Diana Dansereau

Diana R. Dansereau, Associate Professor of Music, and Chair of Music Education, is dedicated to enriching the musical lives of young children. She demonstrates this by researching music learning in early childhood; implementing innovative musical experiences in early childhood and elementary settings; working with pre- and in-service music teachers to critically analyze research and practice; serving professional organizations whose missions pertain to advancing children’s music learning; and evaluating arts organizations’ and schools’ music programs for children.

Dr. Dansereau is Principle Editor (founding) of the International Journal of Music in Early Childhood published by Intellect (UK) and co-editor of the book Pluralism in American Music Education Research: Essays and Narratives published by Springer (NL). She is published in Psychology of Music, Journal of Research in Music Education, Arts Education Policy Review, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music in Early Childhood, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Community College Review, International Journal of Community Music, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal of Montessori Research, Music Educators Journal, Perspectives: Journal of the Early Childhood Music & Movement Association, and Massachusetts Music News. She is active as a presenter at national and international conferences and an author in the Oxford Handbook on Care in Music Education (Oxford University Press, UK), Learning from Young Children: Research in Early Childhood Music (Rowman & Littlefield, US), Tales, Myths and Stories: Exploring Narrative Methodologies in Music Research (Springer, NL), and others. Dr. Dansereau has chaired the National Association for Music Education’s Early Childhood Music Special Research Interest Group, co-authoring Early childhood music education: A position statement of the National Association for Music Education. She was Vice President/Director of Publications of the Early Childhood Music & Movement Association,  and was a member of the Music Educators Journal Advisory Committee. Dr. Dansereau currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Music Teacher Education and is a commissioner of the International Society for Music Education’s Early Childhood Music Education Commission.

She teaches elementary methods to undergraduate students, graduate courses in early childhood music education, the psychology and sociology of music teaching and learning, quantitative research in music education, and supervises doctoral research. Prior to her appointment at Boston University, she was an instructor at Georgia State University, held teaching assistantships at Georgia State and Penn State, and served as Assistant Director of Education & Outreach for the Pittsburgh Symphony. She taught elementary general and instrumental music in Rochester, NY, and has taught early childhood music in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.