Dr. Elizabeth Cassidy Parker is Education Director for PYCE, and is Professor of Music Education at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University. An active clinician for children’s and youth choirs, Parker held the position of Director of Music for a large New York City not-for-profit where she grew a children’s choir program of more than 250 voices. While on music faculty at Columbus State University in Georgia, she was appointed the Artistic Director of the Voices of the Valley Youth Choir. Parker has also taught P-12 school and community choirs in New York, Nebraska, and Georgia, focusing on the vocal development of young people in choral contexts. Parker’s research interests include the social and philosophical development of adolescent choral singers as well as emerging identities of preservice music educators. She frequently presents her research nationally and internationally at such conferences as the American Choral Directors Association, The American Educational Research Association, NAfME’s Society for Research in Music Education, the Society for Music Teacher Education, and the International Society for Music Education. Parker is published in research journals such as The Journal of Research in Music Education, The Choral Journal, Music Education Research, Research Studies in Music Education, and The International Journal of Music Education. She frequently engages educators in practitioner workshops, guest conducts in honor choirs, and adjudicates choral festivals. Parker holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory (BME and MME) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (PhD).
