Slippery Rock University Music Department

08/28/2026

🎶 Please join us in welcoming our Collaborative Pianist, John Makara!

John is a multifaceted musician based in Pittsburgh. He earned his Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from Carnegie Mellon University and his BFA in Piano Performance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Beyond the piano, John is an organist and music director at Christ Lutheran Church Millvale, as well as a piano tuner and technician. He also enjoys playing bass for musicals and jazz groups.

In 2025, John received the prestigious Gindroz Prize for Summer Travel and Study in Europe, spending two months in Slovakia studying traditional folk music, dances, and customs.

We’re excited to have John bring his diverse musical experience and passion to the SRU music community! 🎹💚

08/26/2026

🎶 Please join us in welcoming our newest Oboe Faculty Member, Stefani Wilkinson!

Stefani is an accomplished oboist and educator with 20+ years of experience performing with orchestras and ensembles across the country. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance from the University of Texas at Austin and completed graduate studies at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. Her performance credits include the Butler Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Oregon Symphony. Career highlights include performing with the San Francisco Symphony at Carnegie Hall and with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Stefani spends her summers in Chautauqua, NY, and lives in Pittsburgh's North Hills with her husband, PSO trumpeter Micah, their daughters Eleanor and Amelia, and their pets, Clara and Felix. She is passionate about helping students build strong fundamentals, confidence, reed-making skills, and their own musical voices.

We're thrilled to welcome her to the SRU music community! 💚🎵

07/29/2026

🎶 The SRU Music Ensemble Form is Now Live! 🎶
sru.edu/ensembles

Planning to perform with an SRU Music ensemble this fall? Here's what you need to know:

✅ Music majors/minors and anyone interested in an auditioned ensemble must complete the Ensemble Form and schedule an audition.

🎵 Interested in a non-auditioned or instructor-approved ensemble? You can simply register according to the instructions on our website—no Ensemble Form required.

Visit sru.edu/ensembles for complete enrollment instructions, audition information, and ensemble details.

We can't wait to make music with you this fall! 🎶💚

07/15/2026

Go SRU Marching Pride!!

🚨 6 NOTE NEWS: SRU Marching Pride breaks program record with 211 registered students for Fall 2026.

🗞️ More to follow as our season arrives.
•
•
•
•
•

06/22/2026

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sean Radermacher as Slippery Rock University's Full-Time Director of Orchestral Studies and Applied Violin/Viola Faculty for the 2026–27 academic year!

For the past two years, Dr. Radermacher has served our students and ensembles as a part-time faculty member, and we are thrilled that he will now join the SRU Music Department in this full-time role.

An accomplished conductor, educator, and violinist, Sean brings a wealth of experience from his work with professional orchestras, youth ensembles, and music festivals across the United States and abroad. In addition to leading SRU's orchestra program, he serves as Assistant Conductor with the Erie Philharmonic and Lakeside Symphony Orchestra and regularly appears as a guest conductor and clinician for youth orchestras nationwide.

Sean holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and bachelor's and master's degrees in Violin Performance from Duquesne University.

We are excited for the future of SRU Orchestra and Strings under Sean's leadership and look forward to the artistry, mentorship, and energy he will continue to bring to our students and community.

Welcome officially to your new role, Sean! 🎶💚

06/20/2026

Happy Juneteenth!!

Today our offices are closed in observance of Juneteenth, the state and federal holiday that marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. As we honor this important day in history, we reflect on its enduring significance and reaffirm our commitment to freedom, opportunity and belonging for all.

06/19/2026

Check out Professor Amy Baker!!! Amy is our professor of bassoon and oversees the SRU Musicians Health program.

06/15/2026

🎶 Welcome to SRU Music Education, Tim Daniels! 🎶

The Department of Music is excited to welcome Professor Tim Daniels to the Music Education faculty at Slippery Rock University.

Prior to joining SRU, TIm served as Director of Bands at Norwin High School for 13 years. Under his leadership, the program earned national recognition, including a Bands of America Regional Championship, the 2021 Bands of America Grand National Class 2A Championship, and invitations for the Wind Ensemble to perform at state and regional music education conferences.

Professor Daniels holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Youngstown State University and a Master of Music Education from Duquesne University. He is a Ph.D. in Music Education candidate at Kent State University, where his research focuses on competition and evaluation in music education, marching band adjudication practices, and democratic practices in performance classrooms.

Outside of music, Tim enjoys camping, hiking, skiing, exploring national and state parks, cooking—especially grilling and smoking—and cheering on Pittsburgh sports teams.

Please join us in giving Tim a warm SRU welcome! We are excited for our students and future music educators to learn from his experience, scholarship, and passion for teaching.

💚🎶 Welcome to The Rock, Professor Daniels!