Strategies for Improving Executive Functioning in the Music Ensemble and Classroom Setting

We all do it. We start something only to get sidetracked thirty minutes later. Maybe we feel overwhelmed at the sheer number of things on our “to-do list” and just freeze up when the time comes to actually get going on it. As adults, many of us are managing multiple plates spinning in the air, all going different directions, and the constant pressure of managing it all to the best of our ability.

The same is true for most of our students. They struggle. Musically, some students can be wonderful performers. They can be very engaged in the classroom. But when it comes to tasks that involve some sort of planning, organization, and self-regulation—also known as executive functioning skills—some students can fall apart. And yet, these skills are essential for their success in music classes (and in life!).

When I think think about equity, I remind myself that in its simplest form, equity is the ability to give students what they need to be successful both in and outside of music class. And, perhaps more than anything, for students to actually be successful at music, they need to be able to manage the typical day-in, day-out tasks of school life and life outside of school.

They need proficient executive functioning skills.

But where does this fit with music education? As teachers, how can we contribute to helping students work on and improve upon these very important skills? Here are four strategies that we can do to today to help our students. Take one or two ideas for a test-drive and let me know how it goes! 

Model Effective Practice Techniques at School

Too often, we tell our students to “practice more” without any real guidance about what good practice looks like. This approach alone falls short when students go home and try to practice on their own. Consider running your classes, rehearsals and sectionals much in the same way that you want students to practice on their own. Talk through the steps as you work through sections of pieces together as a group. Ask them what step comes next, and why. By doing this, students are practicing how to practice effectively on their own. The more they do this with you, the greater chance that they will take these skills home with them and use them on their own.

When I actively used this strategy with my middle school jazz band for six months straight, my students improved their practice skills so much that by the end of the year the group never struggled to get to the end of our pieces (we even added one more to the lineup!). Our system of practicing both in and out of school (the same system in both locations) was so effective that the students and I knew we would be ready for the spring concert without any issues. Talk about a feeling of relief! 

Create Checklists—for EVERYTHING!

A major barrier for student success in music class is many students’ inability to organize their thoughts, their tasks, and how to execute what is being asked of them. Consider this—even the most basic tasks we give to students often involve a number of steps. For many students, this is huge source of frustration before they even get started.

Take a step back and consider all the possible steps associated with what you expect students to work through, and create a checklist to support students that would benefit from it. Have a checklist of more than 7-8 steps? Consider breaking it down into smaller chunks by creating a mini-checklist for each stage of a project or practice schedule. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to give our students the confidence they need to start something that might otherwise feel too big to manage.

Tap into Students’ Working Memory

Many students need all the reinforcements for new content knowledge and skills they can get. The more reinforcement, the more likely that whatever they are learning about will be shuffled over to longer-term memory, which is where the magic of application to future concepts and skills can begin! Put another way, if what we teach students does not make it past working memory to long-term memory - everything that you are teaching could be tossed out with tomorrow’s garbage (yikes!).

How to combat this? Use visual aids, mnemonics, graphic organizers, repetition and review as tools towards building depth within working memory. Strive to give students multiple ways to learn new information, engage and interact with it and showcase their learning. Better yet, let students collaborate with each other as they are doing this. Collaboration can supercharge almost anything! 

Foster Student Self-Awareness

Students who are self-aware of their own strengths and limitations are much more likely to take appropriate actions that will help set themselves up for success in and outside of school. Consider building in opportunities during music class (at the beginning, middle and end!) where students can check-in with themselves, with you, and with their peers (the collaboration “supercharge” applies here as well).

Open-ended exit tickets are one way to do this, but purposeful questions that foster more targeted and deeper reflection (while providing you with some valuable intel!) are often more effective in building student self-awareness as they work towards managing and acting upon future learning experiences.

Consider using this list of class openers and closers as a tool to help get your students to reflect more strategically. Have the luxury of time on your side? Try sprinkling this in once a day. See your students once a week? Try using a reflection question every other week to get your students started. Want to do this outside of class? Consider using online reflection tools and journaling.

As with everything, give any of these ideas some time to become part of a routine that works for you and your students. Tweak them and make them your own. Like I always say, if it’s not practical, you won’t do it.  

Cheers to you and all the amazing things you do! 

**Accessing Openers and Closers will also add you to my mailing list where I send weekly newsletters and updates**

Applying for Music Education Grants Through the Lens of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

If you’re a music educator who works at a school or organization seeking grant funding, there’s an important shift to keep in mind: diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are increasingly at the forefront of grant proposal requirements. Foundations and government agencies alike are putting more weight on projects that prioritize these values, as they recognize that inclusive initiatives foster richer, more innovative, and more effective outcomes. In my experience, there’s nothing like writing a grant proposal to force music teachers to take a critical inward look at what’s actually going on in their programs and how they might address any shortcomings. Often, when when teachers look at their own programming through the lens of equity, issues seem to become more pronounced, and the need to address these issues can suddenly feel more urgent.

But how do you infuse your grant proposal with DEI principles in a way that feels authentic and impactful? How can you make sure that you’re not writing a grant just to “check off the boxes” that are now often a main component of most grants? Here are some strategies to help you create a proposal that resonates with today’s funding landscape.

Identify and Take Action in Relation to the Donor’s Mission

Start by getting to know the funder’s specific DEI priorities. Most foundations or government agencies have DEI goals explicitly outlined, and it’s important to align your proposal with these. Take the time to learn about their mission, priorities, and any specific DEI objectives they may have. When you can demonstrate that your project contributes to the funder’s goals, you stand out as a more aligned, thoughtful applicant. For instance, if you’re applying to a foundation that values accessibility, mention how your program promotes inclusive access to music education.

Showcase Your Current Commitment to DEI

Your commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity should shine through every part of your proposal—from your goals to your methodologies and expected outcomes. Describe how these values are woven into the fabric of your music program and how the funding will help support you in your mission. For example, if your music program is designed to reach diverse student populations, explain how you’ll ensure all students feel represented and engaged in a meaningful way. This is where I find a lot of music teachers get stuck, especially if this is their first attempt towards taking big strides to embrace DEI when compared to their past efforts. Writing a grant that doesn’t necessarily represent what your goals have been in the past might feel false and misleading. If you are struggling to connect your proposed project with DEI, this would be an excellent time to reconsider whether the project should be re-designed to meet those criteria (my thought on this is always an enthusiastic “yes!”) or whether there is a different funding agency that might be more likely to support your project as it is in its current state.  

Make Sure You Design your Project to be Truly Inclusive

Detailing the ways your project will foster inclusion can make your proposal more compelling. Think about concrete strategies: Will your program include instruments adapted for students with disabilities? Are you offering multilingual materials to ensure accessibility for families who don’t speak English? Showing that you’ve planned for inclusivity signals that you’re committed to making every participant feel welcome and valued.

Consider questions like these to guide your proposal:

• Diversity: How will your project reach students from a variety of communities? What does diversity mean to you? Is there a specific percentage goal you are trying to reach when it comes to certain populations of students that the project will impact?

• Equity: What are some barriers that you can identify that interfere with equity in your current music programming? With your proposed program or project, what steps do you plan on taking to remove these barriers? How will the funds for the proposed project or program help support the needs of students both in and out of the classroom? 

• Inclusion: How will you create an environment that respects and values all voices? In what ways does student agency play a role in your project? How can your proposed project support the connection between what is happening in school music and what students are experiencing outside of school in their homes and communities?

Highlight Examples and Success Stories

Whenever possible, showcase specific examples of successful initiatives that have supported your work towards equity and inclusion in music education in the past. If you have previously run a successful program that incorporated DEI values, describe it! Did you partner with local organizations to reach a wider audience? Did you create a music mentorship program for students from diverse backgrounds? Did you start a new ensemble in your school that more students could access and participate in? Did you start a free lessons program for students in your school who might otherwise have not been able to afford private lessons? Concrete examples of your experience can illustrate your commitment to DEI and help reviewers envision the impact your current project will have.

For instance, you might showcase:

• Community Partnerships: Building relationships with organizations in underrepresented communities to attract diverse participants.

• Professional Development: Offering training that fosters understanding, appreciation and specific music teaching skills that can help support equity in music education and teaching students from traditionally marginalized populations.

• Mentorship and Support: Providing pathways for students from marginalized backgrounds to explore music as a career, allowing students access to leadership roles where students can support the inclusion and belonging of other students through their work as peer mentors.

