Instructor of Music Education, Director of Bands

EMAIL: vmzingara@muw.edu

PHONE: (662) 329-7430

About Prof. Zingara

Ginger Zingara was recently appointed Instructor, Director of Bands and Music Education Coordinator at The W. Concurrently, she is an Adjunct Professor of Music Education at the University of Alabama Birmingham and maintains a flute studio. Previously, she was Director of Bands at Birmingham Southern College in Alabama.

Prior to moving to Birmingham, Alabama, she was Professor of Instrumental Music and Director of Bands and Orchestra at Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas, music education instructor at Troy University in Troy, Alabama, as well as the conductor for the Music South Orchestra and Tri-State Community Orchestra in Dothan, Alabama. She developed and instructed the Wiregrass Youth Orchestra and the Troy-Pike Youth Orchestra in south Alabama. She taught middle school and high school bands and orchestras in Georgia and Alabama for 15 years to high acclaim.

Mrs. Zingara received her bachelor’s (cum laude) and master’s (summa cum laude) degrees with honors from Troy State University and was selected as their “The Most Outstanding Music Graduate” in 1985. Under her baton, her students performed at the Southeastern United States Band Clinic and Georgia Music Educators Association, were often invited to perform at Universal Studios’ “Lights, Camera, Music!” program, and received the Sudler Flag of Honor from the John Philip Sousa Foundation for outstanding achievement in music education. Her band at Oconee County High School was one of only 16 bands from the United States selected to perform at the Lord Mayor’s Millennium Parade in London, England in front of 2 million + viewers and the Queen of England and royal family. She was the Director of the Alabama All-Star Band featuring the best Alabama high school band musicians at Lions Club International events.

She is often requested as a clinician, conductor and adjudicator for bands and orchestras throughout the United States, as well as, in China, France and England. She has served in many district and state offices in both Georgia and Alabama MEAs and internationally for WBDI. She has published articles in state, national and international professional periodicals, such as The Instrumentalist, The School Musician, Band World, Ala Breve, The Woman Conductor and others. Along with her husband, Dr. James Zingara, she hosted Band World for eight years, an NPR radio show featuring band literature and was heard throughout Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Her personal honors include: Who’s Who in Education, Who’s Who in North America, Outstanding Young Women in America, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society, Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society, Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Fraternity – Life Member. Her professional affiliations include: Music Educators National Conference/National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, American String Teacher Association, Alabama NAfME, and Women Band Directors International. She is also a certified grant writer and has written on behalf of university and community music groups throughout the Southeast region.