Professor Danni Gilbert Named MMEA Collegiate Music Educator of the Year

Congratulations to Professor Danni Gilbert who has been named the Minnesota Music Educators Association's Collegiate Music Educator of the Year! Gilbert will be honored in a ceremony at MMEA’s Midwinter Convention in February. 

“As much as I hope to inspire students, I want them to know how much they also inspire me.” Gilbert says. “I feel so incredibly thankful to work with such amazing students who motivate and challenge me to try new ideas and to keep growing as an educator. Every accomplished musician is the product of a successful music educator. My students are not only tremendous musicians, but most importantly, they see the value of nurturing the love of music for upcoming generations as well. I am so proud of all of my current and past students–the future of music education in Minnesota is very bright!”

“Here at the University of Minnesota, we are so proud of Dr. Gilbert’s accomplishments,” says Patrick Warfield, Director of the School of Music. “Her work, which combines scholarly rigor with relevance and compassion, is a perfect example of what our faculty hope to contribute to the musical world. Dr. Gilbert is a true gem!”

The past year has been a banner season for Prof. Gilbert. She has presented her research on the health and wellbeing of pre-service (collegiate) music educators at the International Society for Music Education World conference in Helsinki, Finland and the 31st Annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Summit hosted by Kennesaw State University.

This fall she assisted several students and School of Music faculty in presenting research projects and presented her own projects at the Biennial National Association for Music Education Music Research and Teacher Education Conference in Atlanta, GA, and was a panelist at the Big Ten Academic Alliance Music Education Conference in Ohio. Additionally, Gilbert received a $1500 International Travel Grant from the University of Minnesota’s Global Programs and Strategy Alliance to support her travel to The College Music Society’s International Conference in Bogatá and Medellín, Colombia in June 2025.

In 2024, Gilbert had the following research projects published:

• Women's perceptions of advancement opportunities in higher education music settings: A mixed methods study." Published with the journal, College Music Symposium. 
• "Leading with care: Prioritizing the health and wellness of music educators." Published with the Interval: Journal of the Minnesota Music Educators Association Conference. 
• "Pre-service music educators' self-efficacy towards teaching in secondary instrumental music settings: An action research study." In press with the journal, Contributions to Music Education.