By Jeremy Jefferson, Graduate Music Fellow
Graduate Music Fellow Jeremy Jefferson interviewed Dr. Nabile Galván Garcia, the 2023-24 Graduate Music Award recipient from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Her project was a multiple-case study conducted in 2024-25 that explored the lived experiences of five Latiné undergraduate music education students who were the first in their family to attend college in the United States. Grounded in culturally sustainable and critical race frameworks, the study centers on voices of students who navigate academic, cultural, and institutional barriers while pursuing music education degrees.
After completing her project and Doctorate of Music Education at the school, Dr. Galván is now an assistant professor of music education at Colorado State University. In this interview, Jefferson asks her about her background, her study, and her future work.
1) What is your background, and what brought you into music?
2) What was your experience studying in the U.S., and did you experience any culture shock? What kind of challenges have you faced as a musician and as a teacher?
3) What was it like visiting and interviewing the students for your study? Did you find any significant differences between the students that attended a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) vs the students that went to a Predominantly White Institution (PWI)?
4) In your report, you mentioned that the work calls for systemic change. Are there any examples of changes that you would like to see implemented as you continue your work?
5a) Pedagogy is such an important part of learning music. Based on your research, have you found any ways to implement equity in music pedagogy?
5b) Do you have any future plans regarding your research and dissertation?