Kevin Watson

Kevin Watson is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Western University's Don Wright Faculty of Music, where he serves as Chair of Music Education and Director of the Jazz Ensemble. He is also a core team member of the Western University Music, Cognition, and the Brain Initiative, which brings together faculty from the Don Wright Faculty of Music, the Brain and Mind Institute, and the National Centre for Audiology.

Dr. Watson specializes in music psychology and jazz pedagogy, with research focusing on jazz education and music teacher preparation. His work has been published in major journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education and Music Education Research. He has presented his research internationally in England, Brazil, and the United States, and regularly serves as a music festival adjudicator and clinician for both jazz and concert bands.

Dr. Watson is the co-director of the Western Young Winds program, which provides supplementary instrumental music education for students in grades six through nine, and serves as director of the Western Summer Band Camp. His research explores the cognitive aspects of music learning, with particular focus on jazz improvisation and mental practice techniques.

His scholarly work reveals a consistent focus on understanding how musicians learn jazz improvisation, with particular attention to practice techniques, instructional methods, and cognitive processes. His research spans both theoretical and practical aspects of music education, bridging the gap between academic scholarship and classroom application.

• Jack Richardson London Music Award: Best Jazz Instrumental Solo or Group (2015)
• Western University Undergraduate Students' Council Teaching Honour Roll (2012-2013, 2015-2016)

Dr. Watson actively mentors undergraduate students through the Western Young Winds program, where pre-service music teachers gain practical experience under his guidance. He has served as an adjudicator for numerous music festivals including the Kiwanis Music Festival in St. Johns, NL, Atlantic Festivals of Music in Halifax, NS, and the Purdue University Jazz Festival.

As Artistic Director of the Western University Jazz Ensemble, Dr. Watson leads a group that performs music spanning all styles and eras of jazz, from classic repertory by Duke Ellington and Count Basie to contemporary works by Maria Schneider, Wycliff Gordon, and Geoffrey Keezer. The ensemble's mission is to develop students' performance skills and pedagogical knowledge for careers as creative jazz artist-teachers.