Anne Fennell

Anne Fennell is the K-12 Music Program Manager for San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, CA. She holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education, a Masters in Leadership Studies, Orff-Schulwerk certification for levels I, II, and III and has additional training and certifications in global music studies, Character Education, Gifted and Talented Education, and Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development. Her experiences include 32 years of teaching Kindergarten through Grade 12 music education, integrated arts and music, leading performance ensembles in civic and professional organizations and national conferences, including the annual NAMM Board of Directors meeting (2013 & 2016), and teaching three levels of both steel drum ensembles and music composition through technology, grades 9-12. Her ensembles have been featured in both InTune Monthly and NAfME’s Teaching Music magazines. She is a recognized presenter and clinician at professional conferences and workshops at local, regional, national, and international levels, including the International Society of Music Education, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, the National Parent-Teacher Association, Tennessee Arts Academy, National Association for Music Education, California Music Educators Association, and numerous music education conferences throughout the United States. She supported beginning teachers in multiple subjects through the California Beginning Teachers Assessment program and was also an invited speaker for the U.S. Department of Education’s Research to Best Practice Conference in Washington D.C.. During the summer of 2018, Ms. Fennell presented a keynote address for the Beijing Music Education Conference, as a guest of NAMM, followed by a workshop on creativity and critical thinking, and In the fall of 2015, Anne presented a keynote at the first China Conference for Music Education in Shanghai, addressing the Whole Musician, followed by workshops in music composition. In 2020 Anne received the Technology in Music Education National Teacher of the Year, in 2017 she was honored as the National Magnet School Teacher of the Year and U.S. Region 8 Teacher of the Year, and in 2016 she was chosen as a top 10 Finalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Ms. Fennell received the California Music Educators Association’s award for Innovation in Music Education (2017), California Music Educators Association’s SBS Innovation in Music Education (2016), Illuminating Culture Award (2013), Outstanding Music Educator Award, Southern Border Section and Teacher of the Year in Vista Unified School District (2008). Ms. Fennell has given advocacy presentations and served as a consultant for school districts on assessment, standards-based curriculum, creativity, composition, and integrated arts instruction.. Her publications include titles from Pearson Education and Silver Burdett, MusicVentures created with a U.S. Dept. of Education research grant in conjunction with NAMM, Disney – Baby and Little Einsteins, Labels for Education: Discovery Through Music with the GRAMMY Foundation, and K-12 integration connections for the Roots of Rhythm curriculum. She was a Sub-Committee Music Writing Team member for the National Core Arts Music Standards and is 2016-2018 member of the NAfME General Music Education Council and the 2016-2020 National Chair for the NAfME Innovations Council.