Karen Howard

Karen Howard serves as Professor of Music Education and Director of Graduate Programs in Music Education at the University of St. Thomas' College of Arts and Sciences. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focused on diversifying teacher dispositions, pedagogical practices, and music performance traditions while facilitating the Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy.

Education:

• PhD in Music, University of Washington
• MM in Music Education, The Hartt School, University of Hartford
• BM in Music Education, The Hartt School, University of Hartford

Her research critically examines children's musicking, diversifying repertoire, and global choral traditions through frameworks of anti-bias pedagogies and ethnomusicology. Howard develops equity-centered approaches that challenge systemic biases in music education, emphasizing cultural appreciation over appropriation and advocating for marginalized musical traditions. Her work bridges theoretical scholarship with practical classroom applications.

Analysis of her 2020-2025 publications reveals intensifying focus on decolonizing curricula, with geographic expansion from West African and Japanese traditions to Caribbean, Latin American, and Indigenous knowledge systems. Methodologically, she combines ethnographic fieldwork with critical race theory to address dysconscious racism in repertoire selection and develop ethical song research protocols for educators.

Professional Leadership:

• Director of Graduate Programs in Music Education
• Editor of World Music Initiative series (GIA Publications)
• Lead facilitator for Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course
• Author of World Music Pedagogy: Secondary School Innovations (Routledge)

Howard actively mentors doctoral candidates through EDLD dissertation courses while developing capstone projects focused on real-world implementation of equity frameworks. Her collaborative work with global culture bearers ensures authentic representation in educational materials, particularly through the Dance Like a Butterfly song collections and Realizing Diversity curriculum model.