Clinician Biographies
Reagan Paras
Reagan G. Paras, serves as Associate Professor for Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He is completing his Ph.D. in Philosophy in Music Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
A passionate conductor, singer, and educator, he has directed performance tours across the United States and abroad. He is the Artistic Director for Many Voices: Mechanics Hall's Youth Singers, performing repertoire that authentically honors the mosaic of cultures represented in the ensemble. He serves as Music Director for The Nashua Choral Society, one of the premier choral ensembles in the state. Throughout the summer, he conducts the Kodály Music Institute Choir, which is comprised of music educators from across the globe. An emerging researcher, Reagan regularly presents at research symposiums across the United States. He is a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for various music festivals across the country.
Reagan is an advocate for music education, serving on various executive boards for music associations across the northeast. He is a proud husband to his amazing wife Lindsey, and father of three children ages 10, 8, and 5.
Philip Montgomery
Philip Montgomery is the Music Coordinator at the Fay School in Southborough, MA, an independent school for students in Kindergarten through Grade Nine. He holds a Masters Degree in Organ Performance from The Boston Conservatory where he was awarded membership in Pi Kappa Lambda. He holds an additional Masters Degree in Music Education, with Kodály emphasis, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Mr. Montgomery is a certified instructor in both the Orff-Schulwerk and Kodály methodologies of music education. He also attended the 25th and 26th International Kodály Seminars at the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary. He completed levels 1, 2 and 3 of the “Creating Artistry Choral Conductors Workshop” with Henry Leck, founder and director of the Indianapolis Children’s Chorus.
Mr. Montgomery has served as Assistant Organist at All Saints Church, Worcester, MA and as Organist and Choirmaster of Saint Mark’s Church, Episcopal, in Southborough, MA. He is currently Associate Artistic Director of the Worcester Children’s Chorus where he conducts the “Da Capo” and “Bel Canto” choirs. Additionally, Mr. Montgomery is a faculty member of the Kodály Music Institute, and has been a choir director and solfege teacher for the Institute’s summer programs. Philip also serves as President of the BAKE Board of Directors (Boston Area Kodály Educators).
Esther Hargittai
Esther Hargittai was born in Hungary and has been immersed in music since the tender age of three, going through singing nursery, primary and secondary schools. Esther graduated 1995 in Choral Conducting and Music Education from the prestigious “Liszt Academy of Music” in Budapest. From 1996 – 2005, Esther worked for a well-known children's choir in Israel, the ‘Efroni Choir’, where she set up, conducted, and managed the “Young Efroni Choir”, taught music, and conducted choirs through all age groups in Israel. Esther had numerous performances in a variety of settings (national events, TV programs, charities), including representing Israel in the USA (Washington, Kennedy Centre, Salt Lake City) and France. She was co-author of a Kodály Method manual for music teachers in Israel, published by the Jerusalem Music Centre. Since 2006 she is a tutor at the British Kodály Academy (BKA), running conducting and musicianship courses and workshops around the UK and abroad, and is part of the CPD development team. Since 2016 Esther teaches musicianship according to the Kodály philosophy at the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama/Junior Guildhall String Training Programme and is running the Junior Guildhall String Training Programme’s children's choir. Esther’s online professional courses with the BKA and on her independent website have gained wide acclaim in the professions. Her new book, ‘Jewish-Israeli Music’ has also just been published by the “Liszt Academy of Music” in Budapest/Kodály Institute.
Sarah Fard
Sarah Fard is a music educator focused on popular music education and adaptive music methods. She currently teaches at Medford High School in Massachusetts, teaching guitar, music technology, popular music ensemble and music exploratory.. She is also an educational consultant for the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education, and faculty at Longy School of Music of Bard College. She holds a BM (University of New Hampshire) and Masters (Boston University) in Music Education, and a Graduate Certificate in Music and Autism from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She is currently working on a book focused on Universal Design for Learning and music as a practical guide for new and experienced teachers.
Valerie Thomforde
Valerie Thomforde is a music educator whose work has focused on general music and chorus in grades K-8. She currently teaches K-5 general music in Westford, MA. Valerie’s passion for adaptive instrument playing stems from her own experiences as a limb-different musician. She is primarily a pianist, with experience in strings, brass, and customized recorders adapted by Peter Worrell. The Helping Hands Foundation is a local support group for children with limb differences, and Valerie has been a dedicated member for her entire life. Valerie holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education from the University of New Hampshire, a Masters in Music Education with Kodály Emphasis from Holy Names University, and Orff-Schulwerk Certification from George Mason University. She is a mother of two, and her oldest child is Autistic. In her time outside of teaching, Valerie loves folk dance, spending time with family, and reading books by Autistic authors.