BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Raina Murnak – President
raina@popularmusiceducation.org
Dr. Raina Murnak is an Associate Professor and the Head of Contemporary Voice and Performance Artistry for Frost School of Music at the University of Miami where she has been innovating in higher education for the past 20 years. She is a co-founder of the renowned Frost Method of Experiential Musicianship, the founder and Director of Frost Summer Institute of Contemporary Songwriting. She is a multi-talented performer, vocalist, songwriter, producer, coach and choreographer for stage, television and in the studio. Additionally, she is Program Director of the Master of Arts in Popular Music Pedagogy for Frost Online and serves as the music curriculum designer for Pharell Williams’ school YELLOWHAB. Dr. Murnak holds both a BM and MA degree in Vocal Performance and Composition from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a DMA in Music Theory and Composition and Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Miami.
Candice Mattio – Vice President
candice@popularmusiceducation.org
Dr. Candice D. Mattio is Assistant Professor of Music Teaching & Learning, and leads the M.M. in Popular Music Teaching & Learning at USC’s Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. She is an award-winning music educator, and a multi-instrumentalist and music technology specialist. Her research focuses on creativity and representation in music technology education, and socio-political issues in contemporary and popular music education. She has partnered with organizations such as MusicWill, YWCA, Save the Music, Guitars Over Guns, Young Musicians Unite, NAMM, Music.AI (Moises) and others to provide equitable access to popular music education. Dr. Mattio recently served as the inaugural clinician for popular music ensembles with the CMEA Multi-Music Festival, and previously co-lead the FMEA All-State Popular Music Collective. Prior to USC, she was faculty at Florida International University, and previously was Chair of Fine Arts in Chicago Public Schools where she taught secondary general music, electronic music, live sound, recording and studio production, and popular music ensembles.
Chris Burns – Treasurer
chris@popularmusiceducation.org
Dr. Christopher Burns, with a deep commitment to music education, has a diverse academic and professional journey. Holding a PhD in Music Education from the University of South Florida, he emphasizes Learner-Centered Education, Popular Music, and Technology Integration. His work includes various teaching roles, from elementary to university levels, and a notable position as the District Fine and Performing Arts Resource Specialist in Osceola County since 2019. Dr. Burns actively contributes to the music education community, sharing insights on innovative teaching and music administration, while remaining engaged in continuous learning and development in his field.
Kristina Kelman – Secretary
Dr. Kristina Kelman is an academic, teacher, community music facilitator and jazz musician. Her research interests include the education of the aspiring musician. Kristina’s work also takes place in community music settings, most recently she collaborated with Australian ARIA award winner, David Bridie and First Languages Australia on a language project through original song. Since 2015, Kristina has coordinated an intensive recording program and music education project in Chennai, India, which produces an album of original music by emerging independent artists each year, distributed and promoted internationally. Kristina is a Brisbane based musician, who has had a successful 20-year career performing and recording as a jazz singer, and working as both a music director and conductor for various Australian projects.
Sandra Sanchez Adorno – Awards & Recognition Committee
Dr. Sandra Sanchez Adorno is an assistant professor of music education at Florida International University, where she teaches courses in elementary general music, assessment, psychology, and modern band. Dr. Adorno serves on the executive board of the Florida Music Education Association and as president of the Florida College Music Educators Association. Sandra also serves on editorial boards for The Orff Echo and Research Perspectives in Music Education. Dr. Adorno is trained in Orff Schulwerk, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and World Music Pedagogy, has worked as a general music teacher for public schools and outreach programs around the state, and continues to serve as a clinician and mentor for music educators nationwide. Most recently, Sandra secured a grant to fund Sing, Write, Play! an elementary outreach program geared toward songwriting that provided free instruments and instruction.
Meredith Allen
Meredith Allen is an award-winning educator, author, and passionate advocate for creative learning through music and technology. As Director of Education at Splice, she leads efforts to connect innovative tools with classrooms and music programs worldwide. Previously, she spent seven years at Spotify’s Soundtrap for Education, building a global educator community and leading initiatives that brought audio creation into schools. A former band director in Iowa, Meredith spent over a decade inspiring students through music. She’s especially passionate about bridging the gap between music education and the music industry—helping educators and students navigate and connect both worlds with confidence and creativity. Meredith brings to the APME board a strong commitment to expanding access to music production tools and real-world opportunities. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Education and a Master of Science in Technology in Education & Training, both from the University of South Dakota.
