Bowers, West, and White Receive Appointments to the ACDA Research and Publications National Standing Committee

Jason Bowers, Justin West, and Adam White have been appointed as new members to the ACDA Research and Publications National Standing Committee. Their terms will begin on July 1, 2025. The Research and Publications Committee oversees all ACDA research initiatives and the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing.

Meet the Appointees

Dr. Jason Bowers is Instructor of Music Education and Assistant Director of the School of Music at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education. His research focuses on choral program (re)building, school- university partnerships, multicultural music education, and culturally relevant pedagogies. He is published in the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, the Journal of Music Teacher Education, the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, and the Journal of Voice. Jason is an active choral clinician and adjudicator, and serves as the Board of Directors Vocal Vice President for the Louisiana Music Adjudicators Association. Jason directs the First United Methodist Church K-2 and 3-5 grade Children’s Choirs. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education, a Master of Music with choral conducting concentration, and a Doctor of Philosophy with music education concentration from Louisiana State University.

Justin J. West, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Music and Human Learning in the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches courses on choral music education, qualitative methods, and arts education law and policy. A scholar of teacher learning and professional development, Dr. West’s research has been published in leading peer-reviewed music education journals, including the Journal of Research in Music Education. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, and Texas Music Education Research. A native Texan, he previously taught high school choir and AP Music Theory in the Houston area and has served for more than 20 years as a church choral director, pianist, and organist. He holds degrees in music education from the University of North Texas (Ph.D.), Columbia University (M.A.), and Lamar University (B.M.).

Adam G. White is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at Northern Kentucky University. He teaches courses in music education, conducting, and directs the NKU NorseKor.

Adam holds a PhD in music education from Northwestern University. His research and academic interests include sight-singing, singer assessment, vernacular music making in the United States, issues of hearing loss among musicians, and cooperative rehearsal practices. Adam has presented at state, regional, and international conferences. He has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in music education (choral pedagogy) from the University of Kansas.

Adam began his teaching career in rural Kansas, teaching K-12 vocal music, eventually becoming the Vocal Music Director at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka. Under his direction, the Washburn Rural Chorale received top ratings at festivals for the 11 years he taught there. The Chorale also commissioned and premiered new choral works by Timothy Takach, Andrea Ramsey, and Jacob Narverud. Adam’s choirs have twice been invited to perform at the Kansas Music Educators Conference, the state’s top honor. In 2008, Adam was honored as the WRHS Educator of Excellence.