Deborah Mitchell

Director of Music Education - Single Subject Credential Program
Music Single Subject Coordinator - Single Subject Credential Program

Office: UMC-C209
Phone: 562-985-4780
Email: mitchell@csulb.edu

Website: www.ced.csulb.edu

Biography

Dr. Mitchell is the Director of Music Education and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the credential program and graduate courses in the Master of Arts in Music Education. During her 35-year teaching career she has taught choral, instrumental and general music in public schools in Virgina, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and California as well as served on the music faculty at UCLA, USC, and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Dr. Mitchell is a violinist and string specialist and studied with Kato Havas and the late Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in Matsumoto, Japan. Currently she serves as Advocacy Chair for the California Association for Music Education (CMEA), chair of the California Coalition for Music Education, and is past-president of the Western Division of MENC (National Association for Music Education). She is a frequent speaker on advocacy issues and training in coalition building for the arts for both professional music organizations and parent/teacher organizations throughout California and has presented seminars in Nashville, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Hawaii, and Washington.

Degrees

D.M.A. , University of Southern California , 1985

Research Interests

Dr. Mitchell is a passionate advocate for music education and has conducted research on factors contributing to the success and delivery of music education in Massachusetts and California schools. Results have been published in music education journals, the Boston Globe, and a number of music advocacy websites. Since 2002 she has been involved in a longitudinal study of music instruction offered in 6 California school districts representing urban, rural and suburban communities to determine what factors influence consistent and sustained support for instruction, the delivery of instruction, and the future growth of music programs in California's public schools.

Campus Leadership

Dr. Mitchell has served as Director of Music Education since her appointment in 1994 and has been the liaison between the Single Subject Credential Program and the Music Department. She has served on the COTA Faculty Advisory Committee, the Music Department Faculty Advisory Committee, and has prepared curriculum changes and authored documents leading to CCTC approval of the undergraduate program in music education. She currently serves as COTA mentor for new faculty.

Last update: 7/18/07