Zander values the creation of learning communities that provide professional opportunities for students and educators in the areas of performance and music education. For 15 years, she hosted Avenues: Exploring Band and Jazz Methods, an annual summer professional development workshop at Brandon University. She is Faculty Advisor for the Brandon University Student Music Educators Association (BUSMEA), an organization that designs and delivers the annual Da Capo professional development conference. In addition, she has presented to school districts and provincial music education conferences, College Band Directors National Association regional conference, and The Midwest Clinic.
Zander was the Lead Writer of the Manitoba grade 9-12 music curriculum framework, publishes in the journal Canadian Winds and has been a regular contributor to the publication and recording series Teaching Music Through Performance in Band and Teaching Music Through Performance in Beginning Band. A former president of the Manitoba Band Association (MBA) and Canadian Band Association (CBA), she is both an Educational Clinician with the Conn-Selmer Division of Education and a Teaching Affiliate with Brandon University’s Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology. Committed to excellence in music education, Zander taught band and general elementary music before pursuing graduate studies. A saxophonist, she holds the Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees from Brandon University and completed a Master of Music in instrumental conducting at the University of North Dakota with Gordon Brock and James Popejoy. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas where she served as a Doctoral Conducting Associate and Teaching Fellow in the Wind Studies Department with Eugene Migliaro Corporon. She completed her cognate studies in Music Education with Deborah Rohwer and Darhyl Ramsey.
Zander investigates areas related to rehearsing and learning, conducting and instrumental literature as a meaningful source for doing, knowing, and understanding in the music classroom. She is presently engaged in research related to the Wind Recording projects of her mentor, Corporon. Zander has been awarded Brandon University Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award, as well as the Manitoba Band Association’s Award of Distinction and Canadian Band Association’s National Band Award. Wendy lives in Brandon, Manitoba, with her music-making sons, Rory and Anders.