David Thaxton
David Thaxton is from Sparks, Nevada, where he is currently in his 31st year of teaching Elementary music to pre-K through 6th grade. He holds a B.M.E. Degree from the University of Northern Colorado and an M.M. from Eastern Washington University.
As an AOSA-certified teacher trainer for Orff Level I, II, and III pedagogy and Levels I and II recorder, David teaches Summer Courses in Reno, San Diego, Birmingham, Chicago, and Portland. He has presented workshops and clinics at local, state, and national levels, and he also presents to Orff chapters throughout the country.
David is also a Past President and current Treasurer for the Sierra Nevada Chapter of AOSA, where he was co-founder of the Sierra Nevada Orff Festival. At the national level, he has served on the Editorial Board of The Echo Journal of the American Orff Schulwerk Association and the monthly online publication, Reverberations. He is currently the Treasurer for the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement and was also awarded the ACEMM Spotlight Educator Award. His book “Making Tracks: Recorder Explorations, Creations and Improvisations,” published through Sweet Pipes, is used in elementary music classrooms across the country as an improvisatory approach to recorder instruction. His most recent publication, “Rounds all Around” through F-Flat books, features a collection of original rounds in addition to “Sasquatch,” an eBook for elementary students due for release in 2026.
eBooks by David Thaxton
Posts by David Thaxton
Using Podcasts in Music Education
Are you a podcast listener? If so, you have probably [...]
Musicast Launch! – Episode 0
Founder, CEO, public school music teacher, and mom extraordinaire Sarah Gulish joins us to talk about the past, present, and future of F-flat books , what it's like to run a business, and the integration of Musicast to the company! Sarah Gulish holds a Ph.D in music education from Temple University. For over a decade, Sarah has taught secondary level music at Lower Moreland High School located in the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S.A. She also serves as Adjunct Professor of Music Education at Buffalo State University and Temple University. Her teaching centers on creativity and improvisation in courses focused on new music learners [...]
The Familiar and the Uncertain: Teaching in Fall 2020
THE RUN Last week, I started on my usual 5 [...]
Do You Know Why Your Piano is Black and White?
In early July, I read a poem that stopped me [...]
On Writing Stuff and Getting Paid
This post was prompted by my recent observation in an [...]
Dear, Mr. Stakeholder,
You hold the stakes and the stakes are high. I, [...]