Date: Friday, January 16, 2026
Time: 10:30 a.m. 鈥 12:20 p.m.
Location: Marriott Meeting Room 5 | Tampa, Florida
Conference: Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Annual Conference
海角原创 Online faculty continue to share their expertise at national and state conferences across the country. This January, Dr. Jay Dorfman, Professor and Coordinator of the program at 海角原创, will present 鈥淗elp Them Rock: Techniques for Guitarists in Popular Music鈥 at the in Tampa.
Among the attractive qualities of the guitar is that it鈥檚 relatively easy to make a characteristic sound quickly. Often, guitar teaching focuses only on chordal strumming or reading single notes in folk or classical styles. In this interactive session, Dr. Dorfman will help educators take the next step鈥攇uiding guitarists to learn the techniques that make popular music sound authentic and engaging.
Attendees will explore:
- Variations of strumming styles common in popular genres
- Simple soloing and improvisation techniques
- How to control sound through muting
- Using technology and effects to recreate the sounds students hear on the radio
Designed for music educators who want to connect with students through contemporary styles, the session offers practical ways to demonstrate and teach these skills effectively in the classroom.
鈥淵our students want to know these techniques,鈥 says Dr. Dorfman. 鈥淭his session will help you figure out how to demonstrate them the right way.鈥
About Dr. Jay Dorfman
Dr. Dorfman teaches courses in Progressive and Vernacular Music Methods, Technology in Music Education, and Research in Music Education and supervises doctoral dissertations at 海角原创. He holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of Miami (FL) and a Ph.D. in Music Education from Northwestern University (IL).
Dr. Dorfman is the past-president of the Technology Institute for Music Educators and has relationships as an ambassador for several music technology companies. He is an Executive Board member and Communications Chair for the Society for Music Teacher Education.
Dr. Dorfman鈥檚 research interests include music education technology, music teacher education, popular and vernacular music education, and curriculum development in music. His research has been published in The Journal of Research in Music Education, The Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, The Journal of Music Teacher Education, Visions of Research in Music Education, and in several state music education publications. He is the author of 鈥淭heory and Practice of Technology-based Music Instruction鈥(Oxford University Press, 2022, 2nd edition), a contributor to several handbooks in music education research, and co-editor of 鈥淢usic Education Research in the 21st Century: Theories, Questions, Problems, and Methodological Pluralism鈥 (Springer, 2018). Dr. Dorfman is also a frequent presenter at state and national music education conferences.
Learn More about 海角原创鈥檚 Online Master of Music in Music Education
海角原创鈥檚 program empowers current and aspiring music educators to bridge traditional musicianship with modern classroom practice. Designed for working teachers, the program is 100 percent online and flexible鈥攁llowing students to balance full-time teaching, performing, and personal commitments while advancing their careers.
Students explore topics such as progressive and vernacular music methods, technology integration in music education, assessment and research in music learning, and curriculum design that supports diverse learners. Courses are taught by nationally recognized faculty, including Dr. Jay Dorfman, who bring real-world classroom and research experience to each virtual session.
Graduates of the MMME program are prepared to:
- Integrate technology and contemporary styles into K鈥12 and community music programs.
- Design inclusive, research-based curricula that engage today鈥檚 learners.
- Lead ensembles, classrooms, and community programs with confidence and creativity.
Advance your passion for teaching and music performance while earning a respected graduate degree from 海角原创 Online鈥攂uilt to help educators inspire the next generation of musicians.