104. Dr. Heather Lofdahl, Assistant Professor of Music Ed at The Ohio State University discusses her career and shares some of her favorite go-to pedagogy tips

Episode 104 — Dr. Heather Lofdahl: Expanding String
Education & Teacher Training





Join us for a conversation with Dr. Heather
Lofdahl, Assistant Professor of Music Education at
The Ohio State University and recipient of the
2025 OSU Distinguished Teaching Award. We discuss her work
expanding access to string education through community
partnerships, her leadership with the Newark-Granville Youth
Symphony, and her research. A passionate educator and clinician,
Dr. Lofdahl shares a few tips for string teachers and some
valuable insights.





— BIOGRAPHY —





Dr. Heather Lofdahl is Assistant Professor of Music Education at
The Ohio State University, where she directs the string education
program. In addition, she serves as Music Director of the
Newark-Granville Youth Symphony and music education specialist
for Play Us Forward, a community partnership aimed at increasing
access to string instruction for underserved students. Dr.
Lofdahl is the recipient of the 2025 Ohio State School of Music
Distinguished Teaching Award.





Dr. Lofdahl is published in the String Research Journal and
American String Teachers Journal. She is an active member of the
American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and the National
Association for Music Education. Through these organizations as
well as the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the
International Society for Music Education, Dr. Lofdahl has
presented research and pedagogy sessions at the Symposium for
Music Teacher Education; International Society for Music
Education Conference (Glasgow, Scotland and Helsinki, Finland);
American String Teachers Association National Conference; and
various state conferences. Her research is focused on equity and
access in music education, best practices of outstanding string
teachers, and practice behaviors of string players. In addition,
Dr. Lofdahl serves on the ASTA Content Committee and is
President-Elect of the Ohio String Teachers Association.





Dr. Lofdahl holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music Education and
Viola Performance from Augustana College, Master of Music degrees
in Music Education and Viola Performance from the University of
North Carolina Greensboro, and a PhD in Music Education from the
University of North Carolina Greensboro. She is an active guest
conductor and clinician throughout the United States and abroad.





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