Courtney Dial has recently recieved the news that she will be guest conducting the Region 4 6th-8th orchestra. This is a great privilege and she is very humbled to have this opportunity. Below is her biography, which clearly shows how deserving she is for this honor.
Cortney Dial, a native of Charlotte, NC, was raised in a family of musicians and thus began playing the piano and Suzuki violin at a very early age. She continues to share her love of music as she enters her 20th year as Orchestra Director at Fairforest Middle School. During her tenure there, her students have performed for various events and festivals including the SCMEA Concert Performance Assessment, consistently receiving Superior ratings.
Ms. Dial earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Furman University where she studied with Dr. Thomas Joiner. She received her Master of Music Education from Florida State University where she studied with Elliot Chapo and Dr. Michael Allen. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher for Music. In 2018, Ms. Dial was selected as the District Teacher of the Year for Spartanburg County District 6 after previously serving as Teacher of the Year for Fairforest Middle School. She also served on the South Carolina Teacher Forum.
When recently asked in an article what she loved most about her job, Ms. Dial responded with “I love being able to witness the incredible growth my students make during our years together. As an orchestra teacher, I am most blessed to have the opportunity to teach my students for 3-4 years. From their first moments with me as elementary ‘eager beavers’ to engaging eighth graders ready to begin their next journey as high school students, I am continually amazed and astounded by their beautiful transformations into mature students. Although their core personalities remain the same, their ability to process and articulate ideas grows tremendously. I have front row seats to this amazing journey of creativity”.