Hello, my name is Ryan J. Kiel and I am pursuing my Bachelors of Music in Music Education at the John J. Cali School of Music of Montclair State University. My certification area is K-12 in school and community settings. My concentration is in choral music education. Since 2015, I have been the music and movement teacher at the Westfield Area YMCA for the Early Childhood (daycare), Preschool, & Kindergarten programs. I have also worked as a counselor and instructor for the School Age and Camp departments. I am proficient as a classical pianist, organist, and singer. Since the age of eleven, I have been heavily involved in musical theatre, performing in shows since childhood and attending the Union County Academy for Performing Arts for high school. Further, I have performed in ensembles such as the Summit Chorale, Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir, and Montclair State University Singers. I have also performed at Richardson Hall in Princeton and the NJPAC in collaborations with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Some conductors with whom I have sung under include: Maestro George Manahan, Maestra Xian Zheng, Dr. Heather J. Buchanan, Dr. Thomas Juneau, Dr. Joe Miller, Dr. James Jordan, and Dr. Amanda Quist. Presently, I am the assistant music director and organist at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Westfield, NJ where I work with the Holy Trinity Choir, the Angel and Byzan 'teen' Choirs, the GOYA singers, and the Religious Education.
education
My mother threw me into piano lessons at age five. At the time, I wasn't so keen on the idea, but as I look back, I am indebted to my mother. Then in 7th grade, I began studying voice which was perhaps one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only did piano and voice lessons improve my musicianship, but I feel more complete as a person because of them. I feel that through these amazing opportunities, I have something more to contribute to the world. From childhood, I have always been performing: acting, singing, and dancing. I especially enjoyed performing in musical theatre showcases and productions. I grew up performing with one of the top performance companies in the area, the Pineda Conservatory. With the Pineda Conservatory, I frequently auditioned, rehearsed, and performed in operas, musicals, and concerts. For high school, I attended the prestigious Union County Academy for Performing Arts as a theatre arts concentration. The Academy for Performing Arts, or APA for short, is one of the highest-ranking performance-based high schools in New Jersey. Being a part of such a phenomenal program taught me a lot about education and the arts. Most importantly, my time there allowed me to realize that EVERY CHILD deserves an accessible and excellent arts education. For college, I had the excellent opportunity to study at Westminster Choir College of Rider University for two years. Following, I transferred to Montclair State University's John J. Cali School of Music. The aspect about Montclair State that I love the most is that not only is its Teacher Education program phenomenal, its music education program is top-notch as well. The Cali School of Music partnered with the Teacher Education program engender intelligent, talented, and compassionate music educators who go out into the world shaping students lives (for the better) through music. Over the course of my education, I have studied with remarkable musicians such as: Chin-Wen Deng (pianist), Valerie Pineda (soprano), Dr. Eric Rieger (Tenor and pedagogue), and Dr. Thomas Parente (pianist, pedagogue, and composer). I currently study voice with Barbara Dever (mezzo-soprano), Artist-in-Residence at Montclair State University. Ms. Dever frequently performs at opera venues, such as the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. My dream career is to be the director of choral activities at a university one day. Along with that, I'd love to teach music theory classes and conducting classes. With this, I have been able to study with acclaimed conductors, such as Dr. Heather J. Buchanan., Professor Thomas Shelton, and Dr. James Jordan. It is because of this education that I wish to provide my students with a fun, educational, and powerful music education.
Performance
As a developing musician, I believe that it is crucial for one to perform as much as possible. Only through performance can artists truly evolve and connect with others. Practicing and rehearsing efficiently is important, yes; however, performance allows us to connect with our audiences and notice how our music-making affects our communities. It is the musician's duty to feed his community with the very same music that feeds his soul. Personally, I am consistently performing, especially on the keyboard. I often am out accompanying choir rehearsals at church or playing for recitals and voice students' auditions. Vocally, I perform in choral ensembles as well as solo. Predominantly, I perform in the choral setting. Choral music is my passion and having been able to study with some of the following conductors is truly an honor and a blessing. I currently perform with the Montclair State University Chorale (a symphonic choir of 190 voices) and the Montclair State University Singers (an auditioned ensemble of 69 voices). Both of these lucrative choirs are under the baton of Dr. Heather J. Buchanan, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Montclair State University. Dr. Buchanan is one of the most imminent and internationally acclaimed choral conductors and pedagogues of our time. The University Singers perform regularly with professional ensembles such as the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and have performed at Richardson Hall in Princeton, NJ, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and even across seas in Italy. I also perform with the Summit Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Juneau, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at St. Joseph's University and K-12 School. Dr. Juneau, son of choral pedagogue, Jan Juneau, is a brilliant conductor, composer, and teacher. Among others, I have had the opportunity to perform with other ensembles such as:
Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir, under the direction of Stratos Mandalakis and Aleksei Shipovalnikov
Schola Cantorum of Westminster Choir College, under the direction of award-winning conductor and author, Dr. James Jordan
Eastern Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians, under the direction of Kathryn Athanasoulas and other excellent conductors
"Music education can help spark a child's imagination or ignite a lifetime of passion. When you provide a child with new worlds to explore and challenges to tackle, the possibilities are endless. Music education should not be a privilege for a lucky few, it should be a part of every child's world of possibility."
