2024-2025 AKTS Workshop Season

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Dr. Liza Meyers is Assistant Professor of Vocal/General Music Education at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) where she teaches undergraduate and masters courses, supervises student teachers, and is Co-Coordinator of the Music Education masters program. Dr. Meyers holds both Orff and Kodály certifications, studied at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary, and has taught in Arizona State University’s Kodály certification program since 2005, among other programs. Through a Japan Fulbright Scholarship, she studied music, education, and culture in Tokyo and Shiogama, Japan, spending time in local schools there. With 19 years of public and community music school teaching experience, Dr. Meyers has worked with babies and preschool music classes, general music, choir, and music technology students in rural, suburban, and urban settings in OH, AZ, and NY. Dr. Meyers has held several leadership positions including as past Western Division President, conference committee chair for the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) conference in Phoenix, AZ, previous President of the Arizona Kodály Teachers Society chapter, and currently serves as Treasurer for the Central Illinois Kodály Educators (CILKE), as Chair of the Research Committee  and member of the Recognition and Awards Committee for the Organization of American Kodály Educators, among other positions. 

Andrea Jenkins

Middle School Choir in Maricopa 

Stephanie Brewer 

Elementary Music teacher in Madison School District. Conductor with Phoenix Boys Choir 

Amanda Johnson 

Elementary Music teacher in Paradise Valley School District. Director with Phoenix Children’s Choir

Nichol Elgin

Museum Educator at the Musical Instrument Museum in North Scottsdale. Taught elementary music in Paradise Valley for many years.

Christopher Roberts is Chair of Music Education at the University of Washington, where he

teaches both undergraduate and graduate students. An elementary music teacher for 20 years, he has given workshops for music educators in over 40 states and provinces on topics

including World Music Pedagogy, the joy of singing games, and effective ways to increase

empathy in the music classroom. Christopher is the director of the Kodály Levels Program

of Seattle and was a founding instructor of the Smithsonian Folkways Certification Course in

World Music Pedagogy. In 2018, his co-authored book World Music Pedagogy II:

Elementary Music Education was published by Routledge.

Larena Code Boyle is an elementary music teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and national recipient of the OAKE 2022 Outstanding Emerging Educator award. She frequently presents workshops at the local and national level on topics such as inclusive repertoire, Kodály-inspired teaching, and culturally relevant curriculum. Larena holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Music Education from DePaul University and the University of St. Thomas. She is fully certified in both the Kodály and Orff-Schulwerk approaches, and teaches Pedagogy and Song Analysis courses at the summer Kodály Institute in Bakersfield, California. Larena publishes articles and serves as an active member on various music education committees as an advocate for creating joyful spaces for all students.