Dr. Mary Ellen Cavitt is Associate Professor of Music Education at Texas State University where she recently received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching for the College of Fine Arts and Communications. Dr. Cavitt received the Bachelor and Master degrees in music performance from The Juilliard School and Ph.D. in music education from The University of Texas at Austin. While teaching instrumental music in Texas public schools, her bands received numerous awards and she was named Outstanding Young Bandmaster of the Year at the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention. Dr. Cavitt served as adjunct professor of horn at The University of Texas at Arlington and Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and performed professionally in several orchestras in Texas, New York, and Arizona. She currently performs with the Prince Solms Brass Quintet. Dr. Cavitt has served on the music education faculties of Michigan State University, The University of Arizona, and The University of Texas at San Antonio and coordinated the instrumental music programs as an administrator for North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. She is an active clinician and adjudicator in instrumental music and her research has been presented at regional, national, and international conferences in the fields of music education and music therapy. Dr. Cavitt currently serves as the editor for the Texas Music Education Research Journal and her recent work can be found in the Journal of Research in Music Education and the Journal of Band Research. Dr. Cavitt is the Texas Music Educators Association Region 18 College Division Chair and Chair for the Instructional Strategies Research Interest Group for the MENC: National Association for Music Education. Dr. Cavitt’s teaching responsibilities at Texas State University include instrumental techniques, educational methods, graduate music education courses, and supervision of student teachers.