Welcome to MusicEdLove! You know that feeling when something has GOT to change, but you don’t know exactly what or how just yet? Then this episode is for you. Award-winning composer Katie O’Hara LaBrie delves into life after the classroom, composing for school ensembles, the publishing industry, and her process as a composer. 

Originally recorded in August of 2023, I am just now catching up on my podcasting game and cannot wait for you to read this one! Composer Katie O’Hara LaBrie is one of my dearest friends and one of the most inspiring music educators I have ever met. Take some time to listen to this one today. You will be so glad you did!

Be sure to also take a look at Katie’s career webinars!

Career webinars

Rhythms of Success: Charting Your Career Path in the Music World, Part One

Rhythms of Success: Charting Your Career Path in the Music World, Part Two

So, You Want to Be a Music Teacher? A Music Education Career Discussion with Katie O’Hara LaBrie

Career Blog: 

Careers in Music: Following Your Passion to New and Exciting Places

https://www.makemusic.com/blog/careers-in-music-following-your-passion-to-new-and-exciting-places/

Katie O’Hara LaBrie (b.1982) is a conductor, composer, cellist, and clinician from Northern Virginia, most recently elected as President-Elect for the Virginia String Teachers’ Association. An educator at heart, Mrs. LaBrie spent the first 15 years of her career teaching orchestra in Fairfax County, Virginia. In her capacity as an orchestra director she enjoyed creating a variety of fulfilling experiences for her students, from Fiddle Days to Rock Shows, Summer Camps to Trips around the East Coast, performances at the Virginia State Music Educators Conference and in collaboration with the Detmold Jugendorchesterof Detmold, Germany. In 2022, she was honored as one of Yamaha’s “40 Under 40,” for her action, courage, creativity, and commitment to growth in the music education field.

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Mrs. LaBrie holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from St.Olaf College and a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from George Mason University. Her primary conducting teachers include Anthony Maiello, Steven Amundson & Timothy Mahr, as well as David Carter on cello.

In addition to her love of teaching Mrs. LaBrie is a published composer and arranger, and is the editor for the Orchestra Division of Randall Standridge Music Publications. As a composer, Mrs. LaBrie enjoys creating new music with the goal of being educationally sound, pleasing to audiences, and above all, fun for the players. She finds inspiration from many sources, including family and nature, but primarily draws from her students and her own experiences as a music educator. Her compositions have received many accolades, including frequent selection as J.W. Pepper Editor’s Choice, as well as performances at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Directors Clinic and at the American String Teachers Association National Conference. 

Mrs. LaBrie is a member of NAFME, ASTA, and ASCAP. She is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician. She has presented clinics on: New Music (VMEA 2015, VA DoE 2019), “Practicing with Purpose: What’s the Big IDEA?” (FCPS 2017, VMEA 2017, ASTA 2021, NCMEA 2022 Midwest 2022), and “How to Win Rehearsals & Influence Students” (ASTA 2022, MMEA 2022, NCMEA 2022, VBODA 2022). 

Mrs. LaBrie is the founding conductor of the Fairfax Chamber Players and the co-creator of “the Big I.D.E.A.” practice method (www.PracticeWithPurpose.net). She lives in Fairfax with her husband Joe who is a middle school band director, and their budding musician, Liam.

This episode is so great for anyone who aspires to do more with the gifts they are given. We just know you will gain inspiration and motivation from this wonderful episode!!!

Please remember to subscribe and leave us a review if you loved this episode!

Adrian Gordon is an active performer, composer, and music educator living in Charlotte, NC. His colorful compositions are captivating for musicians of all ages from very easy to advanced levels. Over the years Gordon has written several acclaimed works for string orchestra such as “Apocalypse” and “Song of the Ocean Winds” to name a few.

Adrian takes pride in creating music that is fun and pedagogically sound at all levels. Mr. Gordon currently serves as the orchestra director at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. He received his B.A. in music from the University of Miami, and his Masters degree in Music Education at Florida International University.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music Publishing and the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing which, publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. Mr. Gordon’s compositions appear on the California, Florida, Texas, Maryland, and Georgia Orchestra Association Music Performance Assessment Lists. His compositions are distributed through JW Pepper and have been performed throughout the world. Adrian resides in Charlotte with his wife Kelly and their two sons.

