This year I stepped out of my comfort zone. I started an Instagram account dedicated to teaching middle school music (@musicalmiddles). Admittedly, I considered deleting it almost every day for the first week. I had seen countless teacher Instagram accounts, many with tons of followers [...]
The other day, I was talking to my students about creativity. I find it interesting that many of them think that musical creativity is synonymous with the ability to play an instrument. "No!" I said. "If you asked me to create on the trumpet, I might struggle because [...]
The idea of flipping the classroom for me came out of necessity. For the past 14 years I had been teaching beginning band. And, every year I would search for the “best” way to teach it. As we know, all music programs are not created equal, and [...]
It is I, David AllenPhoto by Johan Famel If you've been following F-flat Books on social media, I have no doubt you know my sister, Sarah. You may have noted her oft added title "Co-Founder of F-flat Books." And, those of you who are of a [...]
Creating music is one of the four artistic processes that guide the national core standards for music education, yet many teachers report they spend very little time teaching improvisation and composition in their classes and rehearsals. Most of the best-selling band methods emphasize notation and theory over [...]
"I'm on sabbatical." I said these words over and over again this past year, explaining to folks why I was suddenly home with my kids and not in the classroom. Since graduating from college in 2007, I have spent every year teaching. Teaching, conducting, writing, studying, planning. [...]
My background Theresa Thomasulo I am the type of teacher who will go to great lengths to minimize transitions. Because I love to keep things moving, I try to equip students with helpful resources ahead of time. In my choir classes, one way I do [...]
Some of Steve's student's performing Change can be difficult. But oftentimes, challenging the status quo yields remarkable results. As our traditional definition of teaching and learning continues to transform, what are a few ways we, as music educators, might be able to facilitate these modifications [...]
Welcome to your first year as a music education major, which I promise will be a whirlwind of learning and performing that is both exciting and stressful. In this blog post, I offer four big tips for not only surviving but THRIVING in your first year. Understand [...]
Travel: An Interactive Museum Follow Naarah's adventures on Instagram @callender_abroad Imagine visiting a country with a culture completely different from yours: the food, mannerisms, and societal expectations. In this moment, this life seems exciting, like walking through an interactive museum. You’re encouraged by friends and [...]