معرفی
Dr. Kristofer Olsen serves as Assistant Professor of Arts Education within the Department of Education, College of Education, Health & Human Development at Montana State University. His work bridges performance practice, decolonial scholarship, and K-12 teacher preparation, with office location in Reid Hall 117 and contact via kristofer.olsen@montana.edu.
His educational foundation includes:
- Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Arts, Ohio University (2016)
- M.M. in Percussion Performance and World Music, West Virginia University (2003)
- B.A. in Music Education and Mathematics Education, Saint Olaf College (1994)
Dr. Olsen's research centers on musical diaspora as decolonial praxis, examining how forms like steelpan embody resistance and cultural transformation across African and Caribbean contexts. He challenges Western educational fragmentation by advocating for integrated arts pedagogy where creativity serves as both subject and cognitive methodology. His fieldwork in Ghana and Trinidad & Tobago reveals how communities naturally interweave artistic practice with daily learning—a model he adapts for U.S. classrooms to address arts access disparities.
As an active performer with Bozeman Symphony and PanTana Steel Orchestra (which he founded), Dr. Olsen brings embodied knowledge to courses like EDU 204IA Arts & Lifelong Learning and EDM 420 Methods: K-8 Creative Arts. His service leadership includes the Montana Music Educators Association Board and AERA's Caribbean and African Studies SIG, reflecting commitment to transforming educational systems through arts-centered approaches that prioritize critical engagement over technical proficiency.
