About:

Juliet Hess is an associate professor of music education at Michigan State University's College of Music, where she teaches secondary general methods in music education, principles in music education, disability studies in music education, philosophy and sociology of music education, and a course on race issues in music teaching. Her book, Music Education for Social Change: Constructing an Activist Music Education, explores the intersection of activism, critical pedagogy, and music education. Her second book, Trauma and Resilience in Music Education: Haunted Melodies, is an edited volume co-edited with Deborah Bradley. The volume acknowledges the ubiquity of trauma in our society and its long-term deleterious effects while examining the singular ways music can serve as a support for those who struggle. Hess’ third book, Madness and Distress in Music Education: Toward a Mad-Affirming Approach, aims to find ways to support students and educators with experiences of Madness and/or distress in music education.

Hess received her Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from the department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. She received her master’s and bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Toronto. Her research interests include anti-oppression education, activism in music and music education, music education for social justice, trauma-informed pedagogy, disability and Mad studies, and the question of ethics in world music study. Hess formerly held a position teaching elementary and middle school vocal, instrumental, and world music at a public school board in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada. 

Hess has presented at many national and international conferences, including the Research in Music Education Conference (RIME) in the UK, the International Society for Music Education (ISME) Conference, the MayDay Colloquium, the Society for Music Teacher Education, and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Conference. Her scholarly research has been published in journals that include the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Philosophy of Music Education Review, International Journal of Music Education, Action, Criticism, & Theory for Music Education, Visions of Research in Music Education, Music Education Research, Research Studies in Music Education, Disability Studies Quarterly, Studies in Philosophy and Education, Proteus: A Journal of Ideas, and Encounters on Education.

For further informations on the books of Dr. Hess:

Author of Madness and Distress in Music Education: Toward a Mad-Affirming Approach
Author of Music Education for Social Change: Constructing an Activist Music Education
Co-Editor of Trauma and Resilience in Music Education: Haunted Melodies