Dr. Juliet Hess offers both theory and practical suggestions about how music classrooms are uniquely poised to inspire and support social change at the intersections of activism, critical pedagogy, and music education.  Highlighting the framework and specific examples from her book Music Education for Social Change: Constructing an Activist Music Education, Dr. Hess shares her research, stories, and ideas for what teaching for social change could look like and sound within music education...

As music educators, we are well aware of the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), especially in the wake of pandemic learning and teaching.  But what might it look like in the music classrooms?  What opportunities are we including - and missing - for seamless inclusion of SEL in music ed?  This podcast with Dr. Scott Edgar focuses on the possibilities for practicing SEL in the music classroom - both with adults and students.  Dr. Edgar also reminds us of the necessity of an equity...

Do students know why you show up at school every day?  Could sharing your “why” help you connect with students - and possibly even invite more student agency in your classroom?  This episode contains an invitation to look beyond the day-to-day and embrace the big picture of what is possible in and through our music classrooms - and what role your “why” might play in the process.

Alice Tsui joins us on the podcast this week to talk about how to create brave spaces that empower student and collective voice while centering joy in Black Lives Matter and AAPI communities. Alice’s Insta videos @musicwithmissalice demonstrate her inspirational approach to working with her students and her school community. In this podcast she shares very practical ideas for moving music education forward in both the short and long run, including how to continue the personal aspects of...

From start to finish in this podcast, Girl Conductor - Ms. Maria A. Ellis - offers her wisdom, passion, and sheer joy in teaching and learning! Maria shares how she starts classes the first time she meets students with the intention of building relationships and knowing her students’ musical preferences. She tells her own story about being rejected from a music education training program - and how she was able to get in only 3 months later.  And she offers each of us some sound advice about...

As music educators, we’ve learned too much this past year to go back to “normal,” as soon as pandemic safety allows. From the lessons of pandemic teaching to the anti-bias/anti-racist lessons learned this past year - curriculum re-design in music education is not an option.  It is imperative.  This podcast outlines three small but mighty steps that we can implement starting today and continue to implement over time.

Dr. Carlos Abril joins us in the podcast today to talk about the current role - and the potential future impact - of colleges and universities in moving music education forward.  He has a clear and cogent vision for the kind of music educators he’d like to inspire and empower - those who become leaders in the field and agents of change in music ed. Join us for this thoughtful and hopeful conversation on how the academy can be integral to transforming music education at the undergraduate and...

In part 2 of this conversation with The Passionate Black Educator, Jasmine Fripp, highlights the importance of music educators being fluent in diverse styles of music in order to serve and empower our students as musicians and humans.  We also talk...

In this episode, Jasmine Fripp, The Passionate Black Educator, talks about the ways music educators, our music classrooms, and our music curricula “give hate” - whether we are aware of it or not.  Jasmine lists specific examples of ways our “hate” -...

Shouldn’t diversity, equity, inclusion, and access be central to all of our learning with students and teachers? Dr. Karen Howard shares context and practices to further diversity, equity, inclusion, and access and move music education forward. With a...

In this episode, Elena Aguilar shares her journey as a transformational coach and how she works with coaches. Elena’s coaching and consulting work lead her to write a book about resilience, seeing how it underpins our success and happiness as teachers....

Ready for some practical, tried-and-true, made-for-teachers resilience advice?  Me too! This podcast shares some of the highlights of Elena Aguilar’s book “Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators.” After outlining the synergistic...

How can we shift the nervous system when it gets locked into fight-flight mode?  This podcast has simple, quick, practical tools to help you move into “rest and digest” mode. And we can ALL use that right now.  These short practices can help you in a...

This week Dr. Kate Webster shares her experience of pandemic teaching, self-care, and resilience as inspired by her experiences as a Music Educator, Runner, Yoga Teacher, and Mom. Kate's easy-going, connected, and wise offering in this podcast will...

What is the difference between self-care and self-compassion - and why does it matter?  What is working for teachers and school communities around the world as we see to strengthen resilience?  This podcast with the amazing Fran Prolman is real talk,...

We made it to 2021. Now what? This new beginning to a new year has been long-awaited and long needed. This podcast outlines 5 Resilience Building Strategies for us personally and professionally, as well as some great tools to help us grow more steady...

We can. We have. And we will.  Although we didn’t wish for it, 2020 and this pandemic has shown us, as music educators, what is possible as we have united to support one another, our students, and our global music education community. Without an ounce...

2020 and pandemic teaching has caused many teachers to question their effectiveness, suitability for the profession, and - in difficult moments - their worth as a teacher.  This podcast takes head-on the mounting layers of beliefs, stories, and...

2020 has included countless challenges - and we have learned a lot.  Part of 1 of this 3-part series outlines how teaching necessarily looks differently - and how our mindset has to be open to those changes. Many music teachers have a very specific...

Moving from classroom instruction to online learning takes translation.  Our mindset about priorities and possibilities will, in large part, determine our experience, as well as our students’ experiences with online learning in music.  Getting our minds...

What should be at the heart of learning?  How do we know if students are learning things that will stick with them?  Using the work of Jay McTighe, Grant Wiggins and Judy Willis, this episode highlights how Understanding By Design can transform the way we think about music learning.  With attention to understanding, transfer and process, we can and help students learn more and faster, while using brain-based strategies that will help retention of learning, as well.

Want to know one of the most powerful tools for music educators to create meaningful learning?  The National Core Arts Standards for music.  Embedded in these power-packed standards are both the big picture AND the building blocks of transformative...

What does it mean to write a high-quality unit for a music classroom?  Having a strong sequence for teaching concepts like rhythm and melody is important.  But how do we get at the bigger picture?  What do we REALLY want students to take with them into...

Why would I stop teaching music?  Great question!  You see, I’ve loved teaching children and working with amazing teachers for more than 20 years in schools.  But through my work as a professional developer, I learned there was an incredible need for...