Sara Bakker PhD

Biography

Dr. Sara Bakker is Associate Professor of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences at Utah State University, where she also serves as Assistant Department Head and Departmental Honors Advisor in Music. Her research relies on both qualitative and quantitative techniques in the areas of evidence-based pedagogy, analytical connections between music and language, and interpretations of music through the lens of disability studies. She has presented this research at regional, national, and international conferences and has published in widely accessible journals. She is spending fall 2026 in Budapest on a Fulbright grant researching the early works and writings of György Ligeti.

In the classroom, Dr. Bakker teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in music theory and aural skills, where she focuses on helping students develop stylistic fluency in multiple Western musical styles and apply their knowledge to music that interests them. She was awarded Teacher of the Year for her college in 2020–21. She has served as a peer editor for Engaging Students and is a textbook and pedagogical materials reviewer for Oxford, Norton, and Routledge. She is also actively involved in service to her professional society, the Society for Music Theory, serving on its RILM Committee, Committee on Diversity Course Design, and Committee on Feminist Issues and Gender Equity.