UW-Stevens Point MME graduate benefits from online education

Student, insurance professional, mother, executive director and music educator are all titles that Karen Bullock (MME '23) has taken on in her adult life. With an educational journey that began and ended at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Bullock attributes her most recent successes to the university's online Master of Music Education (MME) program.

Unlike traditional MME programs, what UW-Stevens Point offers is completely online and asynchronous. As online learners, students can integrate their studies into their day-to-day routine, learn at their own pace and take courses that accommodate the schedules of full-time teachers. Upwards of 50 students are enrolled in the program at a time, all of which are fully licensed and practicing educators from around the country.

"Our faculty wanted to create what we wished we'd had when we got our master's degrees," said Rachel Brashier, the former MME coordinator who was integral to the program's inception. "We wanted to give licensed teachers the ability to learn right from their classrooms from instructors who have been in the classroom."

Bullock realized that UW-Stevens Point's program could be a great fit after connecting with Brashier.

"I'd always wanted my master's. I was concerned about filling in any gaps in education that I might have missed along the way. I knew that this program would help me to do that."

Bullock began her undergraduate studies at UW-Stevens Point at Wausau. She was a music major when she started volunteering as an usher at the Grand Theater in Wausau. This is when her focus shifted from performance to the administrative aspect of the arts. She eventually discovered the arts management program at UW-Stevens Point and transferred, adding business administration as a double major.

Upon graduating, Bullock took a job with Sentry Insurance and stayed in Stevens Point for nine years. She later moved to southern Wisconsin and was a stay-at-home mom, taking side jobs like writing for her local newspaper and teaching piano.

In January of 2017, after re-entering the workforce as paraprofessional at her children's school, Bullock was asked to take on a music class in need of a long-term substitute.

"It was only supposed to be a six-to-eight-week position, and it ended up being the entire semester," she said. "I decided at that point that I really wanted to go after my education certification."

That summer, Bullock certified through the state of Wisconsin in general education and earned a music certification online.

She was asked to return to the school in the fall, and what was supposed to be an additional six-to-eight weeks turned into a full-time position. She eventually mentored a student teacher who connected her with Brashier.

She started her MME online at UW-Stevens Point in summer of 2021, amidst drastic changes to her personal life and preparing for the upcoming school year. Bullock took these setbacks in stride, setting aside the time to complete her courses and working with Brashier on an individualized plan for success.

Bullock credits Brashier as one of her biggest champions, and someone who advocated for her success. "She was so kind and encouraging and really put me first, not the student. She really cared about me, and that made a huge difference."

The UW-Stevens Point MME uses a non-cohort model and builds in elective credits, giving students the opportunity to chart their own course and refine skills in areas of their choice. For Bullock, this meant engaging students with varying interests and skill levels.

"Not every student wants to be a performer, but they are all consumers of music in some way. I took a class on Band Lab, which is an electronic way of creating music. I've used that program now in many ways, not just in the music classroom, but in my drama classroom and as a language arts opportunity."

Every year MME students are invited to attend the Active and Integrative Music Education (AIME) conference hosted by the Department of Music at UW-Stevens Point. They are encouraged to present research at the conference and apply this research in their own classroom settings. Bullock cited the AIME conference as a great way to further connections within the department and build confidence in your studies.

"I was invited to co-present on Band Lab with Patrick Lawrence in spring of 2023," she said. "I did a presentation and demo on my experience of presenting that in the classroom. Being able to present with one of my instructors was really satisfying."

Beyond the connections Bullock forged with MME faculty, she also expressed the importance of connecting with her fellow students.

"I've been able to meet fellow students over Zoom and at conferences," she said. "Graduation was even more meaningful, because I was with the people I've been communicating with for two years even though we seldom met in person."

Bullock graduated with her MME last spring with a 4.0 GPA, co-presenting at multiple conferences with MME faculty during her time in the program. In addition to her role as an elementary and middle school music teacher, she started as the executive director of the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra (LGSO) in fall of 2023.

"This felt like a great way to take my career and education full circle," she said. She hopes to expand LGSO's educational outreach initiatives and enjoys planning events for the organization.

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