Dr. Sarah Watts

Biography

Sarah Watts joined the School of Music faculty in 2015, specializing in early childhood elementary music education with a particular interest in Orff Schulwerk pedagogy. She holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington, where she studied under Patricia Shehan Campbell. Watts has taught in various early childhood and elementary general music settings and has held collegiate appointments at Bucknell University, Cleveland State University, and Kent State University. Her scholarly interests encompass musical oral history, children’s musical play, and the transgenerational transmission of children’s musical play repertoires. In teaching, she focuses on elementary music methods and materials for pre-service music educators, as well as foundations of music education aimed at music classroom teachers. Additionally, she is interested in world music, particularly the musical traditions and movement practices of the Pacific Islands, especially in Hawai’i. An active clinician and presenter, her publications can be found in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Orff Echo, General Music and Music Education Research, and the International Journal of Play, among others.

Research Interests