Music Education Faculty
Hover your mouse over any faculty member to read a short biography.
Dr. Cynthia Benson
D.M.A., University of Texas at Austin
Associate Professor (group piano)
Dr. Cynthia Benson Coordinator of group piano program; teaches piano pedagogy; holds a bachelor’s in music education from the University of Central Arkansas, a master’s in piano performance from Rice University and a doctorate in music education with an emphasis in piano pedagogy from the University of Texas at Austin; served as a foreign expert at Jimei University in Xiamen, China, where she taught group and studio piano; chair of the Research Committee of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy; has presented research at the First Seminar on Digital Music Education in Nanjing, China, and at national and state conferences of Music Educators National Associationm, Association for Technology in Music and National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy; international presentations at International Society for Music Education, Asia Pacific Symposium on Music Education Research and Research in Music Education; past president of northwest district of the Ohio Music Teachers Association; presentations at MTNA national and state conferences; has published articles in Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Technology in Music Learning, International Journal of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Texas Music Education Research, Illinois Music Educator, American Music Teacher, Keyboard Companion, Piano Pedagogy Forum and Roland’s Keyboard Educator; director of the Summer Music Institute Piano Camp.
Dr. Elaine Colprit
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
Associate Professor, Chair of Music Education (string education)
Dr. Elaine Colprit Chair of music education; teaches graduate and undergraduate courses for music education majors; received a bachelor’s in music education from Wheaton College, a master’s in performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Texas at Austin; a former public school string teacher and cello instructor, she has performed extensively in orchestral and chamber music settings; research addresses issues of systematic observation and evaluation of music teaching; has presented research at meetings of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the Fourth International Conference of Technological Directions in Music Education, the American Music Therapy Association, the Sixth International Research Symposium on Talent Education and the Association for Behavior Analysis; articles have been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education.
Dr. Joyce Eastlund Gromko
D.M.E., Indiana University
Professor (early childhood education)
Dr. Joyce Eastlund Gromko Holds degrees from Luther College, San Diego State University and Indiana University; past teaching includes music at the elementary and secondary level in Iowa, California, Hawaii and the District of Columbia; research concerns the development of children’s symbol use in music and aural perception; member of the editorial board for the Journal of Research in Music Education; articles appear in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Psychology of Music, Musicae Scientiae, Music Educators Journal, General Music Today, Research Studies in Music Education, Contributions to Music Education and Educational Theory.
Dr. Carol Hayward
D.M.A., Ohio State University
Assistant Professor (band activities)
Dr. Carol Hayward Director of the Falcon Marching Band and Athletic Band; conductor of the Concert Band; holds a bachelor’s degree from Capital University, a master’s degree in music education from Ohio State University and a doctorate in conducting from OSU; served for over 20 years as a high school band director; bands under her direction have performed at the national convention of the American School Band Directors Association; awarded the National Band Association Citation of Excellence in 2000; member and past state chair of the American School Band Directors Association; member of the College Band Directors National Association, the Ohio Music Education Association and Phi Beta Mu, National Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity; honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma; president of Mid-American Conference Band Directors Association.
Dr. Vincent J. Kantorski
Ph.D., Florida State University
Professor (graduate studies)
Dr. Vincent J. Kantorski Department of Music Education Graduate Advisor, teaches Introduction to Music Field Experience, Philosophical and Historical Foundations of Music Education, Directed Research in Music Education and Teaching Music in College; has supervised over 90 student teachers; recipient of Bowling Green State University Master Teacher Award, Distinguished Teaching Award, Faculty Excellence Award, Dean’s Award and University of Miami Distinguished Alumni Award; bachelor's in music education from Chicago Musical College, master’s in double bass performance from the University of Miami, Ph.D. in music education from Florida State University; taught junior high and high school general music and strings in Chicago and Miami as well as strings and orchestra at Miami-Dade Community College in Florida; was a member of Chicago Civic Orchestra and has performed in numerous symphony, opera and other ensembles including recording on the Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown album; research focus is exemplary K-12 teaching; author of A Bibliography of Source Readings in Music Education; has published research in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Psychomusicology, Contributions to Music Education and Dialogue in Instrumental Music Education; is a member of the editorial committees of the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education and Contributions to Music Education; has presented research at state, regional and national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference, at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts & Humanities and at the International Society for Music Education World Conferences in Helsinki and Amsterdam.
Dr. Bruce Moss
Ph.D., Ohio State University
Professor (band activities)
Dr. Bruce Moss Professor, director of band activities; conducts the Wind Symphony and teaches conducting and music education courses, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University; former director of bands at Eastern Illinois University; served as chairman of the music department and director of bands at York Community High School in Elmhurst, Ill. where his ensembles were widely recognized through performances at the MENC National Convention and at major high schools and universities throughout the United States and Canada; continues to serve as music director of the Wheaton Municipal Band in Illinois, a professional summer community ensemble that is regarded as one of the finest of its kind in the nation; organized and conducted a professional wind ensemble for the College of DuPage; has taught courses at numerous universities and serves as a frequent guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and Canada; serves as new music reviewer for The Instrumentalist; elected member the American Bandmasters Association, president of College Band Directors National Association, North Central Division.
