The Bachelor of Music Education degree prepares individuals for Illinois Teacher Certification in music, and the skills necessary for teaching music in both public and private schools, from Kindergarten through High School. The teacher placement record of our graduates is nearly 100%. Many go on to do graduate degrees in music education, performance, conducting or other related fields. The strengths of the BME degree are many, but particular emphasis in conducting and performance are stressed, as well as a thorough knowledge of current teaching methodologies such as Orff Schulwerk, Kodaly, Suzuki, and Dalcroze. The music education curriculum is rigorous, broadly based, and thorough, combining strong musicianship with a call to Christian service through teaching.

Timothy Yontz, Assistant Professor of Music Education and Symphonic Band Conductor, earned his degrees from Indiana University (BME), Butler University (MM), and the University of Nebraska (PhD). Having previously taught in public schools in Indiana and Wisconsin, and at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, he came to the Conservatory in 2007 to assume responsibility for the music education program. He is active as a wind band conductor, music education clinician, and festival adjudicator (www.timothyyontz.com).

Mary Hopper, Professor of Choral Music and Conducting, Women’s Chorale & Men’s Glee Club Director, is coordinator of the Performance Studies Area. She holds degrees from Wheaton College and the University of Iowa, where she studied with Don V. Moses. Before coming to Wheaton Dr. Hopper taught public school music in the Chicago area and choral conducting and voice at the University of Minnesota (Morris). She has been conductor of the Women's Chorale since 1979 and received significant public recognition with that ensemble here and abroad. This is her first season as director of the renowned Wheaton College Men’s Glee Club. For her dedication to excellence in her field, she was awarded the 2000-2001 Senior Teaching Achievement Award at Wheaton College. Dr. Hopper also is the conductor of the Chicago Sunday Evening Club Chorale which appears weekly on WTTW, Channel 11. She is active nationally as a guest conductor and clinician and is President of the Illinois American Choral Directors Association.

Daniel Sommerville, Associate Professor of Orchestral Music, Symphony Orchestra Conductor, holds the MM in conducting and a DMA in composition from Northwestern University. His BA is in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. In addition to conducting the Symphony Orchestra at Wheaton College, he teaches orchestration, composition, conducting and music theory. Further conducting studies have been with Sir Georg Solti, Herbert Blomstedt and Franz Allers. He has been Music Director of the Westminster Chamber Orchestra, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Chicago, and the Northwind Ensemble, Chicago. He also has served on the faculties of Northwestern University and Trinity College. Dr. Sommerville is in demand in the Midwest as a clinician and guest conductor. Most recently, he has been guest conductor of the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra, Elkhart, Indiana, and conducted the 1999-2000 District IX Illinois High School Honors Orchestra. As a composer, he is currently completing a commission from the Hudson Community Church, Hudson, Ohio, for an anthem for choir and orchestra, on the occasion of the opening of their new sanctuary.

Paul W. Wiens, Professor of Choral Music and Conducting, Concert Choir & West Suburban Choral Union Director, also teaches conducting and sight singing. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Iowa (Don V Moses), taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Robert Fountain), and sang with the Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus (Robert Shaw). Since 1983 he has led the West Suburban Choral Union in performances of choral/orchestral masterworks twice annually. Since becoming the choir’s director in 1981, the Concert Choir has performed at one national and four divisional conventions of the American Choral Director’s Association. In March of 2002, Dr. Wiens will present "Music Reading and the Improvement of Intonation in Choral Rehearsal" with the Concert Choir as demonstration group at the ACDA Central Division Convention in Chicago. Begun during his sabbatical leave in 1988, he continues development of Expressive Conducting, his conducting textbook with software. This landmark work was created with the intention of enhancing the learning of conducting and is used in Wiens’ conducting classes at Wheaton College.

Steve Pierson, Guest Lecturer in Music Education, earned degrees in Music Education from the University of Illinois (BS and MS), a MA in Intercultural Communication from Wheaton Grad School, and a PhD in Educational Studies from Trinity International University. His PhD focused on the developmental aspects and effects of music participation in societies that suffer repression. Dr. Pierson's experience includes his service as academic dean and professor of missions at Nordic Bible Institute in Sweden. In addition to his current work at the Conservatory of Music, Dr. Pierson teaches courses for Wheaton's Graduate School, the College of DuPage and Trinity International University. He maintains an active performance schedule on the French horn, and has toured internationally with numerous engagements in Sweden, Poland, and Estonia.