Biography

Dr. Melissa Lloyd is an adjunct assistant professor of music education at the University of Florida, where she teaches graduate courses for the online Master of Music in Music Education program. She received her Ph.D. in music education from the University of Florida, her Master of Music in Music Education from Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University, and her Bachelor of Music in music education from the University of Arizona. In addition to her adjunct work at the University of Florida, Dr. Lloyd also serves as a full-time elementary general music teacher in Gainesville, Florida, providing mentorship for undergraduate fieldwork experiences and student teaching intern placements in music educaiton. Prior to teaching at the university level, Dr. Lloyd taught elementary and middle school general music and choral music in both private and public schools throughout the state of Maryland. 

Dr. Lloyd's research interests include Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the elementary general music classroom, trauma-informed pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and the connections between music therapy and music education to support students with emotional and behavioral disorders and those who have experienced trauma. She has co-authored the chapters, "The Development of Assessment Literacy Standards for Music Teachers"  and "Perspectives and Practices of Assessment in a Music Course for Elementary Education Majors" in the book Advancing Music Education Through Assessment: Honoring Culture, Diversity, and Practice. Dr. Lloyd has presented at numerous conferences, including the International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education (ISAME), the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE) Symposium, the Mountain Lake Colloquium, and the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA). She also facilitates professional development sessions for elementary general music educators in Alachua County Public Schools in Gainesville, Florida.