Resume


Michael Gene Hayden,

2014 California Teacher of the Year

Educational History

1975-1979     Butler University, Indianapolis, IN, BME in Voice, May 1979

1981-1982     Oakland University, Rochester MI, 16 hours graduate credit in Choral Conducting

1982-1983     Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY, MM Choral Conducting, May 1983

1988-1989     Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, All coursework/recitals/exams completed toward Doctoral of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting.  ABD, All But Dissertation

2007             California Teaching Credential, Single Subject: Music

2008             CLAD Certification completed

Teaching History

1979-1981     North Montgomery High School, Crawfordsville, IN Choral Director, Grades 9-12

1998-1999     Delta High School, Muncie, IN Choral Director, Grades 9-12

1999-2000     Pendleton Heights High School, Pendleton, IN Choral Director, Grades 9-12

1982-1983     Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY Graduate Teaching Assistant

1983-1988     Indiana Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN Instructor of Music, Tenured

1989-1994     Butler University, Indianapolis, IN Assistant Professor of Music

2007-Current Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach, CA, Director of Choirs/ SAS, Student Support

2017              UCLA, University of California Los Angeles,  Guest Lecturer, Vocal Techniques Class for Music Education Majors, Spring Quarter

Professional Memberships

1984-Current American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)

2015-Current National Association for Music Education, (NAfME)

2007-Current Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA)

1990-Current Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA Choruses)

1992-1998     Director on the International Board of Directors GALA Choruses

Awards, Recognition of Teaching

2011   U.S. Presidential Scholar Program Teacher Recognition Award, U.S. Dept. of Education

2013   Teacher of the Year, Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach, CA

2013   Teacher of the Year, Manhattan Beach Unified School District

2013   Teacher of the Year, Los Angeles County, One of Sixteen

2013   California Teacher of the Year, Semifinalist

2013   National GRAMMY® Music Educator Award, Nominee

2014   California Teacher of the Year, named by the California Department of Education. Second choral director to be named in the history of the program.

2014  Aria Award for Service to Music Education in the Greater LA Area, presented by Vox Femina, LA

2014   CMEA/Pearson-Silver Burdett Choral Educator Award, honoring excellence in choral education and performance. 

2014   GRAMMY GOLD Signature School Award, one of three high schools in the United States to be honored for their outstanding music departments.

2020    Mira Costa Festival Choir has been selected to sing Holy Week in Italy, spring of 2020, which includes a concert in St. Agnes of Agony Cathedral in Rome on Palm Sunday, performances in masses in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Holy Monday, Mass in Florence on Holy Thursday and Mass on Easter Sunday in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice.  We are the first high school or university choir to perform Easter Sunday Mass in St. Mark’s Cathedral.

Conducting Awards and Activities

2009   Conductor of Vocal Ensemble from Mira Costa HS, selected as featured choir in LA Master Chorale’s High School Choral Festival, Walt Disney Concert Hall

2009   Conductor of Vocal Ensemble’s performance for BOHSA’s (Best of High School A Cappella) National Compilation CD, featuring 13 high schools from across the United States

2010   Conductor of Vocal Ensemble which was selected as the first high school choir for Festival of the Aegean, Syros Greece, performing with singers from the University of Corfu as the chorus for the opera, Carmen, and the only USA choir to be selected for a 30-minute solo performance in the Festival’s Sacred Sunset Series

2011   Rehearsal Conductor, SCVA, Southern California Vocal Association-Mixed Honor Choir

2012   Rehearsal Conductor, SCVA, Southern California Vocal Association-Treble Honor Choir

2012   Conductor of Advanced Women’s Chorale of Mira Costa HS, the first high school women’s choir to be featured in concerts with Vox Femina LA, LA’s Women’s Choir

2012   Conductor of all Mira Costa Choirs who participated in Worldstrides National Choral Festival Honor Choir at Carnegie Hall.  Additionally, Conductor of Vocal Ensemble as the featured high school choir for the festival

2012   Conductor of Vocal Ensemble of Mira Costa HS, one of three high schools which performed at the American Choral Directors Association, ACDA, Western Division Conference, Reno, NV

