Jacob M. Dakon, Ph.D.
Jacob M. Dakon is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Kansas, Division of Music Education and Music Therapy. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Dakon taught string orchestra in the public schools of South Carolina and served as adjunct faculty at the Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music in Boone, North Carolina. Other positions included String Coordinator and Violin Instructor for the ASU Community Music School and Suzuki Violin Instructor at the James C. Harper School for the Performing Arts in Lenoir, North Carolina. Dr. Dakon also holds training in the pedagogical approaches of Paul Rolland and Shin’ichi Suzuki, both of which strongly influence his work.
At the University of Kansas, Dr. Dakon teaches string techniques, string methods, rehearsal techniques, instrumental conducting, music administration, human life-span development, and an introductory course in music education. As a member of the string education field, he serves as a member of the American String Teacher Association Collegiate Committee, American String Teacher Editorial Committee, and the editor of the Kansas American String Teachers Association Newsletter.
Dr. Dakon’s research examines music education from a microhistorical perspective, focusing specifically on the development of string classroom education between 1910 and 1940. Other research interests include heterogeneous string instruction, community music, memorization, and music expertise. His published works can be found in the Journal of Research in Music Education, British Journal of Music Education, Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, String Research Journal, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, and the American String Teacher. Dr. Dakon is also a contributing member of the International Research Symposium for Talent Education (IRSTE) research group, and a research fellow with the University of the Free State in South Africa.
Education
Academic
Ph.D., Music Education, The Ohio State University
- Dissertation: “The Effects of Aural and Visual Strategies on the Memorization of Beginning-Level String Students: An Exploratory Study”
- Advisor: Dr. Robert Gillespie
Master of Music (M.M.), Violin Performance, Appalachian State University
Bachelor of Music (B.M.), Music Education, University of South Carolina
Practica
Rolland Pedagogy Certification, Level 1, Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Workshop, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL
Suzuki Training-Book 2, Suzuki Institute, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY
Suzuki Training-Book 1, Suzuki Institute, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY
Teaching Interests
- Music education
- Qualitative research
- String pedagogy
- Instructional behaviors
- Curriculum
- Public school music program administration
Research Interests
- String pedagogy
- String education history
- Community music
- Practice
- Expertise.