Craig Resta holds degrees from the University of Maryland at College Park (PhD), Indiana University (MM), and Baylor University (BME). His teaching experience of fifteen years has encompassed rural, urban, and suburban settings in each geographical region of the United States having worked in Texas, Indiana, California, New Jersey, Maryland, Georgia, and Ohio. While his primary public school positions have been in elementary and middle school orchestra and instrumental settings, and he has also worked extensively with students from early elementary through graduate levels in music education.
Dr. Resta’s research interests comprise string education, historical and philosophical research in music education, educational leadership issues, and arts education advocacy. He has presented at conferences for the Maryland, Georgia, and Ohio Music Educators Associations (MMEA, GMEA, OMEA), at Music Educators National Conference (MENC) Eastern Division, and GMEA Collegiate Music Educators Conference (CMENC). His work is published in Maryland Music Educator, New Jersey TEMPO, and American String Teacher. He is also a contributor to the forthcoming second edition of the Grove Dictionary of American Music produced by Oxford University Press. Additionally, he has adjudicated in several states, worked as Advocacy Chair on the Maryland MEA Executive Board, and serves as a Music and Education Scholar for the Ohio Humanities Council.
His principal violin teachers include Kevin Lawrence, Stanley Ritchie, and Davis Brooks. Research mentors are Marie McCarthy, Thomas Binkley, and Harry Elzinga. Performing experience includes programs at The Round Top Festival, The Berkeley and Boston Early Music Festivals, and The Bloomington and Washington Early Music Festivals. Concert appearances include venues in Texas, Indiana, California, Washington, DC, Boston, and abroad in Switzerland. Dr. Resta is a member of the groups Armonia Nova and Bernardus, scholarship-based ensembles focusing on medieval repertoire and literature. Upcoming performances include those in Cleveland, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Washington, DC, and at the International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference in Beijing, China, during August, 2010.
A string specialist, Dr. Resta is currently Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music Education at Kent State University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in string pedagogy, pre-service music teacher education, instrumental music teaching, and music education foundational studies.