I am a leading professor of music education dedicated to exploring how musical learning unfolds across formal and non-formal practices. My research spans competence assessment, instructional quality in music classrooms, arts education’s potential for cultural literacy and social inclusion, digital tools in music education, and videographic analyses of learning practices. With more than 70 academic publications to date, my work reflects a broad thematic range and is published in international high impact outlets. [see Publications]
I have co-edited several major volumes and special issues, and regularly peer-review for leading academic journals. I also serve as an evaluator for European research proposals, and I am a member of the Horizon Europe reference group for Cluster 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society) at the Norwegian Research Council (NFR).
Over the years, I have successfully acquired and led multiple large-scale externally funded research projects. Currently, my main focus is the coordination of the Horizon Europe project dialoguing@rts, which investigates how performing arts education can foster cultural literacy and social inclusion. [see Research]
CV
Since 2025 Visiting Professor (professor II) at the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH), Oslo (Norway)
Since 2018 Professor of Music Education at Nord University, Faculty of Education and Arts, Campus Levanger (Norway); head of the research group “music-related learning processes“; 2024–2027 Member of the national reference group for Horizon Europe Cluster 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Societies); 2025 Member of the Swedish Research Council’s review panel for Subject didactics (UV-4)
2022–2025 Visiting Professor (professor II) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim (Norway)
2016–2018 Professor of Music Education at the University of Music Lübeck (Germany); Head of the “Centre for Teacher Education” (ZfL)
2013–2016 Professor of Music Didactics/Artistic Practice in Music at the University of Erfurt (Germany); Head of department (music), 2014–2016 Vice Director of the Erfurt School of Education (ESE)
2010–2013 (Associate) Professor of Music Education at the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart (Germany)
2010 Doctorate (Dr. phil.) at the University of Bremen (Germany)
2008–2009 Coordinator of the BMBF research program “An Instrument for Every Child” (JeKi) at Bielefeld University (Germany)
2007–2009 Research fellow at the University of Bremen (Germany), DFG project KoMus
2005–2006 Church musician in Schwäbisch Hall (St. Michaelis Church, Germany)
2000–2006 Various positions as music educator, church musician, conductor, and band leader
1998–2006 Studies in organ, church music, and music education (music teacher for secondary schools) at the universities of music Weimar, Stuttgart (Germany) und Stockholm (Sweden)
Awards & Competitions
2013 Scientific Society of Music Education (WSMP), Sigrid-Abel-Struth-Prize
2006–2008 Franz and Christel Kuhlmann-Foundation, Scholarship
2005 International Organ Competition Zürich-Wiedikon, Finalist
Affiliations
German Association for Research in Music Education (AMPF),
2011–2016 & 2020–2022 Board member, 2014–2016 Chairman
2006–2010 Chairman of the Doctoral Students Network,
German Society for Music Psychology (DGM)
European Association for Music in Schools (EAS)
International Society for Music Education (ISME)
Music Pedagogy in Development (MiU)
Nordic Network for Research in Music Education (NNRME)
Norsk Forum for Musikkpedagogisk Forskning (FoMuP)
Scientific Society of Music Education (WSMP)
Reviewer
Journals & Books
Bulletin of empirical music education research (b:em), 2011–2015 Editorial Board member, 2016–2022 Co-Editor
International Journal of Education & the Arts (IJEA)
International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education (ISAME)
Journal for Research in Arts and Sports Education (JASED)
Journal „Frühe Bildung“
Music Education Research (MER)
Nordic Research in Music Education (NRME)
Research in Music Education – German Association for Research in Music Education (AMPF)
Yearbook of Music Psychology/Jahrbuch Musikpsychologie (JBDGM), Editorial Board member since 2024
Zeitschrift für Pädagogik (ZfPäd)
Research Funding
German Research Foundation (DFG)
Scientific Commission of the State of Lower Saxony
Slovak Research and Development Agency (SRDA)
Swedish Research Council (vr)
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)