College of Music in the News

garcia
March 5, 2024

Welcome New Music Education Faculty

The College of Music announced that Miguel Garcia was joining the faculty as Assistant Professor of String Music Education beginning Fall 2024. Mr. Garcia’s research interests include musical identity, string pedagogy, gender and music education, and the relationships between music participation and identity development. He is also a professional violinist and violist.

July 3, 2023

College of Music Welcomes New Faculty

Elizabeth Petersen will be joining our faculty this year as a visiting lecturer of music education where she will teach courses in music education and direct the University of North Texas String Project. A Washington native, Dr. Petersen has taught elementary and secondary orchestra and general music for school districts near Seattle and Vancouver, WA, where she also ran a private cello studio and was active as a freelance cellist. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from The Ohio State University, a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan, and both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Washington. She has been a clinician and adjudicator at festivals and clinics across the country and has given presentations at national and state music education conferences on topics of interest to string teachers and the greater music education profession. Her research interests include musical practice, student engagement, and string pedagogy.

June 5, 2023

Student to San Marcos

University of North Texas PhD student Thomas Rinn has been appointed as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University, San Marcos.

June 5, 2023

Music Education Professor Published

The Journal of Research in Music Education has published Sassy and Strong: Intersections of Race, Attractional Orientation, and Gender Expression Within Music Education, by UNT Professor of Music Education, Don Taylor and colleague Rashaad Calaham. The narrative examines the experiences of a successful Black gay choral teacher in Texas.

February 6, 2023

Music Education Faculty Published

Crystal Lynn Gerrard-Ramirez, Assistant Professor of Music Education, published an article, “Denying America”: Vivian’s Counterstory of Undocumented Status," in the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education.

Photos of faculty
January 5, 2023

Faculty and Phd Student Publish

UNT faculty Jessica Nápoles, Professor of Choral Music Education, Jamey Kelley, Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and Music Education PhD student, Thomas J. Rinn, publish article, “Burnout and Perceived Agency Among Texas Choir Teachers,” with SAGE Publishing and Journal of Research in Music Education.

Music educators class
December 5, 2022

Celebrating 2022 Class of Music Educators

Celli Ra: Frisco, Laurel Kroesch: Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Jacob Rodriguez: Arlington, Emma Cole: Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Marisa Rivera: (Japan), Sheridan White: Arlington, Jeremy Rohwer: Plano, Helena Vassiliades: Lewisville, Sara Longoria: Coppell, Sahara Donna: Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Sarah Stehling: Arlington, Jessica Hausmann: Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Jaden Ferguson: Fort Worth, Kyle Feather: Denton, David Samuels: Mesquite, Easel Yoo: Keller, Elizabeth Whitten: Northwest, Caleb Belonga: Dallas, Jakob Benner: St. Louis PS (MO), Hannah Brayfield: Kansas City PS (KS), Gretchen Casel: Eagle Mountain Saginaw, Jordan Drake: Lake Dallas, Hayden Drew: Alvin, Amber Dyess: Keller, Matthew Garcia-Perez: Bastrop, Maria Patricia Gonzales: Irving, Dawson Hassell: Houston, Andrew Hearn: Rockwall, Shauna Heisler: Fort Worth, Charles Horn: Flour Bluff, Matthew Joslin: Frisco, Ryan King: Forney, Jerry Lefner: Alvin, Javier Lopez: Lytle, Alexandra Lyons: Frisco, Sidney Maurice: Celina, Caden Milligan: Snowline (CA), Amrutha Murthy: Palm Beach County (FL), Kodi Myles: Denton, Jeremy Pansano: Corpus Christi, Jackson Parker: Liberty, Noah Patton: Plano, Jacob Picht: Burnett, Emilio Pla: Irving, Joel Ramirez: Mabank, Luis Ramirez Perez: Spring Branch, Kohei Sakai: Forney, Julio Salinas: Brownsville, Thomas Camilo: Private Lessons Instructor, Kevin Thomas: Rockwall, Christopher Trabucchi: Rice, Rachel Trentham: Frisco, Emily Tsuhako: Kahului SD (HI), Daniel Turner: Keller, Abigail West: Red Bluff (CA), Nicole Zagorski: Frisco, Katelyn Tam: Private Lessons Teacher, Meredith Wilder: Carrolton-Farmers Branch, Summer Rhee: Lewisville, Amber Schwister: Denton, Hope Hocutt: Mead School District (WA), Logan Childs: Morrison Public Schools (OK), Diana Zavala: Dallas, Olivia Hahn: Lewisville, Nancy Killoran: Framingham (MA), Jack Fitzpatrick, Denton. All schools Texas unless noted otherwise.

Christine (Belle) Cumberledge and Jack A. Eaddy, Jr.
November 30, 2022

Two Alumni Educators Named Grammy Semifinalists

Christine (Belle) Cumberledge (BM ’97), band director at Central Junior High School in Euless, Texas and Jack A. Eaddy, Jr. (DMA ’19), Assistant Professor at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina, named 2 of the 25 semifinalists for the Recording Academy & GRAMMY Museum 2023 Music Educator Award. The award ‘recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and demonstrate a commitment to maintaining music education in schools.’

October 10, 2022

Professor to Chair National Committee

University of North Texas Professor Sean Powell, Chair of the Division of Music Education, has been named Chair of the Executive Committee of the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE). The appointment was made by National Association for Music Education President and Board Chair Scott R. Sheehan.

October 10, 2022

Incoming Graduate Student Honored

Along with his family, incoming music education graduate student, Robert T. Gibson, was honored by the NAACP Springfield, Missouri with their Community Trailblazer award for music dedication and contributions and named June 9, 2022 as Robert T. Gibson Day.

October 10, 2022

Just Announced: Music Education Graduate Appointed to Board of Regents

The Office of Governor Greg Abbott announced the appointment of alumna Lindy Rydman (’72, Voice/Music Education) to the University of North Texas System Board of Regents. She is co-owner of Spec’s Wines, Spirits and Finer Foods and President of the Spec’s Charitable Foundation which has been generous in its support of UNT student scholarships, underwriting of the multi-GRAMMY nominated One O’Clock Lab Band and for significant facilities enhancements to what is now the Spec's Charitable Foundation Courtyard in the College of Music.

October 10, 2022

Just Announced: Vanek Named Presser Scholar

Music education and saxophone major, Luke Vanek, has received the 2021-2022 undergraduate Presser Award. This award, considered the most prestigious undergraduate award in music at the University of North Texas is provided by The Presser Foundation. The recipient “should show a high level of academic and musical accomplishment and embody the qualities of leadership and citizenship. The recipient is one who has grown individually and who has contributed earnestly to the success of the school of music.” Moving forward, the recipient will be referred to as a Presser Scholar.

October 10, 2022

Graduate to Arizona

Kelsey Nussbaum (MMEd, 2018; PhD, Music Education, 2021) has been appointed Assistant Professor of Music Education – Strings (tenure-track) at the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona. She also serves on the National String Project Consortium board and as vice-chair of the American String Teachers Association's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

TCDA Scholarship winners
October 10, 2022

TCDA Scholarships

The Texas Choral Directors Association has granted scholarships to University of North Texas undergraduate students Sarah Barrow, Elizabeth King, Madison Pfaffenberger and Maryn West.

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