Jana Kitamura Martin is in her 25th year of teaching music, with experiences in PK-12 choral and general music. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado and Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She Is fully certified in both Kodály, from New York University, and Orff -Schulwerk from DePaul University. She has also attended the 2017 Kodály Seminar at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary. She frequently presents music education workshops at the local, state, national, and international levels.
Jana currently teaches general music at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette, Illinois, and directs the Wilmette High Five Junior Choir for students of all abilities. Jana has been a member of the faculty at the DePaul University Summer Kodály Institute, teaching level 2 and 3 musicianship classes 2016-2021, and teaching level 3 pedagogy and literature classes at the Kodály Institute at California State University at Bakersfield 2023 & 2024. Jana serves on the Board of Directors of the Organization of American Kodály Educators, chairs the OAKE Equity Committee, and is a past president of Chicago Area Kodály Educators.
Listen to an excerpt of the podcast Music Teacher Coffee Talk, where they discuss Martin's presentation of her choir at the 2024 Organization of American Kodály Educators National Conference. Listen to the full podcast here.
Check out my public facing resource playlists, curated for some of my workshops and student groups.