Dr. Deborah A. Sheldon

Deborah Sheldon (B.S. Music Education – Mansfield University, M.Ed. in Music – Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D. in Music Education – Florida State University) is Professor and Chair of Music Education and Therapy in the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Founder of the Temple Night Owls Campus/Community Band, Sheldon’s specialties include instrumental conducting, wind band literature, rehearsal techniques, and teaching methods, assessment, research, music psychology, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and systematic observation. Prior to university teaching, Sheldon taught elementary and secondary instrumental music in Pennsylvania and New York. Her numerous articles in music education, pedagogy, and research are published in journals such as the Journal for Research Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music education (CRME), Update: Applications of Research in Music education, Journal for Music Teacher Education, Journal of Music Therapy, Music Educators Journal, Journal of Band Research, the Instrumentalist, and Contributions to Music education, as well as in several state music education journals. A past editor of the Bulletin of the council for Research in Music Education, Sheldon has also served multiple terms as an editorial board member for that journal as well as the Journal of Research in Music Education. She has co-authored the texts The Complete woodwind Instructor: A Guidebook for the Music Educator and Lessons in Performance (FJH), and is editor of Superior Bands in Sixteen Weeks, and Chorales and Rhythmic Etudes for Superior Bands. She is an instrumental editor, arranger, author, and consultant for the FJH Music Company and is lead author of the FJH publication Measures of Success, a band method for beginning and intermediate instrumentalists which is currently in use by many school districts throughout the US. She is in demand throughout the world as clinician, adjudicator, guest conductor, and lecturer. Tau Beta Sigma and the Illinois Music Educators Association have honored her for distinguished service to music and music education. Mansfield University has recognized her as a distinguished alumnus. At home in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area, Sheldon plays saxophones and keyboards in the four-member jazz fusion band, West River Drive.