Dr. Williams’ distinguished career has included teaching and administrative appointments at Illinois State University, SWRL Educational Research Laboratory, California State Los Angeles, Southern Methodist University, the University of Washington, and the University of Guam. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music Theory degree from Northwestern Louisiana State University and a PhD in Systematic Musicology from the University of Washington. His technology work broadly covers multimedia and Internet applications, music and arts technology education, the development of software applications for music education, and the management of information and instructional technology resources. While at ISU he created the arts technology interdisciplinary program in 1980 (now the Creative Technologies program), a program offering bachelor and master degrees for over 200 students.
Dr. Williams has served as a consultant to a many organizations in education and business combining his music, computer science, research, and administrative experience. He has written extensively in the areas of music education, music psychology, music and arts technology, and instructional development. His most recent book, which he co-authors with Peter Webster, is entitled Experiencing Music Technology (in its 4th edition with Oxford University Press). He has served on boards for the National Association for Music Education, College Music Society, Illinois Music Educators Association, the Association for Technology in Music Instruction, and the Technology Institute for Music Education (TI:ME). He chaired the MENC task force for developing Opportunity-to-Learn Standards for Music Technology and, in 2001, received the Illinois Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award for his work in music technology.
He is a much-invited speaker, clinician, and consultant to many professional meetings, universities, public schools, and business organizations. He is a Past President of The College Music Society and a past member of the Executive Board of TI:ME and serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Music, Technology and Music Education and the Journal of Technology in Music Learning. His compositions and arrangements are for various wind, choral and vocal, opera, and multimedia genres. His compositions and arrangements are available from J.W. Pepper and through ArrangeMe.com. Most recently his Make Haste Oh God for TTB men’s choir was selected for the Central Southwest College Music Society conference at the University of Arkansas Ft. Smith.