Shane Colquhoun – Digital Music Showcase Committee, Graduate Student Workers Program
Shane Colquhoun, Ph.D., is a Grammy-nominated music educator with a diverse musical background in both music education and music production. Shane currently serves as the band director at Loachapoka High School where he teaches band and general music. He has published in General Music Today, the Media Journal in Music Education, and has co-authored a book chapter, “Creativity and Non-Traditional Approaches for Middle-Level Music Education”, in the International Handbook of Middle-Level Education, Theory, Research, and Policy.
Helen Davies
Dr. Helen Elizabeth Davies is Head of Music (Academic) in the School of Music at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Liverpool, UK, where she has over 20 years’ experience leading the popular music studies and research strand of the BA Music degree programme. Helen has an MA in Popular Music Studies (distinction) and a PhD in Music from the Institute of Popular Music, University of Liverpool, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Her research interests include gender in music education and the music industry, popular music related visual creativities, music in everyday life and ethnographic research. She has published several peer-reviewed chapters and articles in these areas and is currently writing a monograph on approaches to analysing popular music visuals. Since 2019, she has collaborated with the organisation UK Music on their biennial research into diversity in the UK music industry and is a member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) Journaleditorial board.
Virginia Davis – Scheduling Committee
Dr. Virginia Wayman Davis is Professor of Music Education at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where she teaches courses in music education and research for undergraduate and graduate students. She is on the editorial board of The Journal of Popular Music Education and the advisory board of the Desert Skies Symposium on Research in Music Education. Dr. Davis is published in the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, General Music Today/Journal of General Music Education, The Journal of Popular Music Education, The Journal of Music Teacher Education, and several others, in addition to several upcoming authored and edited books and book chapters. Her research interests include meaningful music education practices, secondary general music, drumming and percussion, and popular music education. Dr. Davis currently plays percussion with the Valley Symphony Orchestra (TX) and her faculty pop/rock band, The Minör Revisiöns.
Ruth Debrot – APME Live Committee
apmelive@popularmusiceducation.org
Ruth A. Debrot espouses a joyful approach to music-making. Presently, she is the Coordinator of Practicum and Licensure at Boston University. Her journal publications include Frontiers in Psychology andThe Journal of Popular Music Education and the Massachusetts Music Educators Journal. She has contributed book chapters to Living Song: Singing, Spirituality, and Wellbeing, Points of Disruption in the Music Education Curriculum; Volume 2, and Methodological Musings: Thinking with Narrative in Music Education Research. Research presentations include the Association for Popular Music Education, Desert Skies Research Symposium, the Mayday Colloquium, the National Association for Music Education, and NIME 8. She is a co-organizer for the Play On Music Festival; a festival centered on performances by non-traditional ensembles in the Boston area. When she is not teaching, Ruth enjoys singing and performing in her rock band Notorius Jones. She is the vocalist for the Roy Scott Big Band, and the keyboard player for the Blue Moon Orchestra. Prior to teaching at BU, Ruth enjoyed a highly successful career as a middle school music educator.
Heather Fortune – APME Live Committee
ampelive@popularmusiceducation.org
Educator and Flutist Heather Fortune leads Middle and High School instrumental ensembles at Friends Select, a Quaker school in Philadelphia, PA. Her inclusive approach centers student voice and choice, utilizes good music technology to empower learners, and builds responsive classroom spaces. Heather coaches rock bands and conducts orchestras, and is a prolific arranger of symphonies, pop classics, Latin grooves, jazz standards, and modern mind-benders. Her publications include Breaking Band – Legacy Ensembles Transformed, available at FFlat Books. In addition to conducting and coaching ensembles, Heather provides program support to schools and music education non-profits. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Rock To The Future, which supports positive youth development and economic empowerment through free, student-driven music programs for Philadelphia youth. Heather received her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music in Flute Performance from Boston University and maintains an active freelance career.
Kevin Longwill – APME Live Committee
apmelive@popularmusiceducation.org
Kevin Longwill is the Director of Music Industry at Abington High School in Abington, PA. As a K-12 music educator, his coursework focuses on music production, modern band, digital literacy, commercial music, songwriting, and artist development. Kevin founded the district’s music industry program, M3 (Modern Music Makers), which was named as one of Music for All’s Advocacy in Action Award winners for 2024. The program boasts a considerable roster of individual performers and student-run ensembles, modern band and touring ensembles, full production company including audio, video, lighting, and post-production, and student-run record label, M3 Records. Kevin is on the faculty at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, where his coursework focuses on music education and commercial music. Kevin’s efforts in K-12 and post-secondary education saw him named to Yamaha’s 40 Under 40 list in 2024, and twice nominated for the Grammy Music Educator Award. Kevin regularly writes and presents on the topics of music industry and technology programming in schools, and often serves as clinician and consultant to assist students, educators, and school districts in developing music industry and commercial music programs in schools.
