Chris Gleason
Speaking Topics: Motivation, Assessment and Grading, Social Justice and Equity in the Classroom, Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP), Creativity, Brain Based Learning and Practice, Questioning Strategies, Danielson Framework, and more
Chris Gleason is an instrumental music educator at Patrick Marsh Middle School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He is the 2017 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, 2017 semi-finalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award and the first Wisconsin teacher to be named a finalist for National Teacher of the Year in 50 years. Chris earned his BME at UW-Eau Claire in 1997 and his Masters Degree from UW-LaCrosse in 2002.
In addition to current teaching duties, Mr. Gleason is also an Engagement Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction delivering presentations at universities, school districts and conferences across Wisconsin.
The Patrick Marsh Middle School Band has commissioned composers such as Samuel R. Hazo, Brian Balmages, John Mackey, Alex Shapiro, Pierre LaPlante, Andrew Boysen Jr, and soon Michael Markowski.
Mr. Gleason has performed professionally at Disneyland, Valleyfair, and the Mall of America. He has been guest conductor of numerous camps and festivals including the Music For All National Band Camp and numerous regional honor bands across the Midwest.
He is the past-chair of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) Committee, the Wisconsin State Middle Level Honors Band and the Wisconsin State Middle Level Honors Project. He has presented clinics at numerous locations such as VanderCook College of Music, NAfME National In-Service Conference, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and Hong Kong.
Mr. Gleason is the recent recipient of the 2018-19 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, UW-La Crosse Distinguished Alumni Award (2017), Melvin F. Pontious Sparks in Music Education Award (2016), Michael G. George Distinguished Service Award (2016) and had a feature interview in the March 2015 Instrumentalist Magazine. Mr. Gleason is the founder and organizer of the Band Festival at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells that has to date inspired more than 30,000 young musicians and 60 future music educators.