Dr. Lauren Kooistra holds a B.M. in Piano Performance from Gordon College, a M.M. in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from Penn State University. 

 

Dr. Kooistra’s degrees have focused on the art of piano playing, pedagogical methods, theories of learning, child development, and early childhood musical development. Her research and teaching have explored the theory of “informal” music learning in educational settings, the processes of children’s musical development and musical behaviors, and the ways that children govern their own learning. Her dissertation, The experiences of two young children in informal piano settings: Expressions of meaning and value, explored how two girls (aged 4-5) engaged in a “piano lesson” designed on principles of informal education. 

 

The result of her study has been to radically transform how she approaches piano learning for all ages, in order to build strong musical foundations for life-long musical engagement. Passionate about developing the whole child with a holistic understanding of personal agency and musicianship as a lived experience, her scholarship has been internationally published and presented.

 

Lauren is currently an Associate Research Professor of Humanities and the Associate Director of the Humanities Institute at Penn State University. She serves on the board of the local Music Academy in State College, PA, is Co-Chair of the International Society of Music Education’s Early Childhood Music Commission, and maintains a piano studio of students ages 4 to adult.