Cheryl & Darryl Ferguson

Cheryl Ferguson is the Director of Bands and Instrumental Conducting in the Faculty of Media, Arts, and Performance at the University of Regina. Her responsibilities include conducting the University of Regina Wind Ensemble, the University of Regina Concert Band, and teaching courses in Instrumental Conducting and Brass Techniques.

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Cheryl has a diverse history in music education, having taught music at all levels. Prior to her appointment at the University of Regina, Cheryl was Director of Bands at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She initiated the band program at CMU in 2016 and was instrumental in significant personnel and musical growth in the ensemble for nine years. Cheryl was also the Director of Bands at Fort Richmond Collegiate for 25 years, leading Symphonic Bands, Wind Ensembles and Jazz Ensembles at the institution to over 50 Gold Medal performances at MusicFest Canada.

 

Cheryl is active as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator and speaker across Canada. She has presented on a wide variety of topics in music education, with particular focus on student motivation, repertoire selection and rehearsal techniques. Cheryl’s guest conducting opportunities have included honour bands, community band workshops, summer band camps, jazz camps and invitational ensembles.

 

Cheryl’s research interests are focused on repertoire selection, community connections through music, and music literacy. She has had articles published in Canadian Winds and in the recently published resource “Winds of the North”. Cheryl collaborated with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for 20 years in developing ways for young band musicians to engage authentically with programming as a part of their Education Outreach Program. Cheryl has also presented on her thesis “Teaching the Brain to Read Rhythm: What Music Educators Can Learn from Language Processing in the Brain.”

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Cheryl Ferguson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance (French Horn) and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Mary (Bismarck, ND). She has also done graduate work at Southern Oregon University and has earned a Master of Curriculum Studies (Music Education) at Acadia University (Nova Scotia).

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Cheryl has received the Manitoba Band Association Award of Distinction, the I. Keith Mann Outstanding Band Director Award, the Community Hero Award (Manitoba Legislative Assembly), the George Douglas Award of Excellence, the Don Green Award of Excellence, the Manitoba Band Association Excellence in Jazz Education Award, and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal. Cheryl also has a widely viewed TED Talk on "Motivating People to Excellence.”

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Cheryl has completed the Canadian Wind Conductor’s Development Program Levels I and II.  She is active as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor, including conducting the 2010 Manitoba Junior Provincial Honour Band,  the 2017 Manitoba Intermediate Honour Band, and many regional Honour Bands across the Prairies.  She has adjudicated at band and chamber music festivals across the Prairie Provinces and in North Dakota.  She has also been a guest conductor for the Red Deer College Adult Concert Band, the Alberta Youth Wind Symphony, the Regina Catholic Schools Honour Band, and for the Prairielands Jazz Camp.

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In 2016, Cheryl was invited to record a TED Talk on Motivating People toward Excellence.   The talk is available on YouTube and in the link below:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aljb6ZXBwV0