Tracy E. Leenman received a Bachelor of Music (magna cum laude) degree from Syracuse University in 1977 in Choral and Instrumental Music Education. She earned a Master of Music in Music Education from Syracuse University, in 1983; and has done course work towards a Ph.D. in Music Education at the Eastman School of Music.
Mrs. Leenman has nearly 40 years of teaching experience. She has taught in both public and private schools, including the Greenville County Schools' Fine Arts Center. Under her direction, the Hampton Park Christian School Band won first place in statewide competition two years in a row. She was the featured guest conductor at the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Spring Concert of The Kennedy Choir at John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview, NY (her alma mater). She has also conducted several all-region and all-city choral clinics in South Carolina, and has guest-conducted a number of middle- and high-school bands around the state. In 2009, she conducted the Region IV (PA) All-Directors’ Band Clinic.
Tracy has also been a guest clinician and lecturer at a number of colleges and universities, as well as at two CMENC State-wide Leadership Conventions. Her articles on conducting/rehearsing techniques and score preparation are found in a number of college libraries as required reading for future educators.
In addition to her experience in the classroom, Mrs. Leenman has over 15 years’ experience in the music industry. She served on NAMM’s National Outreach Committee for The Charlie Horse Music Pizza Experience, helping design the materials used for this program. She presented the national pilot Experience in October 1997, and since January 1998, has presented Experiences for over 5,000 children around the state. For several years, she served as a liaison for Vh-1’s “Save the Music” Program, helping Vh-1 create and support music programs in South Carolina, and hosted the South Carolina Vh-1 “Save the Music” Kickoff Event in Columbia (SC) in 2001.
Mrs. Leenman has done educational clinics and workshops around the country on a number of topics. She has also presented sessions at NASMD, RPMDA and NAMM conventions. In 2009, she was a guest clinician at the Total Band Director Workshop in Wichita, KS.
For over a decade, Mrs. Leenman served as the Music Industry Representative to the Executive Board of the South Carolina Music Educators Association, and as President of the South Carolina Coalition for Music Education. She recently served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of School Music Dealers and is currently representative to the SupportMusic.com Coalition. She has also served on Gemeinhardt Teachers’ Advisory Council and on the faculty of Knilling String University. A published arranger and author, she has had articles featured in Teaching Music, Music Inc., SB&O, ABA Associates Newsletter and the NAMM News; and writes regularly for the South Carolina Musician, Mississippi Bandmaster and School Music Dealer magazines.
As a clinician, she has presented sessions at MENC National Conferences, Southern Division Conferences, SCMEA in-service conventions, and at school district in-services all over South Carolina. Mrs. Leenman plays bassoon with the Palmetto Concert Band and the Foothills Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2006, she was awarded Phil Beta Mu Outstanding Contributor award for her contributions to music education in South Carolina. In 2009, she was awarded the SCMEA Friend of Music Business Award, and the KEYS Program Keeping the Beat Music Advocacy Award.
Mrs. Leenman and her husband, Koas, an architect, have six children, 19 grandchildren, and one great grandson. In 1988, Mrs. Leenman was named the Palmetto State Parents of Multiples’ Mother of the Year.
