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Leadership
MADOLYN ACCOLA
President
Madolyn Accola teaches music at Friends Seminary and is an associate conductor for the National Children’s Chorus. Prior to joining the Friends Seminary faculty, Madolyn worked at VOICE Charter School where she prepared choirs to sing at renowned performance venues such as Symphony Space, El Museo del Barrio, Nassau Coliseum, and Madison Square Garden. As a Kodály and Orff-Shulwerk certified practitioner, Madolyn has continued her studies internationally in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ghana, and Bulgaria. She has led sessions for the Organization of American Kodály Educators, the New York State School Music Association, Hunter College, and several other music education organizations. Her writing is published in Kaleidescope, a Collection of Standards-Based Lessons for the K-8 General Music Classroom, The Orff Echo, and The Review (The Parents League of New York). Madolyn holds a Master of Arts degree in music education from Hunter College and a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from New York University. As an avid choral singer, rounds party attendee, and Balkan folk dancer, Madolyn believes in the power of communal music making to promote social change.
JOHN SAMONTE
President-Elect, Website
John Samonte is a choral director at the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District. He conducts the 6th Grade Treble Choir, the 7th & 8th Grade Chamber Choir, and directs the elite show choir and all-male singing group at Albert G. Prodell Middle School.
He has taught general music, choir, and orchestra at both the elementary and secondary level. John received his Kodály certificate from the Hartt School in Hartford, CT. In addition to his studies in Kodály, he has studied Orff Schulwerk, World Music Drumming, Suzuki, and holds several certificates with FAME. He is currently the Past President of the Long Island American Orff Schulwerk Association, a Member at Large for the Choral Society of the Moriches, and one of the Co-Vice Presidents of the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association.
John earned his Bachelor of Music from the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY. He majored in Music Business and Music Education, with concentrations in Voice, Violin, and Special Music Education. In addition to his applied music studies, John holds a Master of Arts in Music & Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
KRISTEN BURNETTE
Treasurer
Kristen Burnette is an elementary music educator based in Manhattan. She received her Bachelor’s in Music Education from NYU in 2020, and has been teaching at Columbia Grammar School since! She completed levels 1 and 2 of Kodály training at the University of St. Thomas, and is thrilled to pursue her Kodály certificate next summer. She is passionate about fostering relevant, accessible, and justice-oriented music-making experiences with her students. One of her passions outside of the classroom is writing and performing her own music. She looks forward to connecting with the Kodály and music educator community in New York!
JAQUETTA BUSTION
Secretary
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 previously 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.
JODI KOSSIN
Member-at-Large
COMING SOON
SARAH MEADOWS
Past President
Sarah Meadows is an experienced music educator based in New Jersey. She taught preschool music at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and has also taught elementary music at public schools in Maryland and Virginia. She holds a Master of Music degree in music education from Peabody Conservatory and a Bachelor of Arts in music and Spanish from the University of Virginia. Sarah completed her Kodály Certification at George Mason University and has taught musicianship for the summer Kodály Teacher Training program at GMU as well. She taught Kodály musicianship classes for the National Children's Chorus and served as both Secretary and President of the Kodály Organization of New York (KONY), as well as Member-at-Large for the Virginia Organization of Kodály Educators (VOKE). Sarah performs as both an accompanist and a choral singer. She sang as a member of The Washington Chorus in Washington, D.C. and The Oratorio Society of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Get Involved!
We would love to have you on the board! Email konylist@gmail.com to get started.
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