Dedicated experts with a proven record of success.

Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Director of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned the B.M.E., M.M.E., and Ph.D. from the Florida State University and came to the University of Kansas in 1992.

Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson has served as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, and on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education. He has also served one term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education and the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education. 

 Johnson received a university teaching award - the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music. A former high school band director, Johnson has nearly 30 years of experience in arts education and integration. In recent years, Johnson has designed and implemented two federally funded projects focused on providing critical thinking-based professional development for fine arts and traditional classroom teachers.

Becky Eason received her doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Kansas. She is the President of WordCraft LLC, which has as its mission to provide excellent, individualized strategic services to arts organizations and other non-profits to encourage their viability and growth. WordCraft is currently providing project facilitation and evaluation services to the US Department of Education, The NAMM Foundation, the Kansas Department of Transportation, and Harvesters Community Food Network, among others.

 Prior to founding her own company, Eason was the Associate Director of the Center for Public Partnerships & Research at the University of Kansas, where she served as Principal Investigator/ Project Director on numerous multi-million dollar grants. Her specialties include strategic planning, group facilitation, wellness coaching, and project evaluation.  Becky is an experienced presenter who has traveled around the country working with companies and nonprofits to maximize their potential for growth and success.  She has also delivered professional development on numerous subjects in a variety of settings—from the traditional classroom to the boardroom.

 When she's not working with organizations to help them realize their own strengths, Becky is fostering rescue Corgis or teaching at Lawrence Jazzercise, where she is a certified fitness instructor.  Becky lives in Lawrence, KS with her husband, two kids, two Corgis, and a rotating group of foster pups.

Becky Eason

I’m excited by the opportunity to bring the power of Art Education to as many educators as possible. And I love to tell the story of Arts Education through compelling research and evaluation.

Cindy Colwell

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Cindy Colwell joined the KU faculty in the fall of 2000. Colwell earned the BME degree from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, the MM degree in music therapy from The Florida State University and the PhD in music education from The Louisiana State University.

Her primary research interests are Orff music therapy, mainstreaming in music education, attitudes of teachers and students toward children with disabilities, and teacher and therapist training. Upon arriving at KU, she developed a new practicum position with the pediatric unit at the Kansas University Medical Center for advanced students. She currently serves on the editorial boards for Update: Applications of Research in Music Education and The Journal of Music Therapy. 

 As a previous elementary general music teacher and as a board certified-music therapist using music as the therapeutic medium for developing academic and social skills in children with disabilities, Colwell has nearly 30 years of experience designing curricula for a changing world and training both teachers and therapists.  In addition, Colwell has provided instruction for teachers integrating the arts and academic standards, both with music teachers and with elementary and middle school grade-level teachers.