Natalie Steele Royston

Natalie Steele Royston serves as Associate Professor of Instrumental Music Education and Music Education Coordinator at Iowa State University. She teaches courses in Music Education as well as coordinates and supervises practicum placements and student teachers. Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Royston served on the faculty with the Iowa State University bands, most recently as Associate Director of Bands, Director of the Cyclone Marching Band (ISUCF’V’MB), director of the women’s basketball Pep Band, and conductor of the Concert Band. Previously, she served as Music Education Instructor, Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Big Purple Marching Band, and Low Brass Instructor at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas and was a band director in Logan, Belpre, and Chillicothe Ohio where her ensembles received consistent superior ratings at district and state events.
Dr. Royston received a Bachelor of Music Education degree and Master of Music degrees in Trombone Performance and Wind Conducting from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of North Texas. She has held memberships in Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Lambda, Tau Beta Sigma, Mu Phi Epsilon, the Society for Music Teacher Education, National Association for Music Education, and the Iowa, Ohio, and Texas Music Educators’ Association.
Dr. Royston is an active clinician and researcher. She has presented at conferences and research symposiums across the country including Iowa, Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, and South Dakota. She has published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, the Journal of Music Teacher Education, Contributions to Music Education, the Music Educators Journal, the Instrumentalist, The Southwestern Musician, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Research and Issues in Music Education, and Teaching Music Through Performance in Band; Solo and Ensemble Repertoire volume.
She currently serves as Facilitator for the SMTE Program Admission, Assessment, and Alignment ASPA. She has also served on the Advisory Committee for the Music Educators Journal and as editor of the Iowa Music Education Association’s Magazine, the Iowa Music Educator. She currently serves on the editorial board of Contributions to Music Education.