Music Education Faculty

Phillip Payne, Professor and Chair of Music Education at Kansas State University, is a specialist in Instrumental Music Education. His duties at K-State include Lead Advisor for Music Education Majors, teaching undergraduate and graduate classes in music education, supervising student teachers, and overseeing all operational aspects of the music education program at K-State. Prior to K-State, Dr. Payne served as Director of Bands at Rogers State University and Assistant Director of Bands at Moore High School (OK). Dr. Payne holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Oklahoma. His research interests include assessment in music education, technology integration, music teacher recruiting and retention, personality and instrument choice, modern band pedagogies for the music classroom. Publications include co-authoring a book on assessment in music education entitled: Developing and Applying Assessments in the Music Classroom, as well as chapters in Applying Model Cornerstone Assessments in K-12 Music, and Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Dr. Payne has also published articles in Journal of Music Teacher Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Teaching Music, Research and Issues in Music Education and Music Educators Journal. He currently serves as the Chair of NAfME’s Assessment SRIG, Co-Facilitator of SMTE’s Program Admissions, Assessment, and Alignment ASPA, and Chairs the Research Caucus for KMEA. He serves as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor throughout the Midwestern United States and is an active member of The National Association for Music Education, Society of Music Teacher Education, and Kansas Music Educators Association.

 

 

Ruth Gurgel, Associate Professor of Music Education, is a specialist in Elementary Music Education at Kansas State University. Dr. Gurgel holds a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with minors in sociology and educational policy. Her research interests include methods for integrating culturally relevant pedagogy with music education as well as integrating music across the curriculum. Dr. Gurgel continues to present her research at national and international conferences and is publishing both a book and a series of articles for music educators. Dr. Gurgel began her career teaching elementary music in large urban school districts in Colorado and Wisconsin, instructing students in the areas of general music, band, choir, and orchestra. She brings an eclectic approach to the elementary music classroom, integrating the techniques of Kodaly, Orff, Dalcroze, and Gordon.

 

 

Frederick Burrack, Professor of Music Education, joined the Kansas State music faculty as a music education specialist in Fall 2005. He oversees the graduate studies for the Music Program and is Director of the Office of Assessment associated with the Provost Office. Prior to Kansas State, Dr. Burrack taught instrumental music education at Ball State University from 2002-2005 and instrumental music in the Carroll Community School District in Carroll, Iowa from 1982-2002. At Carroll High School he initiated student self-assessment and portfolio development into the performance program. Dr. Burrack’s research interests include student learning assessment methods, cross-disciplinary instruction, and instructional thought development in music teachers. He has numerous publications in music educators and assessment journals, and has presented nationally and internationally. Link to more information.