Timothy McMurray

Timothy J. McMurray, Ph.D., serves as Assistant Professor of Music Education and Orchestra Director within the Petrie School of Music. Dr. McMurray teaches undergraduate and graduate music education courses, supervises student teachers, advises on graduate thesis, and conducts the Converse Symphony Orchestra.

As a researcher, Dr. McMurray focuses on aspects of student learning, self-regulated behavior, and self-efficacy. Dr. McMurray has presented his research at state, regional, and national conferences. His most recent projects have examined the relationships between musicians’ self-perceptions and their self-efficacy for error identification and error remediation.

An avid educator and performer, Dr. McMurray also maintains an active career as a violinist and chamber musician. He has a particular interest in contemporary music, regularly commissioning and premiering new works. Dr. McMurray also writes, arranges, records, and performs alongside his co-collaborator Ginger Fairbanks as the ensemble Saints Road. As a chamber musician, McMurray studied extensively with the critically acclaimed Cypress String Quartet, as well as Amadi Azikiwe, Pegsoon Whang, and Dr. Hasse Borup.

Prior to joining Converse University, Dr. McMurray served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education at The University of Utah where he taught undergraduate and graduate coursework in music education. He also served as the Assistant Director of The University of Utah String Preparatory division, where he provided and supervised private and group violin instruction. In addition to these appointments, Dr. McMurray also served for eight years as the Orchestra Director at Olympus High School (Holladay, Utah).

He received a Ph.D. in Music Education from The University of Utah, with a secondary area in instrumental performance; a Master of Music in String Performance and Pedagogy from The University of Utah; and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Brigham Young University. Originally from Maryland, Dr. McMurray began his undergraduate studies at James Madison University prior to moving west. Outside of his time teaching and performing, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their three children.

Selected Publications & Presentations

Rawlings, J. R., McMurray, T., & Taylor, K. (2023). Curricular mapping with adjudicated events in mind. In C. M. Conway (Ed.) Musicianship-Focused Curriculum and Assessment (2nd Ed.). Chicago, IL: GIA