Bio
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Mirna Y. Cabrera is the music director at McCook Community College in McCook, NE, where she conducts choral and instrumental ensembles, teaches music theory and musicianship and other various music classes, and oversees all aspects of the music program. A native of Holguín, Cuba, Dr. Cabrera has taught music for all ages and levels, including choirs and chamber ensembles, and community and church groups. She is also the director and founder of MCC Children’s Choir and the MCC Singers, a community-based group comprised of educators.
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Dr. Cabrera received Bachelor of Music Education from Loma Linda University, La Sierra, California, Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Kansas. She holds a teaching certificate from the state of Texas and is a certified music educator specialized in the Kodály philosophy, trained in both the U.S. and Hungary. Prior to her appointment at MCC, Dr. Cabrera served as the music instructor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS, and the music director at St. Paul United Church of Christ.
Education
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University of Kansas | D.M.A., with honors| Choral Conducting
University of University of Kansas | M.M. | Choral Conducting
Loma Linda University, La Sierra | B.MEd | Music Education, piano emphasis
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Non-Degree Education
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23rd Intensive Choral Conducting Seminar, Eva Vendrei Memorial Scholarship, Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music Zoltán Kodály Pedagogai
Intézet, Kecskemét, Hungary
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24th Intensive Choral Conducting Seminar, Eva Vendrei Memorial Scholarship, Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music Zoltán Kodály Pedagogai Intézet, Kecskemét, Hungary
25th Intensive Choral Conducting Seminar, Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music Zoltán Kodály Pedagogai Intézet, Kecskemét, Hungary
General Diploma (1 semester), Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute, Kecskemét, Hungary, Choral Conducting Track
Texas Teacher Certificate: All-Level Music, Grades PK-12
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Kodály Teaching Certificate, Levels I-III, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
​Research Interests
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African & Hispanic Music Diasporas: How the syncretization of these two musical traditions has influenced the idiom of Cuban art music composers
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Colonial Baroque art music in Cuba and the Caribbean
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Teaching Music Through Discovery: Using a question-answer process for longer retention of musical knowledge in musicians
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Solmization As A Tool: Developing strong musicianship in all music learners at all levels through solfege
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From Preparation to Performance: the importance of teaching musical style through modeling at the onset of the sightreading stages in new repertoire
Professional Affiliations
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American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)
Nebraska Music Educators Association (NMEA)
National Association of Music Educators (NAfME)
Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE)
Languages
English
Spanish