Five Days of Music Pedagogy Research and Hands-On Application
Over five days in Vancouver, the Pedagogy into Practice conference and the Workshops in Music Theory Pedagogy combine to explore the latest research in music theory and aural skills pedagogy and put it into practice in interactive, hands-on sessions. Attend either event on its own and gain valuable insights and strategies, or experience both to move from inspiration to application.
Joint Keynote Speaker: José Antonio Bowen
José Antonio Bowen, author of Teaching Naked, Teaching with AI, and Teaching Change.
José Antonio Bowen has been leading innovation and change for over 45 years at Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southampton (UK), as a dean at Miami University and SMU and as President of Goucher College. Bowen worked as a musician with Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck, and many others and his symphony was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music (1985). Bowen holds four degrees from Stanford and has written over 100 scholarly articles and books, including the Cambridge Companion to Conducting (2003), Teaching Naked (2012 and the winner of the Ness Award for Best Book on Higher Education), Teaching Change: How to Develop Independent Thinkers using Relationships, Resilience and Reflection (2021) and Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (2024; 2nd edn 2026) with C. Edward Watson. Bowen has appeared in The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, has three TED talks, and he has presented more than 500 keynotes and workshops in 47 states and 22 countries around the world. In 2010, Stanford honored him as a Distinguished Alumni Scholar and in 2018 he was awarded the Ernest L. Boyer Award for significant contributions to American higher education and is now a senior fellow for the American Association of Colleges and Universities. He lives in Dallas and also does innovation and inclusion consulting for a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies.
Two Complementary Events in One Week
Pedagogy into Practice Conference
May 29–31, 2026 (Friday-Sunday)
What began as a small gathering of music theory educators in 2017 has grown into a thriving community of 120+ participants who are dedicated to improving music theory and aural skills instruction through research and scholarship. The PIP Conference provides an essential forum for sharing peer-reviewed research and innovative approaches to teaching musicianship at all levels.
What You’ll Experience at PIP:
- Practical Applications – Discover strategies and techniques you can implement immediately into your own classroom
- Pedagogical Philosophy – Explore the foundations of effective teaching and student learning
- Resources and Tools – Learn about new technologies and methodologies to enhance your teaching approach
- Current Research – Stay informed about the latest findings in pedagogical research and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Pedagogy into Practice Keynote Speaker: Melissa Hoag
Melissa Hoag, Professor of Music Theory (Oakland University) and Chief Reader, College Board AP Music Theory exam.
Melissa Hoag is the Doris and Paul Travis Professor of Music Theory and music department chair at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where she has coordinated the music theory curriculum since 2007. Her research spans theory pedagogy, 19th- and 20th-century art song analysis, voice-leading analysis, and serial strategies in the music of Elisabeth Lutyens. Her essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in journals and collections such as The Routledge Companion to Music Theory Pedagogy (ed. VanHandel), BACH: Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute, Music Theory Online, Gamut, Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, Music Theory and Analysis, Dutch Journal of Music Theory, and College Music Symposium. Her 2022 edited volume Expanding the Canon: Black Composers in the Music Theory Classroom seeks to make headway toward redressing the historic underrepresentation of Black composers in music theory curricula by offering accessible analyses, lesson plans, and pedagogical strategies.
In 2023, Melissa was named Chief Reader for the College Board’s AP Music Theory exam, a role in which she serves on the test development committee and oversees the scoring of roughly 19,000 AP music theory exams each June. She is also co‑editor of the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy and currently serves on the Executive Board of the Society for Music Theory. She has previously served as secretary for Music Theory Midwest, and on the editorial boards of Music Theory Online, SMT-V, and College Music Symposium.
Throughout her teaching, research, and service, she remains deeply invested in making music theory accessible, relevant, and inclusive.
Who Should Attend:
We welcome educators from all backgrounds and institutions, including undergraduate and graduate students, high school music teachers, community college instructors, and university faculty from both large and small institutions. This diverse community creates rich opportunities for learning and collaboration across different contexts.
Conference Highlights
- Keynote presentation by José Antonio Bowen, author of Teaching Naked, Teaching Change, Inclusive Teaching and Teaching with AI
- Keynote presentation by Melissa Hoag, Professor of Music Theory (Oakland University) and Chief Reader, College Board AP Music Theory exam
- Interactive poster session
- Peer-reviewed research spanning practical applications to theoretical discussions
- Presentations from both experienced educators and emerging scholars, including graduate students
- Networking opportunities with colleagues
Complete Your Learning with Hands-On Workshops
Workshops in Music Theory Pedagogy
May 31-June 2, 2026 (Sunday–Tuesday)
Take your teaching to the next level with immersive, hands-on professional development in music theory and aural skills pedagogy. Guided by leading facilitators, you’ll explore practical teaching strategies and creative approaches to lesson design, assessment, and course planning, providing you with tools you can put to work in your classrooms right away.
What You’ll Experience at the Workshops:
- Keynote presentation by José Antonio Bowen, author of Teaching Naked, Teaching Change, Inclusive Teaching and Teaching with AI
- Collaboration with facilitators and colleagues specializing in creative approaches to theory and aural skills pedagogy.
- Interactive poster session
- Practical skill-building you can apply directly in your teaching.
- Zoom/asynchronous follow-up discussions with facilitators and colleagues.
