Cat Bennett, Ph.D.

Dr. Cat Bennett is an assistant professor of music education at Oakland University, where she teaches undergraduate introductory and capstone music education courses, choral methods, student teaching seminar, and supervises choral education student teachers in their internships. Cat also teaches graduate level music education courses.

Over the past 15 years, Cat has taught and studied vocal music in many countries around the world, teaching K – 12 general and choral music in Japan and Thailand and working as a volunteer music teacher in Honduras and South Africa. She has studied Hindustani Classical voice in India, choral music in South Africa, Tembang in Indonesia, and Ewe music in Ghana. Cat has performed as a contemporary vocalist in Japan and Thailand and, prior to completing her PhD at the University of Miami, studied vocal jazz and Creative American Music. Cat also has a BME from Ithaca College and a MME from Indiana University, where she served as assistant director of the International Vocal Ensemble for two years.

Her research centers around international, intercultural, and equity-based music pedagogies and music teacher education. She is currently conducting research on South American school music education and will travel to Ecuador and Chile for a number of projects in 2023. She has published in Update, the International Journal of Music Education (IJME), and the Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME); she is also on the IJME editorial board. She enjoys presenting regularly at international, national, and local events.

Cat loves learning about vast music pedagogy possibilities and sharing these with music teachers so they can build—in a way that is true to them and their community—authentic, creative, culturally relevant, and dynamic music education programs.