Dr. Xixi Shen

Dr. Xixi Shen earned her Ph.D. in Music Education with a focus on Piano Pedagogy at Florida State University, where she also completed a Certificate in Piano Performance as well as the Specialized Studies program in College Teaching. During her time at Florida State University, Dr. Shen served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for class piano courses supervised by Dr. Diana Dumlavwalla and as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Music Research, under the direction of Dr. D. Gregory Springer.  

Shen was the class piano instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Florida State University and the University Musical Associates (UMA) at FSU College of Music. With all these experiences in class piano teaching, Shen developed her interest in teaching world music. Shen also transferred this passion into her Ph.D. dissertation – Culturally Responsive Curriculum: Incorporating Chinese Folk Songs in Class Piano.

Shen is an active presenter and performer. Her presentations have explored topics such as keyboard performance practice, group piano teaching, and private piano instruction. Shen has presented at conferences such as the International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference, the Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) National Conference, the Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) Collegiate Symposium, the Florida State Music Teacher Association (FSMTA) State Conference, and the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Professional Learning Conference. In July 2024, she traveled to Finland for the International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference, where she presented two workshops, focusing on the topics of world music teaching in class piano and music performance anxiety. Shen was also invited to perform at conferences, including the Group Piano/Piano Pedagogy Forum and the College Music Society (CMS). Her performances have taken her across Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio.

Shen was the recipient of the 2024 King Music Education Scholarship Award by the Florida State Music Teachers Association. She was intensively involved in the Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) at Florida State University student organization. Her leadership roles at MTNA at FSU included president, vice president, and secretary.

Shen received her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from Temple University, where she studied under the guidance of Prof. Maria Del Pico Taylor. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music.