About Jeanne Porcino Dolamore

I am a string music educator, educational leader, and researcher whose work is shaped by a commitment to advocating for teachers and partnering with schools, districts, colleges, and community organizations to support the growth and transformation of students, educators, and communities. 

Grounded in arts-centered thinking and focused on equity and access, I approach teaching and leadership through collaboration, innovation, and meaningful community impact. My leadership practice is inseparable from my work as a musician and pedagogue.

After more than three decades as a public-school string music educator in culturally and economically diverse settings, I transitioned into school administration and consulting, serving over fifteen years as a principal and instructional leader. I was called upon to lead schools facing complex academic, organizational, and cultural challenges, with a focus on revitalizing school culture, strengthening instruction, and building sustainable teacher leadership. Along the way, simply for the joy of it, I taught violin in each school, modeling the importance of arts programming as part of a vibrant school culture.

Across multiple schools, this work resulted in improved teacher satisfaction and retention, increased student engagement and achievement, strengthened community partnerships, and the successful revitalization of two schools that had been targeted for closure, enabling them to remain open and thrive. I was honored to serve as a representative for the Consortium of Innovation Project: Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation (LEAF; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).

My own transition from teacher to leader informed my doctoral research, Music Educators Who Take the Lead©, which explores how musicians develop leadership competencies through their musical training and teaching experiences. Findings affirmed that, from their earliest musical experiences, music educators have been amassing skills associated with effective leadership—building bridges between competency, relationship-building, and values-led change action that later support effective leadership across schools, districts, and communities.

BuildingBridges.Music in Practice

Returning to a full-time focus in music, I am delighted to collaborate with music educators—sharing vital teaching resources, mentoring emerging leaders, and supporting teachers as they navigate professional transitions within schools, districts, and communities.

BuildingBridges.Music offers published resources, practical strategies, and lasting inspiration to support teachers in nurturing joyful musicianship, building dynamic and accomplished ensembles, and cultivating a new generation of educational leaders.

Four interconnected strands of work include:

Flying Fiddles© Series: A joyful and expressive string teaching curriculum originally developed by my father, Chet Porcino (1985), and now stewarded, revised, and expanded for contemporary classrooms.

The String Chorale Concept©: An original ensemble framework that invites directors to ‘think choir, teach strings,’ emphasizing singing, musical internalization, performance at evry stage of learning, and community connection.

Music Educators Who Take the Lead©: A research-based framework that positions music educators as transformational leaders across disciplines and organizational contexts.

KHANA: Kató Havas Association for the New Approach: A longstanding international organization dedicated to the preservation and transmission of Kató Havas’ pedagogical legacy. I have served on the board since 2008 and currently act as content and editorial director, as well as lead researcher on a historical and biographical study of Havas and her global influence on string pedagogy.

Together, these strands reflect a lifelong commitment to music as a bridge—connecting expressive musicianship to ensemble artistry, the music classroom to educational leadership, and individual growth to community impact. Increasingly, this work reflects a shift from the accumulation of content to the curation of experience—bringing together pedagogy, research, and leadership in ways that are purposeful, connected, and responsive to the needs of educators and communities.

Education

Doctor of Education, Educational Administration, Concordia University, 2018
Master of Science, Educational Technology, Long Island University, 1990
Bachelor of Music Education, Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam), 1981