Dr. Mark Munson
D.M.A., Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
Associate Professor (choral activities)
Dr. Mark Munson Holds bachelor’s degree in music education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, master’s degree in choral music education from the University of Michigan and doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Cincinnati; during 2005–06 academic year was visiting professor of music at Sweden’s Musikhögskolan i Malmö (Malmö Academy of Music) of Lunds universitet, choral music specialist at Fröknegårdskolan of Kristianstad, and visiting conductor of Christianstads Motettkör; taught eight years of high school choral music in Pennsylvania and Ohio; has conducted the Collegiate Chorale, University Choral Society, A Cappella Choir, and University Women’s Chorus; currently conducts University Choral Society; teaches choral methods, repertoire and conducting at the undergraduate level, as well as choral literature and conducting at the graduate level; supervises student teachers and serves on thesis committees for students pursuing master’s degrees; president of the Ohio Choral Directors Association; active as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician; has presented sessions at national, divisional, and state conventions for the American Choral Directors Association and for the Music Educators National Conference; has conducted many festival choruses inside and outside of Ohio; founder and past director of the Bowling Green Children’s Chorus and of the Ohio Ambassadors Chorus, an ensemble of high school singers that tours Europe biannually; articles published in ACDA’s Choral Journal and Student Times, MENC’s Teaching Music and Journal of Music Teacher Education, OMEA’s TRIAD and Worship Arts, a journal for church musicians.
Richard Reece
M.M., Bowling Green State University
Instructor (choral education)
Richard Reece Has been with the College of Musical Arts since 1998, teaching several courses in music education and serving as academic advisor for music education; public school teacher for 28 years, where his duties included choral director, assistant band director, middle school choir director and general music specialist; holds both a bachelor’s and master’s from BGSU; duties include music teaching skills for middle childhood teachers, coordinator of voice class and supervising student teachers.
Dr. Sandra Frey Stegman
Ph.D., University of Michigan
Assistant Professor (choral education)
Dr. Sandra Frey Stegman Graduate of the University of Michigan and former public school teacher; active in music education and choral studies; has conducted various university ensembles and performed as music director and conductor of the Waterloo (Iowa) Metropolitan Chorale; conducts A Cappella Choir and University Women’s Chorus; served as music educator and consultant to schools and communities in North Queensland, Australia; toured abroad as an assistant director with the Ohio Honors Chorale; directed the Toledo Opera Children’s Chorus and conducted the All-State Intermediate Choir in Interlochen, Mich.; founded the Junior Choral Society and Cantare, which performed under her direction at state and division music conferences (ACDA and MENC); active as a clinician, consultant and guest conductor, appeared as conductor of the 2001 OMEA District 1 Middle School/Junior High Honors Festival and 1998 American Choral Directors Association Central Division Junior High Honor Chorus; scholarship and research has included: presentations at the 2005 International Conference on Arts and Humanities, the 2000 MENC National Convention and the 1998 College Music Society Annual Conference, articles in the Council of Research in Music Education Bulletin, Journal of Research in Music Education, Music Educators Journal, Choral Journal and the Journal of Music Teacher Education and author of Student Teaching in the Choral Classroom.
Dr. Nancy Sugden
Ph.D., Indiana University
Assistant Professor (early childhood education)
Dr. Nancy Sugden Joined the BGSU faculty fall 2004; teaches music methods for elementary education majors; director of the Music Plus program; holds a bachelor’s degree in flute performance and choral/general education from Ball State University and a doctorate in music education at Indiana University; holds Kodály certification from Indiana University where she studied with the late Eugenia Sinor; held visiting professorships at Indiana University and the University of Minnesota; research focuses on the motivations of junior high school and high school choral ensemble participants; has published in the Southeastern Journal of Music Education; member of Pi Kappa Lambda, Pi Lambda Theta; 2003 recipient of Indiana University School of Music’s Dissertation Fellowship awards.
Dr. Robert Thayer
Ph.D., University of Iowa
Trustee Professor, Interim Chair
Dr. Robert Thayer Interim chair, music education; holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester (bachelor of music), Wichita State University (master of music education), and the University of Iowa (Ph.D. in music education); has taught instrumental music in the public schools of Pennsylvania and Kansas and served on the music faculties of Friends University (Kansas), Cornell College (Iowa) and the State University of New York at Potsdam; french hornist, has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (extra), Erie Philharmonic, Wichita Symphony (principal) and Cedar Rapids Symphony (principal); has served as teacher-consultant with the Manhattanville Music Curriculum Program and presented numerous clinics and workshops on instrumental music and music learning through composition; music administrator at Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam (dean) and College of Musical Arts, Bowling Green State University (dean); since retirement has served at DePauw University (interim dean, School of Music), University of Connecticut (interim head, Department of Music) and Lawrence University (dean, Conservatory of Music); accreditation reviewer and consultant for the National Association of Schools of Music; honorary member, NASM, and Friend of the Arts, Sigma Alpha Iota.
Dr. Kenneth Thompson
D.M.A., University of Iowa
Assistant Professor (band activities)
Dr. Kenneth Thompson Holds a D.M.A. in conducting and master’s degree in music education from the University of Iowa and bachelor’s degrees in music education and trumpet from Limestone College, where he was recently honored as Young Alumnus of the Year; artistic director and conductor of the Toledo Symphony Youth Orchestra; conductor for numerous regional conventions, live radio broadcasts and recordings released by KJOS music in both the Conservatory Editions and Bandworks series; research and writings have been published in Journal of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, School Band and Orchestra Magazine, Journal of the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association, Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, The Instrumentalist, Bandmusic PDF Archives and the BCM International Web Archive; has appeared as a guest speaker, performer, conductor or lecturer for local, regional and international conventions, including presentations or performances for the University of Michigan School of Music, the University of Iowa School of Music, Sigma Alpha Iota, Phi Mu Alpha, the International Society for Music Education, the national conferences of MENC and CBDNA, the Missouri Bandmasters conference, the Midwest Composers Symposium, the Iowa Center for New Music and the South Carolina, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri Music Educators Association conferences; maintains an active clinician and adjudication schedule throughout the Midwest; teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and repertoire, band methods, coordinates student teaching seminar, supervises instrumental techniques and field experience placements, has conducting responsibilities with ensembles in the band area, and is the director of the New Music Ensemble