Natalie Ozeas, associate head of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music, has been appointed president of the National Urban Music Leadership Conference, the nation’s premier organization supporting music education in urban school districts. As president, Ozeas will become a liaison to MENC: the National Association for Music Education, and will serve as a public policy advocate for music in the public schools. A champion of music programming in urban areas, Ozeas has been awarded several high-profile grants for keyboard instruction, spoken word sessions and world drumming projects in the Pittsburgh Public School District.

Noel Zahler, head of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Music, congratulates Ozeas on this honor. “Dr. Ozeas has demonstrated a commitment not only to the students of Carnegie Mellon, but to the community at large,” Zahler said. “We are fortunate to have such a dedicated educator on our faculty, who tirelessly addresses current issues in an urban context while training the next generation of music teachers. Ozeas has created a program and team of faculty at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Music that places 100 percent of its music education graduates in positions throughout the country.”

On behalf of the leadership conference, Ozeas will meet with school administrators, teachers and professors across the country to address concerns in public and private school music education programs in urban areas.

Ozeas holds bachelor’s degrees in music education and applied music (clarinet), an elementary certificate in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a master’s degree in music education, from Carnegie Mellon and an Ed.D. in humanities from the University of Pittsburgh. Ozeas has taught preschool through high school for more than 20 years. Before coming to Carnegie Mellon, she was professor of music and choir conductor at California University of Pennsylvania. Ozeas appears frequently as an adjudicator and guest conductor for junior and senior high school choral festivals, and she has directed workshops throughout the United States, Taiwan, Malaysia and Germany. She is a past president of the Dalcroze Society of America and is president of the Music Educators Association Eastern Division. She chaired the development of a Pennsylvania Arts Curriculum and a Discipline-Based Use of Performance in the Arts Program. As a member of the National Executive Board of MENC, Ozeas is the liaison to the National Research Society and serves on its editorial board.

Carnegie Mellon’s School of Music educates outstanding, intellectually gifted musicians through excellence in performance, creativity, scholarship and pedagogy. The School of Music offers undergraduate degrees in music composition and instrumental, vocal and keyboard performance. Graduate degrees are offered in composition, conducting and performance and music education. The school also offers a variety of highly acclaimed non-degree programs, such as the Performance Residency Program, the Artist Diploma Program, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Piano Pedagogy, Advanced Flute Studies, Orff Schulwerk and Music Education programs.