Welcome to my ePortfolio! My main goal as an educator is to inspire my students to better themselves every day as people, students, and musicians, and to help them discover and nurture a lifelong appreciation and love for music and the arts.

Feel free to explore and learn more about my background and my goals as an educator. Contact me with any questions that you may have.

Find my resume and teaching philosophy attached at the bottom of the page.

Thank you,

Jacob

(Photo credit – Justin Reed/Skook News)

BIOGRAPHY – Jacob Shoener is a 2019 honor graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, where he received his Bachelor of Music Education degree, and was named to the Academic Dean’s List seven times throughout his undergraduate career. He is a trumpet player, and was pleased to perform as a member of the Penn State Marching Blue Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Centre Dimensions Jazz Ensemble, Brass Quintet, and Jazz Combo, as well as serving as the leader of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Alpha Zeta Chapter Dance Band. In May 2020, Jacob received his Master of Music in Jazz Studies degree from The University of The Arts, Philadelphia, PA.

He leads the M&J Big Band of Pottsville, PA, as well as serving as a jazz trumpet soloist and vocalist. The band plays 25-30 engagements per summer season throughout the Northeast Central PA Region including swing dances, wedding receptions, private parties, school clinics, and public concert series. He has recently served as solo cornetist of the Cressona Band. Recent playing engagements have taken his trumpet talents to The Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), The Hershey Lodge, The F.M. Kirby Center (Wilkes-Barre), Miller Symphony Hall (Allentown) and the Valencia Ballroom (York, PA).

His primary instructors include his father, Craig N. Shoener, Dr. Langston J. Fitzgerald, III, and Matthew Gallagher (trumpet), Professor Dennis Glocke, Dr. Eric Bush, Dr. Corey Pompey (wind conducting), Marko Marcinko, John Swana, and Lawrence O. Koch (jazz improvisation).

Currently, Jacob is proud to serve the North Schuylkill School District in Ashland, PA as Director of Bands at North Schuylkill Junior – Senior High School. In this capacity, he guides all aspects of the band program, including the award-winning Competition Marching Band, the Football Marching Band, Pep Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band. He also teaches academic courses in Music Theory and Guitar. Ensembles under his leadership have won accolades and acclaim – the Competition Marching Band has won four consecutive (2022-2025) Tournament of Bands Region 2 Group 1-A Chapter Championship , the “Spartan” Marching Band has been invited to perform at the Philadelphia Phillies, The Bloomsburg Fair, the Reading Royals, and the Hershey Bears, and the Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform at the Pennsylvania State Capitol. The Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band both were invited to perform at the Northeast Regional Concert Band Festival at Ithaca College.

He previously served the district as an Elementary Music Teacher. He taught classroom music in grades K-6, instrumental music lessons in grades 4-6, and served as Director of the Elementary Bands program. He has served as an Assistant Band Director at Shenandoah Valley Junior – Senior High School in Shenandoah, PA since 2017. Both North Schuylkill and Shenandoah Valley were recipients of NAMM’s 2021 and 2022 Best Communities for Music Education Award. North Schuylkill High School was the recipient of the 2021 and 2022 Peter R. Marsh Foundation Grant, affording the Band Program the opportunity to perform for the elderly in the community.

Previous teaching positions include marching band staff appointments at Pottsville Area High School (his high school alma mater), and Tamaqua Area High School. Mr. Shoener completed his student teaching at Wilson (West Lawn) High School and Wyomissing Area Elementary Schools, working with the band and choral programs, as well as instructing general music courses in grades 4-12. He has also served as an Education Department Intern through the Kimmel Center’s Neighborhood Jamz Program, where he taught instrumental music and band to students in grades 3-8 in West Philadelphia.

Professional memberships include – Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, National Association for Music Education, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, The Jazz Education Network, Penn State Alumni Association, Penn State Alumni Blue Band Association.

He makes his home in Pottsville, PA, in the heart of the Anthracite Coal Region.

He is honored to continue teaching music to the next generation of musicians in Schuylkill County, while continuing his freelance trumpet playing work.

IMPORTANT LINKS –

M&J Big Band Official Website – http://www.mjbigband.com