Paper Sessions
Welcome to Desert Skies 2025! Here you will find all paper session abstracts and details for this year's symposium.
Paper Session Details
“Put Yourself in Their Shoes”: A Case Study of a Border School Community
Crystal Lynn Gerrard, University of North Texas
Predictors of Music Teacher Efficacy
Nancy L. Summitt, Michigan State University
Anna Laura Williams, University of Memphis
Ryan A. Fisher, Miami University Ohio
Examining Diversity Ideology in Music Education
Karen Salvador, Michigan State University
Oberlin Conservatory – Avant-Garde of Music Education Curriculum
Timothy J. Groulx, University of North Florida
A Critical Music Pedagogy of Joy: Expanding and Transforming Elementary Music
Education
Kim Friesen, University of Alberta
A Search for Empathy in the Social Interactions of a Youth Choral Ensemble: A
Qualitative Abductive Grounded Theory Study
Evan Stoor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Toward a Model of Trauma-Informed Professional Development through Collaborative
Teacher Study Groups
Amy Sierzega, University of Maryland
Multi-musicianship Identities and Perspectives in U.S.-based Preservice Music
Education Programs
Chad Zullinger, Boston University
Intrapreneurs: Examining the Lived Experiences of Innovators in Secondary General
Music
Michael Remy, The Ohio State University
"It's in Me": A Narrative Case Study on the Standard Bearer-Educator Perspective on
Teaching African American Spirituals
Michelle Gibson, University of Florida
Choral Educators' Experiences Creating Connection During Group Singing
Jennifer C. Hutton, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Racial Project of Competition in Instrumental Music Education
Kelsey Nussbaum, University of Arizona
Exploring the Values, Culture, and Identity of Mariachi Educators
Victoria Lynn Smith, Northwestern University
Navigating the Doctoral Journey in Music Education: Identity Formation, Motivations, and
Post-Doctoral Career Success
Dennis Giotta, Case Western Reserve University
Investigating Teacher Burnout in K-12 Music Education Settings
Mackenzie Heaney, The University of Oklahoma
Revealing the Discourse of Gender Bias: A Comparative Analysis of College Band
Director Hiring Announcements
Margaret J. Flood, Florida Southern College
Shifting Our Paradigms: Incorporating Ungrading across University Music Courses
Whitney Mayo, University of North Dakota
Lisa Bost-Sandberg, University of North Dakota
Melanie Popejoy, University of North Dakota
College Music Majors’ Student Leadership Experiences in High School
Crystal Berner, Florida State University
Perspectives of First-Generation Indian Americans in Predominantly White Music
Institutions
Saleel Adarkar Menon, Michigan State University
Exploring Application of Educational Principles in VR Music Education Program Design
Han-Ning Chen, Arizona State University
Music Participation and Equity Factors for a Lifetime of Music-Making
Bryan E. Nichols, The Pennsylvania State University
ADHD, Music, Education, and Academia: A Critical Autoethnography
Adam G. Harry, University of Iowa
Music Teacher Educators’ Lived Experiences of Burnout
Bridget Sweet, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Jeremy Manternach, University of Iowa
Christopher Baumgartner, University of Oklahoma
QUORUS: An Intersectional Exploration of Identity and Belonging in a New LGBTQIA+
Choral Ensemble
Stephanie Gregoire, Northwestern University
Considering the Possibilities and Problems of AI in Music Education: The Need for
Critical Literacies
Emmett O’ Leary, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Case Study of the Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles
Matthew Williams, University of Arizona
Tammy Yi, Chapman University
Improvisation as Inclusive Pedagogy: An International Educational Approach Across
Disciplines and Abilities
Jashen Edwards, IICSI
Sofia Boz, Università degli Studi di Padova
An Investigation of the Possibility of Integrated Arts Curriculum “BoBo & GiGi” Used in
Early Childhood Music Courses by Kindergarten Teachers in Taichung City, Taiwan R.O.C.
Meng-Uei Chuang, National Tiachung University of Education
Legitimacy, Agency, and Domination within SEL Discourse
Brandi Perkins, Indiana University
Artificial Intelligence and Equity: Searching for Meaning Amidst Information Overload
Lauren Kapalka Richerme, Indiana University
A Narrative of Hyper (In)visibility of Fatness in Music Education
Julianna LoBiondo, University of North Texas
Effects of Straw Phonation and /a/ Vowel Protocols on Acoustic and Perceptual Measures
of Adolescent Males
Jeremy N. Manternach, University of Iowa
Bridget Sweet, University of Illinois Champaign Urbana
Secondary Large Ensemble Directors' Classroom Leadership Styles: An Exploratory
Study
Nicole K. Ramsey, Drake University
David Dockan, Louisiana State University
An AI-Enhanced Composition Class: Integrating Creativity with Digital Citizenship
Min-Jung Son, Korea National University of Education
An Investigation of Orchestras and Repertoire Performed at the Florida Orchestra
Association Music Performance Assessment from 2013 to 2024
Kenna Veronee, Georgia Southern University
Victoria Warnet, Columbus State University
Harmony in Diversity: Enriching Pre-service Music Education with Culturally Responsive
Approaches to Senior Immigrant Communities
Anni Peng, University of Arizona
Antiracism in Music Teacher Education: Towards a Critical Pedagogy of Popular Music
Jess Mullen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Rainamei Luna, University of Vermont
The Motivation of Adult Amateur Pianists in the Republic of Korea
Eunsong Kim, University of North Dakota/Ball State University
Perceptions of Educational Level by Preservice Music Teachers
Jacquelyn Tabone, Florida State University
Assessing Preservice Music Educators’ Preparedness and Attitudes Towards Teaching
