ASU professor, alum named Yamaha '40 Under 40' outstanding music educators
Erin Barra-Jean, assistant professor and director of ASU's Popular Music program, and music education alum Nicholas Popovich, have been recognized as Yamaha “40 Under 40” outstanding music educators for 2025. Courtesy photos
A music career conference that connects college students with such industry leaders as Timbaland. A K–12 program that incorporates technology into music so that students are using digital tools to compose music.
These are among the learning innovations that have led to Erin Barra-Jean, assistant professor and director of Arizona State University’s Popular Music program, and ASU alum Nicholas Popovich (’17 MM in music education) being recognized as Yamaha “40 Under 40” outstanding music educators for 2025.
“I am flattered by the nomination and am really proud to be associated with this prestigious list of educators, and to Yamaha as well,” Barra-Jean said. “It’s nice to be recognized for the work we are doing.”
The Yamaha “40 Under 40” music education advocacy program recognizes and celebrates outstanding young music educators who share the joy and power of music-making with their students, who range from kindergarteners to college undergraduates.
Facilitating connections
When Barra-Jean first came to Phoenix, she was struck by how much opportunity and potential there was just lying in wait. It’s part of what inspired her to create the Music Industry Career Conference, an annual feature of the ASU Popular Music program that launched in 2023.
MICC brings together trailblazing music professionals, aspiring creatives and cultural leaders to engage, inspire and redefine the music industry. It is being held March 28–29 this year and features Grammy award-winning producer Timbaland as the keynote speaker.
“When you pair the explosive economic and cultural development Phoenix is experiencing with our proximity to Los Angeles and ASU’s ability to quite literally change the world, this seemed like the biggest and most exciting thing I could dream up for our program and for the city,” Barra-Jean said. “I want ASU and the Popular Music program to be a key player in the development that’s already happening. I want Phoenix to be the next Austin, Texas, and I believe this conference is the next SXSW.”
The conference will encompass all three pillars of Barra-Jean's teaching philosophy: education, community building and professional development.
“People come to learn from the professionals and get information that will bolster their career choices and trajectory; they interact with other players in the space, which helps to develop their professional network; and many students get the opportunity to be visible in front of a targeted industry audience,” she said.
In addition to classes and the conference, the Popular Music program offers students hands-on learning through performance and production opportunities, including open mics and concerts at local venues, and through internships and industry guest speakers.
Encouraging exploration
For Popovich, the time he spent in the Music Learning and Teaching program at ASU was invaluable to his pursuits in the music technology field.
“The program offered me flexibility to tailor my studies to align with my interests in making music with technology,” he said. “This customization allowed me to focus on areas directly related to the music technology program I was beginning to develop at that time.”
That program, which Popovich designed for the Paradise Valley Unified School District’s North Valley Arts Academies, is built on a foundation of exploring sound creation and production. It provides K–12 students the opportunity to take courses in dance, theater, visual art and music technology.
“This holistic, project-based learning environment allows students to use digital audio workstations to compose, edit and produce original music while learning to think creatively,” Popovich said.
And through a partnership with the Paradise Valley Community College’s Music Industry Studies program, Popovich’s students can earn college credits through dual-enrollment courses.
Popovich said ASU’s program taught him the importance of designing and facilitating inclusive and supportive music programs, and it provided him with a platform to explore how emerging technologies can help solve educational challenges.
“Through my work on grant projects associated with ASU, most of which were led by Dr. Evan Tobias, I have been able to contribute to research on effective technological applications in music teaching and learning,” Popovich said. “I am thrilled to be part of advancing the field.”
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