Michelle Gibson
Choral/Vocal Music Education
e-mail: michelle.gibson@csulb.edu
Dr. Michelle Z. Gibson serves as the Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education in the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach. With a passion for servant leadership, inclusive excellence, and equitable music education for all, Dr. Gibson believes in building collaborative and creative musical environments that promote student-centered learning. A recipient of multiple awards and recognitions for her commitment to teaching excellence, she mentors future music educators at the BCCM by celebrating the musician in every child.
A native Georgian, Dr. Gibson taught public elementary and middle school choir, band, general music, and musical theater for nine years in the metropolitan Atlanta area prior to pursuing doctoral studies. During her time as a Georgia music educator, Dr. Gibson’s ensembles frequently earned top ratings at local and national adjudicated festivals as well as mentored individual singers towards regional and All State honor ensemble participation. She maintained active leadership roles, serving as the Secondary Choral Music Chair and a member of the Curriculum Writing Team for the DeKalb County School District, District Honor Ensemble coordinator and chair, and was a founding member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Georgia Music Educators Association.
Dr. Gibson also maintains an active agenda as an avid researcher, having garnered national and international recognition for her scholarship concerning African American Spiritual Pedagogy and Culturally Responsive Music Teacher Education. A published author and researcher, Dr. Gibson is a highly sought-after clinician, presenter, and professional development facilitator throughout the United States and abroad concerning topics such as diversity in music assessment practices, diversity, equity, and inclusion in music education, choral repertoire selection, African folk music pedagogy, and multicultural music education. Recently, she was designated as an international adjudicator and clinician with the Kenya Music Festival, a partnership she anticipates continuing and expanding in the future.
Dr. Gibson holds degrees from the University of Georgia and the University of Florida, and her professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, Association for Popular Music Education, International Society for Music Education, and the Society for Music Teacher Education. Go Beach!