Plan to Measure Impact

Funders want to know that their investment will lead to measurable results, so be prepared to share about how you will track and evaluate the level of success of your DEI strategies. Define clear metrics that will help you assess your program’s reach and impact. How will you know that your goals have been achieved? What would that look like? What is the evidence for this? When will you collect this evidence? Who is involved in this part of the project? Are you tracking participation data? Surveying participants about their experiences? If you plan on evaluating the long-term impact on students’ musical growth, music participation, inclusive practices in music classes, or anything else, a detailed  evaluation plan shows funders that you’re serious about making a difference.

Show That DEI is More Than a Buzzword

Your commitment to DEI should be ongoing, not just a checkbox for grant funding. Talk about the larger practices, policies, or training that support DEI within your music program, school or organization. Funders are more likely to support initiatives that reflect a sustained dedication to these values, as these are the projects that lead to lasting change. Remember, DEI is not a “one and done” thing—it’s a long-game that requires consistent attention and care to make the impact many of us are striving for.

Authentically and meaningfully incorporating DEI into your grant proposal isn’t just about satisfying funders’ requirements—it’s about building a more inclusive music education landscape. By thoughtfully aligning with these values, you’re not only strengthening your proposal, you’re also advancing music education’s reach and relevance for all students. And that, my friends, is a major win.

Happy writing!

Leveling-up equity for your students with informances (and the Fall Informance Challenge!)

We’re just about to head into concert season, and many of us have been preparing for these upcoming events for weeks. While the thrill of getting students ready to showcase all of their hard work is always exciting, for me, it has also always been daunting. Having taught preK-8 everything I am no stranger to the constant demand for performances throughout the year. And not just for my band and choir kids. Whole-grade, schoolwide concerts featuring all students in my general music classes was common. This was just something that was expected of me. The teachers I replaced did it. The teachers before them did it. It was the thing to do.

I did not like it one bit. The stress of putting on concerts with my general music students impacted my teaching in such a way that suddenly my general music classes were structured like my band and choir rehearsals. In the weeks leading up to my general music concerts, I would take away precious learning time to prepare my students to put on polished performances, practicing the same music over and over again until students were bored to tears.

In all of this, I lost sight of what mattered most—my students. Sure, some of them enjoyed it. But others would dread the idea of performing on a stage in front of hundreds of people. The joy, excitement, and feelings of security that I worked so hard to instill in my classes would often be undermined by the pace of concert prep. 

After a few years of doing things the way they’ve “always been done”, I had enough. Something had to give. After convincing my principal that the students needed a change, the transition from formal performances to grade-level showcases and celebrations of learning and growth began—informances had officially become a part of the school culture (and my general music students, bands and choirs all came along for the ride!). 

Informances through the lens of equity

While much of music education has traditionally been centered around creating polished performances for audiences, informances have the potential for becoming more impactful for students because they allow them to showcase what they have learned in a more authentic and meaningful way. More simply put, traditional performances center a polished product, while informances are more concerned with showcasing the process of learning. For my schools, it wasn’t just a showcase, it was a celebration. 

Highlighting the learning process. It’s a compelling idea. And as an educator who is all about adapting and meeting students’ needs, it’s an idea that I can totally get behind.

What I personally love about informances is that they support student equity on a whole new level. Consider, for example, your students and all of their various needs. What do your students need to be successful in your general music classes and ensemble rehearsals? What would success look like for them outside of school? And how can we help support and showcase that?

For me, students’ needs have always been constant: They need to be seen, heard, validated, have ownership, have opportunities to experience learning and share that learning in a variety of ways, and more importantly, in ways that honor who they are as individuals. They need to authentically connect school music to what’s happening for them outside in their own world. 

Including informances in your curricular goals with your students provides more opportunities for students to have their needs met while welcoming all forms of participation. That’s one of the key things about equity—welcoming and including each student for who they are and what they bring to the table. Below are some examples of how informances can promote equity for our music students.

Sure, this all sounds great, but how do you actually do an informance? What’s the process? Well, I’ve got you covered. If you are a newbie to the idea of informances and interested in trying them for your students, consider signing up for this fall’s “Informance Challenge”, where I’ll provide some tools, resources, and some videos on walking you through the process of getting your first informance off the ground. Just scroll down to the bottom of the site and register for free (see the image below so you know what to look for)—and get ready for some helpful goodies coming to your inbox (be sure to check your spam)!

How to kick tokenism in music education to the curb (for good!)

It was February of 2009 (Black History Month), and I was incredibly excited about kicking off my fourth consecutive year of a well-loved tradition that I had established in the small school where I taught K-8 general music: A living wax museum project where all 6th grade students would research and present about prominent black musical artists from the Jazz era. My students loved this project. Costumes were carefully chosen, connections between artists were made (“Hey, my guy played in a band with your guy! Cool!”) and the energy and excitement in the 6th grade was sky-high. Students were engaged, they learned a lot and they had agency and autonomy over pretty much everything. They were proud of their work to make this a showcase that folks would not forget. To this day, when the occasional (now fully grown) former student reaches out to me on Facebook to connect, they remember their experience with the wax museum with fond memories.

Surely, I must have been doing something right. Well—yes and no. Student engagement? Check. Students making connections between music and other content areas? You betcha. Students learning about music composed and performed by marginalized communities? Absolutely! 

So what was wrong with this picture? Two immediate things come to mind (perhaps you can find more). First, I did this type of inclusionary teaching once a year. I treated Black History Month as the perfect (and only) time to branch out beyond all the other musicians and music that I normally taught about throughout the year. You know—those musicians that many of us, while growing up, were taught were simply the “Greats”. Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Haydn, just to name a few. Second, not once did I consult appropriate culture bearers or experts who knew about jazz music more than I did. I failed to ensure that the learning experiences were authentic and I missed a wonderful opportunity to honor the historical roots where jazz was born.

To be clear, this is in no way a dig on Western music. And I wasn’t completely without knowledge about jazz. I knew enough. But this approach to teaching was problematic. In my quest to meaningfully integrate another genre of music, I had tokenized the music and musicians who helped shape the very fabric of music in the United States. I had treated jazz music and its rich heritage as a box that needed to be checked off on my to-do list.

I know that many of us have been in the same boat at one time or another. The good thing is that when we recognize it, we have the power to change it. Here are some recommendations on how you might want to tackle tokenism in your classroom. Try one, try them all. And, as I always say—enjoy the ride.  :-)

Deepen Your Understanding of Diverse Musical Cultures

To move beyond tokenism, we can invest time in learning about the cultural, historical, and social contexts of the music we introduce in the classroom. This means going beyond surface-level knowledge or quick online searches. We can explore scholarly articles, books, documentaries, and recordings by authentic artists to gain a deeper understanding. This knowledge allows us to convey music in its complexity and richness, avoiding oversimplification.

Practical Tip: Attend workshops, lectures, or performances by musicians from different cultural backgrounds to gain firsthand experience. Connecting with community members who have lived within these traditions can also provide valuable insights.

Integrate Music Authentically into the Curriculum

Rather than including music from various cultures only during specific cultural holidays or months (e.g., Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month), integrate it as an ongoing part of the music curriculum. By embedding diverse musical traditions throughout the year, students understand that these forms of music are not novelties but integral to the world’s musical landscape. They also learn that the definition of what it means to be a musician can be broadened and more inclusive. There really is no one way to be a musician. Let’s open those flood gates!

Practical Tip: Create thematic units where various musical styles from different cultures are explored within a broader musical concept, such as rhythm, improvisation, or storytelling. For example, a unit on rhythm could include drumming traditions from West Africa, the tabla from India, and jazz rhythms from New Orleans. A deep dive to compare these traditions, their roots, and how they might inform each other is also really cool as well!

Shine a Spotlight on Authentic Voices

Invite guest musicians, scholars, and cultural experts who are part of the musical traditions being studied into the classroom. This approach brings authenticity into the PreK-12 setting and ensures students learn directly from individuals who have deep cultural and experiential knowledge. Highlighting authentic voices allows students to engage with music in a way that honors its origins and the people who keep it alive.

Practical Tip: Organize virtual or in-person visits with musicians from various cultural backgrounds. Encourage students to ask questions and interact with the guests, giving them a more personal understanding of the music's cultural significance. Try searching within the local community. I’ve always been amazed by the expertise and rich experiences of various community members wherever I teach. 

