Keitha Lucas Hamann, choral music education specialist, teaches undergraduate and graduate music education courses and supervises student teachers. Prior to joining the faculty of the University of Minnesota in 2001, Hamann was Associate Professor of Music Education at Kent State University where she also served as Coordinator of Graduate Studies. She has also taught at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia.

An active researcher whose primary interests are music assessment and the development of sight singing skill, Hamann's articles have appeared in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Contributions to Music Education, the Southeastern Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Band Research, the Journal of String Research and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education. She has presented research nationally at the MENC National In-Service Conference and the Southeastern Music Education Symposium, and at Ohio and Pennsylvania State Music Education Conventions. Also a clinician, Hamann has presented workshops in the eastern United States.

Hamann earned a BM degree from Western Michigan University in 1981 and then moved to Texas where she taught middle school choral music in the Brownsville Independent School District for seven years. She earned an MM degree from the University of North Texas in 1988 and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Miami (FL) in 1991.

Hamann is a member of National Association for Music Education (MENC), Minnesota Music Education Association, Society for Research in Music Education, Council for Research in Music Education, American Choral Directors Association, Minnesota Choral Directors Association, VoiceCare Network and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Workshops

Think, Listen, Sing! Building Smarter Sight-Singers - Music Education

Sight-singing takes more than a great voice—it also takes solid analysis skills and a knowledgeable ear. Analyzing and audiating are keys to successful sight-singing, but we can’t do it for our singers. In this clinic, you will discover strategies to help singers decode melodic material and anticipate the sounds before they sing. This process leads singers to find important content by isolating skills embedded in the music and encouraging them to recall the sound of each skill in their ears. When they can find it and hear it, they will be ready to sing it with confidence!

How to Know If They Are Good to Go: Sight-Reading Assessment Strategies - Music Education

Individual assessment is necessary but challenging to do in an ensemble setting, particularly when the majority of rehearsal time is spent on performance. The good news is that sight-reading—one of our most important educational goals—provides the perfect opportunity to assess individuals in our ensembles. In this clinic, you will encounter numerous strategies for informally and formally assessing in ensemble settings. In addition, a comprehensive system for assessing individuals over time and evaluating entire ensembles and programs will be shared.

Upping Your Game: Tips for Sight-Reading Success - Music Education

Whether veteran or novice teachers, we are constantly seeking and creating new ways to facilitate learning. We especially need fresh ideas and energy to keep sight-reading engaging and interesting. The ways in which we intentionally structure learning and respond to learners can make the difference in our singers’ sight-reading success. In this clinic, we will share tips for building good habits (for singers and teachers), the art of questioning, pitch strategies, rhythm strategies, individual accountability, and assessment—strategies that apply specifically to sight-reading instruction but also transfer easily to other types of learning in the choir classroom.