Dr Cynthia Stephens-Himonides

Kingston School of Art
Department of Performing Arts
School of Arts
Kingston Hill

Senior Lecturer, Course Leader MA Music Education, Course Leader MMus Performance

[email protected]

About

My background in higher education teaching has been as a teacher educator and researcher specialising in instrumental music teaching and learning, particularly the affordances of group teaching and learning in relation to accessibility and inclusion. My current research examines teacher identity and the use of technology in music teaching and learning, as well as practices of expert pedagogues' use of technology. My interest in inclusive teaching practices is reflected in ongoing projects which has brought together our department's Gamelan Ensemble and synthesiser lab, with the Kingston community.

I have presented research and contributed articles to Frontiers, Music, Education, and Technology, International Journal of Music Education, Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, Update, Journal of Technology in Music Learning, Keyboard Companion, and Piano Pedagogy Forum, as well as chapters in the Routledge, Cambridge, and Oxford handbooks.

Currently, I'm serving on the Research Committee of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and the Scientific Committee of Research in Music Education Conference and Music, Education, and Technology Conference.

Qualifications

Doctorate of Musical Arts with specialization in Music Education/Piano Pedagogy - The University of Texas at Austin
Masters of Music in Performance - Rice University
Bachelors of Music Education - University of Central Arkansas
SFHEA

Domains

Recent publications

Stephens-Himonides C and Young M (2025) Adding to the knowledge of the TPACK framework: a case study of female identity in performance, education, and technology. Front. Educ. 10:1522739. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1522739
Stephens-Himonides, C., Young, M., M., Zhang, X. (in press). Innovative Technologies and Pedagogies in Piano Teaching. Eds. Christopher Fisher and Sally Cathcart. Oxford University Press.
Stephens-Himonides, C., Young, M., M. Young & C. Stephens-Himonides (in press). Teaching Piano in Groups: The Best of Both Worlds. Ed. Christopher Madden in The Cambridge Companion to Piano Pedagogy.
Stephens-Himonides, C., Young, M., & Bowes, M. (2024). Innovation and Leadership in Group Teaching across the Lifespan: Three Case Studies. Routledge Companion to Women and Musical Leadership. Routledge.
Stephens-Himonides, C., Young, M., & Hilley, M. (2020). Do student perceptions reveal diverse and inclusive musical study in group piano classes?. ISME Commission on the Education of the Professional Musician (CEPROM), 220.Young, M., Stephens-Himonides, C., Hilley, M. (2019). Leading Curricular Changes in Keyboard Skills Musicianship Classes. Routledge.
Stephens-Himonides, C. & Hilley, M. (2017). Technology and Group Teaching. In A. King, E. Himonides, & S. A. Ruthmann (Eds.) The Routledge Companion to Music, Technology, and Education. New York: Routledge.
Stephens-Himonides, C. & Hilley, M. (2017). Beyond the Classroom. In A. King, E. Himonides, & S. A. Ruthmann (Eds.) The Routledge Companion to Music, Technology, and Education. New York: Routledge.
Hagen, S., Boot, W. R., McArthur, V., Stephens-Himonides, C., & Cremaschi, A. (2014). An Exploratory Study of the Effect of an Eye Guide While Sight Playing at the Piano. Proceedings of the Sempre MET2014: Researching Music, Education, Technology: Critical Insights.
Hagen, S., Cremaschi, A., & Stephens-Himonides, C. (2013). Effects of extended practice with computerized eye guides for sight-reading in collegiate-level class piano. Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 5(3), 229-239.

