Dr. Jessica Vaughan-Marra is the Coordinator of Music Education at Seton Hill University (Greensburg, PA) and completed her Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in string pedagogy at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI). Prior to beginning her Ph.D. coursework in 2015, she taught instrumental music for nine years in the Cupertino Union School District (Cupertino, CA). She is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she completed her B.S. in Music Education in 2006 at Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA). She received her M.M. Music Education in 2010 from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL). Through her career, she has been an active member and presenter with the following organizations: The National Association for Music Educators (NAfME); Society for Music Teacher Educators (SMTE); American String Teachers Association (ASTA); Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA); Michigan Music Educators Association (MMEA); California Music Educators Association (CMEA); California Band Directors Association (CBDA); as well as the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic since 2007. Dr. Vaughan-Marra has co-authored published materials in the "Journal of Research in Music Education" (JRME), the "Journal of Music Teacher Education" (JMTE) as well as contributed to "The Oxford Handbook of Preservice Music Teacher Education and Critical Issues in Music Education: Contemporary Theory and Practice". Her research interests include: new music teacher digital mentoring and self-study approaches in music education.

Education

• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI — PhD in Music Education Graduation Date: May 2019 Cognate: String Pedagogy Additional Certifications: Suzuki Trained Instructor - Units 1 & 2
• Northwestern University, Evanston IL — Master of Music: Music Education, 2010 Duquesne University, Pittsburgh PA — Bachelor of Science: Music Education, 2006 Concentration: Oboe and English Horn Duquesne University Semester Abroad (Duquesne University: Rome Italy)

Publications

• Vaughan-Marra, J. (2019). New Teacher Learning in a Digital Mentoring Environment: Voices of the Mentors. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/149980
• Conway, C. M., & Marra, C., & Vaughan-Marra, J. C. (2022). The career of a music teacher: Students, parents, colleagues, and administrators. In H. Abeles & L. Custodero (Eds.), Critical issues in music education: Contemporary theory and practice (2nd ed.) (pp. 321-338). Oxford University Press.
• Weimer, K. & Vaughan-Marra, J. (2022). You Don’t Look Sick: Voices of Music Educators Living with Auto-Immune and Chronic Illness. Journal of Research in Music Education.
• Conway, C., Vaughan-Marra, J. C. & Marra, C. (2021). Balancing the varied needs of Master of music education students: Perceptions from program directors and alumni. Journal of Research in Music Education, 69(1), 105-120.
• Vaughan-Marra, J. & Shouldice, H. (2021). Teachers’ Experiences as Participants in a Music-Learning-Theory-focused Virtual Mentoring Program. Audea: A Journal for Research and Applications of Music Learning Theory, 21(1), 13-26.
• Conway, C., Marra, C., & Vaughan-Marra, J. C. (2020). Perceptions of program directors regarding design and implementation of the Master of music degree in music education. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 29(3), 91-105.
• Edgar, S & Vaughan-Marra, J. C. (2019). Beginning Band. In C. Conway, K. Pellegrino, A. M. Stanley, C. West (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Preservice Music Teacher Education in the United States. (pp. 807-826). Oxford University Press.

Awards

• Seton Hill University Faculty Innovation Award (2022) Best Practices in Mobile Technology (co-recipient) - Intersections Series: Visual Art & Music of Historical Periods The Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education – Outstanding Dissertation Award (2020) Award Nominee - Vaughan-Marra, J. (2019). New Teacher Learning in a Digital Mentoring Environment: Voices of the Mentors. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/149980 CMEA Gilbert T. Freites Outstanding Music Educator Award (2012) For emerging instrumental music educators with fewer than 7 years' experience
• CMEA Gilbert T. Freites Outstanding Music Educator Award (2012) For emerging instrumental music educators with fewer than 7 years' experience

Organizations

• National Association for Music Educators (NAfME) (2006 - Present)
• Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Member (2002-2006; 2017)
• America String Teachers Association (ASTA) Mentoring Project (2017)
• Michigan Music Educators Association Mentoring Program (2017)
• Society for Music Teacher Educators (SMTE) (2015–PResent) Co-Facilitator, Supporting Beginning Music Teachers ASPA of SMTE
• The California Arts Project (TCAP): “Collaborative Design Institute” Music Cadre Member (2014)
• California Band Directors’ Association (CBDA): (2007 - 2015) Assistant Special Projects Coordinator (2009 - 2015)
• California Music Educator’s Association (CMEA) (2006 - 2015) Bay Section chapter of CMEA board member (2010 - 2013) Solo and Ensemble Festivals host (2010 - 2014)

Presentations

• Vaughan-Marra, J. (2021) “Enhancing musicianship in the Beginning Ensemble” – Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Summer Conference (2021) & California All-state Music Educators Conference (CASMEC) (2022)
• Vaughan-Marra, J., Grantham, J., & Durbin S. (2017). Motivating the individual student in the large ensemble (Co-Presenter) – California All-State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC); Michigan Music Educators Conference (MMC); The Midwest Clinic: International Band and Orchestra Conference
• Vaughan-Marra, J. (2021). Window into Teaching and Learning: Video Review and New Music Teacher Mentoring – America Educational Research Association (AERA) Virtual Annual Conference
• Vaughan-Marra, J. (2021). New Teacher Learning in a Digital Mentoring Environment: Voices of the Mentors – National Association for Music Educators (NAfME) Virtual Research Conference

Performances

• Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 1 Junior High West Honor Band (2023) - Ensemble Conductor Seton Hill University Youth Honors Orchestra (2022; 2023) - Ensemble Conductor Seton Hill University – Guest Performer with Westmoreland Symphonic Winds (2021) Performer (Oboe & English Horn) San José Youth Symphony Philharmonic: Featured Oboe Soloist (2014) San José Wind Symphony: Oboe (2012)

Certifications

• Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate - K-12 Music Suzuki Trained Instructor - Units 1 & 2 (2016) Gordon Institute of Music Learning (GIML) Elementary General Music Level 1 Certification (2022)