Emphasize the Context of Music

Music is deeply connected to the cultural, historical, social, and political contexts in which it is created. Rather than presenting music as isolated sound bites, provide students with a comprehensive understanding of its roots and meanings. This can include discussing the traditional instruments, lyrics, dance, rituals, and customs associated with a musical genre, as well as the role of music in different cultural events and life stages.

Practical Tip: When introducing a new musical genre, “level-up” your lessons to include activities such as exploring traditional clothing, food, instruments, or stories and beliefs related to that culture. Contextualizing music in this way helps students see it as part of a living, evolving culture.

Avoid Stereotyping or Overgeneralizing

Tokenism often arises from the oversimplification of complex musical traditions. Avoid presenting any culture's music as monolithic; within any culture, there exists a range of genres, styles, and historical evolutions. Representing a single song, instrument, or genre as the "essence" of an entire culture can perpetuate stereotypes and ignore the diversity within that tradition.

Practical Tip: When teaching music from a particular culture, include a variety of styles and periods. For instance, when exploring Latin American music, present genres like salsa, tango, mariachi, etc., highlighting the diversity within this broad category.

Empower Students to Explore Their Own Musical Heritage

Encourage students to share music from their own cultural backgrounds. This approach allows for a more student-centered classroom where diverse musical traditions are celebrated naturally and respectfully. It also gives students a sense of ownership and pride in their cultural heritage.

Practical Tip: Allow students to research and present a musical tradition from their own cultural background or a culture they are interested in. Support students in reaching out to family members or community figures to gain a deeper understanding of the music they choose to present. I’ve seen this play-out two ways. Students often learn more about their own heritage than they previously were aware of, while other students who are already familiar with their heritage rise up to meet the challenge of becoming a sharer-of-knowledge with others. Either way, students grow and celebrate themselves for who they are and the history they come from.

Kailash Ranganathan at age 12. Inspired to learn to play sitar after watching Ravi Shankar.

Use Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Culturally responsive teaching involves understanding students' cultural backgrounds and using that knowledge to inform teaching practices. In music education, this might mean incorporating students' musical preferences and lived experiences into lessons, using culturally relevant examples, and adapting teaching methods to meet diverse learning styles. It acknowledges that students come to us with so much knowledge already, and that their knowledge is funded by their lived experiences outside of our classrooms. That’s pretty neat.

Practical Tip: Conduct a classroom survey to learn about students' musical interests, backgrounds, and experiences. Use this information to shape your curriculum and find ways to connect students' lived experiences to the musical concepts being taught. Not an expert on in all-things relevant to your students? No worries. Invite them to the table to get their input. Many will be glad you did.

Reflect and Adapt

Avoiding tokenism is an ongoing process. Reflect on your teaching practices regularly to identify areas for improvement. Seek feedback from students, colleagues, and community members, and be willing to make changes. Understanding that no educator has "arrived" at perfect cultural competence can foster a learning mindset that benefits both teachers and students.

Practical Tip: Ask students to reflect on their experiences in your classroom and ensemble. What did they learn that surprised them? What would they like to explore further? What have you taught that they feel personally connected to? What do they wish they could have connected to more? What would they like you to make more space for? Use their feedback to guide future lessons and deepen your approach to culturally responsive music education.

Final Thoughts

Avoiding tokenism in the music classroom is about moving beyond a checklist approach to cultural inclusion and striving for authenticity and respect. By committing to continuous learning, contextualizing music within its cultural roots, and emphasizing student-centered exploration, we can create an environment that celebrates diversity and fosters a deeper appreciation of the world's rich musical traditions.

In doing so, the music classroom becomes not only a place to learn about different music but also a space where students develop a nuanced understanding and respect for the people and cultures behind it. We can go beyond inclusion and develop a true community of belonging. Now that’s something to celebrate!

Universal Design for Learning 3.0—Bring on the Happy Dance!

While most of us were sipping on a cocktail on a beach somewhere this summer (I hope!), CAST unveiled the 3.0 version of the ever-popular UDL Guidelines at the end of July. For those who have never heard of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), it’s a teaching and learning framework that centers students so that they can become “expert learners” on how they learn best. It advocates that students can (and should) have the power to take a front seat in their own education by varying how we teach and present information, how learners engage with that information, and how they are allowed to show that they have learned what you’re teaching. If you’ve attended any of my professional development workshops, this is where all the scarves, feathers, bean bags, stretchy bands, movement and visual reinforcement comes into play (yes, even for high school music teachers). I’m oversimplifying it and there’s more to it, but that’s the general gist.

First, I want to acknowledge that my love for UDL runs deep. It truly influences my work and how I think about teaching and learning in music and the arts and how I help other teachers work with their own students. Other than explicitly equity-centered approaches that center culturally responsive teaching, it has always been the framework that aligns most with my philosophies of teaching and learning.

What’s new in UDL 3.0

As much as I’ve loved UDL, I’ve always felt the need to tweak it a bit. Perhaps re-framing some of its guidelines more purposefully through an equity-based lens is a more accurate way to state it. Regardless, I constantly felt the urge (which I acted upon freely) to make it connect even more explicitly to my own conception of what access, equity and inclusion should look like in the music and arts classroom. When I work with teachers and my own students, I often find myself talking about the need to empower preK-12 students by giving them voice and choice. By empowering them, we promote agency, something that many students are not used to having in schools. Enter in the new UDL 3.0 guidelines and it’s as if I revised these guidelines myself (yay!).

A more purposeful shift towards “learner agency”

While some updates are subtle, the big “win”, in my opinion, is the emphasis on not only continuing to embrace and accommodate the needs of students in the classroom, but the outright call for teachers to do everything in their power to create a learning environment that promotes student agency through authentic, action-oriented and reflective means. In short, the new guidelines call teachers to empower students by fostering, within each student, learner agency. I love this so much, it makes me want to do a happy dance.

On top of that, there is a noticeable shift away from the term “expert learner” to acknowledge that the term “expert” could allude to a definitive end to the learning process.

Less teacher-centered, more student-centered

Of particular note is the removal of the word “provide” from each of the three overarching principles and the supporting guidelines. I love that this term is no longer present because it signifies that UDL is much more about students than it is about teachers. When we say things like, “teacher will….,” or “teacher provides….” it’s putting too much of the burden of teaching and learning on the teachers. As teachers, we do too much for our students. We need to teach our students, rather, empower our students, to carry more of the responsibility. With “provide” in the mix, our classes inherently become teacher-centered, rather than student-centered.

So long, “provide”! As my favorite boy band from my college days would sing—second only to the ultimate boy group, Boyz II Men (obviously!)—“Bye, Bye Bye!”

In addition to the removal of that term that shall no longer be named, UDL 3.0 explicitly addresses how to acknowledge our own bias and inherently exclusive practices, and “levels-up” the role that executive functioning development can play in the student experience. Each of these things just further supports student agency. All of this to say, that UDL 3.0 clearly takes a stand on things that truly promote a classroom culture of inclusion while fostering student autonomy and agency. Isn’t that what it’s all about? It’s so wonderful to see all of this, officially, in writing.

The verdict

Love, love, love. I’ve loved UDL for so long, and these new changes make me love it even more. There are more changes as well (all great things!), but rather than writing a book in one blog post, I’ll piece it together as time goes on for you. So, I’m sure I’ll have more on this in the near future (including even more specific recommendations on how to use UDL 3.0 as a springboard for equity in the music classroom). But for now, if you find yourself with some time on your hands, check those guidelines out. I’ll get to work on revising my own workshops and teacher training to make space, officially, for these new guidelines. Can’t wait to dig in!

How to break up with teacher-centered instruction (part 1)

Hey there, everyone! A new school year is here (or almost here, for you east coast folks) and I am feeling some incredible and positive energy from music and arts teachers everywhere. For me, there’s nothing like the smell of possibility in the air, and the beginning of the school year is where possibility really shines brightest. Look at any online community and you can clearly see it—teachers sharing ideas, asking questions, looking for recommendations—it’s contagious in the best possible way. :-)

If you have been following my blog at all, you know that I really lean in hard to the idea that students are capable. They have so much lived experience, so many ideas and so much knowledge. They can do far more than what we often give them credit for (or perhaps allow them to do) in the classroom. And as we start the new school year, I encourage you to “break up” with teacher-centered instruction to let them do just that—MORE. 

