Schools
Troy 30-C choir instructor receives statewide honor
Kelsey Robb honored with IGSMA 2021 Barbara Buehlman Young Conductor Award
Troy Middle School and William B. Orenic Intermediate School choir instructor Kelsey Robb has received the Illinois Grade School Music Association’s 2021 Barbara Buehlman Young Conductor Award.
The award is presented annually by the IGSMA to a school music instructor who has 5-10 years’ experience, the majority in Illinois; who is actively involved in IGSMA events; who shows growth as a music educator; whose students consistently excel in IGSMA events; and who is a well-rounded person respected by their peers.
Robb’s choirs participate in IGSMA Solo & Ensemble Contest, District Organization Contests, and State Organization Festivals, and three of her choirs received Honors Status at the 2016 IGSMA State Festival. Robb also hosted the 2018 IGSMA District 6 Solo & Ensemble Competition. She also serves as a musical director for the Troy Middle School spring musicals.
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Troy Community School District 30-C band instructor William Goetz describes his co-worker as outstanding, always willing to help and collaborate with the district’s music and non-music staff and is well-liked at both of the Troy schools.
“Kelsey Robb is an outstanding educator who has been teaching at a high level since she began,” Goetz said. “The Troy choirs under her leadership have experienced great success. Kelsey doesn’t just focus on great performances, she teaches her students the fundamentals of vocal music and prioritizes her students’ development as musicians, employing a wide variety of teaching techniques to engage them. It is also clear that Kelsey strives to form strong personal bonds with her students.”
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Robb said she is humbled to receive the recognition and is proud of the Troy choir program.
“As it has grown,” she said of the schools’ choir program, “community and a collective effort have always been the heart of the program. This recognition is no different. It would not be possible without the students who give it their all each day, the families who support them and cheer them on, and the administrators who make these opportunities available to students. I am immensely thankful to work with Troy students, families, and staff every day. To serve in that partnership is a joy.”
According to the IGSMA website, the award is named after Barbara Buehlman, a respected music educator in northern Illinois since 1959.
