William J. Coppola is assistant professor of Music Teaching and Learning at the USC Thornton School of Music, where he teaches graduate courses in music education philosophy, research methods, and community music. He was previously an assistant professor of music education at the University of North Texas.

 

Will's primary research interest examines the role of humility and egotism as they pertain to the ethical development of musicians and music educators. His forthcoming book, Egotism, Elitism, and the Ethics of Musical Humility, is contracted to be published by Oxford University Press. Will's research has been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education; Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education; Psychology of Music; Research Studies in Music Education, Music Education Research; the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education; Arts Education Policy Review, General Music Today; the Journal of Popular Music Education; and others. He is also co-author of World Music Pedagogy, Volume IV: Instrumental Music Education (Routledge, 2018) and World Music Pedagogy, Volume VII: World Music in Higher Education (Routledge, 2020).

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Will completed his Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Washington and his master's at New York University. He is a certified Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy and Kodály educator. He was previously an elementary music director for New York City Public Schools in Bayside, Queens. He also served as the Vice President of the Kodály Organization of New York (KONY).

 

In his free time, Will enjoys climbing (bouldering), cooking, and spending time with his partner, Doris, and two dogs, Rafiki and Ollie.