Episodes

Maybe you feel like you're on a music teacher island, especially this school year. You already feel alone as an elementary music teacher, and this year, you're craving a sense of community and a support system more than ever...

The overwhelm is so real right now. In this episode, I share a story about how I had a tech week from heck, how I continued moving forward, and I want to help you to do the same. It's so …

This school year, you've probably had to adapt instruction... like a lot. This "new normal" can cause serious feelings of overwhelm, and to be honest, you probably miss teaching music like you usually get to in a regular sc...

As a music teacher, you know the Winter months (especially December) can be the most stressful time of the year! You want to have joy during the Winter months, but it's so hard trying to meet the needs of your …

Today's episode is with Steve Giddings, from stevesmusicroom.com , who is an amazing music educator not afraid to think outside of the box. In this episode, we discuss rock and popular music ensembles and also what informal ...

2020 has been one for the record books and it’s been a lot to deal with. It’s so easy to only see the negative parts of this year because that’s what’s thrown in our faces literally every second of every …

Are you wanting to do performances or programs with your students, but it seems a bit "tricky" this school year? In this episode, I'll share some simple ideas to still have amazing performances with your students and to help ...

I met Courtney virtually at the International Music Education Summit. We were both presenters, and after attending her session, I knew I needed to have her on the podcast. Courtney has such a heart and passion for teaching ...

Let's face it. Every lesson will not go according to plan. There will be lessons that bomb in one way or another. The important thing is to know it's not just you and that this happens to every teacher at …

In this episode, I sat down to talk with Bill Henry all about his music podcast for kids, teaching with e-learning, and his advice around using creativity in your classroom. Bill Henry is a 14-year elementary music teacher fo...

Every single music teacher is different and that's a good thing! How boring would it be if everyone was exactly the same? In this episode, taken directly from a Facebook live I did, I'm talking about how you get to …

In this episode, Jenny Delacruz talks about how to help kids cope with the impact of COVID-19. During our conversation, we discuss not just COVID, but also how books can help kids process trauma of all kinds. She explains h...

In your teacher life, things can get so stressful. You constantly have things swirling around in your mind and it can cause you to feel stuck. This episode will help you to process through those "what if" questions like... "...

Today on the podcast, I'm talking to Stephanie Leavell about songwriting AND teaching music to preschool and kindergarten students. We talk about her process for songwriting and how she doesn't complicate it, teaching music,...

These are 5 tips that work great when it comes to helping your student teacher thrive. Of course there are more ideas I could share, but these are my favorite ideas that I’ve shared with teachers when they ask me …

Robert Franz joins me on the podcast to talk about his experience being a director and a conductor and how he is passionate about bringing live music to kids. He also discusses why active listening is so important and shares...

This school year, you may find yourself with a crazy schedule. Not only are you possibly teaching virtually, on a cart, in person, or a combination of all of the above, but you also might have a schedule that looks …

This episode is a conversation about inclusion and literature in the music room. Charissa does a fantastic job of breaking down what inclusion is, how to help all students to feel included in the music room, and why using a …

I can't WAIT to share this episode with you today. My book "Make A Note: What You Really Need To Know About Teaching Elementary Music" is available. This book has been on my heart to write for several years now …

Today's episode is a such a great conversation with Darlene Machacon. We're both pianists AND music teachers, and we talk about how to bring that unique perspective into the music room. Darlene talks about how she goes about...

Teaching music virtually is something you may have never thought you would be doing. It's a learning curve and comes with it's own unique challenges, especially if it's out of your comfort zone. With COVID-19, so many teache...

So much has been on my heart lately, especially in regards to going back to school. The worry, anxiety, and overwhelm parents, students, and teachers alike are facing is surreal. I wanted to record this episode today for a c...

This episode comes directly from the "Start the School Year Off Right" challenge that I hosted earlier in the month. If you missed the challenge and want to be a part of the challenge next summer or this coming Winter, …

In this episode, Justin Mclean and I have a conversation all around intentional bridge building in music classrooms. You'll find out what building bridges really means, why it's so very important, and ways to connect with yo...