I know, it’s difficult. If you’re anything like me, you grew up and experienced education yourself (preK-12 and higher education) in teacher-centered classrooms and ensembles. You learned to become a music or arts teacher at colleges and universities that really emphasized the teacher role and rarely (if ever) dug deep into students being front and center. You were told what to do, how to do it, how to think, and all the rules to follow to get an “A”. I get it. Old habits and lived experiences take over and we do what we are comfortable with and what is familiar to us. But if there is one thing I could recommend that can have a HUGE impact on your students—and, let’s be honest, your ability to sustain yourself in this profession—it’s kicking teacher-centered instruction to curb.

In a sea of so much content being shared (anyone else feeling this?), I always advocate for trying one or two things (tops!) in any given school year, and working on doing those things consistently so that they become new habits that you don’t have to think about so much down the road—they become part of who you are as a teacher and leader in the field. In the spirit of this, here are a few ideas on how you might realistically move the dial from teacher-centered to student-centered in your own setting. Pick one. Pick two. Try it out, tweak as you see fit throughout the year, and enjoy the ride. :-)

Use student feedback to drive instruction

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to foster more student-led classrooms or ensembles is to build in opportunities for student feedback. Feedback should drive our instruction, regardless, but using some strategies that further promote student agency is a sure-fire way to put students in the driver’s seat. I’m a big fan of purposeful “openers and closers” (feel free to check out specific ones that might work in your classroom). Not only do they give you information about student progress that can inform your teaching, but they also allow students an opportunity to have a voice in their own education, something that they are craving. Depending on your context (I see you, music teachers who only get your students for 30 minutes a week!), strive to include an opener or a closer. You might not have time for both. Have a block schedule? Try to take these ideas and use them regularly to really deepen the student experience with the luxurious time you have. Play with how this might work in your setting. Use visuals, whole group, small group or 1-1 conversations, journals, technology or any other multimedia at your fingertips. The possibilities for student participation are really vast, but they have to actually work in your context. If it doesn’t work, you won’t stick with it. Take all the liberties of creativity with this.

Help students become experts in their own learning

Much along the same lines, and still involving student feedback, you can help students by giving them a voice and allowing them to become experts in how they learn best. Openers and closers aren’t the only way to do this, but periodic check-ins where students can respond to prompts in any way that best suits their needs goes a long way. For elementary folks, here are my favorite prompts that are child-approved that can help you accomplish this. Middle and high school folks can take these same ideas and re-tool for their own purposes.

Remove barriers that inhibit student learning and participation

All students experience barriers in the classroom—not just those who have IEP’s, 504’s or any other type of plan that comes our way. Assume that each child has different needs, and take a inventory of what students’ needs are in the classroom (class-by-class or grade-by-grade is one way to approach this). What are the barriers that we might have unintentionally put in place that could be preventing students from accessing and participating in music? How can we remove them? Yes, this is a HUGE undertaking. Start small so that this is manageable. I recommend starting with one barrier for each student at any given time and working towards rectifying that. Chances are, by removing one barrier for one student, you are also removing a barrier for some other students as well. This is really where time and patience are your friend. There is no “deadline” for this. No race to win. Just focus on small, manageable barriers and go from there. And don’t forget, some barriers you can control and some you can’t, so focus on what you have control over.

Teaching a little, learning a lot: My trip to the International Society for Music Education in Helsinki

Folks! I have just returned from the most incredible trip to Helsinki, Finland, where I attended and gave workshops at this year’s International Society for Music Education World Conference. This conference blew my mind. The topics covered varied so much because the issues faced in music education around the world, particularly outside the United States, are so vast. Hearing what other people are experiencing in their part of the world, learning about the wonderful work they are doing with their students (there is so much great stuff happening!) and just meeting others to learn about their perspectives has truly been a pivotal, life-changing experience for me. I don’t think I’ll be the same. I’m very thankful for that. Here are my top takeaways from the conference:

The importance of getting out and sharing yourself with the world

I work with a lot of teachers who feel like they don’t have anything worthy to offer others. A lot of times, when I tell someone they should propose sessions for conferences, write an article, or do anything else of a similar nature, I’m often met with a shrug and some questioning. “What can I do? I don’t do anything special”. While I truly believe that everyone has something to offer, this conference really embraced that. I saw teachers sharing extraordinary work, inspiring others, and experiencing growth as they shared their practices, their journey, their stories. And we all loved it. It was incredibly refreshing, and I personally have made it a point to get the contact information of each teacher who inspired me. They are doing great work, and I’d love to continue learning from them as much as possible. Take Erica Colon, for example, a choir director who directs the “White Hands Chorus” in Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa. This take on inclusive choirs is absolutely incredible. I know that she, along with her colleagues, are truly making choir accessible for so many children. I even got to learn how to sign a piece during her workshop!

The need for advocacy

While there were certainly differences among how we teach our students and how the music education system works in various countries, a common problem that we seem to all be dealing with is the need to continue to fight for the arts to have a place in our educational systems. New Zealand doesn’t have formally established music education in its public schooling system. Canada also struggles with this, and about 70% of all music in schools is taught by general K-12 classroom teachers who are not trained in music education. These teachers get one course and then they go out and teach music in schools. Most parts of China do require music, but teachers are not allowed any flexibility in how or what to teach. This lack of flexibility is stifling, and the teachers I met from China are trying to advocate for more choice and flexibility so that they can promote a more equitable music education. And on and on it goes. While this is alarming, it’s oddly comforting to know that other places are struggling in a similar way that many of us do here in the states. We’re not alone in this. At the conference, we immediately got to work on how we can all support each other to advocate for change. I truly believe that if we collaborate and join forces across all of these countries, we can create some remarkable ripples.  

The need for training and support for teacher development in equitable teaching practices

For this conference, I was honored to be invited to give two workshops on equity in music education. One workshop was geared towards inclusive practices and the other geared towards how to mentor other music teachers so that they can be more equitable with their own students. I also attended a number of sessions related to these topics (I love to see how others are doing the same work that I do!). Truth-be-told, before I presented these sessions at ISME, I probably took this content of equity and inclusion for granted (at least a little bit). I made some assumptions about where most people were on their journey with equity themselves. It’s just something we do at my school in all of our degree programs—it’s the mission, the coursework, the way of life—and that, of course, informed some of my assumptions.

If this conference is any indication, the need for preK-12 teacher equity and inclusion training (and even training for folks teaching in higher education!) is sky-high. People were packing these sessions, craving the information and how to apply it, and owning up to the fact they simply don’t know how to be more equitable. After one of my sessions, a faculty member at another higher education institution approached me and asked for my help. Her college music education students are asking her about culturally responsive teaching and teaching with equity in mind, and she mentioned that she doesn’t know how to teach that. All of this—the walls coming down, the transparency—was incredibly refreshing. I feel invigorated and hopeful that since the desire and the need are there, all that is remaining is the clear and practical path to find a way to help these teachers get there. I can’t wait to help her and her students. :-) 

Now I’m home, I’m fired up, and I’m ready to take on this school year in ways that I wasn’t originally planning. And that’s pretty exciting.

A deep(ish) dive into Essential Elements Music Class (EE Music Class) as a tool for the K-5 general music classroom

Hi all! As we all continue to prepare for the school year, I see a lot of folks asking in various online communities about different general music curricula out there. What’s the best? What do we like? Why do we like it? It’s clear that many of us are all looking for tools to make our lives easier! I often get asked for my thoughts about certain online general music curriculum throughout the year, and recently I’ve been asked by a number of folks to weigh in on Hal Leonard’s online curriculum, Essential Elements Music Class (EE Music Class). Happy to oblige!

Note: This post is sponsored by EE Music Class but all opinions are my own

About Essential Elements Music Class

This curriculum is offered through Hal Leonard and is designed for students in grades K-5. When you look at the page, it truly is centering the K-5 student (which I love), with a variety of repertoire that taps into different genres of music and different ways of engaging in music activities. The curriculum is not trying to span the older grades, and really targets the needs of the younger grades in many school settings.

What I appreciate about this curriculum

It supports equity through targeting Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

So many times, I have said that although everything we do in music naturally supports SEL, elementary students benefit even more when these moments are concretely “spelled out” for them. Not only does EE Music Class have SEL as its own searchable strand (you can search SEL activities and lessons for all grade levels that reinforce all five of the SEL competencies!), but the SEL topics are also centered as goals that are situated at the beginning of lessons!

