Kodály Faculty

Kari Proksch is excited to join the faculty at the Wichita State Kodály Summer Course this year! Kari is the choir director at S.J. Welsh Middle School and the artistic director of Les Petites Voix Children’s Community Choir in Lake Charles, LA. She has been teaching for 21 years, mostly at the elementary level. 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. Kari has a BMEd and a MMEd from McNeese State University. She also received her Kodály Certification from McNeese where she studied with Lamar Robertson, Ann Eisen, Susan Tevis, and Eva Vendrei. In 2007, she earned a Diploma in Music Pedagogy from the Franz Liszt Academy, Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary

Internationally recognized choral conductor Elaine Quilichini has conducted across Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, Argentina, and the Canary Islands. Ms. Quilichini founded the well-known Calgary Girls Choir in 1995 and conducted the University of Calgary Women’s Choir for over ten years. She has served as Artistic Director of summer youth choir programs at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Wichita State University, and the New England Conservatory. Ms. Quilichini has a successful choral series published by Alliance Music and was the recipient of the Alberta Choral Federations’ ‘con spirito’ award for her contributions to the choral arts. Global Television also recognized Ms. Quilichini as a Woman of Vision.

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..

Amanda Vanausdall received her BME and MME in Special Music Education and her OAKE Kodály certification, all from Wichita State University. She taught K-5 elementary music in Wichita Public Schools from 2013-2022 and now serves as an Assistant Music Educator and Placement Coordinator in the College of Fine Arts at Wichita State University. Amanda serves in leadership roles with the Kansas State Music Educators Association as Special Needs Co-Chair, as a member at large for the Midwest Kodaly Music Educators Association, and as a member of the Organization of American Kodály Educators Equity Committee. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Wichita State University.