Published in the 2017 edition of Noteworthy, the alumni and friends magazine for the UT School of Music.

Trail-blaz-er
/trāl blāzer/
a pioneer; an innovator.
a person who creates new paths to success.

Marvelene Moore, professor emerita, was recognized at the 2017 African American Trailblazer series. Each year, the series honors those in the UT community who are considered trailblazers in their disciplines or within the fields of diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

“This event is one of our prizes at the university,” said Robert Nobels, associate vice chancellor of research and engagement. “It is an opportunity to celebrate individuals who have made significant accomplishments in their field, in their community, and in the world at large.”

The award ceremony included an interview, a Q&A session, and a reception.

Moore, who held the James A. Cox Professor endowed chair from 2002 to 2004, worked at UT for 36 years. She is an expert in classroom music for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. She received the Lowell Mason Fellow Award, the highest honor in music education, and was inducted into the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Educators Hall of Honor in 2014.

“I met Dr. Moore my senior year of high school,” said Jessie Compton (MM ‘16). “She inspired me, encouraged me, and believed in me in a way I never could have expected.”

“She does not just teach her students but she invests in their lives. Dr. Moore has not only touched the lives of her students, but also the students of her students as they pass on her wisdom and guidance.”

Jessie Compton (MM ’16)

Moore has served as a clinician and guest conductor in 44 states and has presented at International Society for Music Education conferences across the world. She founded the biennial National Symposium on Multicultural Music at UT in 1995.

Moore is currently a member of the board of directors of the International Society of Music Education, representing the United States on the Commission for Music in Schools and Teacher Education. She has published extensively for Pearson Education and the National Association for Music Education.

The Trailblazer series is sponsored by UT’s Commission for Blacks and the Black Student Union.