It’s accessible for students on a variety of levels

Whether you want to have the option to create your own personal playlists of resources for in class or for students to use at home, or if you are looking for well-scaffolded lesson plans, a ukulele or recorder curriculum, this platform includes that. They even have some bonus resources (such as Hal Leonard’s ukulele and guitar methods books) available in Spanish as well. For the younger students, the large variety of repertoire choices that showcase visual reinforcement will also keep students engaged as they work through learning goals. More options = more opportunities to meet students where they are.  

Lots of repertoire choices that help you focus on what your students might need.

Ukulele for kids - Method Book translated in Spanish

It has a substantial resource library

As if the lessons weren’t enough (many of them taken directly from Hal Leonard’s Music Express), EE Music Class also comes with a pretty hefty resource library of Hal Leonard digital books and other supplemental materials as well. Many of them are tried-and-true resources that I have loved over the years, such as World Music Drumming, Ukulele for Kids, Peanut Butter Jam  (this one is still a favorite of mine), along with some newer resources, like Musical Cups. There’s also a huge selection of Disney music resources that I know students really enjoy. If you’re in need of extension activities beyond the lessons, these resources can help you do that.        

The lessons feature a “wrap-around” format that centers learning goals and student reflection

When I work with teachers on their curriculum, one idea that I try to impart is the importance of having some sort of wrap-around for their lessons to not only engage students more, but to help ensure that what they are working on can be applied later in future music-making. This can be done a number of ways, but for me, it has always been easiest to put the objectives and goals at the beginning of a lesson so that I can refer to them for students, and then once again at the end so that students can have a chance to reflect and self-assess as to whether or not they actually did learn and can do the things that the lesson was focused on. 

I know….this adds an extra step for a lot of us. But the cool thing is that EE Music Class has done it for you in all of their lesson plans. Each lesson comes with a set of learning goals and a learning check that are already built into the slides. One less thing for you to do? Yes, please! 

Example of a “Learning Check” within the curriculum.

Ease of use

If you are a teacher who works in a district with no formal curriculum, or if you’re simply too overwhelmed with what to do with students and running out of ideas, this platform is really easy to navigate quickly when you’re in a jam. It’s fairly intuitive to navigate, which allows for you to free up brain space for other things. You can search for content based on standards, or find supplemental materials to help students experience musical skills and content in a variety of ways. It comes with printable lesson plans (all tied to the National Core Arts Standards) and demonstrates a sequence of instruction based on where many of your students might land as far as skill development. Are your students not exactly where the curriculum suggests they should be? No problem. You can mix and match to customize it however you need. Also, if you are new to teaching K-5 general music and find yourself in the situation of having to learn lots of content in a short amount of time, the video demonstrations of dances and games can be a real life-saver. If I were a beginning teacher, I would really appreciate this for all of these reasons.  

How EE Music Class can be “leveled up” a bit

Listening maps

As someone who believes that music concepts should be reinforced as often as possible through visual means, I appreciate the section of listening maps that are included in the platform within the additional resources section. That said, I’d love for the section to be “leveled up” as far as the repertoire that does include a listening map. Although there is a variety of maps that show some diversity, most of these maps are for western music and composers within that genre. I have nothing against western music, but it would be neat to have more living composers featured and more composers of traditional music from other cultures who might not typically be represented in the common K-5 music education curriculum. I particularly like the listening maps that feature more interactive and visually stimulating elements. I’d love to see all listening maps have similar characteristics. I can tell that they are working hard to get to that point, so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.

An example of one of the interactive listening maps showcased on the EE Music platform. In this example, answers to guiding questions are not shown to students.

An example of an interactive listening map showing answers to students while they listen to the piece.

Additional recommendations for teachers on how to promote student agency

Although the lessons and learning experiences are very scaffolded for students, teachers would benefit from additional concrete suggestions on how to encourage student agency and choice within the parameters of these lessons. Where can students have a say? How can students be a part of the process of lesson creation, assessment, self-assessment, and how they choose to engage with new content? How can these standards remain high while also allowing for flexibility with how students achieve those standards? There are so many ways to go about this, but I think a whole section of the platform devoted to this type of community building and student-centered learning would benefit teachers and students alike. Not only would students be more engaged, this would also promote equity-based practices on a whole new level!   

Final thoughts

I absolutely love that there are so many “canned” curricula out there. What I mean by that, is that there are so many programs that try to check off all the boxes of what you might need as a general music teacher. EE Music Class is one curriculum that is trying to do just that.

If you are following any of my work, you know that I am a strong advocate that context (student needs, class scheduling, etc.) should inform all of your curricular choices. So through that lens, I recommend that regardless of which canned curriculum you choose, you should consider it as a substantial resource, and never as something that will solve the needs of all of your students at all times. Give yourself the flexibility to go “outside the lines” so that you can help your students reach their greatest potential.

That said, I think EE Music Class would make a wonderful curricular resource for many teachers. Its ease of use, customizable features, student-driven sequence that includes clear goals, purposeful inclusion of social and emotional learning strands and a variety of repertoire choices with interactive elements make it an ideal resource that can serve as a useful springboard for teachers and students. You can access it for free and take it for a test drive yourself for 30 days. I look forward to seeing how this curriculum develops in the coming years as it continues to pivot and meet the needs of K-5 general music teachers and students everywhere.

How to create a student-driven classroom

With one middle school son and one soon-to-be middle schooler this school year, and my husband and I both working, getting ready for work in the morning and getting the boys ready for school can be a little chaotic. Do they have their lunches, projects, chromebooks, water bottles, and everything else for the day? Do they have what they need for afterschool sports and other activities? Did they remember to brush their teeth and take their vitamins? During the school year I rush around, chasing my sons down, asking a million questions about what they need for the day and whether they had gotten everything together or not. Towards the end of this past year, I was met with a lot of, “Yeah, mom. You already asked me to go get that. I got it,” in a tone (and with some eye rolling) that only a middle schooler could deliver. 😂

I’m told that when I’m not at home for these moments, and it’s just my husband with the boys, that the process is much smoother. Hmm…it got me thinking. As much as I want my children to need me in every way possible, I have a habit of just doing too much for them. They’re right. They do have it. While I’m still a work in progress when it comes to letting go a bit, I do know that my sons are totally capable of doing so much themselves. 

This also holds true for our students. Many of us are simply doing too much for them. We’re doing all the hard work, when in reality, if we were to spend some time to teach our students how to take on some of this work themselves, our students, and even ourselves, could be better for it.

What I’m talking about here is student agency and ownership.

So often we tell our students what they will do, how they will do it, and exactly one way to show us their learning. I get it. I was taught to teach this way and I also experienced this myself as a K-12 student. This type of instruction and assessment is what I was familiar with. And, like many of you, I love to teach in my comfort zone.

Simple changes—like putting some of the ownership of teaching and learning on our students—can make a huge difference when it comes to student engagement and motivation, meeting students’ learning and social needs, teaching for depth, student individuality and student ownership (all of which foster equity in your classroom!).

Here are some practical ideas on how you might make some of these shifts a reality in your classroom this year:

Set firm goals, but make space for flexible means

Articulate verbally, and in writing, the standards or goals of each class meeting. Also share about two to three ways that students can choose to show you that they have achieved these goals. Better yet, ask students what they think they can do to show you that they’ve “got it”. Put them in the driver's seat, and let them choose. You want to maintain high standards and there’s a lot of ways that students can find success. Even if these are new ways that you might not have tried before.

The same can be said for how students are learning new information and working on skills. How many different ways can they engage with the content? Have a couple of ideas and then ask them for other suggestions. This gives them a voice and encourages them to think critically about their learning process. For example, if the goal is to explain their understanding of a key musical concept, they may write their understanding, create a short video, or make a multimedia presentation. They can perform something, draw something, work in teams, work alone, and use a variety of instruments and manipulatives. They can interview each other and create a podcast. There are so many tools that can help them explain something. Keep high expectations high but be flexible with how students get there. A note of caution: Beware of choice overload. This is a real thing, and can actually hamper student creativity. I would stick to three to four choices on different ways to be assessed or ways to experience new content. 

