Meet the teachers

Scott Kemerer maintains an active career in music, balancing teaching and performing throughout Western Pennsylvania. He serves as the IUP “Legend” marching percussion caption head, maintains an active private percussion studio, and performs regularly, pushing new solo and chamber works in percussion repertoire as a performing artist. He is currently on staff with the Indiana Area School District as an elementary music teacher. Subjects include instrumental music, band, and string instruments, 4/5th grade general music classes, and 4/5 grade chorus. He received a BS in music education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania as an honors student with a concentration in percussion. He has also fulfilled the requirements of a BFA in musical performance from the same institution. For his graduate study, Scott received his master of music in percussion performance from Pennsylvania State University through a graduate fellowship awarded by PSU’s College of Arts and Architecture and a teaching assistantship with the School of Music.

During his tenure at Penn State, Scott directed Percussion Ensemble II, taught percussion methods classes to undergraduate future educators, and gave undergraduate lessons to non-percussion majors at the university. Throughout his career, he has had many opportunities to perform in various settings, taking second place at the PSU Graduate Exhibition for soloists and winning the PSU Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition. During his undergraduate experience, Scott was a member of the Earthbound Percussion Trio and the IUP Percussion Ensemble, who had the privilege to perform a “Showcase” concert at PASIC in Columbus, Ohio. As a teacher, he has worked with numerous public school competitive and noncompetitive percussion programs and has given percussion clinics throughout Pennsylvania. He was a performer and show captain for three years with the stomp-like group Trashtime, produced by Alan Albert Agency based in New York City. He has studied with Brian Tychinski, Gary Olmstead, Ronald Horner, Michael Kingan, Dan Armstrong, and Vic-Firth’s Gifford Howarth. Scott served as a clinician with the Penn State University summer camp and has performed as a regular percussionist with the Altoona Symphony (for over 19 years), the Nittany Valley Symphony, the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, and the Westmoreland Symphony and is a regular with the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra. 

He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania State University Alumni Program Group through the School of Music. In the public school setting, Scott was part of the music faculty at Redbank Valley School District in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; the elementary instrumental music teacher and assistant marching band director for the Mount Pleasant Area School District in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania; and is currently teaching at Eisenhower Elementary School in the Indiana Area School District.  Scott also brings unique experiences to the podium as a guest conductor through the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. He resides in Indiana with his three children.

Mr. Saylor studied Jazz Performance at William Paterson University and earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2010 and 2016 respectively. Among his teachers and mentors are Jack Stamp, Mulgrew Miller, Cecil Bridgewater, Harold Mabern, Clark Terry, Doc Severinsen, Keith Young, and Rich Perry. He has written music for school ensembles, the PMEA All-State Conference, Indonesian pop singer Eva Celia, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.  Mr. Saylor remains active as a composer/arranger - publishing projects on Instagram as @bensaylormusic.  He also serves as the music director at Word of Grace Fellowship in Indiana.  

Mr. Saylor previously taught music at United High School and Horace Mann Elementary School. He is passionate about ensuring that music-learning is a fun, engaging, and memorable experience.

Mr. Saylor lives in Indiana with his wife and five children.