Katie Counts

Background

About Katie Counts

I received my undergraduate degree in Music Therapy August 2018 and completed my Masters in Music Education (choral conducting emphasis) December 2020 from the University of Alabama. Currently, I am serving as a long term substitute for the choral area at the Tuscaloosa Fine Arts Academy located at Paul W. Bryant High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. My experiences in the music therapy and music education programs at the University of Alabama provided many opportunities to gain teaching experience and expanded my knowledge and passion for serving students in an education setting. Over the course of 3 years, I had the opportunity to work with “adaptive choirs” at two high schools, which included students of varying abilities in an inclusive setting. I planned and implemented choral lessons with appropriate adaptations so that all students could be successful. During my internship with the Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia, I worked with high school students with emotional and behavioral disorders and elementary school students in an inclusive general music classroom. My graduate teaching assistantship at the University of Alabama allowed me to gain valuable experience as a choral conductor and program administrator. As the Assistant Conductor for the UA Women’s Chorus, I was responsible for all administrative duties, such as trip coordination and instrumentalist collaboration, and I conducted several choral pieces each semester. I also served as lead instructor for the Chamber Choir, a lab choir for music education and choral conducting students. My tasks included mentoring undergraduate music education students on repertoire selection, teaching skills, rehearsal strategy, and conducting gesture. In addition, my graduate degree helped me develop my philosophy of music education as essential to individual growth for all students because music is essential to the human experience.