIME), the National Music Research and Teacher
Education Conference (NAfME), the Society for Music Teacher Education Conference (SMTE), and the Suncoast Music Education Symposium National Conference. Alongside her research, Dr. Ryals currently teaches graduate and undergraduate music education courses as an adjunct professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and directs the Temple University Concert Band and Night Owls Campus Community Band. ​
