We navigate the last few weeks of school with an increasingly urgent need for the year to be over. Recorded 5.22.2022

We chat about how things are actually returning to the way they were before, and reflect honestly on how we navigated the challenges of this past year now that we're not in the middle of it all. S8E31 Recorded 5.5.2022

Veroinca asks the question: Can you still build a shiny, award winning program while still maintaining healthy boundaries in your life?   S8E30 Recorded 4.24.2022

We talk about the logistics of showcasing the entirety of the music program, collaborating with others in your department and how to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time. S8E29 Recorded 4/18/22

It's been a while since we were all together so our focus meanders a bit, but our original conversations focuses on rewarding students who are represntative of the values of your program beyond just outstanding musicianship.   S8E28 Recorded 4.10.2022

Olin is out this week so the secondary school teachers discuss how the tail is wagging the dog when it comes to how elective enrollment is driving curriculum.

How do you thread the needle celebrating your top students without leaving your other ensembles behind? We have our friend Jeff Kumagai on who is going through the last growing pains of taking over a program and dealing with the expectations of students who align with the values of the previous director. S8E26 Recorded 3.26.22

Sus is out this week due to tech week for the musical, Olin is still in the middle of the madness. Veronica has one very long week til spring break. We check in with our goals for the end of the semester, how (if?) we are on track with them. S8E25 Recorded 3/13/2022

Welcome to the spring. Things are going fine. We're sure. 100% Everything is fine. S8E24 Recorded 3/6/2022

We continue our conversation regarding what a professional trjectory looks like for us, our previous discussion focused on what it wasn't.   S8E23 Recorded 2.27.2022

What does a music educator's "professional trajectory" look like? This year we discuss a bit of difference in perspective on this topic between teachers in the classroom, administrators and what the difference is for us as music educators.

The gang discusses their strategies for setting one's self up for success so as not to dread Sunday evening or Monday morning. S8E20 Recorded 1/30/2022

As we are normalizing our expectations of ourselves and our students we're encountering a lot of frustration and need to stop and remind ourselves of a few key concepts.   S8E21 Recorded 2.3.2022

We talk programming and how we might feel guilty for imposing our own bucket lists on our students.   Recorded 1/20/22

This time we have the right file. Oops. We're back from break to a January that looks a little different than December.   S8E18 Recorded 1/6/2022

Forgive the zoom blips this week, we had to edit off of one track, old school. This week we deal with being caught in the middle of public school discourse on respecting other cultures and holidays and the (sometimes overwhelming) hegemony of Christmas, along with the public expectation of holiday concerts. S8E17 Recorded 12/12/21

Guess who's back, back again? Concerts.   S8E16 Recorded 12/5/21

Our topic meandered a bit on this episode, but it centered around anxiety (ours and our students'), understanding it and growing with it. S8E14 Recorded 11/14/2021. 

Hi Folks, this one jumps the queue because it's topical, so you get Episode 15 this week and then 14 next week. Time travel is rad. Enjoy our annual episode on Gratitude. S8E15 Recorded 11.21.21

Or "learning to share the burden of project management" if you prefer. Sus has caught herself taking on too much in her role of co-overseeing the musical theater fundraising concert, and discussing the growing pains of working on equal footing with other directors when no one is "in charge." S8E13 Recorded 11.7.2021

John is anxious and panicking about the future (what else is new). What are you doing to ensure that your ensembles survive past the graduation of the class of 2022? S8E12 Recorded 10/28/2021

This week Olin, Sus and Veronica talk the perennial favorite topic of scheduling, looking forward and anticipating challenges that crop up as we move forward. S8E11 Recorded 10/21/21

What happens when you need to change course in the middle of your semester? We find out. When is rigidity in programming an structure an asset and when is it a liability? S8E10 Recorded 10/17/2021

So, it's not 2019, remember? Some of us *cough cough* are running up against the consequences of planning like it was. Let us know if you found the easter egg in this episode. S8E9 Recorded 10/03/2021