Mrs. Shirley Miller (right) receives her award from Mrs. Marie Weber at the District 7 String Fest at Warwick HS on March 23, 2001.
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Rodney
S. Miller Distinguished Service Award
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Shirley H. Miller received the PMEA District 7 Distinguished Service Award at a presentation which was made as part of the District 7 Youth String Fest on Saturday, March 23, 2001 at Warwick High School, Lititz, PA. Presenting the award to Mrs. Miller were District 7 President, Rodney S. Miller and Lower Dauphin School District Orchestra Director, Marie Weber.
Shirley Miller recently retired from the Cumberland Valley School District where she developed the string and orchestra program over twenty-five years. In addition she taught vocal music and strings in other schools in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
Mrs. Miller graduated from Manheim Township High School, Lebanon Valley College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education, and Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg with a Masters of Arts in the Humanities. She played violin with the Little Orchestra of Harrisburg, the Harrisburg Symphony(including 2 years on the Board), the Eaken String Quartet, church groups, theater ensembles, and many other local performing groups. At the present, she performs with the Capitol Piano Trio in the Harrisburg area.
She has been active in professional music organizations serving as secretary of Cumberland County Music Educators Association from 1976-1980, secretary of the state National School Orchestra Association from 1986-1990, member of the Committee for Adjudication Festivals of PMEA 1986-1988, on the development committee for the Carlisle Arts Magnet School in the early 1990's, and the PA state chair of student groups for the American String Teachers Association thru 1996-1998. Shirley has been a member of PMEA, MENC, AF of M, SAI, ASTA, NSOA, PSEA, NEA. She has maintained an active interest in the American Association of University Women since 1975, acting as program chair, cultural chair, and other offices.
Mrs. Miller has also been a guest conductor for local musical groups including the Dauphin County Elementary Orchestra in both 1988 and 1997, Dauphin County Junior High Orchestra in 1981, Cumberland County Orchestra in 1996, Lancaster/Lebanon County Orchestra in 1998, District 7 Elementary Orchestra Festival in 1998, the Jr. High Orchestra of Washington County, Md. in 1998, and the Central Dauphin Honors Orchestras Festival in 2001. She has also acted as an adjudicator for the Cumberland County Middle School Festivals and the Hershey Park Music Festivals.
In 1995, Mrs. Miller was recognized by the Pennsylvania State Unit of ASTA as the Public School Teacher of the Year and also the Pennsylvania State Orchestra Award of NSOA as the Director of the Year. Since then she has been chosen to be published in the "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" 1996 by outstanding students.
Currently, Shirley is teaching strings part-time
at Trinity High School in Camp Hill,
volunteers on the education committee of the Harrisburg
Symphony Orchestra, and chairs the HSO
Symphony Society. In her words: "Music is more
than notes. I would always try to paint word pictures while my
students were learning notes so they could
communicate feelings."
Click here to read the Distinguished Service Award eligibility guidelines.
