APME Miami 2026: Full Schedule

Welcome to the APME Miami 2026 Conference!
Here you can register and update your Sched profile. A draft schedule will be available March 1, when you’ll be able to explore sessions and build your agenda.

Questions? Visit our website or email [email protected].

Join us June 4–6 at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, as we celebrate the rhythms, relationships, and revolutions shaping popular music education.

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

10:20am EDT

Preparing the Future-Ready Musician: Adaptability and Creative Growth in Undergraduate Popular Music Students

Thursday June 4, 2026 10:20am - 10:45am EDT

Volpe 102 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

This research explores how popular music education can prepare students to thrive in an unpredictable creative economy. By examining adaptability centered pedagogies such as rapid iteration, interdisciplinary collaboration, reflective practice, and AI supported creativity, the study proposes a framework for cultivating confident flexible and future ready musicians.

Speakers

Theo Metz

Assistant Professor, Samford University

Based in Birmingham, AL, Theo Metz is a multifaceted audio specialist, educator, and dynamic performer with over a decade of experience in music technology, live sound, and audio production. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Samford University, Theo teaches courses in... Read More →

Thursday June 4, 2026 10:20am - 10:45am EDT
Volpe 102 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME

3:30pm EDT

Fusing Musical Cultures: Developing Intercultural Competencies

Thursday June 4, 2026 3:30pm - 3:55pm EDT

Volpe 106 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

Have you heard Bluegrass-Grunge, Ska-EDM, or Funk-Irish Jig? This research presentation explores undergraduate music education majors’ experiences, discoveries, and musical products that influenced their perspectives on learning approaches, non-institutionalized musics, culturally respectful and authentic performances, and intercultural competencies.

Speakers

Tamara Thies

Area Director of Music Education, California State University, Long Beach

Tamara T. Thies, PhD is Area Director of Music Education for the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music and Co-Coordinator of Music Education for the Single Subject Credential Program in the College of Education at California State University, Long Beach. Currently, she is the Music Education in Higher Education Rep... Read More →

Thursday June 4, 2026 3:30pm - 3:55pm EDT
Volpe 106 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME

4:00pm EDT

A narrative investigation of one songwriter's journey to Nashville

Thursday June 4, 2026 4:00pm - 4:25pm EDT

Volpe 106 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

This narrative inquiry explores how one songwriter experiences the multiple transitions involved in moving to Nashville, Tenneseee, enrolling in an undergraduate degree program in commercial music, and navigating Nashville's professional songwriting scene. This study focuses on the participant's storied understanding of navigating these multiple transitions.

Speakers

Stuart Chapman Hill

Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education, Michigan State University

Stuart Chapman Hill, Ph.D., is a conductor, composer, teacher, and scholar who serves as Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at Michigan State University, where he teaches courses in music education and conducts Singing Spartans, the tenor-bass glee club Previously, he served... Read More →

Thursday June 4, 2026 4:00pm - 4:25pm EDT
Volpe 106 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME

11:50am EDT

Tarnish the Shiny Object: evaluating the learning technology in the music classroom

Friday June 5, 2026 11:50am - 12:15pm EDT

Volpe 106 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

This presentation examines just how useful certain learning technologies might be in contemporary music classrooms. We examine specific technologies, different theories of inquiry, and educational frameworks. We also discuss our conversations with current educators about the usability, affordances, and opportunities inherent in these learning technologies.

Speakers

Kate Gargiulo

Instructor, Student, Tessitura Network, UC San Diego Extension

Arts and entertainment industry veteran, Kate Gargiulo, has worked for both non-profit arts organizations and Fortune 500 companies including the Seattle Symphony, Kirkland Performance Center, The Broad Stage, and Live Nation Entertainment. Kate’s primary area of expertise is training... Read More →

Emily Langerholc

Doctoral Candidate/General Music Teacher, University of South Florida, Orange County Public Schools

Emily Langerholc is a 20 year veteran music educator from Florida. She has taught grades preK-12, teaching middle school band, chorus, exceptional music education, music appreciation, and currently teaches elementary general music in Orlando. She has taught in Broward, Palm Beach... Read More →

Friday June 5, 2026 11:50am - 12:15pm EDT
Volpe 106 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME

3:30pm EDT

Arranging for Voices, Horns & Strings

Friday June 5, 2026 3:30pm - 3:55pm EDT

Volpe 106 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

Explore basic techniques for arranging pop vocals, horns, and strings that balance creativity and practicality. Using written and DAW-based methods, learn to craft playable and singable arrangements that add diverse textures, rhythmic impact, melodic interest, and harmonic support. Includes real-world examples and tips for educators, producers, and songwriters.

