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Carla Becker, EdD

Dr. Carla BeckerAssistant Professor
Music Education/Music Education Program Coordinator

EDUCATION    

Ed. D, Doctor of Education: Teachers College, Columbia University, NY.
Music Education

Doctoral Student, Percussion Performance:  University of Washington, Seattle, WA.  
Ethnomusicology Emphasis   

MM, Master of Percussion Performance:  University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Ethnomusicology Emphasis

BME, Bachelor of Music Education:  Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI.                                 

WORK EXPERIENCE 

COLLEGIATE TEACHING  

  • Delaware State University, Dover, DE
    Music Education Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Music Education
  • Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, NY 
    Director of Student Teaching
  • Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, NY
    Student Teacher Supervisor for the Music Program 
  • Shoreline Community College,  Shoreline, WA 
    World Music Instructor
  • North Seattle Community College,  Seattle, WA 
    World Music Instructor

K-12 TEACHING                         

17 Years Seattle Public Schools.
Elementary General Music Teacher: Seattle, WA 

  • K-5 General Music:  Orff, Dalcroze, Kodaly, World Music, Steel Pan 

Washington Middle School (6-8th): 
General Music Teacher: Seattle, WA 

  • Marching Drum-line, General Music, Steel Pan and West African Drum Ensemble 

PUBLICATIONS 

  • Curriculum, Creativity, and Pedagogy, Not Worlds Apart: (In Review) 
  • Hip Hop or Not:  Critical Lyricism through a Freedom of Expression (In Review)  
  • Hip Hop Music Education:  Co-creator of Website:  http://www.hiphopmusiced.com/ 
  • Journal of Negro Education  Book Review: (Published, 2016) Fasching-Varner, K. (2012). “Working through Whiteness: Examining White Racial Identity and Profession with Pre-Service Teachers.
  • Teachers College Press Book Review: (Published September 26, 2015) John Finney, Felicity Laurence and Contributors (2013) “MasterClass in Music Education:  Transforming Teaching and Learning”  http://www.tcrecord.org/content.asp?contentid=18127  
  • American Orff-Schulwerk Association   Orff Reverberations: (2014), “Ghanaian Children’s Games and Songs for the Elementary Music Classroom  

PRESENTATIONS  

  • “Creativity, Identity, and Curricula:  Tri/Partisan Agreements” March, 2019
    Enacting Curricular Change in Music Education through Vernacular Music Conference. OH
  • “Improvisation Samples across Genre’s:  Closing Distinctions of Hierarchy” May, 2019
    International Society for Improvised Music Conference:  Minneapolis, MN
  • “Implementing Popular Music Ensembles in 6th-12th Grade Settings”   March, 2019
    Delaware Music Educators Professional Development Day:  Dover, DE
  • “Diversified Learning in Dalcroze and Orff Methods”   March, 2019
    Delaware Music Educators Professional Development Day:  Dover, DE
  • “Showing your Real Self: Voice of Identities in Culturally Reflective Expression” May, 2019. 
    Visions of Research in Music Education Conference: Westminster Choir College, NJ
  • “Rasta, Reggae, and Websites” Feb., 2019 
    Global Reggae Conference:  Institute of Caribbean Studies & Reggae Studies Unit. University of the West Indies, Mona
  • “Implementing Intention:  A Semester of Intention Setting, how’d it go?” Oct. 6, 2018
    10th Annual Ass. for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education Conference.  Amherst, MA.
  • “Dalcroze Eurhythmics for Performing Groups and General Music” Oct. 4, 2018
    Delaware Music Educators Association Annual Conference.  Middletown, DE
  • “Hip Hop or Not:  Critical Lyricism through a Freedom of Expression” July, 2018
    International Society for Music Education.  Munich, Germany 
  • “High School Students’ Self-Representation through Popular Music” June 24-27, 2018 
    Association for Popular Music Education Conference.  Middle Tennessee State University, TN 
  • “Freedom, Liberation, and Justice in Creative Arts Education” April 28, 2018
    Liberation Education Conference.  San Jose State University, CA 
  • “Freestyle or Pre-Composed Critical Literacy” March, 2018  
    Music Research and Teacher Education National Conference.  Atlanta, GA 
  • “STEM to STEAM: Music Technology in a High School for Performing Arts” April, 2018
    International Technology and Engineering Educators Association.  Atlanta, GA
  • “Just Give Me a Beat and We Can Create: Creative Music Making K-12”  Oct. 2017 
    Delaware Music Educators Conference.  Smyrna, DE
  • “De-Africanizing the Multi-Cultural Classroom:  The Privileging of European Aesthetics Despite Good Intentions of Music Education.”  June 28-July 3rd, 2017
    Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education:  Mbabne, Swaziland. 
  • “Transforming K–12 Music Curricula for the 21st Century: How College Music Educators Can Help” Oct. 27- 29, 2016 College Music Society.  Santa Fe, NM
  • “Critical Thinking in Creative Ensembles” June 3 -5, 2016
    College Music Society. 21st Century Music School Design.  Columbia, SC 
  • “Voices Often Unheard.”  Nov 6th, 2015. 
    College Music Society Conference, Indianapolis, IN 
  • “Becoming”: The Powers of Creativity in Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Learning for High School Students of African American Decent.” Oct. 26th, 2015. ​​​​​​​
    Nafme National Conference.  Nashville, TN 
  • “Something Old-Something Re-Created:  Wrestling with Student Interest and Creative Pedagogy during demands of Teacher/Student Assessment.”  Oct 2nd, 2015.
    Delaware State Music Education Conference.  Smyrna, DE 
  • “STEAM with Music: Interrelations with Learning” November 6th-8th, 2014.
    International Conference on Urban Education. Kingston, Jamaica 
  • “Orff Workshop”  November 19th, 2013. 
    Teachers College, Columbia University 
  • “Reflective Identities and the Programs of Engagement”  March 19-22nd, 2014. 
    New Directions in Music Education Conference: Michigan State University, MI  
  • “Hip-Hop Education Pedagogy: Why and Why Not?” November, 2013.  
    Hip-Hop Think Tank 111 Series. (Panel) Schomburg Center for Research, NYC
  • “Reflective Artistry: African American High School Students’ Artist Identities and the Programs of Engagement” March, 2013. 
    National Association of Study and Performance of African American Music: Birmingham, AL 
  • “Gender Stereotypes in Instrumental Music Preference Choice” April, 2013. 
    Research in Music Education Conference: England 
  • “Culturally Relevant Pedagogy for the World’s Minority Students” July, 2012. 
    International Society for Music Education: Thessaloniki, Greece  
  • “Orff Workshop for NYC Public School Music Teachers” October, 2011.  
    Harlem Children’s Zone: NY, NY 
  • “Gender Stereotypes in Instrumental Music Preference Choice” April, 2011.
    Graduate Students Conference, Penn State University 
  • “Percussion Workshop for the Non-Percussionist Music Educator” 11/2010 & 3/2011.
    Teachers College, Columbia University: NY, NY 
  • “Ghanaian Children’s Games and Songs for the Elementary Music Classroom” May, 2009. 
    Arts Time Conference:  Tukwila, Washington