Try Jigsaw Teaching

When you use jigsaw teaching, teaching and learning become student-led when students become experts on a particular topic and then teach it to their peers while you observe, check in with small groups, and provide action-oriented feedback. For example, imagine you want students to compose a short piece of music based on a story or silent movie plot. You want this piece of music to have a specific music form and use elements of tempo and dynamics to enhance the story. Instead of teaching (or reviewing with) students about musical form, major/minor, tempo and dynamics as a whole class, you can create groups of students who draft questions, create roles within the group, learn about one of these musical elements so they can develop an engaging lesson to share with their classmates. Next, you can regroup students so each group has someone who is an expert in each musical concept. This way, they can teach each other while you observe and provide formative feedback and targeted instruction when necessary. On a practical note: The teaching portion of it (that you would need to do with different groups of students before they can teach each other) has worked well for me when I make it one of my “stations” when doing stations. It would just be part of the rotation.  

Make space for “openers and closers”

In a time when most of us are rushing around and trying to squeeze a lot of teaching into a small amount of time, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could know exactly what our students are thinking and struggling with and what might help them more? Spoiler alert: We can! Consider taking a few minutes at the beginning or ending of class (or both!) to get student feedback about how they are doing and what they need. You can do this as exit tickets, journaling, think-pair-share, or just old-fashioned whole group share. Either way, give students choice on how they want to give you this feedback, because choice does matter when it comes to having students feel comfortable with sharing responses. Here are some questions that can go a long way in helping you decide what you (and they!) can do next in the classroom:

Class openers (to be given to students before class starts - tweak language as necessary for your own students):

• One skill I would like more feedback on is X because Y

• Based on where we are at in this project, composition, or piece of music, today I expect to learn about X because of Y

• Given today’s learning goals, I think I might be frustrated by X because of Y

• If I could ask my teacher one question right now, before today’s class starts, it would be X because of Y

• I am currently feeling X about this class because of Y

Class closers (to be given to students at the end of class - tweak language as necessary for your own students):

• TILT: Today I learned to..

• 3-2-1 Method: 3 things you learned, 2 connections you made, and 1 question you have 

• In order to be successful in tomorrow’s continuation of this lesson, I need X because Y

• X is working for me because Y

• X has me confused because Y

• Based on today’s class, if I am going to really be successful, I need to do X by Y

• By next week, I want to be able to say I did X

How to revise your curriculum when you’re doing “too much”

Throughout much of any given year, I wonder to myself, are we just trying to do too much? What I mean by that, is are we trying to do it all in the classroom at our own peril? Cover all the bases? Get to all the content? I mean, we have our standards. There’s so many of them. We have state standards, the national core arts standards, school standards, district standards. We have initiatives galore. If we are teaching music at the elementary or middle school level, we have expectations from our colleagues that once your students get to them, that your students would know how to X, Y or Z. On top of that, we have the constant need to center students’ social and emotional and academic needs. We need to be adaptable, be flexible.

Yes. Teachers are trying to do too much.

The symptoms of trying to do it all are clear: the constant need to re-teach concepts and skills taught before (more than you would expect), the frustration of not getting to everything, the stress of not being able to “check off all the boxes”.

But really, we might not have to. Of course this is not true for everyone, but many teachers I work with in various schools wind up having more flexibility with this than they originally thought. I’ve found that one of the greatest factors of being able to give yourself a “pass” on having to teach everything is when all teachers in a school or district can come together and do the work (in real time) of deciding what really is important and when those important things should occur in the curriculum. This is usually when I come in and help schools who are really craving the structured collaboration and the necessary conversations to get this accomplished.

When working with teachers, I find myself saying, “When it’s all important, then nothing is important”. What I mean by that, is wouldn’t you rather teach students about a few things well over the course of any given school year instead of trying to cover and cram in all the things? I know I would.

One year, I did this. I created a diagram where I really dug deep and made some difficult decisions about what was really worth including in my classes. I started broad, where I threw everything but the kitchen sink into the mix, and narrowed it down (see my diagram below for the visual I created for myself to do this). I wound up throwing away some of my cherished content and picked four main content topics and embedded them what I deemed as the most important skills throughout for each grade level.

The result: Students actually doing better, progressing faster, digging deeper and demonstrating their understanding and skills at deeper levels. Because I was teaching less content, I was also promoting equity, because students were engaged in the same content and skills in so many ways. With the extra time, I was able to really adapt to meet their needs. I was also less stressed. I could breathe. It did challenge my creativity as a teacher (how many different ways can we experience and apply the ideas of musical form?!?). But that was kind of fun because I enjoy those types of challenges.

I was curious about whether this was just a fluke, so I did it a second year. It wasn’t a fluke. Students came back the second year having recalled most of what we did the previous year (less re-teaching, yay!). They were also able to apply those things from year #1 as we continued on with year #2 content and skills. Wow. My mind was blown. I did it again for a third year. Still with the same results.

Was it risky? Yes.

Was it always perfect? Nope.

Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Perhaps you are reading this and thinking that there is no way this would be possible in your school or district. That might be true. We all operate under different contexts, different circumstances. But I encourage you to take advantage of some moments when you really can choose to teach less so that your students can do more. Start with one grade, one class, or even one class meeting. But whatever you do, decide what’s most important. Narrow your focus. Because if it’s all important, then nothing is important.

Five things to consider before you revise your curriculum

Context is Key

It’s curriculum revision season (also known as my favorite time of year)! For me, nothing is quite as exciting as the feeling of renewal and possibility for the next school year. What cool things can I do with my students that I haven’t tried before? How can I make that one lesson plan just a little better? How can I re-work my performances to be a little more student-centered? The list can go on and on. It’s an exciting time, to be sure, but if we’re not careful, it’s also a sure-fire way to take up more time and mental headspace than you might want over the summer months.

When considering time commitment, personal mental well-being, and impact on student learning, the most effective and efficient curricular revision occurs when teachers take into account the context of their specific teaching position. In fact, context drives (or should drive) everything when it comes to curriculum and assessment.

Simply put—your own context is yours and no one else’s. There are never two contexts that are exactly alike, so what might be effective for one teacher (even if they work in the same school as you!) might not have the same positive impact in your own classroom. Here are some things to consider before you dive deep into curriculum revision!

School Climate

Does your administration value process over product? What is your school’s mission? What does scheduling look like for your classes and ensembles? Do you have the resources you need to make a greater impact on student learning? It’s always a good idea to make sure that your curricular changes can be supported by your school climate! What can your school climate do to support your curricular changes? What are some things in your school climate that perhaps you haven’t taken advantage of but you might want to try? In what ways might your climate prevent you from successfully implementing some changes? One example I can think of is the use of informances in schools as a substitution for formal performances. If your administrator and community value polished performances, they might not be so apt to be on board with an informance model.

Students

Students are the main driving force behind our curricular choices. What do they need both academically and socially to be successful in and outside of school? What would success look like for each student? How can your repertoire choices, pacing, sequencing, activities and assessment practices be inclusive of student needs? Revising a curriculum can center what students need and how to get them to the destination that you (and them!) determine collaboratively. The great thing about this is that it gives us the freedom to pivot as needed, and flexibility is always a win-win for everyone.

Surrounding Community

Community expectations and values placed upon music education can certainly impact our curricular choices. Do you live in a community that is proud of its heritage and its connection to the arts? Invite that into the classroom! Teaching in a community that expects community engagement through performance? Consider making space for that in your curricular goals. The community can be a huge asset in how we teach and what teach. Community members are filled with expertise that we, ourselves, might lack. Seek out culture bearers, music enthusiasts and anyone with specific skills that can both broaden and deepen your students’ experiences in the classroom. Not only will this create stronger connections between your program and the community, it will also increase the relevance of what your are teaching about in the classroom.

Your Personal Development and Training as a Teacher

It’s no secret that music teachers often teach how they were taught themselves and frequently emphasize the skills and content that they feel most confident in. Consider adding something new (and perhaps out of your “element”) into the curriculum that your students have asked for. Want to include music technology more but don’t consider yourself an expert in this? No worries! Identify one curricular goal for music technology and take steps to learn more about it so you can add that into your lessons (now that’s just fun)!

Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

Our personal beliefs about music teaching and learning have been shaped by the years of experience we’ve had as students, ourselves, as well as the time we’ve spent as educators. They are ever-evolving and hold enormous influence when it comes to our curricular choices. Personally, it took me a few years to realize that although I believed in the ideals of inclusive music education, my lesson plans did not really reflect that. I had adopted a “one-size-fits-all” approach to teaching and learning. This is nothing to be ashamed about, but I am so glad that I discovered this when I did. Spend time checking in on your own philosophies and see if your current curricular choices align with them. You might be surprised at what you find!

