the music educator blog

In this unprecedented time it has been incredible to see so many teachers quickly jump into action and embrace online teaching! 

As more schools are closing due to COVID-19, music teachers are looking for options to keep the learning going. SmartMusic is one way performance ensemble teachers are helping their students continue to practice.

To all my fellow orchestra, band, chorus, and music teacher colleagues,

In preparing ourselves for school closures in the midst of COVID-19, as a dedicated middle school orchestra teacher, I have wondered what support I can offer my students during this crazy, strange and utterly “scary” time.

Expect the unexpected. Teachers are resilient by nature. We deal with curveballs everyday in the classroom and somehow find a way to adapt, revise, and make fantastic lessons and experiences for students.

COVID-19 is here and the reality is that many schools are making plans for distant learning instruction in the event of a closure related to the global pandemic.

This week’s episode addresses the relationships we all have with administrators. As music educators, we have a responsibility to demonstrate the value of the arts and what music does for the greater school community.

The performance is the culmination of weeks of rehearsing, but the music is not the only thing that needs to be prepared in advance of the concert.

In this episode, I turn over the hosting reins to my friend John Mlynczak live from the exhibit hall at the Texas Music Educators Association annual conference.

So you’re an aspiring composer, hoping to make your mark in educational music publishing. You may be asking: “If I want to compose, how can I get started?” “How does someone actually get their foot in the door as a working composer?” “What does a composer need to do to become successful?”

To that end, I’d like to offer two perspectives: first, as a somewhat “new-to-the-scene” female composer, I’d like to share a little bit about how I found success writing for choirs; and secondly, as an editor, I’d love to offer some insight about how new music is selected for publication, and how composers can put their best foot forward when submitting.

This episode is all about copyright. As we all know, you can do anything you want with music you create, but in this episode we’ll give you some very much needed clarity about what you can and cannot do with music you didn’t create.