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Matthew D. Thibeault is Assistant Professor of Music Education and Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction (Affiliate) at the University Of Illinois. He is widely published in the areas general music and technology, including editing the section on media and music education for the forthcoming (2012) Oxford handbook of music education, as well as contributing a chapter for the forthcoming (2012) NSSE Yearbook, The place of music in the 21st century. He serves on the editorial or advisory boards of Action, Criticism and Theory for Music Education; the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education;  The International Journal of Education & the Arts, and the Journal of Music, Technology, and Education. He writes a column for practitioners, "Secondary Scene" in General Music Today. Working on a multiyear National Science Foundation grant, he co-authored several papers and the 2005 book Designing everyday assessment in the science classroom (Teachers College Press). He has consulted for Apple Computer, the California Arts Council, California State University System, and Interlochen Arts Academy.

Thibeault studied music education and psychology at Florida State University before completing MA and Ph.D. degrees in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education (with a concentration in Arts Education) working with Elliot Eisner at Stanford University. He was a full-time public school music specialist (K-3) for the Portola Valley School District, and later worked as an Artist in Residence at the School of the Arts High School in San Francisco.

Teaching Philosophy:
The classroom is a community where we learn best when we fully participate. Working with future music educators, I strive to promote experiences that let students compose, create, imagine, and reflect upon their lives as musicians and teachers. I believe education is vital when students tackle real problems and issues in local classrooms. As often as possible, my classroom is connected to the larger community in partnership with local classrooms in K-12 schools. While soaking up all the School of Music has to offer, music educators must go beyond its traditions to promote equity and social justice through embracing all music. As technology fundamentally changes our ideas of music, musician, and audience; my class continually explores the frontiers of making, sharing, and learning about music.