MUSIC PERFORMANCE 

Percussion

Dr. Becker has played percussion in Washington and Michigan based symphonies and the Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble. She has played in multiple West African and Caribbean ensembles, notably with Chief I.K Dairo from Nigeria, Koo Nimo from Ghana, and Senegalese ensembles. She has played Steel Pan with Ray Holman Steel Pan Ensemble and Okinawan Taiko with Shinjo Sensei.  Jazz drumset is another preferred medium of expression for Dr. Becker. 

RECORDINGS & CREATIVE ACTIVITIES 

PROFESSIONAL RECORDINGS:   

  • 2000: Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble: DMP Label:  Far More Drums  My written transcription of Wangarisi-Waa, from John Chernoff’s compact disc entitled   Master Drummers of Dagbon.  
  • 1993: Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble, DMP Label:  Lift Off 
  • 1991: Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble, DMP Label:  Different Strokes​​​​​​​

RESEARCH

  • 2018:  Reggae, Rasta and Website:  Comparison of I-Tunes and Apple Music top 20 Reggae Playlists compared to Jamaican Radio top 20 Reggae Playlists.  Critical Media Studies (In Progress)
  • 2018:  Percussion Methods Curriculum across the USA: Compare and Contrast (In Progress)
  • 2018:  Six Case Studies of Student Experience’s with Diversity and Inclusion:   Collaborate with Colleagues in various institutions.  (In Progress)
  • 2018:  Intention Setting:  How’d it go?:  An end of the semester student reflection’s on first exposure and implementation of mindful intention setting.  Delaware State University
  • 2017:  The Effect of Organizing Creative Music Making Opportunities for Incoming Freshman:  Delaware State University 
  • 2015:  Critical Thinking and Creativity: Freshman Seminar Course.  Delaware State University
  • 2014:  African American High School Students in a Space of Creative Engagement:  From Can’t to Can:  Dissertation: High School for Recording Arts, Minneapolis, MN. 
  • 2000:  Ghanaian Children’s Music Drum Language of the Ashanti: Kumasi, Ghana
  • 2000-2011:  Reggae Music:  Jamaica and various USA Reggae Festivals Press Passes granted for interviews l997   Jamaica:  Montego Bay: Reggae Sumfest; l998  Monterey Reggae Festival; Long Beach Reggae Festival