Center Progress over Perfection

Curriculum revision can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Start small. Pick one thing to revise and focus on doing that well. Forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ll make (we all do it!) and have fun!

Five Books that Connect to Social and Emotional Learning skills for K-8 Students

Since the pandemic, I think it is safe to say that social and emotional learning (SEL) is on the brains of most music educators. Not only are we trying to teach our students music, but we are also trying to embed the life skills they will need to be successful outside of our classroom in as many of our lessons as possible. That’s not a bad thing, and certainly has been a major shift (I think, in the right direction) of where music education can play a role in “whole child” development. I’m here for it - and if you are general music specialist who feels the same, this post is for you!

As someone who provides workshops and other useful professional development for music teachers, I always get asked about my favorite resources. I love this question, because I know that this is what teachers are really looking for—not just the “dictionary” presentations about what SEL is, but more along the lines of “how can I do this effectively and efficiently on top of everything else I have to do?”

As with everything I do, I write it with the teachers in mind. If I have some nuggets or resources that are not relevant and useful for teachers, I just don’t share it. That’s a time-waster, and who has time for that?!? In the SEL workshops that I provide, I love highlighting the following books as a wonderful way to connect literacy to music and SEL (which, in my opinion, is the ultimate win-win!). These books will not waste your time. You will reach for them time and time again. So…here they are! Let me know what you think. Of course, if there is something you’d like me to highlight that’s not here. Send it my way! 

One quick thing about what I’ll share below: SEL is most effective in the music classroom when we directly “spell it out” for students. Many folks think it’s naturally-embedded, and this is true. But below, I will not focus on the musical aspects so much as the guiding questions that I would pose students to get them into the SEL mindset. These are just recommendations. As with everything, tweak to meet the needs of your students and context. Context should drive everything. Have fun with it!

                                               Jabari Jumps - by Gaia Cornwall 

Grade level: Kindergarten/1st grade

SEL topics: Self-efficacy, solving problems, goal setting, teamwork

Music learning topics: Vocal exploration, sounds exploration, found sounds, pitch

SEL questions to pose to students:

• Why do you think that Jabari waited so long to jump off the diving board?

• How do you think Jabari felt when he did jump off the diving board?

• What are some things that make you nervous or scared?

• Have you ever been afraid to do something? What did you decide to do? How did you feel afterwards?

                                               Jabari Tries - by Gaia Cornwall 

Grade level: Kindergarten/1st grade

SEL topics: Self-efficacy, solving problems, goal setting, teamwork

Music learning topics: Vocal exploration, sounds exploration, found sounds, pitch

SEL questions to pose to students:

• Was there ever a time where you had to keep trying to achieve something? How did you solve the problem?

• What things did Jabari try that did not work for him? What did he do at the end that finally worked?

• What would you do if you were Jabari in this situation?

                                     The Book of Mistakes - by Corianna Luyken

Grade level: 4th and 5th grade

SEL topic: Learning from mistakes, overcoming fears, self-efficacy, growth mindset

Music topics: Exploring improvisation, 12-bar blues, taking musical risks

Art topics: Mistakes through all art, revisit old work/old drafts – turn them into something great

SEL questions to pose to students:

• In what ways do you think the artist's picture changes were a mistake?

• How were they mistakes? In what ways were they not?

• Do you think a lot of people are scared of making mistakes? Are you? Why?

• Have you ever used a mistake that made to create something new? 

                                   Building an Orchestra of Hope - by Carmen Oliver

Grade level: 4th to 6th grade

SEL topic: Solving problems, analyzing situations, self-motivation, goal setting, social engagement

Music topics: instrument timbre, instrument classification (chordophones, idiophones, membranophones, aerophones), different types of ensembles

Art topics: Instrument building, classification of instruments, various materials

SEL questions to pose to students:

• Why do you think it was so important for Favio to create an orchestra?

• What challenges did Favio face, and what did he do to overcome those challenges?

• Have you ever wanted to accomplish something but thought it would be too hard to achieve it?

• Think of one thing that you really hope to achieve – what are some things that you can do to help you achieve it?

• How would you feel if you lived in a community that didn't have the things you needed to do what you enjoyed (instruments, sports equipment, books)? What could you do to help with this problem?

                                            I Want my Hat Back - by Gaia Cornwall 

Grade level: Kindergarten/1st grade

SEL topic: Consequences of actions, honesty

Music learning topics: Instrument timbre, echo rhythms

SEL Questions to pose to students:

• What do you think happened to the rabbit?

• How do you think the bear felt? Was there ever a time that you felt this way?

• Why do you think the rabbit stole the hat?

• Have you ever acted the like the bear in this story? The rabbit? What happened when you did? What would you do differently?

End-of-Year Student-Centered Activities for Performance-Based Ensembles (that would benefit them during the year, too!)

Ah….it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Concerts are wrapping up, students have fulfilled their performance requirements, and many have even learned some new skills along the way.

But, wait! You still have four or more weeks left of school, which means four or more weeks left of ensemble rehearsal time, but no concerts! As tempting as it may be to just put in a movie or review everything from the year for the next four weeks, consider doing something you might have not had the chance to do with your students during the height of all the concert preparation for the year.

It’s true, we might not have all the time in the world for getting to more student-centered, socially-driven activities in our ensembles, but the end of the school year is the perfect time to test things out to see if your students respond to these types of activities. Who knows? Maybe you can interject them throughout the next school after you have done a little trial and error with them over these next weeks. Here are some of my top recommendations for things to try with your performing ensembles at the end of the year:

Go on Tour

Arrange performances at local retirement homes, community centers, or charity events. Not only does this give students a chance to perform for a different audience, but it also serves the community. If you teach middle or high school band, this would also be a great time to recruit for next year’s ensembles by showcasing your groups at different schools in your district. Consider creating a program with short explanations or anecdotes about the music to engage the audience. You might even want to take the opportunities to make these mini-concerts an informance, where your students can truly take ownership and run the show!

Collaborative Projects

Consider a last-minute collaborative project with other teachers in your school for some cross-curricular benefits for your students. Meet with other arts department teachers to discuss collaboration opportunities. Choose a theme or concept that can be explored across different art forms. Work together to create a cohesive performance that integrates music, visual arts, and/or drama. Invite students from other schools to come see the wonderful collaboration in action.

Create!

I absolutely LOVE the idea of students composing music during ensemble rehearsals and then showcasing it at a future performance. I also love anything to do with MadLibs. Have your students compose music to match the story of a completed MadLibs. Tie in as many musical elements as you would like. Have students justify why they composed something a certain way. This type of activity is not only very engaging, it really requires a lot of knowledge application when it comes to musical content and skills. As a teacher, that’s a win-win!

Conductor of the Day

I don’t know about you, but I know that most students that I have taught would have loved to have been given the opportunity to be front-and-center on the podium. Teach students the basics of conducting, and let them try their hand at it with the pieces that your ensembles have already mastered and performed in concerts throughout the year. Challenge them to change tempo and dynamics within the piece through their gestures while challenging the rest of the students to do exactly what the “Conductor of the Day” is asking of them. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll identify a hidden talent that you can showcase in next year’s programming!

There is really no right or wrong way to end the school year with our ensembles. But there are lots of creative options that we can try. Whatever you do to wrap up this school year with ensembles, just go for it! Take the risks, involve your students, and see where these activities take you. Although these are not traditional, by any sense, these type of student-centered recommendations might just become a fun part of you ensemble instruction moving forward. Enjoy!

A Realistic Take on “Leveling-Up” your Music Lesson Plan

In the fast-paced world of education, where the focus is often on covering a curriculum quickly, it's crucial to take a step back and reflect on how we can make our music lessons more equitable, inclusive, and engaging for all students.

One of the biggest barriers to addressing the needs (and all the “asks” put upon teachers) is a lack of time and support needed to actually make some changes. I often find myself coaching and giving professional development to music teachers who are asked, time and time again, to do more with less time. What then, is the solution? Here are some strategies for making the most of the little time you might have so that you can better support the needs of your students (while saving your sanity!).

