Karin Hendricks

Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education

B.M. in Cello Performance, Oberlin Conservatory; B.A. in German Studies, Oberlin College; M.A. in Music Education, Brigham Young University; Ph.D. in Music Education, University of Illinois

Karin Hendricks currently teaches classes in music psychology and string pedagogy at the University of Illinois, where she also served as the Music Director and Conductor of the Illini String Orchestra. She has published several professional journal articles and book chapters on music education topics, and has published articles in the American String Teacher and American Suzuki Journal. She has presented music education and psychology workshops at state, national, and international music education conferences. She has served in many local and state educational leadership capacities, including as Orchestra Vice-President for the Utah Music Educators Association.

Dr. Hendricks has conducted research in music education psychology and early childhood string pedagogy, with a particular focus in motivation and ability development. While completing her doctoral dissertation on the sources of self-efficacy in music performance, she was awarded an American Dissertation Fellowship through the American Association of University Women and received an honorable mention from the Robert Ferber Dissertation Award through the University of Illinois Survey Research Laboratory. Subsequent research projects have included observations of the musical growth of young children and adolescents, and have studied the means whereby musicians and teachers foster strong musical self-beliefs.

Before coming to the University of Illinois, Dr. Hendricks enjoyed a successful public school orchestra career for 13 years in Utah and Idaho. She was named the 2008 Utah “Secondary Teacher of the Year for the American String Teachers Association, 2005 “Teacher of the Year” at Logan High School in Utah, and was a 2003 recipient of the United States Presidential Scholar Teacher Recognition Award. She has served as an orchestra clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and has maintained a private cello studio for 24 years, with students receiving state and national honors.

Dr. Hendricks has collaborated in education projects with several international soloists and chamber ensembles, including the Arianna, Cavani, Daedalus, Fry Street, Miró, and Pacifica Quartets; and the Jacques Thibaud Trio. At Oberlin, she was a scholarship student of Peter Rejto and Catharina Meints. She has also received music performance training from such artists as John Williams, Hugh Wolff, Anner Bylsma, Roland Vamos, Michel Debost, Robert McDonald, Sharon Robinson, and the Beaux Arts Trio.