CSW 2021-22 Mentor
Shemeka Nash
Currently, Shemeka Nash is the Fine Arts Department Chair at Morgan Park High School in Chicago. She is also the director of bands, conducting the Concert, Jazz, Modern and Beginning Band. While at Morgan Park her jazz combo has been featured during the Honoring Excellence portion of the Chicago Board of Education meeting. The jazz combo was also selected to perform at Midwest Clinic’s Inaugural Celebrating Chicago Jazz Education Festival in December 2018. Her jazz ensemble has performed at the 2018, 2017, 2014 and 2013 Chicago Jazz Festival on the Young Lions Jazz Stage with 2009 being the Inaugural performance. In addition, the jazz ensemble was awarded the Chicago Composers Award for which the band won a commissioned work written specifically for her jazz ensemble. The work was conducted by composer Don Owens during the 2014 Chicago Jazz Festival performance. During the spring of 2008, the ensemble was featured in the Arts and Entertainment section of the Chicago Tribune as a major participant in the Louis Armstrong Jazz Project. The jazz ensemble performed at National PTA Gala during October of 2008. The ensemble has been awarded many jazz residencies with various artists such as Wycliffe Gordon, Mwata Bowden, Ernie Adams, Ruben Alvarez, and Rob Denty.
Shemeka has also been recently appointed as Orchestra Conductor of Sistema Ravinia. For Sistema Ravinia Shemeka leads a faculty of over 50 music instructors in all matters of curriculum, assessment, and repertoire selection. She conducts four full orchestras for students at each level of Sistema Ravinia.
Recently, one of her video portfolio entries in band pedagogy, for National Board Certification, was selected for inclusion in ATLAS (Accomplished Teaching, Learning, and Schools) her video, combined with her written commentary, was chosen to provide rich insight, showing the next generation of teaching professionals how accomplished teachers plan, deliver, and analyze the effectiveness of their instructional practice.
She holds the Bachelor of Music Education Degree from DePaul University and Master of Music Education degree from Northwestern University. She also holds National Board Teacher Certification for the area of Early Adolescence Through Young Adulthood (EAYA) Music. Shemeka is an active saxophonist in Chicago. Her professional memberships include Phi Beta Mu, Tau Beta Sigma, NAfME, ILMEA, JEN, WBDI and NBA.
Shemeka has also been recently appointed as Orchestra Conductor of Sistema Ravinia. For Sistema Ravinia Shemeka leads a faculty of over 50 music instructors in all matters of curriculum, assessment, and repertoire selection. She conducts four full orchestras for students at each level of Sistema Ravinia.
Recently, one of her video portfolio entries in band pedagogy, for National Board Certification, was selected for inclusion in ATLAS (Accomplished Teaching, Learning, and Schools) her video, combined with her written commentary, was chosen to provide rich insight, showing the next generation of teaching professionals how accomplished teachers plan, deliver, and analyze the effectiveness of their instructional practice.
She holds the Bachelor of Music Education Degree from DePaul University and Master of Music Education degree from Northwestern University. She also holds National Board Teacher Certification for the area of Early Adolescence Through Young Adulthood (EAYA) Music. Shemeka is an active saxophonist in Chicago. Her professional memberships include Phi Beta Mu, Tau Beta Sigma, NAfME, ILMEA, JEN, WBDI and NBA.
