A Message from our Directors
A Message from our Directors
Embedded Files
Kutztown Area School District has been recognized for the last five years as Best Community in Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for our commitment to music education for our students. The NAMM Foundation is a global non-profit organization that promotes opportunities for people of all ages to make music. In cooperation with the researchers at the University of Kansas, NAMM examined information on hundreds of schools and school districts across the nation to identify those, like ours, who are making investments in arts education. With the support of our parents, teachers and community, our students are benefiting from music education in more ways than meets the eye, or ear.
Leading research continues to demonstrate that music education builds skills which span a lifetime, enriching our children beyond their school years. After two years of music education, researchers found that participants showed larger improvements in how the brain processes speech and in reading scores than their less involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also attend college as well.
Music is in an essential part of life, and we couldn't be prouder of the students, parents, and teachers in our community who recognize that the cognitive, social and behavioral benefits of music education are designed to last a lifetime.
Many thanks for all you do to support music here in the Kutztown Community.
Meet Our Directors
Meet Our Directors
Mrs. Kathy Mohler
Mrs. Kathy Mohler
Mrs. Mohler graduated with a BS in Music Education from West Chester University. She has been teaching elementary band in Kutztown for more than 20 years. Over the years, Mrs. Mohler has played in the Allentown Symphony, the Allentown Band, and in the pit for many shows in the area. She and her husband, Mark, are the parents of four grown children; Laura, Nathan, Sara and Andy. They are also grandparents to seven wonderful grandkids: Luke, Joanna, Teddy, Ally, Maggie, and Ian. Mrs. Mohler enjoys gardening, playing with her puppies, and learning to play guitar.
Mrs. Shannon Sunday
Mrs. Shannon Sunday
Mrs. Shannon Sunday has been a teacher at Kutztown Area School District for the past 27 years. She has taught at the middle school level the majority of those years but spent some additional time at the high school and elementary levels. In the public school environment, she has directed award winning middle school concert choirs, jazz choirs, show choirs, and women's ensembles. Mrs. Sunday was an adjunct professor with the music department of Kutztown University for 13 years. She has chaired the Berks County All-Star jazz choir and Berks Vocal Get JazzEd events which has provided her the opportunity to work with clinicians such as the late Bob Dorough, JD Walter, Darmon Meader and Kim Nazarian. She is the past Pennsylvania show choir chair of ACDA. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from West Virginia University, Masters Degree in Computers in Education from Allentown College, and completed her doctoral degree coursework in Music Education from Boston University. She lives in Shoemakersville with her husband Glenn, German Shepherd Riesling, Small Munsterlander Caya, and cat Denali. In her free time, she likes to hunt, stitch, read, travel and cook.
Mr. Dustin Shirk
Mr. Dustin Shirk
Dustin Shirk is a Berks County native , who grew up in Mohrsville, and attended Schuylkill Valley. After high school, Dustin attended Kutztown University where he studied Music Performance with a concentration in Trumpet. While finishing college Mr. Shirk played professionally all over the northeast. After realizing his love for teaching, Dustin went back to Kutztown University for his degree in Music Education. Mr. Shirk directs and mentors the MS and HS Jazz Ensembles, Concert Bands, Marching Bands, and the newly formed Rock Ensembles. Mr. Shirk has been teaching in Berks County for nearly 20 years. Mr. Shirk also enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, doing outdoor activities, running, and playing fetch with his dog, Arlo.
Ms. Cecily Ryan
Ms. Cecily Ryan
Miss Cecily Ryan comes to us from a wide background of musical experiences... starting right here in Kutztown! She went through all 13 years of public school at KASD starting at Greenwich in 2001 and graduating in 2014. In high school she was involved in every single performing ensemble, as well as counties, districts, and regionals in band, orchestra, and chorus. After graduating from KAHS, she started her undergraduate career at West Chester University in West Chester, PA studying Music Education with a focus on vocal singing. GO RAMS!!! After graduating from WCU, she taught for a year in Sussex County, DE at Seaford High School. This year will be her 5th year of teaching. In her free time, she likes cooking and baking, reading, singing (of course), and traveling with friends.
Mrs. Julianne Maggio
Mrs. Julianne Maggio
Julianne Maggio graduated in 2016 from Westminster Choir College with undergraduate degrees in Music Education and Piano Performance and a Master of Arts in Teaching. She is currently the full time Elementary Choral Director. She has both piano and voice private studios in the Kutztown area and has taught music at the Summer ARTS Camps at the Yocum Institute for Arts Education. She accompanies and performs in Berks County with multiple local theaters and choral groups.
Meet Our Assistant Directors
Meet Our Assistant Directors
Daniel Mark
Percussion Instructor for KAHS Marching Band
Daniel has been involved with music for over 20 years as an educator, performer, arranger, composer, and consultant specializing in the area of percussion. He studied percussion in college under the direction of Dr. Frank Kumor and Dr. Will Rapp, received both his B.A. in Music and B.S. in Elementary Education from Kutztown University, and also holds a Master’s degree in Media Technology from Wilkes University. He is currently the Co-Director of Marching Percussion for Kutztown University’s Marching Unit. For fun, he has played percussion for numerous musicals, was the drum set player for Pines Dinner Theater for 5 years and was also a performer at Hershey Park for 4 summers as the drummer in a strolling band. He has been a percussion instructor and arranger for various local high schools, helping out with Kutztown High School’s percussion ensemble. Daniel is a STEM teacher in the Brandywine Heights School District and a freelance performer, educator, and arranger in percussion.
LeAnne Zettlemoyer
Director of Musical Theater Production
LeAnne Zettlemoyer is the Director of Kutztown Schools' Musical Theater Production since January 2022. Under her direction, Kutztown performed The Addams Family in March 2022 and will be performing Shrek the Musical in November 2022. LeAnne holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from West Chester University and a Master's in Education from Kutztown University. She is a Music Teacher in the Reading School District, where she has instructed Middle School Band and Theater Programs for more than 25 years. LeAnne is married to Peter and has three children who all reside in Kempton. LeAnne is also employed by New Bethel Church, in Kempton, where she is organist and Music Director. In her spare time, LeAnne enjoys acting in and helping to direct Theatrical Productions with her friends at Fleetwood Community Theatre.
Page updated
Report abuse