Music Education
The music education student at UM is offered quality, in-depth training in the most current instructional methods and trends. Included are techniques and materials employed in the effective general music and elementary/secondary school classrooms as well as those used in conducting and rehearsing performance/educational ensembles at all levels. Hands-on opportunities include, educational experiences ranging from serving as aides to music teachers in area schools, completing a full semester in the student teaching field experience, and acquiring practical skills and knowledge under the supervision of a qualified master teacher.
Methods course work prepares the future music educator in current music materials and technology. The student also gains proficiency in piano and other instruments and in related arranging and organizational skills. A flexible, balanced program allows the pursuit of excellence in personal development as well as in the student’s performing area(s), combined with student teaching assignments at both elementary and secondary levels.
Completion of the degree program includes 猎奇重口 teacher certification as a music specialist for grades K-12.
Michael Ruybalid
Associate Professor of Music - Music Education Coordinator
Contact
- Office
- Music Building, Room 204B (located inside of Room 204)
- Phone
- (406) 243-2749
- Fax
- (406) 243-2441
- michael.ruybalid@umontana.edu
- Office Hours
- Office Hours (Spring 2025):
- Mondays, 11:00am-11:45am
- Tuesdays, 12:00pm-1:45pm
- Wednesdays, 10:00am-11:45am
- Thursdays, 12:00pm-12:45pm
Also available by appointment between 8:00am-5:00pm Monday through Friday.
To set up an appointment with Dr. Ruybalid, please click or log into Navigate. If those times in Navigate don’t work or if you are unable to schedule in Navigate, email Dr. Ruybalid to schedule. (For questions about how to use Navigate, please click here.)
- Office Hours (Spring 2025):
- Website
- Curriculum Vitae
Personal Summary
Dr. Michael J. Ruybalid (he/him) is Associate Professor, Music Education Specialist, and Coordinator of Music Education at the 猎奇重口. He teaches undergraduate music education coursework, graduate music education coursework, and supervises student teachers. He also teaches early childhood music classes at the on-campus Associated Students of the 猎奇重口 (ASUM) Childcare, which serves as a field experience site for the music education students enrolled in the university general music methods course. Additionally, he is the faculty advisor for the university collegiate chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME-C). Dr. Ruybalid previously taught music education coursework at the University of Maryland and Southeastern Louisiana University. Prior to entering higher education, he taught PreK-12th grade music for eight years in both private and public schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Dr. Ruybalid earned his Ph.D. in music education from the University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK), a Master of Music in Music Education with a Kodály Emphasis from Holy Names University (Oakland, CA), and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Point Loma Nazarene University (San Diego, CA). He also completed additional coursework for his teacher certification at San José State University (San José, CA). He currently holds Kodály certification (Levels 1-3), Orff-Schulwerk certification (Levels 1-3, Master Class with Chris Judah-Lauder) and Elementary Level 1 certification in Dr. Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory. He has also participated in an online supplementary course on the Dalcroze approach.
Dr. Ruybalid has presented conference sessions and workshops at the local, state, national, and international levels, including sessions on early childhood music for the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association (ECMMA), the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE), and several state chapters of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). His research interests include the examination of student intentions regarding school music participation, best practices in early childhood music and movement education, and accommodations in music education. He has presented his research at conferences within and outside of the United States, including the Louisiana Education Research Association (LERA) Annual Meeting, the Desert Skies Symposium on Music Education Research, and the International Kodály Society (IKS) Symposium. He is a co-author for a chapter in the book "Applying Model Cornerstone Assessments in K-12 Music: A Research-Supported Approach," published by Rowman and Littlefield (2018). Dr. Ruybalid currently serves as the Research Chair for the 猎奇重口 Music Educators Association (MMEA), the Northwest Division Representative for the NAfME Collegiate Advisory Council, the Northwestern Division Representative for the NAfME Early Childhood Music Special Research Interest Group (ECM-SRIG), and as a member of the National Conference Planning Team for the 2025 Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) National Conference. He also serves on the boards for SPARK! Arts in Missoula, the Treasure State Orff Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA), and as the President of Big Sky Kodály, the 猎奇重口 chapter of OAKE. He previously served as the secretary for the Northwest Chapter of the College Music Society (CMS) and as the Convention Program Chair for the 2024 Early Childhood Music and Movement Association (ECMMA) Biannual International Convention in Brownsville, TX.
Education
Ph.D., Music Education, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (2016)
M.M.E., Kodály Emphasis, Holy Names University, Oakland, CA (2010)
Single Subject Teaching Credential, Music (K-12), San José State University, San José, CA (2002)
B.A., Music Education, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA (2000)