Angela Gillis

The Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival is honoured to be able to remember music educators who have passed, but not before leaving a legacy of making a difference in music education in the province.

Born into a family of music enthusiasts, Angela began piano in elementary school and voice and French horn in junior high school. Her active musical life continued through high school singing in the Moberly High School Choir and playing in the Concert Band and the Marching Band. Angela pursued post-secondary musical studies and earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education (1988) at Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas, and a Master of Music in Music Education (1994) at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Angela was certified to teach in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Saskatchewan. Angela continued to learn and to improve as a teacher and was certified in Kodaly I and Orff I levels. She was a stalwart in professional organizations in the USA and in Canada making a difference in educational learning. Angela always strove to provide creative opportunities for her students and orchestrated innovative and collaborative performances and displays at all the schools in which she taught. She was determined that every child in her class experience joy in music making. She was a passionate advocate for the child-centered, diverse, and multi-cultural process as developed by German composer and music educator Carl Orff (1895-1982). Her ongoing energy and dedication to her students and colleagues, particularly the Saskatchewan Orff Chapter, have been an inspiration and treasured gift. Angela began her teaching career in Atlanta, Missouri (band, choral, and general music) and then relocated to Lawton, Oklahoma to become a powerhouse at Hugh Bish Elementary. In 2000 she was awarded “Champion for Children” from the Lawton Public Schools. For five years, Angela also taught music appreciation and popular music night classes at Cameron University in Lawton. She continued her teaching career in Canada with the Saskatoon Public Schools at Marion M. Graham Collegiate (in 2003) and later at several elementary schools: Caroline Robins, Alvin Buckwold, Holliston, Howard Coad, and most recently at Ernest Lindner. She was an instructor for the University of Saskatchewan Community Music Education Program and Extension Services for Seniors. Over a span of twenty years, she also taught elementary music education classroom instruments courses in the Department of Music at the University of Saskatchewan.