Recent Music Conference Handouts and Publications

• University of Wisconsin-Whitewater May 2026 - Elevating the Small School Music Education Experience

• Minnesota Music Educator Association February 2026 - Elevating the Small School Music Education Experience

• SBO+ - The Power of Small School Music Programs

• SBO+ - Finding Success in Small Schools May 2024

• Midwest Clinic December 2024   Elevating the Small School Music Education Experience

• NAfME Blog - Keys to Elevating the Small School Music Program May 2025

• Eckroth Music Reading Session July 2025 - Music Selection

• Eckroth Music Reading Session July 2025 - Selective Repertoire List for Quality Band Compositions

• Eckroth Music Reading Session July 2025 - Elevating the Small School Music Education Experience 

Professional Music Educator, Speaker, Conductor & Clinician

• Retired Director of Bands for the School District of Kohler, Kohler, Wisconsin

  • Music Educator for 36 years
    Aug 1987 - June 2023

  • Taught middle and high school concert bands, jazz ensemble, pep band, drumline and secondary general music. 

  • Immediate Past-President for the National Association for Music Education - North Central Division

  • Past-President for the Wisconsin Music Educators Association

  • Active speaker, adjudicator, guest conductor/clinician

Education

• B.M. in Music Education from St. Norbert College 

• M.M. from Northwestern University (Music Education with an emphasis in Clarinet Pedagogy)

Academic Experience

Richard Tengowski retired after a distinguished 36-year career as a music educator with the School District of Kohler in Kohler, Wisconsin. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from St. Norbert College and a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University. Throughout his career, he directed middle and high school concert bands, jazz ensemble, pep band, and drumline, while also teaching secondary general music. His commitment to musical excellence and comprehensive music education helped shape generations of young musicians and foster thriving instrumental music programs.

Throughout his career, Richard Tengowski has served in leadership roles at the state, regional, and national levels of music education. He is the Past-President of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) North Central Division and previously served as Chair of the NAfME Small School Initiative Task Force but continues as a member of the Music Teacher Profession Advisory Committee.

At the state level, Tengowski is a Past President of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA) and the Wisconsin Association of Music Supervisors, Coordinators, and Department Chairpersons (WAMS). He also served on the leadership team that developed Wisconsin's state music standards on behalf of WMEA and remains an active member of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) Project, supporting professional learning for music educators throughout the state.

His professional work has been published in Shaping Sound Musicians and in NAfME publications including Performance Standards for Music, Strategies for Teaching Beginning and Intermediate Band, and Strategies for Teaching High School Band. In addition, he served on the NAfME Music Educators Journal Editorial Committee.

Tengowski is a recipient of the Herb Kohl Educational Fellowship Award, was named School District of Kohler Teacher of the Year, and has been inducted into the Wisconsin Bandmasters Association.

An active clinician, conductor, master adjudicator, and speaker, Tengowski has presented for numerous state, regional, and national education organizations, including appearances at the Midwest Clinic and NAfME National Conferences.