About Dr. MacLeod
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Dr. Rebecca B. MacLeod is Professor of Music Education and Daniel J. Perrino Endowed Chair in Music at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she teaches string education and conducts the University of Illinois Philharmonia Orchestra. Her research on working with underserved populations, vibrato technique, music teacher education, and music perception has been presented at the International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition, Music Research and Human Behavior International Conference, International Society for Music Education, National Association for Music Education National Conference, American String Teachers National Conference, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Society for Music Teacher Education, and music educators state conferences.
Dr. MacLeod is author of Teaching Strings in Today’s Classroom and coauthor of Clifford K. Madsen’s Contributions to Music Education and Music Therapy: Love of Learning. She is also a contributing author to Teaching Instrumental Music: Perspectives and Pedagogies for the 21st Century, Rehearsing the Middle School Orchestra, and Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra. Her research is published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music Education, Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, String Research Journal, Psychology of Music, The Strad, American String Teachers Journal, and various state music education journals. She has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Music Education, the String Research Journal, and as guest reviewer for the International Journal of Research in Music Education. She has received the UNCG Junior Research Excellence Award and the Researcher Award from the American String Teachers Association.
In demand as a guest conductor and clinician, Dr. MacLeod has conducted region and all state orchestras in over 20 states. She enjoys expanding musical boundaries by incorporating a variety of cultures and styles into the orchestra and has premiered collaborations such as The Glass, Electric Guitar Concert by Demir Demirkan; Love Me and Fly for Folk Band and String Orchestra by El Rich; and At the Purchaser’s Option by Rhiannon Giddens featuring banjo, fiddle, and vocalist; among others.
Prior to joining the UIUC faculty, she was Professor of Music Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for 18 years. She is recipient of the North Carolina Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award, the UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance Outstanding Teaching Award, and a semifinalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award.
During her early career, Dr. MacLeod taught elementary, middle, and high school orchestras in Hollidaysburg and Beaver, Pennsylvania. She received her undergraduate degree from Duquesne University and her MME and PhD from Florida State University.
Dr. MacLeod currently serves as immediate past president for the American String Teachers Association.