Nathan Kruse is Professor of Music Education and Chair of the Department of Music at CWRU. Kruse joined the faculty in 2013 and teaches courses in research methods, the sociology of music education, vernacular music, and classroom guitar. Prior to his appointment at CWRU, he served as Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of North Texas. He earned music education degrees from Butler University (BME), the University of New Mexico (MM), and Michigan State University (PhD).
Kruse’s research interests include adult music education and lifespan learning, ethnographic traditions of community music, and vernacular music practices. He has presented research at national and international conferences and has published scholarly work in books and peer-reviewed research journals. He is currently an editorial board member for TOPICS for Music Education Praxis and is Associate Editor of Visions of Research in Music Education.
Kruse taught middle school and high school instrumental music in New Mexico and Michigan and remains an active community musician as conductor of Symphony West. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Ohio Music Education Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Mu Phi Epsilon. Kruse received an Excellence-in-Teaching Citation at Michigan State University and was nominated for the J. H. Shelton Excellence in Teaching Award at the University of North Texas and the John S. Diekhoff Award for Graduate Mentorship at CWRU.