The Music Educator Podcast

Are you a band director looking to make the most out of your ensemble? Look no further than this episode of the Music Educator Podcast! In this episode, we'll cover everything you need to know about rehearsal planning, …

In this episode of The Music Educator Podcast, we're talking all things percussion! Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, you won't want to miss our tips for brushing up on your percussion knowledge. From …

In today's episode we are going dive into the logistics of jazz band set-ups as well as provide a short history of jazz origins. Enjoy.

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MIDI has been around since the the late 1970s to 1980s. This tool has allowed us to grow technologically and musically. Listen to learn more!

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America's music history is interconnected with its overall identity. One particularly important American created instrument is the Banjo. This …

The Oboe is a beautiful instrument that is adored in the classical world. It requires regular practice and a set of craftsman skills for creating …

The Bassoon is a unique instrument that is often performed by the few and the brave. It has its quirks and adds a singular quality of sound that …

Seasoned educators often provide valuable tips and recommendations for warm-ups. The real challenge is to not allow a daily warm-up to turn into something that is so mundane that the student brain processes start to …

In today's episode, host Bill Stevens goes unscripted to talk about new teacher week and provides some helpful advice for those just entering the …

Student development occurs as a result of reciprocal give-and-take actions between the teacher and the pupil. This means that the well rounded …

Want to get your students involved? Then you are "Just Like Me!" Today's bonus quick tip, "Just Like Me," provides viewers an activating strategy …

Today’s Quick Tip of the Day comes from Mike Roberts’ book Hacking Classroom Management. Today's tip is to remember it's a classroom, not boot camp. In today's bonus quick tip we will be identifing six steps to a more …

In today' s episode of The Music Educator Podcast we are lucky to showcase a true professional in the field of music education, Mr. David Knott. Mr. Knott provides valuable, practical and relevant teaching strategies …

Today's Bonus Quick Tip: 7 Tips for the New Music Elementary Teacher come to you from Ms. Emily Conroy. Check out Ms. Conroy's blog post for 7 Tips for the New Music Teacher on her link HERE:(…

The trombone is a unique and fun instrument to play. But what are the differences between the tenor trombone and the bass trombone? Lets start by identifying what makes the trombone, in general, unique...

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Learn about the "Five Interval Qualities" that every musician comes to know. In today's bonus quick tip we will learn what these intervals are called and what makes them unique.

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Choosing a Method book for your band, orchestra or guitar class can be quite the task. It takes a moment from you, the music educator, to reflect on what is most important for your beginning students to learn. Most …

A popular edtech tool named Classroomscreen has received an overhaul. Classroomscreen is an online tool that allows you to display the instructions …

What is the brass musician to do if he or she expects to fully develop his or her musical abilities? To gracefully perform with technical facility, …

Maintaining a quality work life balance is often challenging for many in the music education field. Balancing the priorities at work sometimes can be at odds with your family dynamic and stress levels. However, with a …

In today's Bonus Quick Tip we are going to discuss 5 underrated facts about the triangle. The triangle is an often misunderstood and judged instrument. Learn about the roots of the triangle and how it came to be in …

Do you want to provide your music program with enriching opportunities but have a sad operating budget? Check out DonorsChoose.Org. DonorsChoose.Org provides teachers the opportunity to advocate for their programs to …

So you are posed with this scenario: You are a percussionist, you have one bass drum and multiple styles to play in. What do you do? In today's Music …

Finding the ideal sound for your saxophone is a quest taken by many young performers. By understanding the saxophone mouthpiece much ground can be made on this journey. However, there is not a "cure-all" artifact or …

So what is the deal between "Wet VS Dry lip Brass Playing?" Does one type of lip playing have additional benefits over the other? Find out more in today's Bonus Quick Tip of the Day: "Wet VS Dry Lip Brass Playing!"

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Check out The Music Educator Podcast weekly episode every Tuesday morning for more tips, tricks and advice you can you use tomorrow. 

