Carlos R. Abril
Professor

About Me
Quote
As an educator at the Frost School, I strive to empower my students by having them construct knowledge and make broad connections that are meaningful to their unique professional goals and intellectual curiosities. I seek to facilitate a personal change or expansion in thinking about music, education, community, and life, that is relevant in contexts beyond the university classroom.
Biography
Carlos R. Abril is Professor of Music Education and Associate Dean of Research at the Frost School of Music, where he teaches courses in philosophy of music, general music methods, and equity, access, and diversity in music education.
His body of research seeks to identify, document, and eliminate visible and invisible barriers to the study of music in schools. That work is published in numerous research and professional journals, as well as in books. His books include the forthcoming General Music: Dimensions of Practice (co-edited with Dr. Brent Gault, published by Oxford), Teaching General Music: Approaches, Issues, and Viewpoints (Oxford), and Musical Experiences in Our Lives: Lessons We Learn and Meanings We Make (Rowman & Littlefield). His music and instructional materials have been published by World Music Press and McGraw-Hill’s Spotlight on Music.
Dr. Abril has served on the Research Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts and is Chair of the Society of Research in Music Education. He has also served on over ten editorial boards in North America, South America, and Europe, including the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, and Revista Complutense Investigación en Educación Musical.
Prior to joining the University of Miami, Dr. Abril was an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at Northwestern University. He received his Ph.D. in music education at The Ohio State University, an M.M. in performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a B.M. in music education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He is also a former general music and choral educator in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he was named the Region V Teacher of the Year and awarded the Cervantes Outstanding Educator Award. He is a recipient of the Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship and the University of Miami Provost’s Research Award.
Honors & Acknowledgements
Professional Experience
Career Highlights
- Conducts research that aims to identify, document, and eliminate barriers to the study of music in schools.
- Recently appointed to a term as Chair of the National Association for Music Education Society for Research
- Published an article in the Music Educators Journal with Dr. Brent Gault and their book, Teaching General Music, was translated into Korean
- Visiting scholar at Columbia (NY) in 2020
- Gave lectures at Northwestern, Indiana University, Temple, and the University of North Texas in 2020
- Served as a consultant and program reviewer for Ravinia's Reach Teach Play program in Chicago.
- Presented research, keynote addresses, and workshops in applied music education for children across North and South America, as well as in Europe and Asia.
- Served on 10 editorial boards in North America, South America, and Europe, including Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, and Revista Internacional de Educación Musical.
- Served on the Research Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts
- Serves as Chair-elect of the Society for Research in Music Education Executive Board
Honors, Awards & Competitions
- Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship
- University of Miami Provost Research Award
- Northwestern University Faculty Honor Roll
- Fellow of the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence at Northwestern University
- Miami Dade Schools Region V Teacher of the Year
- Cervantes Outstanding Educator Award
Publications
- Teaching General Music: Approaches, Issues, and Viewpoints (Oxford University Press), co-edited book. (translated into Korean)
- Musical Experiences in Our Lives: Things We Learn and Meanings We Make (Rowman & Littlefield), co-edited book
- Authored over 50 articles in journals/magazines and chapters in books
- Contributed music and instructional materials in the textbook, Spotlight on Music (MacMillan/McGraw-Hill)
- Contributed to the Yale Declaration on Equity in Music for City Students
- Arranged choral music published by World Music Press.