Speakers

Brad Rees

Executive Director, Creative & Media Arts, Tiffin University

Brad Rees serves as Executive Director of Tiffin University’s Institute of Creative and Media Arts, where for 30 years, he has conducted university choirs, directed the award-winning a cappella ensemble Up in the Air, and taught voice, music theory, music production, and music business... Read More →

Friday June 5, 2026 3:30pm - 3:55pm EDT
Volpe 106 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME

3:30pm EDT

The "Pop Music Pyramid” – Constructing Holistic, Tradition-Conscious yet Innovative Studies in Higher Education

Friday June 5, 2026 3:30pm - 3:55pm EDT

Volpe 103 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

For students, both belonging to a music tradition and being innovative are crucial. But – how could these two be balanced most fruitfully? First, this session explores this frequent topic from a novel philosophical perspective. Second, it presents original practical implementations for everyday lessons and for constructing holistic programs and curricula.

Speakers

Dr. Kristian Wahlström

PhD, Lecturer in electric guitar and band performance, Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory

Dr. Kristian Wahlström is an established guitarist and has played professionally for over 25 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... Read More →

Friday June 5, 2026 3:30pm - 3:55pm EDT
Volpe 103 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME

4:00pm EDT

Who Played That? College Music Education Students’ Accuracy in Detecting AI-Generated Piano Performance

Friday June 5, 2026 4:00pm - 4:25pm EDT

Volpe 103 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

This study examines whether college music education students can distinguish between human and AI-rendered piano performances. Seventeen participants evaluated six excerpts across three musical styles. Results reveal detection accuracy (52%) was not significantly different from chance, and confidence ratings showed no correlation with accuracy, suggesting students cannot reliably distinguish AI-rendered from human performances.

Speakers

Tom Collins

Associate Professor, Frost School of Music, University of Miami

Tom Collins is Associate Professor of Music Engineering at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, and Principal Investigator of the Music Computing and Psychology Lab. His research bridges music perception, artificial intelligence, and creative technologies, with applications... Read More →

Anish Ghosh

Master's Student, Music Engineering, University of Miami

Anish Ghosh is a Master’s student in Music Engineering at the University of Miami and a research assistant with the Concerts with Humans and Artificial Intelligence (CHAI) project. With a background spanning music business, production, and engineering, his work examines how emerging... Read More →

Stacey Swanson

PhD Student, Music Education, University of Miami

Stacey Swanson is a PhD student in Music Education at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, researching the intersection of artificial intelligence, music business, and music education. She serves as Director of Operations for the Association for Popular Music Education... Read More →

Friday June 5, 2026 4:00pm - 4:25pm EDT
Volpe 103 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME

10:30am EDT

Amplifying Access: Rock Ensemble as a Catalyst for Inclusive Popular Music Education

Saturday June 6, 2026 10:30am - 10:55am EDT

Volpe 106 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

This research surrounds the concept of cultural capital and how the structures of music programs in higher education are built upon antiquated class distinctions. The session analyzes how the creation of a rock ensemble within a predominantly classical music department can serve as a transformative pedagogical intervention.

Speakers

Jesse Tyler Moore

Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Admissions Coordinator, Rock Ensemble Director, Instructor of Guitar and Bass Guitar, The Pennsylvania State University

Jesse Tyler Moore is an accomplished musician, administrator, and educator specializing in guitar and bass guitar instruction. With a deep passion for popular music genres such as rock, blues, funk, and metal, Jesse brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to his teaching. His... Read More →

Saturday June 6, 2026 10:30am - 10:55am EDT
Volpe 106 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME

11:30am EDT

Informally Educated vs. Formally Educated Musicians in Music Institutions: A Sense of Belonging

Saturday June 6, 2026 11:30am - 11:55am EDT

Volpe 203 @ Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

Students’ music education backgrounds shape belonging in higher education. Survey results show informal/non-formal learners feel more belonging than formally trained peers. Comfort with Western theory wasn’t a strong predictor, though a negative trend emerged. Findings suggest Western theory requirements may undermine inclusion, highlighting the need for curricula that value diverse musical literacies.

Speakers

Rhian Bristol

Student, University of Southern California

Rhian Bristol is a dynamic musician, educator, and multi-instrumentalist. She is currently working on her Doctorate in Music Teaching and Learning at USC after completed her masters in Popular Music Teaching and Learning at the USC and earning her BFA in VoiceArts Performance, with... Read More →

Saturday June 6, 2026 11:30am - 11:55am EDT
Volpe 203 Volpe Building, San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, USA

📚Research (25), HPME