Scott Dirkse

Biography

Dr. Scott Dirkse serves as the Director of Instrumental Studies at Bakersfield College, where he teaches concert band, class piano, and music appreciation. He received his B.A. in piano performance and liberal studies from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, a secondary music teaching credential from CSU Bakersfield, an M.M. in piano pedagogy from the University of South Carolina, and a PhD in musicology from UC Santa Barbara. He is recognized as a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) by the Music Teachers National Association and was a recipient of the UCSB Excellence in Teaching Award and the KCMEA College Music Educator Award. Dr. Dirkse has presented at the national conferences for the College Music Society, the Music Teachers National Association, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and Teaching Music History Day, and he has published articles in Clavier Companion, American Music Teacher, the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, and the Journal of Music History Pedagogy. He also serves on the Board of the Bakersfield Youth Orchestra, writes program notes and pre-concert lectures for the Bakersfield Symphony, and maintains a piano teaching studio.