Dr. Nicola F. Mason is Professor of Music Education and Chair of the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership at Eastern Kentucky University. Dr. Mason was born and raised in South Africa where she taught K-12 music and band. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Stellenbosch University, Master of Music from Morehead State University, and Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Mason is an Orff Certified teacher, past president of the Kentucky Orff-Schulwerk Association, and past-editorial board member of The Orff Echo. Her scholarly works can be found in various publications and she regularly presents at local, national, and international conferences. But Dr. Mason is first and foremost a musician and performs regularly on tuba and double bass.