Anita Prest

Anita Prest is Associate Professor of Music Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Victoria, Canada, residing on the unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples. Of Italian descent and born in Montreal (Tiohtià:ke), she focuses on decolonizing music education through community-engaged scholarship with Indigenous communities across British Columbia.

Her research examines the embedding of local Indigenous knowledge, pedagogies, and worldviews in public school music classes through community-based participatory research. Guided by an Indigenous Steering Committee and in partnership with multi-First Nation, Métis, and non-Indigenous collaborators, her work has secured four Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grants. She holds the Faculty of Education Lansdowne Scholar appointment in Decolonizing Music Education (2025-2028), reflecting her leadership in transforming music education frameworks.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Lansdowne Scholar in Decolonizing Music Education (2025-2028)

Prest teaches undergraduate music education courses for secondary specialists and elementary generalists, plus graduate research methodology courses. With 20 years of prior K-12 music teaching experience in rural and urban settings, she mentors future educators while leading international scholarly initiatives. She co-founded the ISME Decolonizing and Indigenizing Music Education special interest group, served on the MayDay Steering Committee, and contributed to the ISME Commission on Policy: Culture, Education, and Media.

Her collaborative work operates through an Indigenous Steering Committee framework with multi-First Nation, Métis, and non-Indigenous partners, extending through the ISME special interest group she co-established to advance decolonizing practices globally.