Faculty

Dr. William I. Bauer is professor and director of the Master of Music in Music Education Distance Learning Program at the University of Florida, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate classes, and guides graduate student research. His current research interests include technology for music learning, creative thinking in music, and lifelong musicking. Previously he taught at universities in Ohio, Indiana, and Virginia, and was an instrumental (band and orchestra) and general music teacher for eight years in the Ohio public schools.

Dr. Bauer’s book, Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music (2^nd edition), is published by Oxford University Press. His numerous research and pedagogical writings appear in prominent journals and chapters of edited books. He has been a frequent presenter at conferences and other events throughout the world. Dr. Bauer is the series editor of the Research Informed Music Learning book series and the editor of the peer-reviewed music education research journal Research Perspectives in Music Education. He has served as a member of the editorial boards of the Music Educators Journal, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Journal of Research in Music Education, and Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education; he is former editor of Contributions to Music Education. He was named an Apple Distinguished Educator by Apple, Inc. in 2003 and a Google Certified (Teacher) Innovator by Google in 2008. To learn more, visit http://billbauer.net/.

Dr. Bauer holds a Ph.D. in Music Education from Kent State University, a Master of Music in Music Education from Bowling Green State University, and a Bachelor of Music Education from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Mary Birkner holds a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Florida, a Master of Music in flute performance from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University with a double major in music and education.

She currently serves as Curriculum Advisor for music curriculum company Charanga, where she has had the pleasure of helping develop music curricula for general elementary music classes. Dr. Birkner has worked in a variety of capacities at the University of Florida, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses. Past courses taught include Instructional Design in Music Education, American Vernacular Music, Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Music Education, Musics of the World, Woodwind Skills, Flute Studio, and Flute Ensemble. During the 2019-2020 and 2012-2013 school years, she served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Flute at UF.

Prior to her time at the University of Florida, Dr. Birkner taught general music for grades K-5 in Michigan and grades K-2 in Texas, choir for grades 5-6 in Texas, and preschool music in Florida. She is pleased to have performed as flutist with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra for over fifteen years, and she also maintains a private studio teaching flute and piano lessons.

Dr. Dale Bazan has been an adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Education with the University of Florida Online Master of Music in Music Education Degree since its inception. He designed and has served as lead instructor of the American Vernacular Music course; advises capstone projects; and regularly teaches several other courses, including Research in Music Education, Technology Assisted Music Learning, and Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Music Education. His primary appointment is Coordinator of Clinical Experiences at the University of Nevada, Reno College of Education and Human Development.

​Prior to his position at University of Nevada, Dr. Bazan was Coordinator of Music Education for University of Louisiana at Lafayette from 2019-2023. Previously, he was a music professor at University of Alaska – Anchorage (2019) and Associate Professor of Practice in Music Education at University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) from 2007-2017.

Dr. Bazan has presented internationally on a number of topics, including instrumental music education, student-centered instruction, music teacher education, and popular musicianship. In the music education research world, he has been an editorial board member and reviewer for Contributions to Music Education, Journal of Music and Dance, Urban Education, and Middle Grades Research Journal.

Dr. Bazan holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Manitoba (Canada), Master of Music from University of Northern Iowa, and Ph.D. in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University.

Timothy S. Brophy is a professor of music education and director of institutional assessment at the University of Florida. He is a multiple award-winning teacher and has published over 50 articles and book chapters. Brophy is the sole author of three books and has edited and published seven volumes of the selected papers from the International Symposia on Assessment in Music Education. He is the sole editor and a contributing author of the two-volume Oxford Handbook on Assessment Policy and Practice in Music Education. Dr. Brophy has conducted workshop sessions and conference presentations throughout the United States, and in Australia, Canada, China, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holland, New Zealand, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, and Taiwan. He has served as a past national chair of the Assessment Special Research Interest Group of the National Association for Music Education and founded the first Assessment Special Interest Group for the International Society for Music Education. Brophy has focused international attention on assessment in music education as the founding and organizing chair of the International Symposia on Assessment in Music Education (ISAME), a biennial series of symposia that began in 2007 that have been conducted across the world.

Dr. Brophy earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Kentucky. He also holds a Master of Music from the University of Memphis and a Bachelor of Music Education from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Marshall Haning is Associate Professor of Music Education and Acting Associate Dean of Faculty and Student Affairs for the University of Florida College of the Arts. He is also Chair of the Symposia on Assessment in Music Education, which provides a venue for scholars from across the globe to share their research related to the measurement, evaluation, and assessment of music learning, in addition to serving as Convenor of the “Assessment, Measurement, and Evaluation” Special Interest Group of the International Society for Music Education (ISME). Previously, Dr. Haning taught high school choir and music theory courses in the public schools of Florida and North Carolina. He holds degrees from Case Western Reserve University, the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and Kent State University.