Workshops in Music Theory Facilitators
Leigh VanHandel is Associate Professor of Music Theory at the University of British Columbia. Her primary research areas are music theory pedagogy, music cognition, the relationship between music and language, computer-assisted research, and how those things all relate to one another. She has served on the Executive Board of the Society for Music Theory, most recently as Vice President, and on the AP Music Theory Test Development Committee. She has published in journals such as Music Perception, The Journal of New Music Research, Empirical Musicology Review, Music Theory Online, Music Theory Spectrum, and The Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy. She edited and contributed to The Routledge Companion to Music Theory Pedagogy (2020), which won the Society for Music Theory’s Outstanding Multi-Author Publication Award in 2022.
Stacey Davis is Professor of Music Theory and Associate Director of the School of Music at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her research is centered around making connections between the analysis of musical structure, empirical research in music cognition and perception, studies of expressive performance, and music theory pedagogy. Published articles appear in The Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, Music Perception, Psychology of Music, Musicae Scientiae, Music Theory Online, BACH: Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute, and Understanding Bach. She is a 2019 recipient of the University of Texas System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award and holds the title of Distinguished Teaching Professor at UT San Antonio.
Philip Duker is Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Institute for Transforming University Education at the University of Delaware. His research interests include: pedagogy (music theory and more broadly), artificial intelligence, music perception, analytical systems, and repetition in Twentieth-Century music. He served as the lead editor and organizer for Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy from 2014–2022. He has published articles and book chapters in venues such as: Perspectives of New Music, The Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, Music Theory Online, GAMUT, and the Routledge Companions to Music Theory Pedagogy and Aural Skills Pedagogy. Along with Patricia Burt, he won SMT’s 2024 Pedagogy of Music Theory Award.
Who Should Attend:
- Teachers of music theory and aural skills at any level: high schools, colleges, universities, conservatories, or AP/RCM systems.
- Faculty, contingent instructors, and graduate students looking to strengthen their teaching toolkit.
How Pedagogy into Practice and the Workshops connect:
- Attending Pedagogy into Practice? Stay for the Workshops and turn your conference inspirations into classroom transformations.
- Only attending the Workshops? You’ll still expand your teaching toolkit with hands-on guidance from expert facilitators in theory and aural skills pedagogy.
Registration
Registration for Pedagogy into Practice or Workshops in Music Theory Pedagogy as individual conferences include that conference, a catered breakfast and dinner on May 31st, and the Keynote event on May 31st.
Registration for both Pedagogy into Practice and Workshops in Music Theory Pedagogy includes both conferences, the catered breakfast and dinner on May 31st, and the Keynote event on May 31st.
Note
Early registration (until April 1, 2026):
Full-time faculty
Student and contingent faculty
Regular registration (after April 1, 2026):
Full-time faculty
- Pedagogy into Practice only: $500 CAD ($360 USD)
- Workshops in Music Theory Pedagogy only: $500 CAD ($360 USD)
- Both PiP and the Workshops: $900 CAD ($648 CAD)
Student and contingent faculty
- Pedagogy into Practice only: $400 CAD ($288 USD)
- Workshops in Music Theory Pedagogy only: $400 CAD ($288 USD)
- Both PiP and the Workshops: $700 CAD ($504 USD)
Accommodations
On-campus housing is the most convenient (and least expensive) option; there are very few hotels or AirBnBs near UBC’s campus.
If you wish to come early or extend your visit to Vancouver, the conference/workshop rates can be extended two days on either side of the events; please contact the housing office directly with any questions.
On-campus accommodation options include:
$215 CAD ($155 USD)/night: Signature studios at Gage Suites – premium private studio with queen bed, kitchenette, wireless internet, television, air conditioning, and private bathroom.
$69 CAD ($50 USD)/night: Premium single room at Gage Towers – private single bedroom with shared living room, kitchen and bathroom (shared with three other guests). Wireless internet is included; room is not air conditioned.
$59 CAD ($42 USD)/night: Standard single room at Gage Towers – private single room with shared living room, kitchen, and bathroom (shared with five other guests). Wireless internet is included; room is not air conditioned.
These heavily discounted rates are valid until April 28, 2026; regular market rates will apply after that time, and availability is not guaranteed. To view information about housing options, and to make your reservation, follow the link and select either the “Suites” tab or the “Budget rooms in shared apts.” tab.
Guests can also call or email the Reservations Office:
Reservations Office
Tel: 604 822 1000
Toll Free: 1 888 822 1030
Email: reservations@housing.ubc.ca
Note
Meals
Breakfast and lunch will be available through an on-campus meal plan; dinner will be on your own. There will be a catered dinner on May 31st, which is included with registration for all participants.
Meal plan purchase: Coming soon
Travel
Pedagogy into Practice and Workshops in Music Theory Pedagogy are being held in Vancouver, Canada. International participants do not need to apply for a visa to attend, but must have a valid passport or other ID that will allow entry into Canada.
The closest airport is Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and public transportation is easily available from the airport to campus. Other regional airports include Abbotsford (YXX, 40 miles from Vancouver) and Bellingham, WA (BLI, 54 miles from Vancouver), although both take approximately two hours to reach campus via public transportation.
Contact
To join our contact list or for further information, send an inquiry to: leigh.vanhandel@ubc.ca.
Leigh VanHandel, Co-Director
School of Music
University of British Columbia