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The flute, and respectively the piccolo, have had a storied evolution that has taken place from since before 900 B.C. in China. The flute, created by …

Are you successful or unsuccessful? Sometimes there are degrees and shades of gray when trying to answer this question as a music educator. In this …

Full band intonation improvement teaching strategies are always something that I look for whenever I need inspiration to get my group to the next …

Full band intonation improvement teaching strategies are always something that I look for whenever I need inspiration to get my group to the next …

Preparation for any solo contest, or audition generally takes several weeks to prepare for. With that objective in mind we are are going to be …

The flute is an amazing instrument used in bands and orchestras all over the world. But what do you do after playing the flute? Do you just let it sit on a stand? Do you immediately put in it's case? Can you make the …

Encouraging passion in your music ensemble is an important element when trying to develop the ideal musical culture. Exercising the creative juices …

In the heat of teaching beginning band students, it is easy to overlook developmentally subtle details. Making sure your clarinets have and maintain a proper embouchure is worth the time and effort you invest. Today we …

The Timpani is an exciting percussion instrument because it can influence the rhythmic ideas of a musical piece as well as contribute to the harmonic and melodic development of it. The drum can play a series of …

In today's episode we will explore all the fascinating resources available to music educators from libraries, archives and museums.  Today's special guest is Nicky Stevens.

The late summer brings a magical time of year when you hear the immortal phrase, "Welcome to Band Camp!" For many music educators and teens this is a special time of year when there is promise of competition, skill …

A new school year brings a sense of excitement, promise and anticipation. As a result, this special time also brings added anxiety for students, …

Presenting at a Conference can be scary yet rewarding venture. Today we interviewed Ms. Anola Douglas as she explained her experience presenting at a …

All educators are tasked with communicating with parents at one point or another. Being in sync with your workflow and knowing the appropriate reasons for contacting parents helps the effectiveness of helping foster a …

Have you ever struggled with practicing your instrument? Do you need tips for practicing your instrument? Worry not because today we will discuss some strategies that you maybe overlooking.

It is important to understand …

The Snare Drum is one of the primary and cornerstone percussion instruments in a band. Today we are going to reintroduce and highlight the parts and key aspects of Snare Drum fundamentals. Note, by not having a physical …

Have you ever worked your tail off during a rehearsal and still feel like so much more could have been accomplished? Perhaps it was right after lunch …

Today’s Episode reflects on Ms. Sally Utley’s article “Strategies to Reach Students Who Don’t Care" from The Music Crew Blog. Ms. Utley begins by outlining the frustration that she and many other educators encounter …

Today's topic discusses a variety of jazz articulations and articulation rules. The majority of this book is based on on Mats Holmquist's book, "The …

This episode describes what Solfege is and who should use it. All Musicians.

The discussion continues and includes:

• Where Solfege originated from
• …

Every degreed music educator has some experience playing a piano. Most students of music have either taken some sort of group piano course or have taken independent private lessons. But what happens after your …

Today's episode of The Music Educator Podcast is about Embouchure Dystonia. The show covers:

• What is Embouchure Dystonia
• Personal Experience
• Symptoms

Being able to duplicate the process of  making a substitute binder will allow you to deliver on your organizational teacher aspirations. 

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In the this episode of The Music Educator Podcast we are going to explore the fascinating power and nuance of the band director's podium personality.

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The rhythm section is the heart and soul of any school's jazz band. The larger style jazz bands have evolved as a result of the big band movement in …

Choosing a method book can be an arduous task for many young band directors. There are several strategic elements that you will need included in your method book of choice. More importantly, the selection process will …

Surviving distance learning with my choir is a goal of any choral director. There will be so much uncertainty and until school systems decide how to …

Musicians who require the use of their air to perform will benefit from “Starting Breathing Exercises to Encourage Air Capacity Growth.” Whether you are a brass, woodwind or even a vocalist musician, breathing, and …

Looking for more student engagement from your music students? Do you feel that student’s practice work ethic is less than stellar? Practopus is a new …

This podcast episode layouts some of the challenges that CoVid-19 presents to the Music Educator.

