Simon Center, M145G
Education
- Ph.D. in Music Education and Orchestral Conducting, Florida State University, 2010
- M.F.A. in Instrumental Conducting, University of South Florida, 2003
- B.M.E., Florida State University, 1998
Biography
Frank M. Diaz is associate professor of music in music education and coordinator of the Office of Wellness and Arts in Health Initiatives at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. An active scholar and teacher in the field of contemplative science, he is also an affiliate faculty member for the IU Cognitive Science Program.
Prior to his position at Jacobs, Diaz taught on the faculties of the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory and the University of Oregon School of Music, and served as a public school music teacher for school districts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
At Jacobs, Diaz teaches courses on instrumental music education, research methods, and mindfulness for musicians. He is also a highly sought-out clinician and conductor for honors, community, secondary, and collegiate orchestras, and is a frequent presenter and adjudicator for conferences, workshops, and festivals across the country.
Along with his work as a teacher and conductor, he currently serves on the editorial board of the String Research Journal and the Journal of Research in Music Education and is an active member of the American String Teachers Association.
Diaz is the founder and director of the Institute for Mindfulness-Based Wellness and Pedagogy, where he collaborates with an international group of artists, educators, and scholars on disseminating research and best practices on the art of mindful living, teaching, and performance.
He has taught meditative practices to thousands of students through courses and workshops at educational, religious, and non-profit institutions across the United States, and leads several mindfulness initiatives through partnerships with the Jacobs School of Music, IU Lifelong Learning, and the Eskenazi Museum of Art.
As a scholar, Diaz focuses on mixed-methods investigations of meditative practices and on developing theoretical models that might effectively deal with existing gaps between scientific and humanistic approaches to understanding contemplative practices.
His research is published in numerous refereed and practitioner journals and has been featured in media outlets such as CNN, NPR, Science Daily, and The Huffington Post.