PhD, Music Education

University of Miami, Frost School of Music · Coral Gables, FL · 2021

Master of Music (M.M.)

University of Miami, Frost School of Music · Coral Gables, FL · 2016

Bachelor of Arts — String Bass Performance, K–12 Music Teacher Certification

University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA · 2010

Arts Department Coordinator · Music Teacher, IB DP

Colegio Einstein · Puembo, Ecuador · 2024 – present

• Academic and programmatic leadership for Visual Arts, Music and Theatre across PYP, MYP and DP at a K–12 IB school.
• Lead curriculum restructuring for arts courses and ensemble programming across divisions; conduct observations and growth-focused instructional feedback.
• Teach IB Diploma Programme Music (analysis, composition, performance). Founded the Electronic Music CAS — live performance practice with Ableton Live, Push, iOS instruments, pedals and mixers.
• Coordinate major arts events including the IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition, MS/HS musical, school-wide concerts.

Director, Trabajo fin de Máster (Capstone Master's Project)

Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR) · Online · 2024 – 2025

• Advised online students in the Music Pedagogy master's program across Spain and Latin America.
• Supervised 24 capstone projects covering music-technology integration, innovative pedagogy, inclusive education, ADHD and music learning, culturally responsive teaching.

Adjunct Faculty — Escuela de Música, Psicología y Formación General

Universidad de las Américas (UDLA) · Quito, Ecuador · 2020 – 2025

• Digital Instrument Building Club — created and led, teaching digital lutherie with Arduino, sensors, and interactive technologies.
• Urban Beats Electronic Music Ensemble, Ableton Live Inicial, jazz combos, popular-music ensembles integrating Ecuadorian, Latin American and global traditions.
• Taught Educational Research Methods and the university-wide Arts & Community course (online via Brightspace / Moodle).

Program Evaluation Consultant

Sistema Ravinia · Chicago, IL (Remote) · Dec 2024 – Dec 2025

• Revised and analysed internal surveys of teachers and students for a donor impact report; contributed to ongoing program evaluation of a Sistema-model initiative serving underserved Chicago communities.

Graduate Teaching Assistant — Music Education & Music Therapy

University of Miami, Frost School of Music · 2016 – 2019

• Instructor of Record: String Techniques, Folk and Modern Techniques.
• Director: Outreach String Program (3rd–5th grade); Shalala MusicReach Modern Band & Music Technology (Little Havana); New Horizons Jazz Band.

UNIR Master's Capstone Supervision

24 successfully supervised projects · 2024 – 2025

• Topics: music-technology integration, inclusive music education, ADHD and music learning, culturally responsive teaching, innovative pedagogy.
• Guided full project lifecycle — planning, execution, academic writing, formal defense.

Coffman, N. I., & Abril, J. E. (in press). Soundscaping in Ecuador: The ARD framework for environmental identity development. In K. I. C. H. Weatherly (Ed.), Global Dynamics of Contemporary Music. Springer.

Castro Pais, M. D., …, Coffman, N. I., … (2025). Sistemas de calidad en instituciones latinoamericanas, caribeñas y europeas. In O. Lorenzo Quiles & A. Lendínez Turón (Eds.), Resultados en los sistemas de garantía de calidad… (pp. 39–64). Aranzadi.

Coffman, D. D., & Coffman, N. I. (2023). Looking back and looking forward: A content analysis of the International Journal of Community Music, 2007–2022. International Journal of Community Music, 16(1), 9–29. doi.org/10.1386/ijcm_00073_1

Coffman, N. I., & Coffman, D. D. (2018). Touching Sound: Re-envisioning music technology instruction in undergraduate music education curricula. In ISME Commission on Music Policy: Culture, Education, and Media (pp. 43–51). Nedlands, WA: ISME.

• Coffman, N. I., & Abril, J. E. (2024). Environmental identity development through arts-based intervention for sustainable behaviors of adolescents. ISME World Conference, Helsinki.
• Coffman, N. I., Cifuentes M., J. F., Abril, J. E., & Estrella, G. L. (2024). Digital Ecuadorian marimba: Culturally sustainable and decolonizing music education. ISME World Conference, Helsinki.
• Coffman, N. I., & Coffman, D. D. (2024). A sustainability framework for digitally mediated community music practices. ISME CMA Seminar, Tampere.
• Cifuentes M., J. F., & Coffman, N. I. (2024). Reimagining tradition: Electronic music composition using traditional and indigenous sounds [Workshop]. ISME World Conference, Helsinki.
• Coffman, N. I. (2018). Effect of scale layout on performance using grid-based digital controllers. NAfME Biennial Music Research & Teacher Education National Conference, Atlanta.

• Coffman, N. I., & Abril, J. E. Adaptation of a Scale of Motivation of Undergraduate Non-Arts Majors in Ecuador.
• Coffman, N. I. Finding My Sound: Creative Musical Identity Development of Undergraduates in a Popular Electronic Music Program. [Dissertation manuscript for publication]

UDLA Trio — Jornadas de Investigación Musical

Loja, Ecuador · 2024 · iPad & Ableton Push, improvised experimental

Florida Electronic Music Ensemble (FEME)

University of Miami · 2016 – 2019

• Laptop-ensemble member; self-composed Max/MSP pieces for laptop, Wiimotes and Magic Leap.
• Audiovisual interactive installation for Ableton Push + Max/MSP/Jitter.

Electronic Trio — Wynwood Art Walk

Miami, FL · 2015 – 2019 · Max/MSP, Ableton Live, real-time processing & live coding

Max/MSP Production Lead

Karen Lord-Powell & Brian Powell, Let's Meet at the Horizon · Centaur Records CRC 3728 · 2019

Creative Technologist & Producer — Cantilena Women's Choir

University of Miami · 2019 · digital instruments, live processing, fixed media

Commissioner, Community Music Activity (CMA) Commission

International Society for Music Education (ISME) · elected · 2022 – 2028

• Plan international seminars, conferences and scholarly activities for the global CMA network.
• Facilitate dissemination of community-music research across regions.

Scientific Committee

ISME Latin American & Pan American Regional Conference, Santiago, Chile · 2023

Guest Reviewer

Critical Studies in Improvisation · 2024 ·   ···   Jornadas de Investigación Musical (Loja) · Scientific Committee · 2024

FabLab, Universidad de Las Américas — Volunteer

Quito, Ecuador · 2023 – present · digital lutherie workshops, intern mentorship

Music technology. Ableton Live + Push, Max/MSP/Jitter, Pure Data, Arduino & Teensy, sensor integration, iOS instruments, LMS (Brightspace, Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas, Toddle).

Pedagogy. International Baccalaureate (PYP, MYP, DP); Modern Band; Community Music; Universal Design for Learning; culturally responsive & decolonizing approaches.

Research. Mixed methods, action research, thematic analysis, R; arts-based research; IRB-aware design.

Instruments. Double bass and electric bass (primary); strings, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, piano, hand percussion (teaching proficiency).

Languages. English (native) · Spanish (intermediate, 6+ years teaching in Spanish-speaking contexts) · German (basic).