School of Music
Don Ester
Don Ester

Professor of Music Education

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MU 407B
(765) 285-5406

Fax: 285-5401

School of Music
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306

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Biography
Don Ester, professor and area coordinator of music education, joined the Ball State University School of Music faculty in the fall of 1992. A 1980 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, he holds a Master of Music degree from Southern Methodist University, where he studied choral conducting with Lloyd Pfautsch, and a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Ester has taught in the public schools as well as at the university level, and has served as a full-time church musician. He was previously the Director of Choral Activities in the Bloomington, Illinois, Public Schools; Instructor of Music Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Director of Music Ministries at the Second Presbyterian Church, Bloomington, Illinois.

Dr. Ester is a frequent guest conductor and clinician for choirs of all ages. He has conducted the Indiana All-State Children Honor Choir and is the founder and musical director of The White River Youth Choir, a Delaware County ensemble which toured Brazil in 1999. Since 1990 he has presented over 50 clinics throughout the Midwest and served as guest conductor for 50 festival choirs. His research and publication focuses on music literacy pedagogy, the adolescent voice, and instructional strategies. Ester publications include articles in the Music Educators Journal, Choral Journal, Contributions to Music Education, and Journal of Research In Singing. He is co-author of The Evaluation of Student Teachers Guidebook and a contributing author to Strategies for Teaching: Guide for Music Methods Classes.

His responsibilities at Ball State include serving as chair of the music education area and teaching choral music education courses. He received the 1998 Ball State University Excellence in Teaching Award. He is actively involved in teacher education reform, serving as a member and chair of the Ball State Teacher Education Performance Assessment Steering Committee. An accomplished pianist/accompanist, he is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and a research member of the Music Educators National Conference. He has served on the board of the Indiana Choral Directors Association and the Indiana Music Educators Association. He currently serves as the North Central Representative on the National Executive Committee of the Society for Music Teacher Education.