Jenny L. Neff, Ed.D is Professor and Program Director for Music Education at The University of the Arts School of Music. Her responsibilities include overseeing and teaching for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) for Music Education, Master of Music (MM) in Music Education, and Summer Music Studies (SMS) program. She previously taught music for 25 years in public schools at various levels (K-12) in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, primarily in instrumental music. Her most recent position was teaching instrumental music at Bala Cynwyd Middle School in the Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Neff was one of 10 writers on NAfME's Teaching with Primary Sources project through the Library of Congress in 2016. She continues to share music education ideas for the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) website, as a blogger for the UArts/LOC partnership. She also applies her curriculum expertise working with area school districts on curriculum writing and audits.
Dr. Neff is the State Representative for Pennsylvania for Women Band Directors International. She also serves on the organization’s grants and scholarship committee. Previously, she served two terms as the Eastern Division Representative for NAfME’s Council for Band (2016-2020) and in roles of advocacy and professional development for PMEA districts 11 and 12. She is part of the PMEA Teacher Mentor Program and serves as a trainer for PMEA’s online Model Curriculum Framework tool. Dr. Neff is one of four co-founders for the group Women Banding Together (WBT); a group created in May 2020 to mentor female band directors, and to provide support to those of any gender who mentor female band directors. The group also provides webinars on a variety of topics. She continues to be an advisor and mentor for the Key of She Jazz organization that supports girls and women in jazz.
In December 2017, Dr. Neff co-presented at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and has also presented sessions for music educators in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington D.C., and Delaware on a variety of topics, including: national music standards, mindfulness, curriculum, advocacy, assessment, instructional strategies, student engagement, time management, embracing change, creating a collaborative culture, teaching after the pandemic, creating a culture of belonging (DEIA), and teacher evaluation.
Dr. Neff’s doctoral research study on teacher evaluation was published in the peer-reviewed Pennsylvania Educational Leadership Journal. She has written articles for the PMEA State Journal, Teaching Music Magazine and Band Directors Talk Shop, as well as blog posts for Alfred Music, NAfME's Music in a Minuet, Zeswitz Music, and J.W. Pepper. She has also been interviewed for the Everything Band, Working Musicians, and Marching Roundtable, Music Ed Mentor/SmartMusic Podcasts, and the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition.
She conducted the Concert Band at New England Music Camp for four summers (2013-2017), and has been a guest conductor and clinician in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Previously, she toured Europe for five summers (2008-2012) with high school musicians as Symphonic Band Director and String Ensemble Director for American Music Abroad. She continues to be a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician.
Dr. Neff received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Immaculata University. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from Michigan State University where she studied horn with Douglas Campbell and Neill Saunders, and played under the batons of Eugene Corporon, Kenneth Bloomquist, and Leon Gregorian in MSU's top bands and orchestra.
Certifications: Pennsylvania: Music K-12, Instructional II; Principal K-12, Administrative; Supervisor – Music; Previous certification in CT (PK-12, Music); Advanced Placement Music Theory Certification, Summer 1999; University of Southern Florida DEI Certificate
Technology-assisted teaching and instructional design using: Zoom, Canvas, SmartMusic, Blackboard, Edmodo, Google Suite, and Canva.
Dr. Neff was one of 10 writers on NAfME's Teaching with Primary Sources project through the Library of Congress in 2016. She continues to share music education ideas for the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) website, as a blogger for the UArts/LOC partnership. She also applies her curriculum expertise working with area school districts on curriculum writing and audits.
Dr. Neff is the State Representative for Pennsylvania for Women Band Directors International. She also serves on the organization’s grants and scholarship committee. Previously, she served two terms as the Eastern Division Representative for NAfME’s Council for Band (2016-2020) and in roles of advocacy and professional development for PMEA districts 11 and 12. She is part of the PMEA Teacher Mentor Program and serves as a trainer for PMEA’s online Model Curriculum Framework tool. Dr. Neff is one of four co-founders for the group Women Banding Together (WBT); a group created in May 2020 to mentor female band directors, and to provide support to those of any gender who mentor female band directors. The group also provides webinars on a variety of topics. She continues to be an advisor and mentor for the Key of She Jazz organization that supports girls and women in jazz.
In December 2017, Dr. Neff co-presented at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and has also presented sessions for music educators in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington D.C., and Delaware on a variety of topics, including: national music standards, mindfulness, curriculum, advocacy, assessment, instructional strategies, student engagement, time management, embracing change, creating a collaborative culture, teaching after the pandemic, creating a culture of belonging (DEIA), and teacher evaluation.
Dr. Neff’s doctoral research study on teacher evaluation was published in the peer-reviewed Pennsylvania Educational Leadership Journal. She has written articles for the PMEA State Journal, Teaching Music Magazine and Band Directors Talk Shop, as well as blog posts for Alfred Music, NAfME's Music in a Minuet, Zeswitz Music, and J.W. Pepper. She has also been interviewed for the Everything Band, Working Musicians, and Marching Roundtable, Music Ed Mentor/SmartMusic Podcasts, and the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition.
She conducted the Concert Band at New England Music Camp for four summers (2013-2017), and has been a guest conductor and clinician in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Previously, she toured Europe for five summers (2008-2012) with high school musicians as Symphonic Band Director and String Ensemble Director for American Music Abroad. She continues to be a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician.
Dr. Neff received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Immaculata University. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from Michigan State University where she studied horn with Douglas Campbell and Neill Saunders, and played under the batons of Eugene Corporon, Kenneth Bloomquist, and Leon Gregorian in MSU's top bands and orchestra.
Certifications: Pennsylvania: Music K-12, Instructional II; Principal K-12, Administrative; Supervisor – Music; Previous certification in CT (PK-12, Music); Advanced Placement Music Theory Certification, Summer 1999; University of Southern Florida DEI Certificate
Technology-assisted teaching and instructional design using: Zoom, Canvas, SmartMusic, Blackboard, Edmodo, Google Suite, and Canva.
Jenny L. Neff Ed.D ~ Music Educator and Educational Leader
Jenny's Creative EDge Created 2018 ~ Jenny's Creative EDge L.L.C., established 2020
Jenny's Creative EDge Created 2018 ~ Jenny's Creative EDge L.L.C., established 2020
