OU Connections Abound at International Society for Music Education Conference

The conference brought together musicians and music educators from across the world for an array of keynote speeches, musical performances and peer-reviewed research presentations.

In all, 14 individuals with Oakland University ties attended the conference, including:

Students

Cierra Mixdorf, doctoral student in music education

Josh James, doctoral student in music education

Laura Rasmussen, master's student in music education

Alumni (All alumni gave peer-reviewed presentations, listed below, at the conference)

Deborah VanderLinde, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music Education, OU Music Program Director

- "Fostering musical understanding through listening, performing, and creating inpopular music contexts."

- "Musical Problem-Solving in Choir Classrooms"

Alex Ruthmann, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music Education & Music Technology, New York University

- "Designing Technologies for Music with and for Children and Teachers"

- "MISTEC Interactive Un-conference Symposia"

- "Designing Technologies for Music with Teachers and Students"

- "Designing a classroom music approach that integrates mobile technology - a case study"

Sharon Davis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music Education, Lebanon Valley College, PA.

- "Compositional strategies for creating World and Popular music"

Miroslav Manovski, Ph.D., Music Teacher, Birmingham Schools

- "Music Education and Duoethnography: Scaffolding Music Learners Between Distortions of Power"

Dan Abrahams, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music Education, University of Arkansas

- "Fostering Musical and Personal Agency in Beginning Conductors"

Spiros Xydas, Ph.D., Music Teacher, Troy Community Schools

- "Creating a Partnership Between Learners and Teachers in School Instrumental Performance Ensembles"

Shinko Kondo, Ph.D., Coordinator Early Childhood Music, OU Music Preparatory Division

- "Hybrid Identity Through Eastern and Western Eye - Teaching Music and Space in Group Studio Piano"

Faculty

Jackie Wiggins, Distinguished Professor of Music Education, Coordinator of OU's Ph.D. in Music Education program

Also in attendance:

Robert Wiggins, Professor and Department Chair, Teacher Development and Educational Studies, School of Education and Human Services

Liora Bresler, Professor of Education, University of Illinois (leading scholar in the world in qualitative research in music education; Jackie Wiggins's doctoral mentor and former guest instructor at OU)

Kathryn March, Associate Professor of Music Education, University of Sydney, Australia (leading scholar in the world in creativity in children's playground music; former guest instructor at OU)

With a presence in more than 80 countries, the International Society for Music Education is the premiere international organization for music education. Since its founding in 1953, the organization has represented an international, interdisciplinary, intercultural network of professionals who strive to understand and promote music learning across the lifespan.