(This post was inspired by an interview with Jessica Grant for Afternoon Ti and Musicast) If classroom teachers are overwhelmed in the month of December, there needs to be a whole other phrase coined for what music teachers feel this time of year. In addition to our regular [...]
I am More Than A Music Teacher. For some time throughout my career, I felt the need to shout that phrase from the rooftops to truly advocate for all I was doing in the music classroom. During my first couple of years of teaching, my identity centered around [...]
If you’ve read this blog before, you know that I’m a fan of Nate Holder’s work. In 2020, I reviewed his book, Why is my piano Black and White? Since the release of that work, he has written many other books and has even adapted Where are all [...]
Ah, rep selection. Some music teachers become giddy at the thought of programming a concert or selecting new repertoire each season. Still, there are others of us that struggle when it comes to rep selection and can feel paralyzed at the number of choices in our midst. So [...]
It’s hard for me to believe this is my seventeenth year teaching instrumental music at my school. Seventeen is such a big number! In some ways, the rhythms of the school year are well established. For example, our high school ensemble will perform at a Gratitude Assembly [...]
Re-Igniting the Spark Take a moment to think back to your undergraduate college experience. (Perhaps that was only a few months ago, or perhaps you have to reach back a bit more to access this season.) Either way, I would venture to assume that for many of us, [...]
Whether you're a brand new teacher with their first roster of students (congrats!) or you've been shaping minds, voices, and fingers for a while, those who teach private music lessons know every lesson is different. You will have students of different ages, abilities, learning styles, and, often [...]
For many music teachers, this was the first school year since 2019 that ended with a "normal" concert season. And, it might be the first time in a while that you've scratched your head and thought, "What do we do now?" Concerts have ended. Competitions are over. [...]
The bell rings. I see a group of adolescents walking into my room. Under my mask, I’m smiling. But, inside, I’m anxious. I just received an email from a parent who’s upset about a situation that occurred in class the day before; I’m questioning the way I handled [...]
As a college music major with a demanding schedule, how do we begin to take care of ourselves in ways that are meaningful? In this blog, we will be navigating through what self-care is and how we can embrace it in a way that nurtures us to [...]