Doctoral graduate receives national music award

Wesley Brewer, a 2009 graduate of the doctoral program in music education, has won the prestigious national “Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award" for music education. The award is given annually by the Council for Research in Music Education (CRME).

His winning dissertation is a study that follows five undergraduate music education majors through the last two years of their degree program. Brewer uses identity research and principles from sociology to describe how students develop an identity as a music teacher. Brewer’s dissertation was chaired by Dr. Sandra Stauffer, who was awarded the ASU Graduate College’s Outstanding Doctoral Mentor award for 2009.

While at ASU, Brewer was a teaching assistant in music education, instructor for the Sun Devil Marching Band, and conducted the University’s concert band. He also was named the Outstanding Arizona Jazz Educator of the Year in 2006.

“My time at the ASU School of Music was one of the most enriching and exciting times of my life,” Brewer said. “I formed lifelong friendships and collegial relationships with my mentors and peers in the doctoral program.”

Brewer joined the faculty of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University last year as an assistant professor of music education.