April 27, 2026
Associate Professor of Musicology Charles Carson has been awarded the 2025-26 President’s Associates Undergraduate Teaching Award, one of The University of Texas at Austin’s highest honors for undergraduate instruction, recognizing faculty members whose teaching not only informs, but inspires.
A member of the Butler School of Music faculty since 2010, Carson has built a reputation as one of the school’s most sought-after and dynamic instructors. His courses reach both music majors and students from across campus, spanning the undergraduate music history sequence, including Black Perspectives in Jazz, Music of African Americans and Popular Music in Popular Culture. His classes consistently generate high demand, lengthy waitlists and exceptional student evaluations.
“The numbers tell part of the story,” said Andrew Dell’Antonio, division head of Musicology and Ethnomusicology in the Butler School of Music. “But statistics alone cannot capture the pedagogical sophistication that makes his Music of African Americans course so transformative.”
Carson is widely recognized for creating classrooms where rigorous scholarship and active participation go hand in hand. Students describe lectures that are intellectually rich, highly organized and deeply engaging, with one student calling him “one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met in my life,” and praising his ability to communicate ideas in ways that “appeal to every demographic.” Another student wrote that every class left them eager to share something new they had learned with friends and roommates.
Alongside his academic depth, students and colleagues point to Carson’s warmth and accessibility.
“He doesn’t teach just to get the information across,” one student wrote. “He teaches so holistically and genuinely cares about teaching.” Another described his lectures as so lively and entertaining that “every class feels like a comedy club.”
Carson is also known for inviting students into the learning process itself. In his music history courses, students help shape portions of the syllabus by advocating for works they believe belong in the curriculum and making the case for the historical significance. The approach encourages critical thinking, artistic advocacy and conversations about how canons are formed and revised.
Carson’s impact reaches far beyond a single classroom or course, said Susan Thomas, director of the Bulter School of Music.
“Dr. Carson is a creative and skilled teacher of undergraduate students, offering multiple pathways for hands-on learning and deep scholarly and critical engagement with music in his classes,” Thomas said.
Carson’s former students have gone on to careers in law, public service and academia, while his work in community-engaged projects across Austin has further expanded the reach of his teaching beyond the UT Austin campus.