For over thirty years, Ingrid Kovacs, an award-winning music teacher, has taught general music and orchestra in private and public school sectors. While living in Dallas, Texas, she taught at the prestigious St. Alcuin Montessori School, instructing students from age 5 to 13 in Kodaly and Orff Music methods. At this time, she decided to earn her Texas teaching credential and began working for the Irving Public School system as a middle school orchestra teacher. From there, she and her husband moved to Las Vegas, where her orchestra program was known for excellence and innovation for over thirteen years. Kovacs retired from public school teaching in 2014 and moved to Arroyo Grande, CA.
Dr. Kovacs earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Music (Music History) from the University of Southern California. In 2010 Kovacs completed her DMA at Boston University. Her dissertation on Phyllis Young was nominated for the Outstanding Dissertation in Music Education Award in 2010. She has worked as an online professor at Boston University, Concordia University, Rutgers University, and American Public University and is now on faculty at the American College of Music. She has taught undergraduate and graduate music and non-music students.
Dr. Kovacs is active as a presenter at state and national conventions. Her research interests included string pedagogy, classroom management, and historical studies. As an orchestra director, Kovacs is well known for her pedagogical expertise and ability to engage students of all ages. She is a certified Suzuki Violin teacher.
She currently serves as the reviews editor for the American String Teacher (AST). Her article on Robert Klotman was published in the Journal of Historical Research in Music (October 2013). Her writing on Rolland was published in the American String Teacher in 2011. She contributed an article on both Phyllis Young and Dorothy Delay for the second edition of the New Grove Dictionary of American Music (Oxford University Press, 2010).
Dr. Glen Brumbach, PhD
Dr. Glen Brumbach
Dr. Glen A. Brumbach is a dedicated musician, educator, and author. He has taught for 34 years in the Boyertown, Reading, Muhlenberg, and Muncy (Pennsylvania) school districts.
During Dr. Brumbach’s teaching tenure, his concert, marching, and jazz ensembles received the highest ratings at area competitions and festivals and have performed across the continental United States, Canada, and Europe. His marching bands won four Cavalcade of Bands Championships and were awarded the Sweepstakes Award five times at the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, VA. His jazz ensembles were selected three times to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Conference and the National Association for Music Education Eastern Conference. His choirs have opened for Maynard Ferguson, The Count Basie Orchestra, Stan Kenton Alumni Band, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band; and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Chris Vadala, Terrell Stafford, Jim Snidero, Randy Brecker, Dave Stahl, and Alan Cheznovitz (Al Chez) of the David Letterman Show band.
Glen earned his BS and MS degrees in Music and Music Education from the Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and his PhD in Music Education from the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Brumbach also studied jazz ensemble techniques at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Director’s Academy looking with Terrell Stafford, Ron Carter, Reggie Thomas, and Loren Shoenberg. He was past president of the District 10 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association and the original Jazz Vice President and Founder of the Berks County All-Star Jazz Band and the Cavalcade of Bands Band Director and Jazz Band Director of the Year. As a result of his work in conjunction with the Berks Jazz Festival and Arts Council (Berks County, PA), he received the Frankie Scott Jazz Education Award in 2014.
Dr. Brumbach’s research interests include the pedagogy and history of instrumental ensembles such as jazz (performance and improvisation), marching and concert bands, and diversity and inclusion in music ensembles. He has articles published in the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, Jazz Education in Research and Practice, the PMEA Journal, MarylandMusic Educators Journal, Connecticut Music Educators Journal, and the Vermont Music Educators Journal.
Dr. Brumbach is currently the Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Music Education at the American College of Music and Assistant Professor of Music at Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Dr. Norman Ludwin is a pioneer in orchestration and the study of film composition. He holds a Doctorate in Composition, is a working orchestrator in Hollywood, an in-demand session bassist, and an instructor in the UCLA Film Scoring Department, the Film Scoring Academy of Europe, and ThinkSpace Education.
Norman has worked on over 200 motion pictures, with recent credits including Spiderman No Way Home, Bad Times at the El Royale, Incredibles 2, Tag, Coco, Star Wars- Rogue One, War of the Planet of the Apes, Star Trek into Darkness, and Jurassic World.
His unique analysis system, combined with his thorough knowledge of the material, places him in an elite class. His 13 books are becoming standard textbooks in the field and are currently in use at the Berklee Music School, Eastman College of Music, UCLA, and the California Institute of the Arts.
Dr. Ludwin has lectured to enthusiastic audiences in New York City, Washington D.C, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Munich, Zurich, Sofia, Rome, Bologna, Toronto, Halifax, Quebec City, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanking, Singapore, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City.
A dedicated musician, educator, and clinician/adjudicator, Ben A. Ubovich’s career span over thirty years. Dr. Ubovich is President and CEO of the American College of Music, a private online graduate college committed to cultivating dedicated educators, reflective scholars, and lifelong learning. The college is dedicated to providing heuristic, hands-on knowledge, and student-centered, research-based instruction.
Prior appointments include adjunct Associate Professor of music education/philosophy, music theory, and research. Dr. Ubovich is also a sought-after clinician and adjudicator for the California School Band and Orchestra Association and is currently serving as President-Elect for the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) – Southwestern Section.
As former Music Director of San Marino High School and San Marino Unified School District Music Coordinator, Dr. Ubovich instructed the wind ensemble, orchestra, concert band, marching band, jazz ensemble, and the two elementary schools’ fifth-grade bands along with AP Music Theory. Under Dr. Ubovich’s musical direction, his performing groups garnered prestigious nationally and internationally awards.
His honors and awards include Commendation for High Standards and Outstanding Achievement in Education – Judy Chu, U.S. Congress, 2015,
2014 Grammy Music Educator Award Nominee, Co-recipient of Los Angeles County Bravo Award in Arts Education, Pre-Doctoral Scholar Award and Outstanding Achievement Award – Charter School of Education – California State University, Los Angeles, California Music Educators National Conference Award of Appreciation for outstanding performance, and the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Meritorious Service Award
Ben Ubovich holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in music education from the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago. His other degrees include a Master of Music degree in Saxophone Performance and Master of Arts degree in Education Technology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from San Diego State University. He is also the author of Utilization and Effectiveness of Technology in Music Education, ProQuest Publishing.
