The Jane Frazee Distinguished Scholar-Artist Series Saturday, July 19, 2025 | 1:00-4:30 p.m. Schoenecker Center Performance Hall
The 2025 Distinguished Scholar is Dr. Darrin Thornton
As we continue living post-pandemic, we are faced with unique opportunities to consider our musicking and music pedagogy through a 360-degree viewpoint of music engagement. Thus far, we have witnessed many musical organizations find ways to reach audiences in meaningful ways despite the many limitations the pandemic presented. School music groups, community music groups and professional musical organizations have become very intentional in their programming and purpose for each performance. These practices provide insights into the many possibilities of developing a praxis of engagement that challenges the outreach approaches in our teaching and performing and elicits greater collective joy within musical settings and beyond. Darrin Thornton believes music plays a universal role in our humanity and everyone has the ability to be musical throughout the course of life. His professional career has focused on teaching toward lifelong musical engagement in the public schools and providing leadership that fosters the musical engagement of adults, from college students to retirees. Dr. Thornton currently serves as associate dean for academic affairs and outreach for the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture, and he is a teaching professor of music/music education. Thornton’s research interests include teacher preparation and continued professional development, educational access, retention and belonging, learning in ensemble settings, and lifelong music engagement. RE-SOUNDING JOY BY DESIGN: Moving Toward a 360 Music Engagement Praxis
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