Jaquetta Bustion

Jaquetta Bustion has been a pianist since childhood and has been a music educator for over twenty years. At Brown University, Jaquetta earned BAs in Music and Comparative Literature, followed by an MA in Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Jaquetta completed her Kodály levels at New York University and has served on the KONY board of directors. Over decades in the classroom, she has taught children from ages 4 to middle school, in both public and private settings. An active performer with Accord Treble Choir, Jaquetta also has been a keynote speaker and presenter at Bank Street’s Teaching Kindergarten Conference. Jaquetta currently develops curriculum and teaches elementary music at Community Roots Charter School in Brooklyn.

Mia Ibrahim

Mia Ibrahim is a queer, Middle Eastern high school music educator and department head in the south Bronx of New York. She was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Association for Popular Music Education and serves as chair of the development committee. Mia graduated with her Master’s in Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and has a long history of working with marginalized communities starting with a music therapy apprenticeship at rehabilitation centers and brain injury centers in the Bay Area of California. Other philanthropic endeavors include volunteer lacrosse coaching for CityLax where she served as a junior board member helping those in the community who cannot afford the sport and volunteering with the Sylvia Rivera Law Project assisting TGNCI community members with legal services and protection. Her work with Gender Sexuality Alliances in the south Bronx coupled with her vast music field experiences ranging from Carnegie Hall to principal clarinetist and orchestra manager of the Downtown Symphony Orchestra have all helped round her into a knowledgeable asset in the progressive music education community.

Laura Harmon

Laura Harmon obtained her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. A passionate musician, she has over 18 years of professional experience as an educator and choral conductor. She is dedicated to the musical growth and educational development of children, and has conducted choirs and taught general music to children ranging from Kindergarten to eighth grade. She began her teaching career as the Vocal Music Teacher in northern NJ. Since then, she has taught throughout NJ & PA. She is currently the Vocal Music teacher and Choral director in Cherry Hill, NJ. Her success as an educator has led her students to perform in honors choirs throughout New Jersey, as well as to participate in several prestigious choirs, including All-South Jersey Choir, All-State Choir, and OAKE National Choir. Additionally, her private students are working in professional theaters in Philadelphia, and are showcased in commercials, on television, and off-Broadway.

​

The Kodály philosophy and method provide the framework for Ms. Harmon’s approach to music education. She obtained her Kodály training from Westminster Choir College through The Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE). To increase her knowledge and involvement with the Kodály method she is on the OAKE Eastern Division Board and Equity committee of the organization.