Jennifer Blackwell is a Canadian music educator, saxophonist, and music researcher. Her research interests include applied teaching expertise (from behavioral, cognitive, social/cultural, and affective perspectives), music performance expertise, applications of Problem-Based Learning, and teacher training. She has published research and practitioner articles in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Journal of Research in Music Performance, The Saxophone Symposium, Gender, Education, Music and Society, and Canadian Music Educator. She has presented research-based and practitioners sessions at the NAfME Music Research and Teacher Education National Conference,the Desert Skies Symposium on Research in Music Education, the College Music Society Great Lakes Chapter Conference, the North American Saxophone Alliance’s Biennial Conference, the Canadian New Music Network Forum, the Michigan Music Conference, the Ontario Music Educators’ Association Conference, the Canadian Conference for Music Education, and the Association for Popular Music Education National Conference. She also serves as the editor of the North American Saxophone Alliance’s scholarly publication, The Saxophone Symposium.
Jennifer is an active performer as a classical saxophonist, and frequently collaborates with emerging and established composers to premiere new works. She has worked extensively as a woodwind studio teacher and ensemble director in both Canada and the United States, working with students aged 10-85 in a variety of settings including middle school, high school, community ensembles, and universities. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Western Ontario, master’s degrees in both music education and saxophone performance from Central Michigan University, and will complete her PhD in music education at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in summer 2018.