Nate Holder
Nathan Holder is an award-winning author, international speaker, musician and education consultant. With over a decade of experience, Nate has been advocating for inclusive and diverse music education globally through speaking engagements, writing, and consultancy. As an experienced public speaker, Nate has led numerous CPD training, workshops and lectures for schools, universities, and hubs to tackle issues including pedagogy and critical perspectives in music classrooms, departments, and boards. His collaborations include working with top artists such as Ghetts, KOKOROKO, Emeli Sandé and Arkells, as well as with leading companies and organizations like BBC, Hal Leonard Europe, Oxford University Press and Harper Collins. Nate’s contributions extend beyond his consulting work. He serves on the board for F-flat books, Music Teacher Magazine, and is a member of the Advisory Group to the Africa APPG’s Inquiry into Africa in the UK Curricula. Currently, he holds the position of Professor and International Chair of Music Education at the Royal Northern College of Music. His work aims to inspire and empower learners and educators to embrace inclusive and diverse music education.
Cassandra O’Neal – Educational Programs Committee
Cassandra O’Neal has seven years’ worth of stories from her time playing keyboard for legendary musician Prince. Today, as practitioner-in-residence at Columbia College Chicago, O’Neal teaches her students lessons from more than 20 years of working as a musician alongside artists like Mary J. Blige, LeAnn Rimes, Macy Gray, and, of course, Prince. In her music theory courses, O’Neal teaches her students a mix of classic and contemporary musicians like Adele, Donna Summer, and Prince. Even as she’s played alongside some of the world’s most famous musicians, O’Neal remains a student herself—including the years she spent studying alongside Prince until his 2016 death. “He was such a masterful musician, not just in skill but in concept as well. He had a little hint of dissonance that always worked,” she says. “[It was like] taking a master class, every day, for seven years.”
Bryden Stillie
Bryden Stillis is an Associate Professor in Music and Head of Learning and Teaching in the School of Creative Industries at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland. He graduated from the prestigious BA Applied Music programme at The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, in 1999, and has subsequently completed two PGCert qualifications in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (2008), and Blended and Online Education (2017). His teaching specialisms include performance, music technology, music education, and musicianship skills. His research fields include: developing new pedagogic approaches to teaching hybrid drum kit performance; exploring learner transitions into Higher Education; and using learning technologies to enhance the student learning experience.
Kristian Wahlström
Kristian Wahlström, PhD, is an established guitarist and has played professionally for over 20 years in the Finnish music scene. As a freelancer, he has performed live with, e.g., Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks) and Perttu Kivilaakso (Apocalyptica) as well as recorded with Darude among others. He has taught guitar and bands now for over 20 years at the Pop & Jazz Conservatory in Helsinki, the first institution for popular music in Scandinavia. He also teaches guitar pedagogy. He holds a PhD in musicology, awarded by the University of Helsinki. His research interests include student-centered pedagogy, groove, and psychodynamic music research.
Brian Wilkins – Sponsorships & Partnerships Committee
sponsorship@popularmusiceducation.org
Brian Wilkins is a manager, educator, technologist, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience. Brian has held executive positions at major record labels (Sony/BMG/Universal), entertainment companies (Clear Channel/SFX), educational institutions (UM Frost School of Music) and technology companies (NUSIC/Lark42). His management roster has included Rihanna, Alex da Kid, and Sean “The Pen” Garrett. Collectively Brian’s clients have over 40 Grammy nominations, 8 billion streams, and 500 million in sales including writing/producing credits for superstars Jay-Z, Madonna, Eminem, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Imagine Dragons, Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, SZA, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Camila Cabello, Travis Scott, and others.
