Assistant Professor of Music
Area Coordinator of Music Education
Department of Music Chair
colleen.sears@tcnj.edu
609.771.2758
Music Building 212
Ed.D., Music Education, Teachers College, Columbia University
M.A., Music Education, Eastman School of Music
B.M., Music Education, The College of New Jersey
Dr. Colleen Sears is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at The College of New Jersey where she teaches:
- MUS 241: Introduction to Music Education
- MUS 358: Social Justice, Music, Education
- MUS 392: Contemporary Issues in Music Education
- MUS 394: K-8 Music Practicum
- MUS 398: 7-12 Instrumental Practicum
- MUS 490: Student Teaching Supervision
- MUS 492: Student Teaching Seminar
Dr. Colleen Sears is an associate professor and the coordinator of music education at The College of New Jersey where she also leads curriculum development and interdisciplinary programming for the Institute for Social Justice in the Arts which she co-founded in 2014. Dr. Sears spent ten years as a music educator in New Jersey’s public schools and enjoys exploring her research interests through innovative collaborations with K-12 music educators and students. Her research focuses on equity and access in music education. Her current projects engage students and educators with issues of social justice through music performance and interdisciplinary aesthetic experiences. She has published in Music Educators Journal, Action Criticism and Theory for Music Education, and Music Education Research. She recently authored a book chapter entitled, “Put Your Big Girl Panties On: A Female Band Director’s Career in a Culture of Masculinity” which appears in the book, Marginalized Voices in Music Education. She frequently presents her work at regional and national conferences including the New Directions in Music Education Conference, the MayDay Group Colloquium, the Society for Music Teacher Education Conference, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and the CBDNA (College Band Directors National Association) West/Northwest and National Conferences. Dr. Sears regularly guest lectures at institutions across the country, facilitates social justice educational initiatives with composer Ted Hearne, and coordinates professional development sessions for local music educators. She holds a Bachelor of Music from The College of New Jersey, a Master of Arts from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Education in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
To learn more about Dr. Sears’ work on equity, access, and social justice in music education, please click here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ctSLXfX9n_yZOrDHNlhN3Nwb9dvjKUsi?usp=sharing