Start Small with Equity in Mind

I truly believe that any real change take time, and happens in small, incremental steps. Change doesn’t come for sweeping reform. It comes from the small things teachers can realistically commit to in their day-to-day. This is particularly truewhen it comes to tackling issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the classroom. By focusing on just one lesson at a time, teachers can begin the journey of creating more accessible and student-centered learning environments.

Questions to ask Yourself that can help you “Level Up” Your Lesson

When it comes to leveling up lessons, there are several key questions that revolve around the central theme of equity. When I work with teachers, questioning often leads to real reflection and subsequent meaningful change. One question I commonly pose to teachers is, “Who does this help, and who does this hurt?” If we can identify students who are not being included by something we are doing, strive to add one or two accommodations or modifications that might better fit their needs. Other questions teachers might ask themselves include: 

Who and I including with this activity? Who am I excluding?

What do my students need right now, and how can I give that to them?

How else can I teach this? How many ways can I have students learn and experience the same information and skills?

How many ways can students demonstrate their learning? What does that look like?

Where can I give students choice in my lesson? How can I give them some control?

In what ways can I teach less so that students can engage with the content (and each other) more? What would that look like?

These are just some examples, but the idea here is that you don’t need to make all the changes, all the time. For many teachers, those expectations are unrealistic and often defeating. Rather, by gradually shifting the focus from teacher-centered instruction to more student-led activities, teachers can empower students to engage with the material, collaborate with their peers, and explore their creativity in meaningful ways.

Start small with this: Do this for one activity a day, then two activities the next week….and keep building upon it. Progress is progress. And your students (and you!) will be better for it!

A Practical Approach to Addressing Hidden Curriculum in Music Education

Music education is a powerful tool that can shape the minds and perspectives of our students in profound ways. As music teachers, we hold the responsibility to not only teach musical concepts and life skills but also to be mindful of the messages we are unintentionally sending to our students in our classrooms.

In education, we call this hidden curriculum—the messages, values, and behaviors that are implicitly conveyed through our actions and choices in the classroom. Hidden curriculum is tricky. All music teachers have it present in their classrooms and ensembles. It often flies under the radar within the good work that we are trying to do with our students. The hidden messages—what we are saying to our students without actually saying it out loud—quite often become the loudest messaging of all. We just don't realize it. For example, by choosing certain composers, emphasizing specific musical genres, or structuring music programs in particular ways, we are inadvertently shaping our students' beliefs about what is important in music and who holds authority in the musical world. From promoting certain composers as the "best" to unintentionally prioritizing traditional ensembles over modern musical expressions during the school day, we tell students what is important, and what is worthy for inclusion in our classrooms.

Uncovering our own hidden curriculum and taking action

The wonderful thing about hidden curriculum is that every music teacher has the power to uncover it and address it as best they can. By engaging in self-reflection, examining our teaching practices, and identifying the implicit messages we convey to students, we can begin to make intentional changes that align with our educational values and the needs of our students. A perfect first step to this is to take stock of what is happening in and out of the classroom. What ensembles are offered at school? How are we teaching music literacy? What music, skills and concepts are present within our curriculum? And, be centering those things we can identify, what then, are we excluding? More importantly, who are we excluding as a result of curricular choices? Our ways of teaching? It's a strategic way to broaden our inclusive practices in realistic and tangible ways.

By listing current practices and considering alternative approaches that promote inclusivity and diversity in music education, music educators can take tangible steps towards creating a more equitable and inclusive learning environment. One practical tool I developed to aid in this process is my "hidden curriculum inventory" (a portion of this is shown below). It is a document designed to help music educators assess their teaching practices and identify areas where hidden messages may exist. In fact, you'll likely uncover quite a bit of hidden curriculum. I encourage you to take one or two items from what you have uncovered and act on those. Remember, hidden curriculum will always be present. As a profession, the best we can do is be more mindful of it and make small shifts to address in along the way.

Portion of "Hidden Curriculum Inventory", ©ErinZaffini

As the school year draws to a close and plans for the future take shape, now is the ideal time to revisit our curriculum, reflect on our teaching philosophies, and strive to take actionable steps that will invite more participation, access, and inclusion in our music classrooms. Happy searching!

Embracing Equity in Music Education: An Ever-Evolving Journey Towards Inclusion and Diversity in Music Education

Music education is a vibrant and essential aspect of our society, enriching students' lives and fostering creativity. However, amidst the melodies and harmonies lies a crucial conversation about equity, inclusion, and diversity. Are we doing enough as a profession to “right the ship,” so-to-speak, in ways that can have real impact on music teachers’ practice in the classroom? Terms such as “diversity”, “equity” and “inclusion” are represented in the literature and during faculty and staff meetings more than ever. Our professional development conferences are (rightfully so) highlighting this all-important goal in music education. The goal of equity. Yet, a common frustration among many music educators I speak with is a lack of clear guidance on how to realistically apply this knowledge into the music classroom and ensemble setting.

Yes, repertoire selection is crucial. But that is only a small piece of the puzzle. Many colleges and universities fall short on taking action to create meaningful change to curricular offerings that help instill a strong equity-mindset among music educators (this is why my school has a master's degree that is entirely devoted to this very goal!). The same is true for professional development offerings at music education conferences.

To be sure, “diversity”, “equity” and “inclusion” are not merely buzzwords but pillars that uphold the foundation of a truly transformative music education system. We must do more than talk about their importance, we must act. Purposefully and with intention. As a profession that is still very much teaching the same way we taught 50+ years ago (at least!), we have made some strides. But there is more to be done. So, what next?

In this post, I'll try to delve into the heart of this conversation, urging music educators to go beyond words and into action. It is meant to serve as a guidepost for those seeking to navigate the complexities of equity in music education. It is meant to help answer the question, “what do I do now”? I hope it provides some clear answers for music educators who are looking for the next practical step that can further the mission of equity in their own classrooms.

Defining Equity in Music Education

Equity in music education transcends beyond an academic endeavor; it becomes a conscious pedagogical choice. It requires continual progress, practice, and patience from educators. The pursuit of equity is not a destination, but a journey filled with learning and growth. From acknowledging diverse student needs to creating inclusive classroom environments, equity in music education demands thoughtful and intentional actions. At the risk of over-simplifying, equity simply asks us to question what each student needs for success both in and out of the classroom. Not only this, but it challenges us to then take on those needs and ensure that we are giving students exactly that. It takes into account the whole child, and acknowledges that in the music classroom, music, and all of those standards that we find ourselves beholden to, are likely not the most important thing—it's our students.

Shifting Mindsets Towards Equity

One of the key ideas that I strive to impart on teachers I work with (and my very own grad students) is the importance of shifting mindsets towards equity in the music classroom. Equity-centered teachers prioritize individual student needs (academic and social and emotional), create space for student voice, and honor student identity and culture. By centering teaching practices around these values, educators can foster a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. What does each student need in my class? What do they want to learn? How can I teach them in a way that centers their own experiences? Their own backgrounds? How can I invite them to be key stakeholders in their own education? What can I learn from my students?

Tools for Equity-Centered Teaching

The idea of becoming an equity-centered music educator can be very daunting. Indeed, as I continue my work with my own students as well as veteran music educators, equity can feel like an “all or nothing” game. The pressure to do everything, all the time, is simply too much. My approach to helping everyone that I work with is to center the notion of “progress over perfection”. Focus on one thing, practice it for months in the context of your own position, and then gradually add something else into the mix. I provide resources to them that help them stay organized (such as the one below where teachers get to pick which element of equitable teaching to focus their energy on for 3-5 months) as they strive to learn what each student needs and what steps they will take to meet those needs. I give them space. I give them time. I let them learn at their own pace. I ask lots of questions and then carefully listen to the answers, without agenda and without judgement. That’s what teachers really need. An opportunity not only to define equity but supports along the way to help them course correct, reflect, and take meaningful and realistic action during their day-to-day work with students—the moments were centering equity matter most.

Moving Forward Towards a More Equitable Future

As music educators, embracing equity is not just a professional obligation but a moral imperative. By taking small but meaningful steps towards equity in the music classroom, educators can pave the way for a more inclusive and diverse future. Let us commit to teaching our students in ways that perhaps we never experienced ourselves as preK-12 students. Let’s continue to support that commitment with realistic action that can provide music educators with the necessary supports they need to put into motion the shifts that are needed in music education. The music education profession demands it. Our students deserve it.