Tom Zlabinger – Sponsorships & Partnerships Committee
Dr. Tom Zlabinger is an Associate Professor of Music at York College / CUNY in New York City, where he has taught popular music performance and directed the York College Band since 2003. He holds a B.A. in music from Grinnell College, an M.A. in jazz performance from Queens College / CUNY, and a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the CUNY Graduate Center. His dissertation, FREE FROM JAZZ: The Jazz and Improvised Music Scene in Vienna after Ossiach (1971–2011), explores the development of jazz and improvised music in post-1970s Austria. Dr. Zlabinger has published on music in and around media franchises such as The Big Lebowski, Peanuts, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, The Simpsons, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Wars. His current research interests include online live performance, open jams, and the intersections of blues, jazz, and psychedelic music.A performer on both electric and upright bass, he also sings and plays guitar.
APME OPERATIONS
Stacey Swanson – Director of Operations
admin@popularmusiceducation.org
Stacey is a Ph.D. student in Music Education at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. She received her BMus in Music Education and Music Performance in Bassoon from The University of Georgia and her MM in Music Education from the University of Miami. Her career spans nearly 20 years in the classroom, private studio, and the music products industry. Recent roles include editor-in-chief for In Tune Partners, Chief Operating Officer for Practicing Musician, and National Lesson Manager for Music & Arts. She also serves as Board of Directors Treasurer for Give a Note Foundation.
Bryan Powell – Founding Executive Director
bryan@popularmusiceducation.org
Dr. Bryan Powell is Associate Professor of Music Education and Music Technology, and Coordinator for the Recording Arts and Production degree at Montclair State University. Bryan teaches classes in popular music, modern band, and music technology, and directs the Montclair State popular music ensemble. He is also the Chief Program Officer for Music Will, and former Director of Programs for Amp Up NYC, a partnership between Berklee College of Music and Little Kids Rock. A former NYC public school music teacher, Bryan has served as the Founding Executive Director of the Association for Popular Music Education since 2013, and is the past-Chair for the NAfME Popular Music Education Special Research Interest Group.He is the founding co-editor of the Journal of Popular Music Education, co-author of Popular Music Pedagogies: A Practical Guide for Music Teachers (Routledge), series co-editor for Contemporary Music Making and Learning (Intellect Books), and editor of The Modern Band Handbook (OUP).
Kayla Rush- APME Blog Editor
Dr Kayla Rush is an Assistant Professor in Music at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland. An anthropologist of music, her current research projects examine private-sector popular music schools and 21st-century cassette tape practices. Her work has been published in Ethnomusicology, the International Journal of Music Education, and the Journal of Popular Music Education, among others. Kayla served for four years as editor-in-chief of the open-access Irish Journal of Anthropology. She is passionate about demystifying the publication process and helping others put their ideas out into the world. As APME’s blog editor, she is especially interested in ensuring the blog represents diverse voices from popular music education. If you have an idea for a blog post, even if it isn’t fully formed yet, please get in touch!
Rhian Bristol – APME Intern
Southern California born and raised, Rhian Bristol sings, writes music, plays piano, ukulele, bass, and guitar, and is open to learning any instrument you put in her hands; however, by far, her favorite thing to do is perform because it gives her the opportunity to share her experiences and move people. A consummate performer at a young age, Rhian has a stunning ability to channel her feelings, joys and challenges into her music. Rhian earned her BFA in Music, Voice Arts Performance with a minor in Music Theory at California Institute of the Arts and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Popular Music Teaching and Learning at USC Thornton School of Music.
Aidan Harvey – APME Intern
Aidan Harvey is a Ph.D. student at Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland.
.
.
.
President’s Advisory Council
Chris Sampson
Gareth Dylan Smith
Kat Reinhert
John Kratus
Past Leadership
Odie Blackmon (Board member)
David Fish (Board member, Past President)
Darla Hanley (Board member, President 2015–2015)
Steve Holley (Board member, President 2023-2025)
Mia Ibrahim (Board member)
Jamie Knight (Board member)
Irwin Kornfeld (Board member, Treasurer)
Andy Krikun (Board member)
Warren Petit (Board member)
Joe Pignato (Board member)
Bryan Powell (Executive Director, 2014–2023)
Kat Reinhert (Board member, President 2019-2021)
Carlos Rafael Rivera (Board member)
Rey Sanchez (Board member)
Chris Sampson (Board member, Past President)
Cheryl Slay-Carr (Board member)
Andy Stott (Board member)
Gareth Dylan Smith (Board member, President 2017–2019)
Alice Tsui (Board member)
Martina Vasil (Board member, President 2021–2023)
Donna Weston (Board member)
Cliff Wittstruck (Board member, Past President)
Past Interns
Corin Anderson
David Dockan