— HILLARY CLINTON
Teaching in a rapidly changing world
"Music is how I make sense of the world around me." — anonymous
Right now, music education is being fought for throughout the country (and even the world). School boards and their respective municipalities are "experimenting" with whether eliminating the arts and cheerleading for more "reading, writing, and arithmetic" classes will make our nation brighter and more successful in the future. I never knew that children could even be considered for science experiments. Interesting... The REAL interesting fact here is that some of history's most exceptionally BRILLIANT individuals were those who were influenced by music in their lives. Albert Einstein's mother was an accomplished pianist (Albert Einstein and Music) whose constant musical endeavors encouraged Einstein's academia and interests. Einstein even was a pretty decent violinist... imagine THAT! And schools are cutting the arts left and right. Hmmm... talk about counterproductive.
I began teaching music when I was in middle school. It began with teaching private piano lessons to a few of the neighbors and then it expanded to people around town. At the end of the school year I would hold a recital for my students in my living room. In my later high school years, I started musical directing the summer children's productions at the Pineda Conservatory which was amazing practice and preparation for what I wanted my career to be. In 2014, I began working for the Westfield Area YMCA. I started out as an aftercare counselor for children grades K-6. It was plenty fun, but I felt it was missing something. We'd work on homework, do crafts, and play the occasional four-square on the blacktop. Yet, to my surprise, there was no music! So I began bringing in my keyboard and singing pop songs with the students and let them dabble with the keyboard sounds. I hooked up my iPhone to the stereo system and we would have freeze dance parties. They loved it: the students were engaged, they were having fun, but most importantly, they were LEARNING! They were learning how to have fun and how to make their lives better by participating in music. My superiors saw this and allowed me to start teaching weekly music classes to the early learning center, preschool, and kindergarten programs. Because of this amazing opportunity, I was able to practice lesson planning, experience working with early childhood to school-age children, and see for myself how music could better the lives of its students. I created a curriculum for my classes in accordance with NJ Music Instruction standards. I also utilized early childhood music modules such as "Music Together" as well as utilizing my own self-composed music. In my music classes, we sing, dance, MOVE, play instruments, learn, and make music as one community. I even get the teachers involved and although they seem hesitant at first, they end up having more fun than some of the students! I have never been more honored to be a music educator. Not only did I teach music classes at the YMCA, but I also music directed during summer camp productions and musical theatre class showcases for the Y's Dance Academy program. If anything, I learned that my students learned the most when I offered something to each class to which they could relate. Whether I included a song that was on the radio at that time or let them compose their own pieces, the students were more actively involved and always looking forward to music class. Honoring the world of our students is a requirement because every student gifts his teacher with knowledge and experience unique to himself/herself. As teachers, we learn just as much if not more from our students than they learn from us.
Volunteerism
Greek Orthodox Church in Zakynthos, Greece
I began volunteering my time at a young age. Specifically, my life of volunteering my musical abilities started at Holy Trinity in Westfield, NJ. Growing up in the Greek Orthodox Church, it was encouraged that children participate in some way during religious services. The parishioners knew that I took piano lessons and that I sang in chorus at school, so they suggested I join the choir. From singing every Sunday during the Divine Liturgy (which is the Orthodox equivalent to a Mass), my choir director, Kathryn Athanasoulas began breaking me in and recruiting me to participate in Lenten concerts, Christmas programs, and much more. Watching Mrs. Athanasoulas conduct with such accuracy and passion showed me that what I was doing for the Church was an awesome thing.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of making music in the Church, was the organ. I had always been infatuated and puzzled by the multiple keyboards and all the buttons on the organ (which I later learned were called "stops" and "pistons"). I also was impressed with Holy Trinity's organist who could so easily navigate the instrument with her arms AND legs... THAT blew my mind. For my 16th birthday, instead of being pricked by the spindle of a spinning wheel and falling into a deep sleep, I instead was given a Hammond organ, a gift from my parents. I started dabbling on the instrument everyday learning the music that we sang every Sunday during church services. I eventually got up to play the organ at church for fun and my director and organist were quite impressed. It was then, that I began assisting my choir director in rehearsal activities and assisting the organist with accompanying during rehearsals, services, and concerts. The priest in fact enjoyed my theme and variations on the hymns of the day.
I am indebted to Mrs. Athanasoulas and her eternal guidance. Because of my choir director's faith in my abilities and exceptional guidance, Holy Trinity recruited me on other projects. All these projects involved making music with children. Some of these projects included: preparing teen youth for statewide singing competitions, music directing the Religious Education Christmas program, leading carols with teen youth during the advent season, and being a worship leader for youth during Vacation Church School held in the summer.