Research presentations

Stephens-Himonides, C., Reid G., and Mendonça, M. (2025).“Loud Noises!” Resonant Encounters with Javanese Gamelan and Synthesizers by Young People Disengaged with Mainstream Education. Research in Music Education Online Conference. April 2025.
Stephens-Himonides C and Young M (2025) Adding to the knowledge of the TPACK framework: a case study of female identity in performance, education, and technology. Research in Music Education Online Conference. April 2025.
Stephens-Himonides, C., Young, M., M., Zhang, X. (2024) Innovative technologies and pedagogies in piano teaching. International conference of the International Society of Music Education.
Stephens-Himonides, C. & Young, M. Exploring teacher self-perceptions of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge, identity, and adaptability.
- Research in Music Education Online Conference. April 2023.
- International Society of Music Education. Finland. July 2024.
Stephens-Himonides, C., Reid G., and Mendonça, M. (2024).“Loud Noises!” Resonant Encounters with Javanese Gamelan and Synthesizers by Young People Disengaged with Mainstream Education. Participatory Research Across the Arts and Humanities, London.
Mendonça, M. & Stephens-Himonides, C. (2023). Collaboration in Creation: Gamelan Performance and Alternative Education Provision for Disengaged Young People. Research in Music Education Online Conference.
Mendonça, M. & Stephens-Himonides, C. (2022). Collaboration in Creation: Gamelan Performance and Alternative Education Provision for Disengaged Young People. Ethnomusicological Perspectives in Music Education: Fostering culturally diverse and inclusive teaching practices international conference, Universitat Siegen.
Stephens-Himonides, C. & Young, M. (2022). Teaching with Technology: Exploring a New Framework for Measuring Teacher Self-perceptions of Knowledge, Identity, and Adaptability. Sempre 50th Anniversary Conference. University of London.
Stephens-Himonides, C. &Young, M. (2021). Simply the Best: Analysis of Expert Teaching through TPACK and SAMR. Music, Education, and Technology Online Conference.
Stephens-Himonides, C., Young, M., & Hilley, M. (2020). Do student perceptions reveal diverse and inclusive musical study in group piano classes?. ISME Commission on the Education of the Professional Musician (CEPROM).
Young, M., Stephens-Himonides, C. (2018). Cart before the Horse: A look at technology use in keyboard classes. SEMPRE Conference: Researching Music, Education, Technology: Critical Insights, Institute of Education, University of London.
Young, M., Stephens-Himonides, C., Hilley, M. (2017). Time After Time: A Look at Music Majors Experience in Group Piano Classes. National Conference for Keyboard Pedagogy, Lombard, Illinois, USA. (Chosen as Research Poster 2017)
Stephens-Himonides, C. & Young, M. (2017). Exploring Keyboard Musicianship Skills within the Musical Journeys of Tertiary Students. 10th International Conference for Research in Music Education, Bath Spa, UK.
Young, M., Stephens-Himonides, C., & Hilley, M. (2016). Shifting the Paradigm: Leading Curricular Changes in Keyboard Skills Training for the 21st Century Professional Musician. Poster presentation at the 32nd International Conference for Music Education World Conference, Glasgow, Scotland.
Young, M., Stephens-Himonides, C., Hilley, M. (2016). Shifting the Paradigm: Leading Curricular Changes in Keyboard Skills Training for the 21st Century Professional Musician. CEPROM
Stephens-Himonides. C. (2014). An Exploratory Study of the Effect of an Eye Guide while Sight Playing at the Piano. SEMPRE Conference: Researching Music, Education, Technology: Critical Insights, Institute of Education, University of London
Stephens-Himonides, C. (2013). Challenges for 1-1 teaching: One-to-One Piano Teaching from a Socio-cultural Perspective. The 8th International Conference for Research in Music Education, Exeter, UK.
Stephens-Himonides, C. (September 2012). Exploring Piano Teaching and Learning from a Socio-Cultural Perspective. 40th Anniversary SEMPRE: Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research, London, UK.
Stephens-Himonides, C., Donald, S., & Chin, H.L. (August 2010). "I played it better at home": Observation of Student Practice and Teacher Response. ISME World Conference, Beijing, China.

Specialisms

Keyboard/Piano Pedagogy
Technology in Music Teaching and Learning
Group and Collaborative Learning in Music
Socio-cultural Perspectives of Music Teaching and Learning
Inclusive Music Learning and Teaching

Dr Cynthia Stephens-Himonides

About

Qualifications

Domains

Teaching and learning

Research