Events
January 25, 2025
In celebration of the 20th year of Kids Compose, Debbi Ponella will host a concert at the Monroe County Public Library to share a sample of the creativity that has been cultivated over the past two decades.
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The concert will include workshopped melodies by the 2024-2025 Kids Compose Competition Runners-Up, chamber works composed by IU Jacobs School of Music composition students inspired by elementary school students in Monroe and Brown Counties, and an overview of how the Kids Compose program has expanded from an annual competition to include workshops, open houses, and residences in local elementary schools.
May 17, 2024
Debbi Ponella presented "Informed by Inquiry: Connecting Experience to Understanding and Possibility Through a Child's Perspective" at the 2024 Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon.
May 2024
Debbi Ponella's work "Playing My Name" was included in the re/search re/creation exhibition at the Indiana University Education Library.
2024 National Conference on the Value of Play
April 16-18, 2024
Debbi Ponella facilitated a panel of international graduate students from the Indiana University School of Education discussing the role of play during their formative years in diverse cultures. The value attributed to play varies across the globe and the discussion provided an opportunity to compare similarities and differences. Panelists included: Ling Chen, China; Taiwo Ogundapo, Nigeria; Sunil Sutherson, Singapore; and Sinan Yozgati, Turkey.
Debbi Ponella presented "Play Ball, Play Music, and Play the Stock Market" exploring the manner in which 'play' takes on different connotations throughout life; discussing how, as a component of creativity, it can benefit everyone across professions, demographics, cultures, and generations.
February 15, 2024
Debbi Ponella presented "Composing with Children: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Connection Through Sound as a Creative Expression" as part of a panel titled "Sounding Bodies: Exploring the Intersections of Sound, Art, and Practice-related Research Methodologies" at the College Art Association of America 112th Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.
October 31, 2023
Debbi Ponella co-presented with Dr. Harold Popp, sharing an updated version of their "Inside-Out Creativity" presentation for the Bloomington Rotary Club at the Indiana University Memorial Union. Ruth Boshkoff, who co-founded Kids Compose with Debbi, introduced the presentation.
May 19, 2023
Debbi Ponella presented "Cultivating Creativity in Children Through Music Composition" at the 2023 Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon.
April 14, 2023
Debbi Ponella co-presented with Dr. Harold Popp for the 2023 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Eastern Division Conference in Rochester, NY. The theme for the conference was Connect, Create, Communicate! and their presentation was titled "Inside-Out Creativity."
October 27, 2022
"Kids Compose helps students compose their own music" by Connie Shakalis
The Herald-Times, Bloomington IN, October 16, 2022
Debbi Ponella developed a month-long program to work with 2nd graders at Clear Creek Elementary School in October 2022. Joining Debbi to work with the students were music education, composition, and performance majors from the Jacobs School of Music, along with musicians from the surrounding community.
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The elementary school students composed as entire classes, in small groups, and independently, creating a smorgasbord of imaginative melodies. An assembly was held to share the culmination of their work with other classes, administration, parents, and other invited guests from the community.
November 3, 2020
The MOViEs Award Show- an incredibly uplifting election night event celebrating the incredible work being done by members of the M.O.V.E. community.
Literally Holding Up Families, Children, and Seniors Award presented to Sofiya Cheyenne, Debbi Ponella, and Stephanie Windland.
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Debbi was also one of the numerous people acknowledged as having completed the
Edify Justice Advocate program. Check it out!
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July 21, 2020
Debbi Ponella presented for the 2020 International Conference on Knowledge, Innovation, and Enterprise (KIE)
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Video presentation on YouTube
September 13, 2019
Debbi Ponella participated in the M.O.V.E. Gala at the Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS) in New York City celebrating that organization's 10th Anniversary.
September 2-4, 2019
Debbi Ponella presented for the 2019 International Conference on Knowledge, Innovation, and Enterprise (KIE) in Dubai, UAE
July 11-14, 2019
Debbi Ponella presented at the Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Orgegon.
June 7, 2019
M.O.V.E. founder, Nicole Johnson, along with MOVEr and Bloomington native, Tony Ponella, visited from NYC to work with the Parks & Rec's Teen Leadership program at Banneker Community Center.
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February 2019, outside the Professional Performing Arts School, Hell's Kitchen NYC
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After a recording session for music to be featured in Nicole's upcoming documentary.
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April-May, 2019
Students who have been winners and/or runners up in the Kids Compose Competition were invited to interview each of 8 composers commissioned to write a movement of the Vonnegut Requiem to be premiered by Voces Novae during the Vonnegut Granfalloon May 9-11, 2019.
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Excerpts from the interviews can be found on the Vonnegut Requiem composers interviews page.
