You’re on the stage of the most beautiful concert hall you’ve ever played in, the same stage where world-class musicians play almost every week. You sit in nervous anticipation of the concert that will start in just a few minutes
Why All-State?
Considerations for Choosing Repertoire
The music you choose for your orchestras to learn makes a huge difference in how they sound when they perform. Selecting repertoire is probably one of the most important things we do as music teachers. With thousands of pieces to
Changing it Up with Seating
I’ve never been strongly attached to the traditional orchestral seating arrangement, and in my 10+ years of teaching orchestra I’ve gone through just about every possible seating arrangement with my students. Each arrangement brings its own set of pros and
I Have Commitment Issues
Usually when I write a blog post, I feel like I have something helpful to say. While I never have all the answers, I have learned something that works for me that might be helpful to someone else. That’s not
Picking Up the Pieces of Covid
It’s June 3, 2021 and today was my high school’s graduation. It was an actual, live, in-person graduation. All 570 graduating seniors donned their caps and gowns and walked across the stage as their names were read. Parents, family members,
Finding Work-Life Balance as a Teacher
You’ve probably heard the phrase “work-life balance” at some point. It’s one of those catch phrases that people love to throw around. You may have heard it directed at you specifically as a teacher, or thought about how to achieve
Letting Go of the Students Who Choose to Leave
Teaching elective classes is tough sometimes. There is almost constant pressure to get as many students as possible to take your classes, and yet none of those students actually need to take your classes. In music especially, we feel like
Helping Your Students Become More Consistent
Not long ago I was talking to a colleague about his concert the night before. He mentioned how frustrating it was for him that his students would play so well one day and so terribly the next. He knew they
Now Go Practice
“Now go home and practice that.” Music teachers tell students to practice. It’s what we do. As a music student, I was expected to practice for a certain amount of time. As a music teacher, I expect my own students
Stagnation Stinks, So Let’s Avoid It
A veteran teacher once told me that the secret to a long and happy teaching career is to have a major change every seven years. That advice came to me just after I decided to leave the school I had