Columbus Symphony Announces 2014 Music Educator Award Winners

The Columbus Symphony has selected Linda Price Huff, Eric Kauffman, and Richard J. Suddendorf as the winners of the 2014 Music Educator Awards, honoring individuals who make a difference in the community through a dedication to music education, and their efforts to promote a greater understanding of and appreciation for music education.

Each winner will receive a $2,500 grant, which can be spent at their discretion on a broad range of musical education endeavors, to be presented at an awards brunch at 12:30pm on Sunday, March 2, at The Westin Hotel. Following brunch, participants will attend the CSO's 3pm performance of "Mozart & Schumann" at the Southern Hotel where the winners will be honored on stage prior to the beginning of the concert. Tickets to the awards brunch are $55 (includes CSO concert ticket) and can be purchased by calling 614-221-4916.

The Music Educator Awards are made possible through the generous support of Battelle with additional support from American Electric Power and Frank and Linda Kass.

The winners of the 2014 Music Educator Awards are:

2014 Music Educator Award - Elementary Education

Linda Price Huff, General Music Teacher

Scioto Elementary School, Teays Valley Local Schools

Linda Price Huff has taught public school music for more than 25 years. Her interdisciplinary music program provides cross-curricular connections, supports higher-level analytical thinking, and reinforces life skills that are an essential part of the overall curriculum at Scioto Elementary, a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School in the Teays Valley School District.

Huff has a Bachelor's in music education from Otterbein University, with a concentration in piano, flute, and percussion. She earned her Master's in teaching and learning with a specialization in curriculum and instruction. Huff incorporates several established educational methods in her music lessons, but she prefers to research and develop her own teaching strategies and materials to address the various needs of her students through a differentiated, spiral-based learning approach. She is currently preparing her literacy- and numeracy-based music education materials for publication.

Huff has performed as a percussionist with the Rockwell Concert Band, Westerville Concert Band, Westerville Civic Symphony, Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, New Albany Symphony Orchestra, and Scioto Valley Brass & Percussion Company. In 2003, she was a featured xylophone soloist with the Village Brass at the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Kentucky.

A native of Westerville, Linda currently resides in Pickerington, with her husband Mitch and their sons, Joel and John.

2014 Music Educator Award - Secondary Education

Eric Kauffman, Vocal Music Director

Upper Arlington High School, Upper Arlington City Schools

Eric Kauffman is the Vocal Music Director at Upper Arlington High School, where he recruits more than 300 students each year to participate in the school's eight vocal ensembles. Under his direction Upper Arlington has had four choirs selected to perform at the Ohio Music Education Association's Professional Conference in the past eight years. In addition, he is the music director, stage director, and producer of the annual Broadway-style musical.

Before joining Upper Arlington High School in 2001, Kauffman spent two years developing the choral music program at Gotha Middle School in the inner city of Orlando, Florida, and two years growing the music program at Hastings Middle School in the Upper Arlington School System.

A graduate of Columbus South High School, Kauffman attended Bowling Green State University where he received a Bachelor's in vocal music education with a choral emphasis and a Master's in choral conducting performance.

Kauffman has served as Director of the Singing Buckeyes Barbershop Chorus, the Otterbein College Men's Glee Club, and Chancel Choir at Worthington United Methodist Church. He has also appeared as a guest clinician with several Honor Choirs including the Fair?eld County Junior High Honors Chorus, the OMEA District III High School Honors Chorus, and the OMEA District I Junior High Honors Chorus.

Kauffman is a member and active participant of the Ohio Music Education Association, The American Choral Directors Association, and the Ohio Choral Directors Association, where he has served as the South Central Regional Chair, High School Repertoire and Standards Chair, and is currently the High School Honor Choir Chair.

Kauffman was presented with the Upper Arlington Civic Association's Golden Apple Award, a prestigious honor for outstanding excellence in education.

2014 Music Educator Award - Community Education

Richard J. Suddendorf

Music Director and Conductor, Westerville Community Bands

From 1979-1991, Richard J. Suddendorf was Director of Bands and a professor of music at Western Michigan University, conducting both the University Symphonic Band and the Concert Band from 1979-1987. During his tenure, the University Symphonic Band performed for the Midwestern Music Conference in Ann Arbor, the College Band Directors National Association convention in Atlanta, and the Music Educators National Conference in Chicago. For the next three years he conducted both the Symphonic Band and the University Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his 12 years, he taught highly regarded conducting classes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and served on the faculty for the School of Music's SEMINAR summer music program for high school students.

From 1970-1979, Suddendorf served as Director of Bands, Instrumental Department Coordinator, and Conductor of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, University Concert Band, and the University Symphony Orchestra at Capital University. His appointment at Capital followed 14 years of teaching at The Ohio State University (1956-1970) where he was a professor of trumpet, Director of the University Brass Choir, Associate Conductor of the Ohio State Concert Band, and a member of the Faculty Brass Quintet.

Among his numerous professional honors and awards, Suddendorf received Distinguished Teaching Awards from The Ohio State University, Capital University, and Western Michigan University. In 1975, he was elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. He served as president of the Mid-American Conference Band Directors Association from 1982-1984. He received the Citation of Excellence Award from the National Band Association in March, 1984. In April 1991, the Delta Iota Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity at Western Michigan University presented him the Orpheus Award for significant and lasting contributions to the cause of music in America. In September 2005, he was elected to the Columbus Senior Musicians Hall of Fame. In 2011, he received the God and Country Music Award from the Salvation Army Columbus Area Services and the Brass Band of Columbus.

Suddendorf's professional affiliations include Phi Mu Alpha professional music fraternity, the College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Beta Mu, and Kappa Kappa Psi. He is an honorary member of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association and a member of the Music Educators National Conference. He was conductor and musical director of the Lansing Concert Band from 1994-1999. Since 2001, he has been music director and conductor of the Westerville Concert Band. In 2001, he formed the Vintage Brass Quintet which performs at retirement and nursing homes in the Columbus area.

Other nominees included Kim Nocero (Columbus Catholic Schools), Matthew Parker (Olentangy Schools), Kasey Burt (Whitehall City Schools), Terri Root (Hilliard City Schools), Tyler Young (Lancaster City Schools), Thomas Traini (Southwestern City Schools), Eric Doolittle (Worthington City Schools), Florence Hardjono (Joyful Noise Studio), and William England (private music teacher).