2013   Guest Conductor, CMEA Central Honor Choir, California Music Educators Association

2014    Rehearsal Conductor, SCVA, Southern California Vocal Association-Treble Honor Choir

2015   Rehearsal Conductor, SCVA, Southern California Vocal Association-Treble Honor Choir

2015    Conductor of Vocal Ensemble of Mira Costa HS, one of four high schools nationally which performed at the American Choral Directors Association, ACDA National Conference, Salt Lake City, UT

2015   Paris/London Mira Costa Festival Choir Tour singing Mass in Notre Dame Cathedral, Chartres Cathedral, and concerts in Canterbury Cathedral, Oxford Christchurch Cathedral, Grosvenor Chapel and St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle

2016   Conductor of Mira Costa High School’s Spring Tour with Vocal Ensemble and Advanced Women’s Chorale Tour San Francisco performing at Palo Alto HS, Sonoma State University and St. Mary’s Cathedral

2016   Rehearsal Conductor, SCVA, Southern California Vocal Association-Treble Honor Choir

2017   Rhine River Tour Holy Week Tour with Mira Costa Festival Choir and 100 friends and family with Amawaterways River Cruises.  Full Charter Choir tour on the Rhine River singing concerts in Oude Lutherese Kerk, Amsterdam, Cologne Cathedral, Abbey of Hildegarde von Bingen and High Holy Thursday Mass in Strasbourg Cathedral

2018   Guest Conductor, Irvine USD Mixed Honor Choir, Segerstrom Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa

2019    Selected as member of the 200-voice American Choral Directors Association ACDA Legacy Teacher/Professor Chorus to sing at the Legacy Concert at the National Conference in Kansas City, MO

2019   Choral Union, the advanced SSAA choir of Mira Costa High School, is one of eight choirs chosen from forty choirs across the state of California to sing at the first CCDA State Conference  (California Choral Directors Association), St. Joseph’s Basilica, San Jose, CA

Professional Development Activities, Presentations

2003   Presenter to The International Workshop, Biarritz, France

2004   Presenter to The International Workshop, Graz, Austria

2009   Master Teacher to university students from USC, CSU Fullerton, CSULB

2010-2013     MBUSD Coordinator for Visual and Performing Arts K-12

1994-2018  Presenter in Master Class Conductor/Attendee, Choral Conductors Retreat, Cannon Beach, Oregon, a summer choral workshop under the direction of Rodney Eichenberger

2011   Presenter to California ACDA Fall In-Service Workshop, SATB Choral Repertoire, CSU Fullerton

2013   Mentor to MBUSD Elementary Choral Teacher, Jeremy Pease

2013   Presenter to CSU Fullerton Student Teacher Seminar

2014   Presenter to CSU Fullerton Student Teacher Seminar

2015   Foreign Expert in the International Training Program at Beijing Institute of Education, Chaoyang Branch, Beijing, China. Taught a weeklong professional development workshop on classroom choral techniques to forty music teachers

2015   Presenter to CSU Fullerton Student Teacher Seminar

2015   Guiding Teacher to Student Teacher, Paul Sielbach, CSU Fullerton

2016   Featured Speaker for StandUp4Music Advocacy Day sponsored by CMEA, Capital Building steps, Sacramento, CA

2016   Presenter to UCLA Music Class, Vocal Techniques for Music Educators

2016   Guiding Teacher to Student Teacher, Kris Ornelas, CSU Fullerton

2016   Presenter for Music Teacher’s Professional Development In-service, San Juan Capistrano School District

2017   Presenter at GALA Symposium Weekend, Palm Springs, CA, Artistic Directors/ Singers Track

2019   Guiding Teacher to Student Teacher, Rosalind Neisinger, UCLA

2019   Guest Conductor, GALA Symposium Choir, GALA Symposium Weekend, Tuscson, AZ, 130-voice LGBTQ Festival Choir

2021-22   CHORALSPACE, International Academy for Choral Arts. One of 38-global faculty teaching online courses to 150 students world-wide, comprised of conductors, teachers and singers.