Alumni

TC Music Alumni Network Biographies

Patrick K. Freer is associate professor of choral music education at Georgia State University in Atlanta which offers programs at the baccalaureate, masters, and Ph.D. levels. He holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and Teachers College-Columbia University. Dr. Freer is a frequent guest conductor for all-state choruses and has made over 70 presentations at regional, national and international conferences. He is the author of Getting Started with Middle School Chorus and the DVD series Success for Adolescent Singers.  He presently serves on Editorial Boards for the International Journal of Music Education and the Middle Grades Research Journal, Research in Middle Level Education Online, and volumes 7 & 8 of the Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education. He has also served on the Editorial Committee for the Music Educators Journal and edited the journal's "Centennial Series" in celebration of MENC's 100th anniversary. Dr. Freer’s most recent articles are published in the Choral Journal, International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Music Education Research, Music Educators Journal, Philosophy of Music Education Review, Research Studies in Music Education, Southwestern Musician, Teaching Artist Journal, and UPDATE: Applications of Research in Music Education.  His chapter, “Boy’s Voices: Inside and Outside Choral Music” is in the new book, Music Experience Throughout Our Lives.

“I chose to study music education at Teachers College because the faculty afforded me the opportunity to develop as a researcher in an organic way, not in a contrived or pre-defined manner. The focus of my work is examining how the field of music education has functioned, what it does well, and what it needs to do better.  Teachers College prepared me well for this work by providing a solid grounding in research and inquiry while emphasizing the importance of philosophy and theory.  Research only matters if it can contribute to the musical experience of our students.”