Episodes

You’ve probably accumulated so many lesson plans from different workshops, trainings, levels courses, friends, and resources. It gets so overwhelming knowing what to do with each lesson plan and how to find what you need whe...

Determining how to structure your class time in the music room can be tricky. You see your students on average for 45 minutes once a week and want to use your time wisely with each class that comes into your …

Did you learn in college that classroom management was only about the rules and about being strict? Yeah, me too... But, classroom management is about SO much more than that. In fact, forming relationships is the KEY to cla...

So, now that the school year is over, what do you do now? You’re probably thinking… umm Jessica, absolutely nothing is the answer to that...right? In this episode, we'll talk about how the most important thing you can do is...

Maybe you're teaching music full time, but you've had the desire or passion to pursue something else as a side hustle too. Thinking about doing this can be intimidating and overwhelming. There are a lot of questions to thin...

Have you had thoughts about quitting teaching? What do you do with these thoughts and how do you move past them? In this episode, we'll talk about not only identifying where these thoughts are coming from, but what you need...

The end of the school year is inching closer and closer and up goes the energy of your students. Maybe you have guilt about what you haven't done or what you should've done, but haven't really taken the time to …

Self care is more than a buzzword. So many times, we hear phrases like "just take care of yourself" or "find the one thing that works for you" or even "pencil in time to get that pedicure." But, self care …

No two schools are the same. The way you teach at one school won’t be the same as the way you present the same exact lesson at another school. Funding is different, relationship building is so important, you'll need to …

The word inclusive means, "aiming to provide equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or mental disabilities or belonging to other m...

In today's episode, Casey Hall came on the podcast to talk about culturally relevant music education. We discuss: what culturally relevant music education is why it's so important why forming relationships with your students ...

Implementing instructional software in elementary music can be a bit tricky or even overwhelming. In this podcast episode, I share 3 ways you can easily do this with with your students. I'll discuss: Drill and practice Tutor...

I'm so excited for you to listen in to this episode with Eric Young. We talk a lot about how to connect elementary music to secondary music and why it's important for it to be a seamless transition for students. …

A formal music education is so important. But, it's not the end all be all to learning. It’s not that having a music degree doesn’t matter, because it does. It just means that although you have your degree, never stop …

In this episode, Lori Burke and I discuss her story as a songwriter and how you can help your students write songs with ease. She gives so many actionable steps including choosing a topic, using music to write a story, …

This episode is an interview with JoEllyn Sumner of The Tuneful Teacher. She, like a lot of you, shifted to virtual teaching both as an elementary music teacher and in her parent child music classes. We talk about how paren...

It’s March which means it’s officially music in our schools month! Your students may have heard you mention this, but aren’t quite sure what exactly it means. First of all, talk about why music in our schools month exists. ...

Advocating for your music program can come in many different forms. In this conversation with Rainy Barton, we discuss ways to advocate for yourself with your administration, the families of your students, and in the communi...

This episode is with the amazing Katie Wonderly of Ms. Wonderly Makes Music. I LOVED this conversation and we talked about so much including using technology, teaching during a Pandemic, how to use social media while still b...

February is Black History Month and celebrating the amazing black musicians, musical artists, and styles of music from black culture is so important. But, celebrating black history all school year long is equally important a...

In this episode, I give you ways to talk to your family and friends about what you REALLY do as a music educator and how to explain to them why you need their support now more than ever including: Explain …

Preparing to have a substitute teacher in the music room is so tough. Most of the time you get a non-musical sub, and knowing what to leave for them and how to keep it simple for yourself is a bit …

Have you ever seen a baby crawl? Each child learns to crawl at different times and does it when they're ready. They then also learn how to walk in their own time frame. Just like a baby, you have to …

The year of 2020 was probably one of the hardest years many of us have ever faced. Right along with you, I had to pivot with what I talked about on this podcast. I knew I still wanted a sense …