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Mary Lou Van Rysselberghe
(541) 346-3761M
mlvr@uoregon.edu

Mary Lou Van Rysselberghe is senior instructor emerita of music education and has been associated with the University of Oregon since 1977.

Van Rysselberghe received both the B.Mus. and the M.Mus. degrees from the University of Oregon. Before joining the UO faculty full time, she taught elementary and junior high school general music, choir, and music for special education students in the Seattle and Eugene public schools.

At Oregon, Van Rysselberghe has taught methods courses in early childhood, elementary choral and general music, cooperative learning, classroom ecology and management in music, and directed the Music Laboratory for parents & children. She has worked extensively with music education students in the areas of elementary general music, the teaching lab, and music for early childhood. She coordinated elementary music minors, and the Children's Concert Series, “Lively Music for Young Listeners.” She has also served as Chair of Music Education and coordinator of Summer Session at the School of Music.

Van Rysselberghe has coauthored the 6th edition of the text, Music in the Elementary School with Gary Martin, Robert and Vernice Nye. Articles by Van Rysselberghe have appeared in the Arts Education Policy Review, the Journal of Music Teacher Education, the Oregon Music Educator and the Connecticut Music Educator's News. She has served as editor for a national newsletter for MENC, Early Childhood SRIG, and on the editorial committee of Update: Applications of Research in Music Education. She is a contributor to MENC publications, including Strategies for Teaching Guide for Music Methods Classes. She continues to serve as a reviewer for publishers of new texts in the field of music education.

Van Rysselberghe has served as both elementary and college chair for the Oregon Music Education Association. She was National Chair for MENC Early Childhood Music SRIG. She also served as National Chair of the Executive Committee for the MENC Society for Music Teacher Education. Van Rysselberghe was the U.S. Commission Member for the Early Childhood Music Education Commission of the International Society for Music Education for six years, and served as its chair 1998-2000. She has presented papers on Advocacy, Live Music Interaction, and Early Childhood Music at national and international conferences, and was guest conductor of the Oregon State Children's Choral Festival in 1988. She frequently gives workshops on the child's singing voice, integration of music in the classroom, methods for teaching music to very young children, and current trends in music education.

Van Rysselberghe was on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Bach Festival for seven years, and served as a consultant for its innovative “International EarPort” Series for young listeners.