104. Dr. Heather Lofdahl, Assistant Professor of Music Ed at The Ohio State University discusses her career and shares some of her favorite go-to pedagogy tips

The Orchestra Teacher Podcast

Episode 104 — Dr. Heather Lofdahl: Expanding String Education & Teacher Training

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Heather Lofdahl, Assistant Professor of Music Education at The Ohio State University and recipient of the 2025 OSU Distinguished Teaching Award. We discuss her work expanding access to string education through community partnerships, her leadership with the Newark-Granville Youth Symphony, and her research. A passionate educator and clinician, Dr. Lofdahl shares a few tips for string teachers and some valuable insights.

— BIOGRAPHY —

Dr. Heather Lofdahl is Assistant Professor of Music Education at The Ohio State University, where she directs the string education program. In addition, she serves as Music Director of the Newark-Granville Youth Symphony and music education specialist for Play Us Forward, a community partnership aimed at increasing access to string instruction for underserved students. Dr. Lofdahl is the recipient of the 2025 Ohio State School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award.

Dr. Lofdahl is published in the String Research Journal and American String Teachers Journal. She is an active member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and the National Association for Music Education. Through these organizations as well as the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the International Society for Music Education, Dr. Lofdahl has presented research and pedagogy sessions at the Symposium for Music Teacher Education; International Society for Music Education Conference (Glasgow, Scotland and Helsinki, Finland); American String Teachers Association National Conference; and various state conferences. Her research is focused on equity and access in music education, best practices of outstanding string teachers, and practice behaviors of string players. In addition, Dr. Lofdahl serves on the ASTA Content Committee and is President-Elect of the Ohio String Teachers Association.

Dr. Lofdahl holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music Education and Viola Performance from Augustana College, Master of Music degrees in Music Education and Viola Performance from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and a PhD in Music Education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She is an active guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States and abroad.

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