Karen Salvador

ABOUT

Karen Salvador is Associate Professor of Music Education at Michigan State University’s College of Music, where she teaches courses regarding music in early childhood and elementary general music as well as graduate seminars on music teaching and learning, music education psychology, and musicians’ health and wellbeing. Prior to her appointment at Michigan State, Dr. Salvador coordinated the music teacher certification program at the University of Michigan-Flint. She previously taught elementary general music (K-4) in Eaton Rapids, MI; choir and drama in Palmerston North, New Zealand; early childhood music at the MSU Community Music School; children’s choirs in Grand Rapids, MI; and early childhood music at the UM-Flint Early Childhood Development Center.

Dr. Salvador earned her PhD in music education and Master’s degree in choral conducting from Michigan State University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Western Michigan University. Her research pertains to how music educators meet individual student needs, particularly in early childhood and elementary grades. This research extends into music teacher education, exploring both program practices for music educator preparation and the lived experiences of music educators who are working to become more inclusive and responsive educators. Recently, Dr. Salvador has been focusing on the impacts of divisive concepts laws and the DEI backlash on music education curricula, students, and teachers. Her research appears in journals including Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music in Early Childhood, Arts Education Policy Review, Research Studies in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, and Music Educators Journal. Dr. Salvador contributed material on inclusive praxis to Music Play 2: Early Childhood Music Engagement Plans. Guide for Parents, Teachers, Caregivers, and Children (2020) and The Routledge Companion to Creativities in Music Education (2023) and is a co-editor of the forthcoming book Toward Equity in School Music: Ideas for Practice in Music Teacher Education.

Dr. Salvador directs the MSU Children’s Choir and the Early Childhood Music Play Laboratory, which includes extensive music education programs for children ages birth-7 years old at Michigan State’s Community Music Schools in East Lansing and Detroit. She is a past president of the Michigan Music Education Association and a past president of the National Association for Music Education’s ten-state North Central Division. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music in Early Childhood, and Journal of Music Teacher Education.

Selected Recent Research Publications

Salvador, K. & Shaw, R. D. (2025). Music educators’ perceptions of divisive concepts laws. Arts Education Policy Review. Published online first.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2025.2540777.

Salvador, K. & Sierzega, A. (2025). US music education professional association DEI leaders’ recommendations for inclusive praxis. Journal of Music Teacher Education. Published online first. https://doi.org/10.1177/10570837251327343

Salvador, K. & Menon, S. (2025). Lived experiences of adult caregiver “nonmusicians” and “non-singers” in early childhood music classes. Journal of Research in Music Education. 73(1), 67-86. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224294241247578 

Salvador, K., Bohn, A., & Martin, A. (2024). Divisive Concepts Laws and music education: PK-20 music educators’ perceptions and discourses. Arts Education Policy Review. 125(4), 352–368. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2023.2286598

Salvador, K. & Sierzega, A. (2024). Lived experiences of diversity equity inclusion leaders in US music education professional associations. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education. 241 7-29.

Salvador, K., Knapp, E., J., & Mayo, W. (2024). Moving beyond data collection: Fostering community engagement in community music schools. International Journal of Music Education 42(2) 203-216. https://doi.org/10.1177/02557614231163556

Salvador, K. & Sierzega, A. (2023). Formative experiences of DEI leaders in music education. Journal of Research in Music Education 71(2), 133-154. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224294221123076

Salvador, K. & Mayo, W. (2022). Lived experiences of caregivers in early childhood music classes. International Journal of Music in Early Childhood. 17(1), 25-46. https://doi.org/10.1386/ijmec_00041_1

Salvador, K., Svec, C., Glaser, J., Sierzega, A., & Broadway, A. (2022). At the intersection of belief and practice: A mixed-methods study of elementary general music educator praxis. Psychology of Music. 50(5) 1494–1510. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356211050670

Salvador, K., & Culp, M. E. (2021). Characteristics of early childhood and elementary general music methods coursework for preservice music teachers. Journal of Music Teacher Education. 31(1), 39-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/10570837211024529

Culp, M. E., & Salvador, K. (2021). Music teacher education program practices: Preparing teachers to work with diverse learners. Journal of Music Teacher Education. 30(2), 51-64. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083720984365

Salvador, K., Paetz, A., & Tippetts, M. (2020). Gemütlichkeit, vulnerability, emotion, and story: A constructivist grounded theory of transformative experience for practicing music teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education. 68(2), 193-215. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429420920630