Tales from the Road
- SoundTree
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
Ken Greene Education Technology Specialist, KORG SoundTree
Pennsylvania Tales:
PMEA, The Philadelphia School, and CCA Baldi Middle School
Ask me what I enjoy most about working for KORG SoundTree and I will immediately tell you its helping music teachers and supervisors acquire the equipment, resource, and training they need to create transformative experiences for their students. I may word it a little differently each time I’m asked, but that is honestly the best thing about my job: I get to support music teachers for a living! Occasionally, I have the opportunity to travel to schools and conferences to meet them in person, strengthening relationships and developing new friendships. Last week, I hit the road to Pennsylvania to meet a few of the folks I’ve been emailing and Zoom-calling over the past several months.
My journey began at Pat’s Steaks on Passyunk Ave. in Philadelphia (because an edtech specialist has to eat). From there it was of to the Kalahari Resort in the Poconos for the 2026 PMEA Conference. The visit wrapped up with a training session at The Philadelphia School in downtown Philly, and a visit with music teacher Dmytro Terleckyj at Baldi Middle School in Northeast Philly. Below are a few highlights from the road.
Pat’s King of Steaks
I lived on Passyunk Avenue in Philly for about three, so this was a sort of homecoming for me. I ordered my usual - “One, whiz, wit-out” - and it was delicious! Here’s an important tip from Pat’s website: “The line at Pat’s King of Steaks moves quickly, so it’s best to be prepared - know what you want, and how to order it by the time you get to the front of the line!” Visit Pat’s website for a complete list of ordering tips. https://www.patskingofsteaks.com/
PMEA Conference
PMEA All-State Modern Band
Congratulations to music teacher and friend Kevin Longwill and his seven remarkable students from Abington Senior High School who were selected to perform in the PMEA All-State Modern Band concert on April 23rd at the Sherman Theater. Visit Kevin’s M3: Modern Music Makers website to learn more about his dynamic program.
Annamarie Bollino, Prince William County Schools
I had the privilege of speaking with Annamarie Bollino, Prince William County Schools Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts, and Virginia Art Education Association Supervision and Administration Art Educator of the Year, after attending her session “Charting the Course: From Classroom to Career!” We met in front of “the tree” at the Kalahari Resort, an ideal spot for conversation and people watching. I look forward to sharing Annamarie’s article with you on our blog in the very near future. She has a wealth of valuable insight and experience to offer music educators and supervisors.
View Annamarie’s 2026 PMEA session slides and documents: https://www.pmea.net/pmea-annual-in-service-conference/#tab-399353
The Philadelphia School
This was fun! Music teacher Aaron Picht and his music department colleagues at The Philadelphia School invited me to lead a training session on their new Korg GEC5 system and SoundKEY lab. After reviewing the lab connections and the versatile GEC5 controller app, it was hands-on time. The group clearly enjoyed taking turns playing the role of student in this scenario, putting the teacher through an authentic classroom experience. (See the images and video for proof.) We discovered helpful, new applications for the different GEC5 app modes - Lecture, Practice, and Group - and the teachers grew more comfortable working with their lab system as the morning progressed. It was a pleasure working with Aaron, Donna, Chris, and Thomas, and I am grateful for the opportunity to support their music program at TPS!
Dmytro Terleckyj, Music Teacher at Baldi Middle School
Dmytro Terleckyj is a visionary educator with an impressive classroom and highly successful music program. After only a few minutes into our conversation, I was again reminded of just how small our world is. Turns out we both worked at Philadelphia's Zapf’s Music store in the 90s. Never crossed paths, but enjoyed reminiscing none the less. Dmytro also has a Korg GEC5 lab chock full o’ SoundKEYs. To be precise, 35 student stations plus a few extra keyboards to accommodate overflow. There is a friendly albeit competitive environment in Mr. Terleckyj’s piano instruction classes. Judging by the data on the class student progress charts, his students are both highly engaged and highly motivated. I met a few of his delightful 6th grade students who were entering his classroom as I was exiting. What a wonderful end to an tremendously enjoyable and productive trip! https://baldi.philasd.org/
Coming soon: Tales from the Road, Part 2 - The Atlanta Stories!
Ken Greene brings decades of successful experiences to the SoundTree team as a music educator, national edtech clinician, and professional musician.
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