
STate education specialist in music
Perpich Center’s Music Education Specialist serves the work of Minnesota music educators and administrators through dynamic face-to-face and online workshops, consultation, and professional development customized to school or district needs.
Wendy Barden, PhD, is Minnesota’s Music Education Specialist. Currently, a major part of her work centers around implementation of the 2018 Minnesota Academic Standards in Music. Along with the new standards and benchmarks, Barden actively engages in many related topics including:
- Standards-based grading
- Curriculum mapping
- Create – Perform – Respond – Connect strands of the standards
- Assessment in the music room
- Student retention in ensembles
- Culturally relevant teaching
- Student choice and voice
- Core literacy through music
You can expect a rigorous, yet pragmatic, approach to your questions and requests.
Wendy barden, phD, music education specialist
wendy.barden@pcae.k12.mn.us | 763-279-4285
Barden joined Professional Development and Resource Programs
at Perpich Center for Arts Education in 2018. She began her career
teaching instrumental and general music in ISD 279-Osseo Area
Schools, then served 21 years as the district K-12 Music Coordinator.
Through the years, Wendy has been honored as a Yamaha National
Mentor Teacher, Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) Band Educator of the Year, a Yale Distinguished Music Educator, and member of Phi Beta Mu. In 2014, Dr. Barden was inducted into the MMEA Hall of Fame.