Christopher Marra

Dr. Christopher M. Marra is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at Duquesne University’s Mary Pappert School of Music. His primary responsibilities include courses in Instrumental Methods, Teaching Lab, Introduction to Music Education, Brass Techniques, and Conducting.

He holds a B.S. in Music Education from Duquesne University, a MM in Music Education with an emphasis in wind band conducting from Northwestern University, a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in wind band conducting from the University of Michigan, and an MBA in Leadership and Management from Seton Hill University. Prior to his university teaching, Dr. Marra taught high school band and orchestra for 10 years in San Jose, CA, where he held board positions with the CMEA Bay Section and the California Band Directors Association.

He is an active member and presenter at a variety of state, national, and international education organizations including: National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA), Michigan Music Educators Association (MMEA), Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA), and California Band Directors Association (CBDA), and American Educational Research Association (AERA). Dr. Marra authored and co-authored several articles in the field of music education and has been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME), the Journal of Music Teacher Education (JMTE), the Music Educator’s Journal (MEJ), and Teaching Music Magazine. Dr. Marra recently co-authored the new textbook Foundations in Music Education published by Conway Publications. He is a contributing author in The Oxford Handbook of Preservice Music Teacher Education and Critical Issues in Music Education: Contemporary Theory and Practice both published by Oxford University Press. Dr. Marra is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for several state and national organizations including Drum Corps International (DCI). His research interests include social influence in music education, music teacher retention, and undergraduate teacher preparation.  

• Ph.D. in Music Education, University of Michigan
• M.M. in Music Education, Northwestern University
• MBA in Leadership and Management, Seton Hill University
• B.S. in Music Education, Duquesne University

• Music Education
• Conducting
• Brass
• Leadership and Management
• Social Identity Theories