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Show Notes

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This podcast episode is an opportunity to highlight a teacher’s internal dialogue to improve their teaching.  That is to say; some teachers go into …

The marimba is a beautifully sounding mallet percussion instrument. Sadly many music educators do not possess the proper training and experience it …

Musicians experience inherent instrument challenges. The flute is no exception. In “9 Common Problems for the Flute,” we will identify what barricades musicians from perfecting their musical craft. These common problems …

“6 Productivity Enhancing Activities for Teachers” is a reflection on the critical points in Elisa Janson Jones’ article “Want Maximum Productivity and Progress? Do this” from the SBO September 2019 magazine. Jones …

A huge factor in determining the success of your trumpet player’s performing potential is subject to their choice in mouthpieces. Elements such as the rim, cup, throat, shank, and backbore influence what the mouthpiece …

The number one most important musical element in performing is quality tone production. In this post, we will discuss issues and tips for brass instrument tone production. Each instrumental family produces sound in …

As music educators, we deal with regular copyright issues. Understanding copyright in music education is an ethical practice and goal that we should …

Have you ever considered hosting a summer symposium? Do you have camp experience? Does your school have an active and supportive parental team? Are …

Many band directors extend their employment beyond the classroom to the private studio. Often in a private studio, you are teaching all levels of musician. In this article, we will identify a recommended 30-minute …

Frequent and everyday music instrument repairs often horrify many young music directors. Consequently, this is because many educators have inadequate skills to address instrument repair. Every day a child doesn’t have …

Today we are going to conduct an inquiry into the habits of a significant band director. What makes a band director significant? What is needed to become significant? We will discuss all this, and more, as we inquire …

I love the saxophone family because it is such a fun group of instruments. As a result, there are various saxophone reeds that suit different …

The key to any successful music program is to have students. In turn, a successful recruitment campaign is vital to building an active beginning …

Origins Story, Season 2, Ep. 6, is about the journey of the author Bill Stevens. He unveils the life experiences that led him from loathing music to loving his life as a music educator.

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One of the first routines of the day is the observation of our students entering the music rooms. Having a student procedure for entering the classroom can improve the tone of instruction for the remainder of the class. …

How can the following 17 rehearsal techniques using a pencil help you become a better musician? First, think about how can you improve. Are you a …

What does the saying “best practices” instruction and teaching mean for an educator? Is it what works well for you or the educational community? Maybe they are just textbook answers. I think most people agree that the …

Everyone seems to have their own reasons for loving music. Today in “18 Reasons Students Love Being in a School Instrumental Music Program,” we will …

Music Sub Plans - Yikes! I need a music sub tomorrow. That is the scenario that many of us run into when unexpected events in life occur for us. In …

Why do band directors say better bands with mouthpiece buzzing perform at higher levels? We will examine this habit-based wisdom. One expert, Mr. …

This episode will explore the real life challenges for beginning saxophonists. What distractions keep us from being that next professional sax player? Find out here.

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Do Drummers Count?

This is a question that can be answered in many different ways. As a middle band director, I have had several drummers or more, specifically percussionists, fill my band rooms year after year. I say, …

End of the Year Reflections for the Music Educator Part 2

Calendar

• Concert Schedule
• Fundraisers
  1. Paperwork due dates
  2. Personal Non Negotiables
  3. …

Today we are going to take a moment to discuss a tremendously important task that all music directors should do at the end of the year. Reflect. End …

Have you ever experienced a long week of teaching and have had little to no money to go out and relax? Or perhaps your paycheck is less than desirable and you struggle just to pay your bills? We have all experienced …

In episode 2 of The Music Educator Podcast: 7 Ways Music Educators Inspire Students. Bill Stevens shares some of the memorable moments he has observed in the classroom as a student and as an educator. These observations …

Episode 1 reveals 17 tested techniques that can help any music program grow.

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