Kodály Faculty

Kari Proksch is happy to be returning to Wichita for the third summer. Kari has been teaching music for 23 years in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and is currently the choir director at S. J. Welsh Middle School. She also served as the Artistic Director of Les Petites Voix Community Chorus for Children (2007-2025). An experienced teacher of all levels of music education beginning with pre-k students and continuing through graduate level Kodály training course students, she has served on the faculty for the Kodály Institute at McNeese State University, the University of Central Missouri Kodály Summer Institute, and the Kodály Institute of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana at Lamar University.

Under her direction, the S. J. Welsh Middle School Choirs receive consistent Sweepstakes ratings at District and State Assessments. She and her Select Choir received the 2025 Louisiana Music Educators Association Standard of Excellence Award. This award, given to only one middle school choir in the state each year, recognizes “music programs and music educators of significance who challenge students and promote the highest standards of excellence.” Each year, her students are selected for the District V Honor Chorus, LA ACDA All-State Choirs, LMEA All-State Choirs, and OAKE National Choirs.

Kari has a BMEd, MMEd, and Kodály Certification from McNeese State University and a Diploma in Music Pedagogy from the Franz Liszt Academy, Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary. She is the vice president and middle school honor chorus chair for the District V Vocal Music Teachers Organization. She has served on the Louisiana Association of Kodály Educators board as president, treasurer, and member at large, and is on the advisory council for the Organization of American Kodály Educators. She is also a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity and a cantor and choir member at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Lake Charles. She gives frequent workshops and presentations as a Kodály specialist on the local, state, and national levels.

Vicki Strode is excited to join the Wichita State University faculty in the Kodály summer program. Vicki has over thirty years of experience in public and private music education. Her career in Missouri’s public schools covers the entire K–12 spectrum, having taught elementary general music as well as middle and high school choir. Outside the classroom, she ran a private studio for many years, instructing students from infancy through adulthood in Kindermusik, voice, and piano.

She earned her Kodály Certificate from the University of Central Missouri (UCM) and completed a Kodály teaching internship under Ann Eisen in 2014. Since 2015, she has served as a faculty member for the Kodály Summer Institute at UCM, teaching Levels I and II Pedagogy and Literature. Her commitment to the professional community is further evidenced by her successful reorganization of the St. Louis Area Kodály Educators (SLAKE) chapter.

She holds a B.S. in Education (Vocal Music) and a diploma in Vocal Music Performance from Missouri State University, as well as an M.S. in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) from Southwest Baptist University, and completed 30 hours toward a M.S. in Education (Kodály Emphasis). She is thrilled to bring her pedagogical knowledge and practical experience to the students and faculty at Wichita State University.

Susan Tevis, Founder, Artistic Director, and Conductor of the Children's Choir of Chico, holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in piano pedagogy and music education from California State University, Chico. She completed a Kodály Certificate at the Kodály Institute at McNeese State University (Lake Charles, Louisiana). She completed advanced studies at the McNeese Institute and the Kodály Pedagogical Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary. Ms. Tevis has been an adjunct faculty member at McNeese State University (Lake Charles, Louisiana), CSU Chico, Capital University Conservatory of Music (Columbus, Ohio), and the Kodály Pedagogical Institute. Susan was on the faculty at the Kodály Institute at McNeese and the Kodály Institute at Capital University, teaching summer courses for professional music educators. Susan has been a music educator since 1970, working in public schools, community choir programs, and churches. During these years, Ms. Tevis has served on numerous regional, state, and national boards, including the Louisiana Music Education Association and the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE). From 1999 to 2004, Susan was Vice President of OAKE and presently sits on the OAKE National Conference Choir Committee. As a choral specialist, Susan is active as a guest clinician and conductor for treble choirs, conducting honor choruses in Texas, Louisiana, and California, and is frequently invited to present music education workshops for various state and national music organizations and conferences..

Dr. Amanda Vanausdall is an Assistant Music Educator and Music Education Placement Coordinator at Wichita State University and is the Program Director for the Wichita State Summer Kodály workshop. She earned her PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Wichita State in 2025. She received her BME and MME in Special Music Education as well as her OAKE Kodály certification, all from Wichita State University.

Dr. Vanausdall has 13 years of teaching experience with the Wichita Public Schools, where she has taught K-5 elementary general music and K-8 adaptive music. Amanda holds leadership roles in several professional organizations, including Special Needs Co-Chair for the Kansas Music Educators Association, Treasurer for the Kodály Music Educators of Kansas, Member-at-Large for the Midwest Kodály Music Educators Association, and member of the Equity Committee for the Organization of American Kodály Educators. Her work focuses on inclusive music education and advocacy for students with diverse learning needs.