To The MayDay Group community,
I write with sad news about our colleague and MDG co-founder Dr. Thomas A. Regelski, who passed peacefully last Saturday, October 12, at his home in Helsinki, Finland.
A Professor Emeritus of Music at the State University of New York at Fredonia, Tom made a profound impact in our discipline, particularly advancing a praxial philosophy of music education. In 1993, Tom founded, along with Dr. J. Terry Gates, The MayDay Group and served as the inaugural editor of its two journals, Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education and TOPICS for Music Education Praxis. Tom remained actively involved with the MDG throughout his life, where his concerns for music teaching and music teacher education continue to guide the work of the MayDay Group.
Tom’s depth of philosophical thinking and ability to see the unintended consequences of a theoretical trajectory helped those who were fortunate to study with him, and the MayDay Group members who engaged in post-presentation discussions with Tom at MayDay Group Colloquia, experience an often broader and more complex understanding of the topic at hand. For your insights, Tom, we are grateful.
Tom earned his doctorate from Ohio University, and he served an impressive twenty-one-year tenure as a professor at SUNY Fredonia, his alma mater. A prolific author and composer, Tom published seven books, over 135 peer-reviewed articles, and several choral pieces and arrangements.
The MayDay community is bereaved by Tom’s loss. We would also like to send our deepest condolences to his wife Kaisa, and the large community of Tom’s former supervisees, students, colleagues, and friends.
Respectfully,
Antía González Ben
on behalf of the Steering Committee