Dr. Morgan Soja is an Associate Professor in the School of the Arts and the Director of Music Education. She teaches undergraduate and graduate coursework in music education and undergraduate coursework in theory. Each summer, Dr. Soja coordinates American Orff Schulwerk Association teacher training courses. She also serves as the wind, brass, and percussion chair of the Central District of the Alabama Orchestra Association. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Soja completed her Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from Bowling Green State University before teaching in public schools in Ohio and North Carolina. She earned her Master of Music in Music Education, and Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
A bulk of Dr. Soja’s research and practice is related to supporting beginning and in-practice music educators, supporting learners with special needs, popular music pedagogy, and the crossovers between music and language reading. Dr. Soja has presented internationally at the Association for Popular Music Education conference, the Cultural Diversity in Music Education conference, the National Association for Music Education Music Research Conference, the Symposium for Music Teacher Educators and the Alabama and North Carolina Music Educators Association conferences. She has served as a clinician for honor choirs and workshops in Alabama, South Carolina, and North Carolina. She has also served as an adjudicator for choral events in North Carolina, and an adjudicator for string events in Alabama. She maintains active membership in the National Association for Music Education, the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Alabama Orchestra Association.
As a performer, Dr. Soja has performed with the Eastern Music Festival and the Greensboro Early Music Ensemble. She studied in the voice studios of Levone Tobin-Scott, and Jeanne Bruggeman-Kurp. Dr. Soja also has many years of experience as a violin and woodwind performer. She serves as the music director for the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in Alabaster, Alabama.
Degrees and Certifications:
- BM in Music Education: Bowling Green State University
- MM in Music Education: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- PhD in Music Education: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Orff-Schulwerk Levels I, II, III, and Master Class
- Modern Band Levels I and II
- Kodály Levels: I and II
- Gordon Music Learning Institute: Music Learning Theory and Elementary Music
- Trained in Orton-Gillingham Structured Literacy
Professional Associations:
- National Association for Music Education
- American Orff-Schulwerk Association
- American Choral Directors Association
- Sigma Alpha Iota
- Pi Kappa Lambda
