Faculty

Ms. Lauren Bain teaches K-5 elementary music in New Braunfels, Texas. She earned a BM in Piano Performance and a BM in Music Education from Trinity University in San Antonio. She also holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Trinity University. 

Lauren completed her Kodály certification at Texas State University and her Orff-Schulwerk certification at Trinity University. She served on the Executive Board for the Kodály Educators of Texas for 11 years as Vice President, President, and Past President. She has presented at the OAKE, AOSA, and TMEA conferences, as well as workshops around Texas and Oklahoma.  Lauren was named the New Braunfels ISD District Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2018, the 2019 Texas Education Agency Region 13 Elementary Teacher of the Year, and was a finalist for the HEB Excellence in Education Award in 2019.

Mr. Nick Holland-Garcia is a PK–5 elementary music educator with Lubbock Independent School District in Lubbock, Texas. Over his career, he has taught elementary music in Michigan, Washington, Maryland, and Texas, and is committed to building strong foundations for musical literacy and expressive musicianship through daily classroom practice. A National Board Certification candidate, his professional interests include vocal pedagogy, and inclusive, trauma-informed teaching practices, presenting conference sessions and workshops on these topics. 

Nick mentors Texas Tech University student teachers and is a faculty member of the Kodály Institute at Midwestern State University where he teaches Pedagogy and Folk Song Research & Analysis; he emphasizes developmentally appropriate pedagogy, healthy vocal use, and inclusive student-centered musicianship. He also collaborated on the development of content for the technology chapter published in Kodály Today: A Cognitive Approach to Music Education by his former teachers, Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka. Nick holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Pacific Lutheran University, a Master of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Michigan, and Kodály Certification from Texas State University.

Dr. Daniel Arredondo serves as the Director of Choral Activities for Southwestern University. He attended Westminster Choir College of Rider University and earned his undergraduate degree in music education with a minor in dance. He holds a master's degree in choral conducting from Texas State University and also completed his doctor of musical art in choral conducting at the University of Texas at Austin. While at UT, he served as the director of the official show choir, The Longhorn Singers. Expanding his education in a global respect, he traveled to Hungary in the summer of 2011 to study at the Kodály Institute in Kecscemét. 

As a composer, his choral compositions have been featured at the Texas Music Educators Association conference and are currently being published. He also served as the composer-in-residence for the Ohio Music Educator’s Association concert and sightreading contests. 

As an adjudicator, Dr. Arredondo serves as a TMAA member for UIL contests around the state. He has presented, consulted, and been a clinician at the regional, state, and international levels for music conferences and various school districts. Currently, he provides professional development and mentoring for music educators in Dallas ISD.

Dr. Sarah Martinez earned a Bachelor of Music summa cum laude from Texas State University, where she also completed a Master of Education degree and Kodály Certification. While pursuing her graduate and doctoral studies, she taught elementary music and choir in Texas public schools. After 13 years in the classroom, she transitioned into fine arts administration. She currently serves as the Director of Fine Arts for Pflugerville ISD, where she has worked for the past 8 years.

As an active clinician and conductor, Dr. Martinez has led numerous honor choirs and region choirs and throughout Texas. She has often presented at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention and at the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) National Conference. She is member of the Texas Music Administrators Association (TMAA) and has served as a judge for UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Evaluations. As a composer, she has choral works published by Alfred Music and Heritage Music Press.