Jonathan Glawe (from Waterloo,Iowa) is currently the Director of Orchestras at GRAMMY award-winning Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Kansas and a Masters Degree in Music Education from the University of Oregon. Prior to his time in Oregon, Glawe taught in the Darien Public Schools in Darien, Connecticut.
Currently in his 15th year at Pioneer High School, Glawe has played an important role in their return to the GRAMMY Signature School list, in which the Pioneer Music Department was honored as one of the top 3 music programs in the nation in 2010 and 2015, and earned the honor of being the National GRAMMY Signature School in 2011. Glawe performed with the Pioneer Symphony Orchestra at the Midwest Music Clinic in 2017, and took his conductorless chamber orchestra to the National Orchestra Festival in 2013, at which the group took home top honors. Glawe takes pride in offering ALL of his students unique enrichment opportunities, no matter what level of ensemble they are in. In his time at Pioneer, he has taken his students to perform in New York City Austria, Germany, San Francisco, Italy, New Orleans, Sweden, and London UK.
Additionally, Glawe is the director and founder of the yearly Pioneer Orchestra Camp that takes place each August on the campus of the beautiful Interlochen Center for the Arts, at which he brings 130 students up for a week of musicianship and friendship activities. In his time at Pioneer, Glawe has coached the Pioneer orchestras to a wide variety of successes in technique and performance in the classical setting while enhancing the orchestra curriculum with his knowledge of a variety of string styles. He has done this while aiming to maintain and further develop the high quality of classical musicianship that Pioneer has traditionally been known for.
Glawe is very passionate about mentoring young teachers, and regularly presents clinics around the country on teaching leadership to students, repertoire selection processes, citizenship through music, and the importance and role of human connection in the ensemble. He also has a 13 part series of presentations on bringing music history to life from a humanistic perspective. Additionally, Glawe has worked as a guest conductor on numerous occasions throughout the United States at both the district and state level. This includes a conducting appearance with the California High School All State String Orchestra in 2018 as presented by CASMEC.
Glawe was recognized as MSBOA District 12 Orchestra Director of the Year in 2011, 2013 and 2015. He was a finalist for the Michigan Orchestra Director of the Year in 2012. He was selected as the Michigan String Teacher of the Year award from the American String Teachers Association in 2021, and won the Elizabeth A. H Green School Educator Award in 2024, also presented by ASTA.
Glawe is also a proud member, co- curriculum chair, and orchestra representative for the Servant Leadership Association For Music, an organization founded in the Fall of 2021. He currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife Rebecca Hunter, DMA, and their 3 spirited children.
Reid Smith (from Saline, Michigan) is currently a strings specialist for the Ann Arbor Public Schools. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Michigan and completed graduate work on a full academic scholarship from Michigan State University. Smith taught in Duluth, GA, St. Charles, MO, and Farmington, MI before taking his current position in Ann Arbor, MI.
As a cellist Smith performed with orchestras throughout Georgia, Missouri, and Michigan. His teachers include Dr. Diane Winder, Anthony Elliott, Debra Fayroian, and Suren Bagratuni. Passionate about eclectic styles of music Smith regularly plays and performs Bluegrass, Old Time, Swing, Jazz, and many other styles of music. His love of various styles comes from his time in the Saline Fiddlers as a student, Assistant Director, and Artistic Director.
As a teacher Smith’s orchestras performed at the Georgia Music Education Association Conference, and the ASTA National Conference in 2007, and the Midwest Clinic in 2008 & 2016. His time in St. Charles, MO was spent building a program from 40 students to 160 when he left in 2010 to pursue his graduate degree.
Smith earned a full Graduate Assistantship from MSU where he taught World Music, A History of Rock from Elvis to the Present, and String Pedagogy. During his time at MSU Smith was nominated for the Somers Excellence in Teaching Award, was a finalist for the university wide Citation for Excellence in Teaching, and observed string student teachers while Dr. Judy Palac was on sabbatical.
During his time in Farmington, Smith grew the high school program from 68 students to over 100 while commissioning works for his orchestras from Dr. Michael Hopkins of the University of Michigan and Brad Phillips, artist in residence at the Purple Rose Theatre.