3 SMMUSD Music Teachers Receive High Honors

SANTA MONICA, CA — Three Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District music teachers received statewide recognition for their contributions to music programs within the district, SMMUSD announced Thursday.

The California Music Teachers Association (CMTA) announced Kirsten Bersch received the 2020 California Music Educators Association Elementary Music Specialist Award; Joni Swenson received the 2020 California Music Educators Association/Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator Award; and Angela Woo received the Shining Star Award by Education Through Music Los Angeles. Woo was also honored with the Gold Award at the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Winter Conference.

"Music and art programs are an integral part of the curriculum, and opportunities for students are highly regarded in the communities served," SMMUSD said.

Kirsten Bersch has taught elementary music in SMMUSD for 20 years, and she was honored for excellence in elementary instrumental music instruction. In addition to the SMMUSD traditional music program, Bersch has been "an advocate and leader in bringing the new SMMUSD mariachi music program to Santa Monica students," the press release said.

Joni Swenson has been the director of orchestras at Santa Monica High School for the past 19 years. Under her direction, the Santa Monica High School orchestra has won numerous awards and students have gone on to perform internationally in Vienna, Austria, Argentina, China and Prague, the press release said. Swenson has guest conducted honor orchestras throughout California and has presented sessions at conferences multiple times. When she began teaching at the high school in 2002, there were four orchestras. Now, there are seven orchestras and two full time orchestra teachers.

Bersch and Swenson will receive their recognition at the CMEA Awards dinner during the
California All State Music Education Conference in February.

Angela Woo, who is currently the instrumental music director at John Adams Middle School, has worked for SMMUSD since 1995. Woo enjoys an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator with numerous honor groups, conducting symposia, and music festivals throughout the U.S., SMMUSD said. Most recently, she guest conducted the 2019 Honors Performance Series Middle School Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York.

"We congratulate these three extraordinary music teachers on their recent recognition," School Board President Jon Kean said. "We are fortunate to have the Santa Monica Education Foundation’s financial support for all our Santa Monica students, starting in elementary school, to receive an exemplary arts education. Our music teachers deliver high quality programs and opportunities to students at all levels."