Casey Collins
Casey Collins is a clinical assistant professor of music education at Purdue University Fort Wayne. She teaches undergraduate courses in elementary and secondary general music methods, introduction to music education, freshman success seminar in music education, elementary music for the elementary educator, and is the student teaching coordinator for the School of Music. Prior to PFW, Dr. Collins taught PK-5 elementary general music in North Carolina where she was awarded Teacher of the Year and honored as an Excellence in Education district finalist. In 2018, Collins was awarded the Global Teacher of the Year from Participate Learning. Though elementary general music is her main passion, Dr. Collins has a love for playing the flute and can often be found jumping in on university flute ensemble rehearsals when she can, and spends her summers working with high school marching bands as a woodwind tech.
Dr. Collins holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Elon University, a Master of Music in Music Education from East Carolina University, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Michigan. Her research interests are on topics such as teaching general music in high-poverty schools, trauma-informed pedagogy practices for the music educator, vocal health and hygiene for music teachers, positive psychology applications for music education spaces, and improvisation in the general music classroom. Her dissertation research was centered on elementary music teachers in high-poverty schools, aiming to shift the deficit paradigm surrounding these spaces. She has presented on these topics internationally, nationally, and regionally at various research and practitioner conferences. When she is not teaching, Dr. Collins can be found reading, cooking, or snuggling up with her two cats, Opa and Anabelle.
eBooks by Casey Collins
Posts by Casey Collins
Out There In The Wild: Movement Songs as Tools for Early Childhood Music Education
Out There In The Wild: Movement Songs as Tools for Early Childhood Music Education How purposeful movement supports musical, cognitive, and social-emotional growth in preschoolers By Jes Cleland If you've ever witnessed a preschool music class [...]
Tangible Inspiration: Why Example Outshines Empty Influence
Tangible Inspiration: Why Example Outshines Empty Influence Abstract This article explores the concept of tangible inspiration—the idea that authentic leadership, creativity, and mentorship are most impactful when modeled through visible action rather than rhetoric. Drawing from [...]
Beyond the Music: Delivery as the Final (and Most Overlooked) Phase of Creation
by Brian Bromberg & José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. In most artistic training — whether in music schools, production programs, or songwriting workshops — the focus rests squarely on creation. Artists are taught to compose, perform, produce, [...]
Standing Tall When They Want to Cut You Down: Navigating Tall Poppy Syndrome as an Entrepreneur
by Eftihia Arkoudis, D.M.A., Thaddaeus Bourne, D.M.A., & José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. Success is a tricky beast. You work hard, climb the ladder—whether it’s made of corporate rungs or the wild vines of entrepreneurship—and suddenly, you’re [...]
Why Musicianship Matters For Improving Music Business Education
by José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. Abstract This editorial argues that blending robust musicianship with business savvy in music education creates confident, adaptable pros who thrive in today’s creative arts economy, all while keeping it real. Keywords: [...]
Helpful Financial Literacy Advice for Creative Entrepreneurs
By José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. Abstract This editorial celebrates the surge of creative entrepreneurs launching ventures in music, design, and innovation, while offering a practical toolkit to address their widespread lack of financial literacy—focusing on budgeting, [...]