Music Education at BGSU

04/19/2026

One thing that we focus on besides new music here at BGSU, is collaborating with world class musicians. On Friday, BGSU's Wind Symphony performed their final concert and one of the pieces they played was Is A Rose by Caroline Shaw featuring twice Grammy Nominated singer and educator Lindsay Kesselman.

Here is to a fantastic semester for all of our amazing performing ensembles!

04/15/2026

Our MAP (Musicianship and Advancing Pedagogy) scholarship students had their final seminar of the year. Jonathan Head, Director of Bands at Tiffin University, and former band director and music teacher at Oak Harbor HS, came to talk with the students about Modern Band. We had a great discussion about what Modern Band is and how to start a Modern Band class in a school music program. Thank you to Jonathan for coming to speak with the students, and thank you to the MAP students for a great year!

04/15/2026

Music Plus ended a great semester with their Spring Concert on April 1. The band, choir, and orchestra performed, and everyone did an excellent job! We're looking forward to another great session in the Fall!

04/13/2026

Our BGSU Men's Chorus is a phenomenal group of singers. If you have not heard them perform before, it is a "must do"! Dr. Schnipke along with his GA's have shaped this group of musicians into a fantastic ensemble.

04/13/2026

The BGSU University Band hard at work in preparation for thier final performances! Professor Waters and the band GA's have been doing great work with our fine musicians. Come see all of the bands perform this week!

03/12/2026

Dr. Luebke shared a presentation and performance of Composer Chen Yi's "Meditation" last night at the Faculty Scholar Series. She entitled the presentation "Voices of East and West". See the abstract below! Amazing presentation!

Abstract:
This lecture recital explores Chen Yi’s Meditation: Know You How Many Petals Falling and Monologue for soprano and piano, highlighting her synthesis of Chinese and Western traditions. Setting Tang Dynasty poetry by Meng Hao-ran and Chen Zi-ang, Chen transforms ancient texts into a contemporary reflection shaped by her experiences during the Cultural Revolution.

Through translation and musical analysis, this presentation examines her integration of Peking Opera vocal gesture within a Western art song framework. By blending Daoist philosophical themes, pentatonic and quartal harmonies, and operatic declamation, Chen creates an intercultural musical language expressing resilience, longing, and cultural memory in a distinctly 21st-century voice.

03/12/2026

Dr. Hicken presented last night at the Faculty Scholar Series about her research into Music Teaching through "Gaze Behavior". See the Abstract Below! Amazing Presentation!

Abstract:
Eye-tracking research has existed for many years and been used within many domains (e.g., psychology, sports) to study attention, decision-making, and cognition. Eye-tracking research is relatively new to music education and offers new ways to study teacher behavior. Recent research has revealed that the visual attention and gaze behavior of music teachers varies as a function of teaching context and teaching experience (e.g., Heinsen, 2022; Hicken, 2023; Marcum, 2017).

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

Pictures from OMEA

02/06/2026

Deke Sharon is here with Arts for A ca****la Festival! He Held a Music Education Seminar here at BGSU!

Deke Sharon - attended Tufts and NEC. He is a widely recognized and respected pedagogue and performer 

Music director and arranger for hit film Pitch Perfect - and even sang on several of the songs - and was identified as Male Voice #1 

Diverse work with Disneyland, Disneyworld, Epcot, Straight No Chaser, Columbia Artists, performed with Run DMC, Crosby Stills and Nash, LL Cool J and the Temptations.