Laura A. Stambaugh

Dr. Laura A. Stambaugh coordinates the Music Education area, teaches courses in music education, and supervises student teachers. Previously, she taught at Georgia Southern University, Western Washington University, and in public schools in southern New Hampshire. Her curriculum included chamber music ensembles and emphasized the Comprehensive Musicianship approach. She has been active as an oboist and conductor with community ensembles in Georgia, New Hampshire, and Washington.

Dr. Stambaugh’s primary research agenda examines the development of automaticity in playing instruments, largely through motor learning perspectives. She seeks to answer the big questions of: what are the cognitive mechanisms underlying how people learn to play wind instruments, and how can teachers use that knowledge to improve instruction? Secondary research areas the development of error detection skills, the music teacher pipeline, and music and autism. Her book, Music and the Brain for Musicians: Understanding the Research and Getting Involved, was published in 2022 by Conway Publications.