Emmett O’Leary

Dr. Emmett O’Leary is an assistant professor of music education in the School of Performing Arts at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prior to his work in Virginia he served as associate professor of music education at the Crane School of Music, SUNY-Potsdam. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho (B.M. Music Education), Washington State University (M.A. Music), Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (M.S. Music Technology), and Arizona State University (PhD Music Education).

Dr. O’Leary has specialized in instrumental music education, secondary general music, and music technology. Prior to his work in teacher education, he served as an Assistant Band Director at the University of Notre Dame where he taught courses in instrumental conducting and brass techniques, and worked with ensembles such as the Notre Dame Symphonic Winds, Brass Ensemble, Tuba-Euphonium Choir, and the Band of the Fighting Irish (Notre Dame’s marching band).

Dr. O’Leary’s public school music teaching experience includes work as a high school band director in the Lake Havasu City (AZ) and Meridian (ID) school districts.

His research interests include competition in music education, instrumental music pedagogy, popular music pedagogy, phenomenology, technology in music instruction, and creativity. His research has appeared in the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Journal of Band Research, Journal of Popular Music Education, and College Music Society Symposium. He has presented at the American Educational Research Association National Meeting, New Directions in Music Education Conference, Desert Skies Symposium, Society for Music Teacher Education Symposium, Technology Institute for Music Educators National Conference, Texas Music Educators Association Conference, Arizona Music Educators Association Conference, and the Instrumental Music Teacher Educators Symposium.