Jane Knox Mills is a graduate of the Hartt School, where she studied music education, clarinet performance, and composition. As a music teacher at The Independent Day School in Middlefield, Connecticut for the past 26 years, Jane helped to build the program up from 3 performing ensembles to 8+ ensembles. Her middle school ensembles have placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for the season in the small ensemble category for Fantastic Festivals and have been selected as Honors Ensembles for The Connecticut Music Educators Association’s in-service conferences. Jane’s teaching career includes having been the Head Woodwind Coach for The North East Youth Symphony Orchestra (NEYSO) and instructor for The University of New Hampshire’s Chamber Music Institute. As an active member of CMEA, Jane has written several articles for CMEA News, co-chaired Southern Region Middle School orchestras, and presented at CMEA and Eastern Region conferences. In 2021, Jane and The Connecticut Music Educators Association received a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching With Primary Sources Eastern Region Program, facilitated by Waynesburg University, for The Virtual Ensemble Project. Jane is the recipient of The Connecticut Music Educators Association’s John Miller Middle School Music Teacher of The Year Award and the New Haven Symphony’s Excellent in Music Teaching Award.