Alena is a Professor and the Coordinator of Music Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

 

Originally from Belarus, Alena Holmes started her career in her native country where she taught general music, choir, music theory, and piano, worked as a musician and singer with popular bands and concert organizations, and had numerous appearances on popular Belarusian TV and radio shows. She then worked as a music teacher, singer, and musician in China, Bahrain, Italy, and the United States. An active teacher, clinician, researcher, and musician, Dr. Holmes has given over 60 presentations throughout the United States and in Malaysia, Italy, Greece, Australia, Brazil, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. She has been published in multiple national and international journals including Music Educators Journal, Journal of Education and Training Studies, Perspectives: Journal of the Early Childhood Music & Movement Association, GSTF International Journal of Music, Wisconsin School Musician as well as a variety of conference proceedings. She is the author of the chapter in the  Oxford Handbook on Assessment Policy and Practice in Music Education.

Her primary research areas include early childhood music education, multicultural music education, music education in Eastern Europe, internationalized approach to instruction, world music preferences, undergraduate research in music, and autobiographical studies. Dr. Holmes has received several awards, including the Excellence in Research from the UW-Whitewater Music Department and the UW-Whitewater College of Arts and Communication; Excellent in Service from the UW-Whitewater Music Department, and David Wilmor Prize for Excellence in Music Education from the University of Florida.

She served as Early Childhood State Chair at the Wisconsin Music Education Association and has been on the advisory board of Music Educators Journal.

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She is the owner of Music Production and Education company “Music Creativity Lab” and founder and director of three summer music camps. 

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In addition to her  teaching, research and composition work, Dr. Holmes is a singer and songwriter, performing in educational, professional, and community contexts throughout the U.S. Her recent work includes writing the musical "Florida Christmas," which premiered in December 2023 at various stages in Florida.