Let’s all welcome Dr. Jasmine Hines to Kent State University as a new assistant professor in the music education department!
“I’m delighted to welcome Jasmine to the School of Music,” said Kent McWilliams, director of the Glauser School. “As we continue to evaluate and reimagine our curriculum, her extensive experience as a choral music educator and research focus on Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Thought within music education is critical to reshaping our degree offerings for the 21st century.”1
Dr. Hines joined the faculty of the Glauser School of Music at Kent State University in the fall 2021 semester. She holds a Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Florida. She received her Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Florida and her bachelor of music in Music Education-Choral Sequence from Georgia Southern University. During her undergraduate studies, she was awarded the Velma Kemp Choral Scholarship and served as the student director for the Statesboro Youth Chorale in Statesboro, Georgia. After graduating from Georgia Southern University, she returned to her hometown of Augusta, Georgia. She taught elementary choir and general music in the Georgia public school system and served as Assistant Director of the Kijani Singers at the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church. In 2016, Jasmine left Georgia to enroll as a full-time Master of Music Education student at the University of Florida. From 2016-2019 Jasmine also served as the founding Choral and Musical Director and Diversity Awareness Coordinator of Resilience Charter School in Gainesville, Florida. During her time at the University of Florida, Jasmine served as a graduate research and teaching assistant.
Her research interests include Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Thought within music education, popular music education, and creative thinking in music. She has presented her research at the International Symposium on the Sociology of Music Education, Mountain Lake Colloquium, and the International Symposium for Assessment in Music Education. Her dissertation is titled “An Ethnographic Study of Epistemic Resistance Amongst Black Women in Music Education.”
Read on for a short interview with Dr. Hines about her background and interest in music education.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Dr. Jasmine Hines. I am originally from Augusta, Georgia, by way of North Carolina. I received my Bachelors in Music Education from Georgia Southern University and my Masters in music education as well as my Ph.D. in music education from the University of Florida. My primary research incorporates Black Feminist Thought, Critical Race Theory, and creative thinking within general and choral music education. In addition, I love the outdoors (I’m a novice hiker and slackliner), the occasional video game, and reading feminist literature in my spare time.
What drew you to Kent State University?
Kent State’s atmosphere of inclusion and possibility reminded me a lot of my undergrad. While this essence is truly in the air at Kent State, it was the concrete manifestation of these ideals, such as the various non-western music ensembles, the purposeful implementation of popular music pedagogy within undergraduate course work, and the robust and top-tier online masters of music education program. Thus, Kent State not only seemed like a viable place of employment but a place where I—as a new professor—could continue learning from my colleagues and students.
What classes are you teaching?
I am currently teaching Contemporary Choral Methods for the undergraduate music education program, Foundations of Music Education for the online masters’ students, and field experience coordinator for the music education department.
What is an experience that you have enjoyed the most so far in your career/teaching? Why music?
While my parents are not musicians, I grew up in a very musical household. I was always surrounded by local artists and musicians who wanted to cut demo reels within our basement or peaking in and eventually being invited to listen in on weekend jam sessions by the musicians who came to my childhood home. I was constantly surrounded by music, and within my formal music education experience, it was indeed the one class I looked forward to each week and eventually every day. While I certainly know a lot more now, music continues to be the one thing I know well.
As a former K-12 music choral and general music teacher and now an assistant professor of music education, one consistent experience remains the same. It continues to be something that I deeply enjoy—the facilitation of music with my students. While I appreciate the act of teaching, I enjoy the act of facilitating even more. Being alongside students when they finally figure out a difficult transition on the ukulele, helping graduate students find their voice within academic writing, or watching undergrads finally settle into their personally defined music teacher identity are moments that profoundly impact me. I am grateful to be alongside KSU music education students who are willing to take those risks and continue to be life-long learners.
Do you have any tips for online students in your courses?
While you are fully capable of doing so—do not go at this on your own. Managing online classes before the COVID-19 pandemic was hard enough, but now I would highly suggest taking advantage of any opportunity to meet with your professors virtually or take advantage of any of the KSU online services, such as the KSU Writing Commons, that can not only provide additional guidance but make this experience more impactful and beneficial.
We’re here to help!
Kent State University’s Online Master of Music in Music Education
The Online Master of Music in Music Education is designed to offer music teachers the opportunity to develop and refine their professional skills. The degree program allows for enhancement and specialization relative to music teaching and learning in contemporary school contexts. The program does not provide licensure and is constructed for those who have a music education background and the desire to improve the student and teacher experience in music classroom settings.
The Online Master of Music in Music Education was also recently ranked No. 1 in Ohio in the Best Music Education Colleges by Universities.com and earned Best Student Support Services by Intelligent.com. Read more.
Flexibility and innovation are built into the program. The curriculum continues to evolve as the needs of music educators change, offering flexibility in tailoring each student’s program by including new course options in general, choral and early childhood education, rock band, jazz, and more. New courses are continually in development to meet the needs of 21st-century educators. Topics covered in class are immediately applicable to each student’s classroom.
This program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
For more information on Kent State’s Online Master of Music in Music Education degree, visit https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/degrees/master-of-music-in-music-education.
1 Retrieved on September 22, 2021, from https://www.kent.edu/music/news/jasmine-hines-join-glauser-school-music-education-faculty-fall-2021
