Dr. Christina HornbachDr. Christina Hornbach

Dr. Christina Hornbach of the Hope College music faculty has been chosen to receive an Award of Merit from the Michigan Music Education Association (MMEA).

The award recognizes an individual who has given exemplary service to the MMEA and music education in Michigan.  It will be presented on Saturday, Jan. 21, during the Michigan Music Conference taking place in Grand Rapids.

Hornbach is an associate professor of music and director of music education at Hope, where she has been a member of the music faculty since 2007.  Hope colleague Dr. Julia Randel, who is an associate professor of music and department chair, praised Hornbach for her strong leadership of the college’s music-education program, through which the college’s students train to become music teachers, as well as her overall work with students, her scholarship and her contributions to music education beyond Hope.

“Christina has a tremendous work ethic, a deep commitment to her students, and a passion for her scholarship,” Randel said.  “All her work is driven by a heartfelt belief in the power of music and a determination to make the best quality music education available to all children.  I cannot imagine a music educator more deserving of this award.”

“She serves the music education profession in every aspect of her work: high quality scholarship that can be put to use immediately in the classroom; training and mentoring students as they enter the profession; and cultivating community among music educators at all stages of their careers,” she said.

Hornbach is actively involved in the MMEA, which she served as president from 2012 to 2014, as well as in other professional music-educator organizations. She has presented workshops at the state, regional and national in-service conferences of the National Association for Music Education (NafME, formerly the Music Educators National Conference), as well as local and international venues.

She has published her work in the Journal of Research in Music Education and Michigan Music Educator, and has contributed chapters to the books “Listen to Their Voices: Research and Practice in Early Childhood Music” and “Learning from Young Children: Research in Early Childhood Music.”

Hornbach holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Michigan, and her doctorate from Michigan State University.

The mission of the MMEA is to advance the quality of music education in Michigan. MMEA offers professional development workshops throughout the state and performance opportunities for elementary, middle and high school students. MMEA provides state and national advocacy/legislative support and outreach to pre-service, current and retired Michigan music educators of all experience levels. MMEA is a state-affiliate of the NAfMe.

The Michigan Music Conference, which this year is running Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 19-21, features school ensemble concerts, performances from honors choirs, all-state bands, and orchestras; sessions for in-service and pre-service teachers; professional development clinics; hands-on technology workshops; and association membership and business meetings. The 2016 attendance included approximately 9,000 teachers, administrators, students, speakers and guests.

In addition to receiving the Award of Merit at the conference, Hornbach will be hosting a dinner for current Hope music-education students, faculty and alumni; participating in a new elementary music teacher meet-and-greet; and presenting a professional development session titled “Superhero Singing: Unlock Students’ Secret Singing Power.”