Students with Disabilities Across Big Ten Institutions
Samuel Gray, University of Maryland
Build It and They Will Come? Leading For Equity in Secondary Music Non-Ensemble
Course Offerings, Staffing Allocations, and Teacher Hiring
Carson Zajdel, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Validation of the Core Flow State Scale for Music Performance
Jeff L. Barbee, The Ohio State University
Nancy L. Summitt, Central Michigan University
The Effect of Authentic Sharing in a Facebook Group on Professional Online Social
Comparison and Impostor Phenomenon
Thomas J. Rinn, Texas State University
An Examination of Preservice Music Teachers’ Self-Reported Social and Emotional Competencies
Jason Cumberledge, University of Louisville
Personality Traits of Successful Music Teachers: The Perceptions of Music Teacher Preparation
Programs Students and Elementary School Music Teachers in Taiwan
Wen-Fu Li, National Tiachung University of Education
Moving Forward: A Second Look at Community Music Opportunities for Individuals with
Disabilities
Mark Belfast, Florida State University
Julia Heath Reynolds
"You know we can't sing these messages without the body": The Impact of Childhood
Sexual Abuse Trauma on the Voices of Black Girls
Ashira Mothersil, Teacher’s College Columbia University
Fundraising Practices of Music Educators in Virginia
Tina Beveridge, George Mason University
Emmett O’Leary, Virginia Tech (Polytech Institute and State University)
Decolonizing Borderland Musicalities
Gabriela Ocádiz, University of Arizona
Looking Back and Thinking Forward: An Exploration of International Baccalaureate
Diploma Programme (IBDP) Music Alumni and Their Learning Experiences
Yaqin Wang, Arizona State University
A Brief Multi-Cultural Discussion on the Application of Music and Painting Techniques in
singing—Taking Taiwanese composer Chang Xuanwen's
Choral Works as an Example
Ming-Jen Chuang, National Tiachung University of Education
Adaptations to Western Music Notation to Improve Reading Accuracy by Individuals with
Dyslexia
Janel K. Long, University of Memphis
Innovation in Recurring Studio Music Masterclasses: Diverging Practices in Group
Instruction
Aaron Hodgson, Western University
Rayne Vitorino Dias, Western University
Elinor Smallman, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Retired)
The Spirit of Musical Discovery: Nurturing a Collaborative Culture for Adventurous
Exploration
Russ Biczo, Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam
Motivations of Six Eminent Music Education Research Scholars: 1956 – 2009
David Teachout, University of North Carolina Greensboro
Donald Hodges, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Patricia Sink, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
A Descriptive Qualitative Study of the Integration of Popular Music into the General Music
Classrooms in Mainland China
Chenyu Li, Berklee College of Music
Harmonizing Education: A Survey of Music Integration Practices in Early Childhood and
Elementary Classrooms in California
Jennifer Gee, San Diego State University
Factors Influencing Adult Participation in Music in Louisiana
Faith Hill, Louisiana State University
David Dockan, Louisiana State University
A Case Study of Developing the Cross-disciplinary Aesthetic Curriculum in Taiwan
Ming-Jen Chuang, National Tiachung University of Education
Sensemaking in P-12 Music Teacher Learning and Development
Melissa Ryan, University of New Mexico
Gender Issues in Music Education: Musicking in Masculine Spaces
Virginia Davis, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Undergraduate Perspectives on the Use of Ungrading: A Comparative Analysis
Rachel Grimsby, James Madison University
A Social Network Analysis of Concert Band Adjudication in Virginia and Florida
Emmett O’Leary, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Examining the Knowledge and Perceptions of Elementary General Music Teachers in
Teaching Students with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study
Jessica Haley, University of Maryland
Seeking Actionable Growth: Reframing Burnout Mitigation for the Teaching Environment
Megan Gullone, University of Wisconsin-Madison/Indian River Central School District
Toward a New Framing of Gender and Sexuality in Music Education
Justin Caithaml, University of Bridgeport
Joshua Palkki, Arizona State University
Becoming Teacher: An a/r/tographic Inquiry
Alisa Mastin Hanson, Arizona State University/Peoria Unified School District
Expanding Codeswitching in Music Education: Towards a Transmusicianship Framework
Marjoris Regus, Rutgers University
The Right Person at the Right Time: A Biography of NAfME Past-President Glenn E.
Nierman
Evan Hoylman, Arizona State University
An Exploration of Group Piano Curricula and Method Books in Secondary Public Schools
Janelle Crane, Florida State University
Action Research on Implementing Bilingual Teaching in the Fourth-Grade General Music
Classes in Taichung City Taiwan
Li Chieh Hsu, National Tiachung University of Education
Ming-Jen Chuang, National Tiachung University of Education
Singing the “White way” may not Exclusively be the “right way”: Comparing Diverse Vocal
Techniques Across Genres and Cultures
Morgan Jolley, Queens College CUNY
Investigation of Cross-disciplinary Aesthetic Curriculum Development in Elementary General Music Classes in Taiwan
Chun-Chieh Wang, National Tiachung University of Education
Ikaskîhtamâsot (Ways of Knowing): Deepening Understandings of Indigenous Musics
Kathy Robinson, University of Alberta
Exploring Teacher Agency Through the Iterative Dimension: Implications for Intercultural Music Education
Jiayi Wang, University of Arizona
Mattering in Music Education
Shawn Kimbrel, Arizona State University
Harmonizing Instrumental Music Teacher Education: Exploring Connections Between Conducting and Instrumental Methods Courses
Mike Vecchio, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign