RESTON, Va. | Apr 9, 2018

Originally published by the National Association for Music Education at nafme.org

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is pleased to present Dr. Harry Price as the sixteenth recipient of the Senior Researcher Award. The award, which recognizes significant, long-term scholarship in music education, was given to Dr. Price at NAfME’s Music Research and Teacher Education National Conference, which took place in March in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Harry joins a distinguished group of leaders in music education—leaders who produced, and in most cases continue to produce, significant scholarship over long periods of time,” said James L. Byo, Carl Prince Matthies Professor of Music at Louisiana State University, who introduced Price as the recipient of the Senior Researcher Award at the conference in Atlanta. “Harry’s record, spanning four decades, features research that is both rigorous and focused. It also features important service to the music education discipline that, if not unparalleled, is likely unsurpassed.”

For 35 years, Dr. Price’s research has been published in several journals, including the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education (CRME); Psychology of Music; International Journal of Music Education (IJME); Research Studies in Music Education, and more. His first publication, “The Effect of Conductor Academic Task Presentation, Conductor Reinforcement, and Ensemble Practice on Performers’ Musical Achievement, Attentiveness, and Attitude,” was published in the Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME) in 1983. Since then, he has written 18 articles for that publication alone.

Dr. Price has introduced his research more than 100 times in various venues, from NAfME’s own Music Research and Teacher Education National Conferences to the International Symposium for Research in Music Behavior. His research has taken him across the country and abroad, to countries including Spain, Portugal, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Japan, Finland, Canada, Argentina, Chile, and Australia.

“It is likely that the course of research and learning through research in music education 
has been altered because of the scholarly contributions of Dr. Harry Price.”

“Dr. Price’s writings span a range of research questions, yet never lose their focus on aiming to contribute to the improvement of teachers and teacher education,” said Michael J. Blakeslee, NAfME’s Executive Director and CEO. “Dr. Price’s findings have been a foundation for authors pursuing similar research, and his articles continue to influence today’s research in music education. We are delighted to present Dr. Price with this esteemed award, and hope his research continues to benefit generations of educators to come.”

Dr. Price began his career as a high school band director in Chamblee, GA, before earning a Master’s Degree at Florida State University. He was then an Assistant Director of Bands at the University of South Carolina from 1976-1978, before earning his Doctorate at Syracuse University. Since 1981, he has been a professor of music education at various universities. Currently, he is Professor of Music History and Music Appreciation at Kennesaw State University’s School of Music. Dr. Price served as the editor of the JRME from 1994-2000; three terms on the Music Education Research Council of NAfME (then known as MENC); as editorial committee member for JRME; and as advisory committee member for CRME. Internationally, he held various leadership roles in ISME, and is a past and present member of the IJME editorial board. Dr. Price is currently working on the new journal development board for the Jazz Education Network.

In “the words of another nominator, who sums it up well,” concluded Byo at the Music Research and Teacher Education National Conference, “‘although the totality of his influence and reach may never be known, it is likely that the course of research and learning through research in music education has been altered because of the scholarly contributions of Dr. Harry Price.’”

National Association for Music Education, among the world’s largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association orchestrates success for millions of students nationwide and has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. With more than 60,000 members, the organization is the national voice of music education in the United States.

Story by NAfME