Leila Heil

  • Chair, Music Education
  • Associate Professor of Music Education
  • MUSIC EDUCATION

Leila Heil is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in choral music and music education, directs the CU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and serves as coordinator of the Summer MME program. Prior to her arrival at the University of Colorado, she taught high school choral music in Kansas, Arizona and Colorado, and served on the music education faculties at The Ohio State University and Colorado State University. 

Heil has authored and co-authored articles on improvisation (Music Educators Journal), vocal jazz rehearsal strategies (Choral Journal), pre-service music teacher identity (Visions in Music Education Research), pre-service teacher preparation (Contributions to Music Education), and trends in choral literature selection (Choral Journal). She has presented sessions at numerous international and national conferences including the Midwest Clinic, the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE) Conference, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Research and Teacher Education Conference, the NAfME National In-service Conference, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Conference. the National Early Music Association (NEMA) Conference, the Research in Music Education Conference (RIME), and the International Jazz Educators Association (IAJE) Conference. She has also presented at state NAfME and ACDA conferences in Colorado, Arizona, Ohio and Texas.

Music education