Holly Smith (She/Her/Hers)
Ed.D. Student, Music and Music Education
Research Discipline/Bio
Holly Smith is a doctoral student at Teachers College, Columbia University, with research interests in rural elementary music education and best practices in elementary music instruction. She currently serves as the Elementary Music Educator at New Bremen Local Schools in Ohio, where she has taught for over a decade, and previously held the role of Gifted Intervention Specialist.
At New Bremen, she teaches general music classes, has assisted in developing reading enrichment programs for gifted learners, and founded an extracurricular elementary choir to expand music-making opportunities beyond the classroom. Her work is grounded in a commitment to children’s lived experiences and the role music plays in their social, emotional, and creative development.
Educational Background
Gifted & Talented Education Endorsement, Muskingum University, OH, 2020.
Master of Music in Music Education, Bowling Green State University, OH, 2014.
Bachelor of Science in Music Education, Hartwick College, NY, 2010.
NYS Regents Diploma, Trumansburg Central School District, NY, 2006.
Honors/Awards
10 Years of Service, New Bremen Local Schools, 2024;
Delta Kappa Gama Early Career Grant, New Bremen, 2019;
Keith & Helene Dearborn Scholarship, BGSU, 2012;
ProMusica Grant, BGSU, 2012;
Graduate Committee Grant, BGSU, 2012;
Scholar Showcase Senior Thesis Project, Hartwick College, 2010;
Semi-Finalist in Freedman Research Competition Prize, Hartwick College, 2009;
Special Recognition Scholarship in Leadership, Hartwick College, 2006-2010;
Music Scholarship, Hartwick College, 2006-2010
Publications/Exhibitions
Smith, H. A. (2014). An investigation of rural elementary general music. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
Last Updated: Jun 20, 2025