Graduate Research Fellow

Erica Breitbarth is an active vocalist, conductor, clinician, music teacher, and education advocate in the Philadelphia area. She holds degrees in music education from the Wheaton Conservatory of Music (BMEd) and Northwestern University (MMEd). Erica served for 14 years as choir director, musical theater director, and chair of the Vera J. Zilber Music Department at Reagan IB High School in the Milwaukee Public Schools. Erica and her colleagues built the music program at Reagan High School from 50 students to over 500, garnering local, state and national recognition for excellence in music education instruction to urban youth. A strong advocate for music education, Erica served as co-founder and President of the Milwaukee Music Educators Association (MMEA), which worked to restore 100+ music teacher positions to the Milwaukee Public Schools and increase access to comprehensive music education for Milwaukee Public School students. In addition to teaching, she is an active soprano soloist, performing choral masterworks with the Bel Canto Chorus, Kettle Moraine Symphony, and contemporary works with Present Music’s Hearing Voices Ensemble. Erica served as the Diversity Initiatives Liaison for the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA) and was named the WCDA Outstanding Young Choral Director (2018). She also garnered recognition as Civic Music Association’s Choral Music Educator of the Year (2013), Grammy Music Educator Finalist (2017) and Herb Kohl Teaching Fellow (2020) and received four Jerry Awards for Outstanding Musical Theatre Direction. She recently served as the Southeast Regional Vice President of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association (2024). Currently, Erica is a doctoral fellow in music education at Temple University with a research focus on urban education policy.