Dr. Haning’s research interests include music education and music teacher education curricula, informal and nonformal approaches to music education, nonperformance music courses, and assessment in music education. He is a frequent presenter at state, national, and international music education conferences, and he is well published in scholarly journals, including the Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Popular Music Education, Contributions to Music Education, Visions of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, and the Bulletin for the Council for Research in Music Education. Dr. Haning is also in demand as a choral clinician and adjudicator, and has served in this capacity across the United States, as well as in Africa, Australia, Europe, and South America.

For over 40 years, Dr. Barry Hartz has been teaching instrumental music to students in higher education, high school, and middle school. He has been awarded the Golden Apple Award for outstanding teaching and was named an Outstanding Music Educator from the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA). His research focuses on innovative means of developing music literacy and ensemble performance. He has presented clinics on innovative teaching methods for state and national conferences and published articles in Contributions to Music Education and Music Educators Journal.

Dr. Hartz earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University. He also holds a Master of Music in Music Education from Morehead State University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Bowling Green State University.

Joshua Mills holds a D.M. in music composition from Florida State University, M.M. degrees in music theory pedagogy and music composition from the Peabody Conservatory, and a B.M. from Houghton College. As a music scholar, he has presented research at both regional and national conferences. His two main research areas are the relationships between timbre and harmony in 20th and 21st century concert music and the connections between classical rhetorical pedagogy and music pedagogy. His compositions have been performed at venues across the U.S. and recorded by performers and ensembles such as Duo Rodinia, line upon line percussion, Danny Rowland, Meraki, and In Motus Tuba Quartet. Joshua is also a Byzantine chanter serving at the St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Western Massachusetts. He works as a software engineer based in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Dr. Matthew D. Schatt is an Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His active research interests include studying the practice routines of pre-adolescent instrumental musicians, examining the motivational interests of K-12 students, and exploring student-centered models for secondary instruction. His research has been disseminated in scholarly publications such as the International Journal of Music Education, Applications of Research in Music Education, and Psychology of Music. Dr. Schatt serves on the editorial board for the International Journal of Contemporary Education and is a guest reviewer for Psychology of Music.

Dr. Schatt earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University. He also holds a Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music Education from Bowling Green State University.

Dr. Megan M. Sheridan teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in general music education, qualitative research, and sociology in music education. She is Kodály-certified and has completed AOSA Teacher Education Levels I and II.

Prior to teaching at the university level, Dr. Sheridan taught elementary general and choral music in public and private school settings. Her research interests include pedagogical approaches in the elementary music classroom, music for children with disabilities, and music teacher education. Her work has been published in several prominent scholarly journals, including the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, Research Perspectives in Music Education, the Kodály Envoy, and the Orff Echo. She frequently presents at state, national, and international conferences.

Dr. Sheridan earned a Ph.D. in Music from The Ohio State University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Music and Music Education from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Westminster Choir College.

Dr. Stephanie Standerfer taught K-12 public school vocal and general music in Colorado and Virginia. Currently, she is a professor of music education and the director of music education at Shenandoah University where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in foundations, curriculum, literacy, elementary methods, and research.

Her research interests include K-12 music curriculum development and teaching music literacy. She has given presentations for multiple national and international music education and research associations. Her research has also been published in scholarly journals such as the Journal for Music Teacher Education and the Music Educators Journal and the Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education. Her book Line by Line: Progressive Staff Method for Elementary Music Literacy is published by Oxford University Press.

Dr. Standerfer earned a Ph.D. in and a Master of Education in the foundations of education from the University of Virginia. She also holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Dr. Keith Thompson has been a practicing music educator for more than 60 years. He taught general music in public schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania and has served on the faculties of The Ohio State University, the University of Illinois, and Penn State University. After serving as a Coordinator of Music Education for more than 30 years at Penn State, he retired, relocating to Florida. He has published more than 75 articles on general music, music for special learners, music listening, and assessment of music learning. He served as editor of General Music Today and on the editorial board of the Journal for Research in Music Education.

Dr. Thompson earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University and a master’s in music education from Duquesne University. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Peter R. Webster has over 30 years of college teaching experience on topics such as the philosophy of music education, graduate research, music technology, assessment, and creative thinking in music. After five years of work in public schools, he served on the university faculties of Case Western Reserve University and Northwestern University as a tenured professor and administrator. He has also served as the scholar-in-residence at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Currently, he is writing and researching as an independent scholar and enjoying his work as an adjunct with the University of Florida-Gainesville.

Dr. Webster has presented numerous talks on creative thinking both nationally and abroad. He is well published, with over 100 articles and book chapters on assessment, music technology, creative thinking in music, and other topics related to music teaching and learning. He is the author of Measures of Creative Thinking in Music, an exploratory tool for assessing music thinking with quasi-improvisational tasks and is co-author of Experiencing Music Technology, 4th edition, Oxford University Press.

Dr. Webster earned a Ph.D. and a master’s in music education from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester. He also holds a Bachelor in Music Education from the University of Southern Maine.