Meet Wendy!
Dr. Wendy K. Matthews is the new Program Coordinator for the Online Master of Music in Music Education. She is also an Associate Professor of Music Education at Kent State University.
Tell us about yourself, your work at Kent State University, and your changing roles.
I am an Associate Professor of Music Education at Kent State University, where I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in music education.
My research interests include music teacher pedagogies, oral histories of pioneering women brass players, and motivation and group dynamics in large ensembles. I have been published in journals and book chapters, including the Journal of Research in Music Education, Psychology of Music, and the International Handbook of Music Psychology in Education and the Community. I have also presented research, professional development, and historical sessions at national and international conferences, including Symposium on Music Teacher Education, International Society for Music Education, and the National Association for Music Education, as well as numerous state and collegiate conferences, including OMEA, TMEA, MMC, PMEA, KMEA, CASMEC, NCMEA, and VMEA.
What drew you to music?
I come from a musical family, and music was always part of my life.
What are you looking forward to most in your new role?
I am looking forward to helping graduate students discover new ways to examine music and engage in research.
Why should students choose this program?
The Kent State University’s Master of Music in Music Education online degree program is one of the world’s largest programs of its kind. The professors in the program have taught K-12 and higher education for many years and are able to share practical and research-based methods with their students. Many of our faculty have published multiple research articles, textbooks, book chapters, and practitioner articles. The program is flexible and convenient and allows you to remain in the teaching position you love. You will also have the opportunity to choose areas of specialization, from instrumental to choral, general music, jazz, and popular music.
What book are you currently reading?
I read a lot of current research and would highly recommend the new Routledge International Handbook of Music Psychology in Education and the Community. The chapters are fabulous. For fiction reading, I enjoy books that are part of a series so I can really get to know a character. I am a huge Harry Potter fan.
What’s your favorite part about higher education?
My favorite part is working with students in all stages of their careers and hopefully helping them achieve their goals.
Learn more about Dr. Matthews.
Dr. Matthews holds degrees from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland-College Park, and George Mason University. Prior to joining the faculty at Kent State University, Dr. Matthews led the music department at Northern Virginia Community College as Assistant Dean and directed the Alexandria Campus Band, Orchestra, and Chamber Winds. She has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses and conducted ensembles at Georgetown University, University of Maryland, George Mason University, and Wayne State University. She is the recipient of the WSU College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts Teaching Award, Ph.D. Academic Award for the Outstanding Dissertation from the George Mason University College of Education and Human Development, and the Graduate Student Research Award (Studying and Self-Regulated Learning SIG) of the American Educational Research Association. Her college ensembles have performed at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage; DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.; the Michigan Music Conference; and 2013, 2014, and 2015 International Trumpet Guild International Conferences. Additionally, Dr. Matthews taught elementary and secondary school instrumental music in Virginia and Maryland.
Dr. Matthews’ research interests include oral histories of the first women brass players in professional orchestras and military bands, research in self-regulation, group dynamics in large ensembles, and various topics in music teacher education. She is the co-author of “Basic Conducting Techniques” (Seventh Edition) published by Routledge Music. She has published in numerous journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, Psychology of Music, International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Band Research, College Music Symposium, Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, Research and Issues in Music Education Journal, The International Journal of Educational and Psychological Assessment, and the International Trumpet Guild Journal. Dr. Matthews has presented research, professional development, and historical sessions at national and international conferences throughout the world including Symposium on Music Teacher Education Conferences, International Society for Music Education World Conferences, the National Association for Music Education Conference, College Music Society Conferences, and the American Educational Research Association as well as numerous state and collegiate conferences including TMEA, OMEA, KMEA, CASMEC, NCMEA, and MMC.
Dr. Matthews is in demand throughout the world as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, most recently conducted in New Delhi, India, for the American Schools Honor Band. Additional engagements have included the 257th Army Band (the “Band of the Nation’s Capital”), American School Band Director Association Honor Band-Ohio Chapter, Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association District XVI and III, and the New Music in Brass Reading Session at the International Women in Brass Conference. Dr. Matthews has served as an adjudicator for the International Susan Slaughter Solo Brass Competition and the National Trumpet Competition, as well as the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association, Festivals of Music, and Music in the Parks.
Enroll today in the Online Master of Music in Music Education Program at Kent State University
The Online Master of Music degree in Music Education program 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.
Kent State University is synonymous with music education. Some of the leading voices in the field have earned a degree here. Our 100% online program can be completed in as few as 23 months. Our curriculum is created for the music teaching professional. Classes are 7 weeks and you can enroll in two classes per semester, including summer. This format allows you to focus on one area of study and then begin another music education course after a brief recess. We are dedicated to helping you design a program that provides you with exciting new perspectives in your teaching right from the beginning.
For more information on Kent State’s Online Master of Music in Music Education, visit https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/degrees/master-of-music-in-music-education