I cannot wait for you to tune in to this *SPECIAL* collaboration podcast episode with the host of the music education podcast: Choralosophy! This episode delves into a few of the controversial truths within music education and explores the struggle to excel in a field that often boasts freedom of expression and creativity but often promotes its own brand of conformity.

If you have enjoyed this episode, please drop us a review and let your friends know!

Prior to writing Love the Job, Lose the Stress, Lesley Moffat’s story of overcoming the myriad of health issues she’d faced for decades as a high school band director and wrote about in the book I Love My Job but It’s Killing Me: The Teacher’s Guide to Conquering Chronic Stress and Sickness resonated with teachers all over the world. 

Lesley considers it a personal triumph to have overcome personal health issues that were the result of being an exhausted and worn-out band director who was on the verge of walking away from the career she loved. The responsibilities, time, and energy it took to run her music program left her struggling to balance her career with her family life. In order to stay in the job without continuing to struggle with burning the candle at both ends, she set out to figure out how she could be both the mom and badass band director she’d always dreamed of being. 

Through the course of her own research, what she learned through trial and error, activities she’s used in teaching more than 30,000 classes, and her experience with how students best learn, she has created a simple yet brilliant protocol that has the potential to change how teachers teach and students learn. 

Lesley has worked with thousands of people, helping them not only achieve musical goals (including repeated performances at Carnegie Hall, Disney Theme Parks, Royal Caribbean cruise ships, and competitions and festivals all over the US and Canada), but also teaching them how to develop the long-term life skills they need to help them achieve their goals. 

Lesley has been a presenter at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and WMEA Conferences, served on the board for the Mount Pilchuck Music Educators Association, and has been an adjudicator and guest conductor in the Pacific Northwest and is a frequent guest on education and music education podcasts and webinars, sharing strategies from her personal and professional struggles and triumphs. 

Lesley lives in the same Seattle suburb where she’s taught for most of her career, developing relationships with students and their families as their teacher and also as a fellow member of the same community. 

After completing her undergraduate degree at Indiana University, she returned to her roots and moved back to the Pacific Northwest, where she and her husband, George, raised their three daughters, all of whom were students in her high school band program. Fun fact: Lesley, George, all three of their daughters, and Lesley’s dad have performed at Carnegie Hall.

Check out more from Lesley Moffat Here:

Finding Joy After Julliard

Welcome to the #MusicEdLove Podcast. On this episode, host Angela Ammerman welcomes Merideth Hite Estevez, a talented oboist, podcaster, performer, author, and mother, onto the show. Angela and Merideth catch up after having known each other since their college days at CCM. 

Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez is a spiritual space-maker for artists as a writer, coach, educator, and performer. As an oboist, Merideth has performed with top orchestras in the US and abroad, including the Met Opera and PhillyPops, and is currently the English hornist/Second Oboe of the Chamber Orchestra of NY. She has served on faculties of numerous universities and schools of music, most recently as Associate Professor of Oboe at University of Delaware. Her education has taken her all over the world—Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Yale School of Music, Fulbright Scholar to Germany, and to The Juilliard School where she received her doctorate in oboe.

She has been a featured speaker at Google, Longy School of Music, ShePodcasts LIVE, Hope*writers, Music Institute of Chicago, and more. As a coach, she has helped thousands of artists overcome creative block through her popular online creative recovery clusters and has served as an executive coach for all types of arts leaders, from major museum directors to deans of conservatories and art schools. 

Dr. Estevez’s award-winning podcast, Artists for Joy, was in the top 250 podcasts in the US in the Self-Help category in January 2023 and is currently top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide. Her first book, “The Artist’s Joy: A Guide to Getting Unstuck, Embracing Imperfection, and Loving Your Creative Life,” debuts in Spring 2024 from Broadleaf Books.

Originally from South Carolina, Merideth now resides in Metro Detroit, Michigan, with her husband, Rev. Edwin Estevez, daughter Eva, and son Eli.

As a multifaceted artist, Merideth discusses her love for performing as an oboist and her involvement with various regional orchestras. She also talks about her work as a writer and her upcoming book, “The Artist’s Joy,” which focuses on helping creatives experiencing creative block, burnout, and creative wounding.

The conversation dives into the topic of managing time and energy as a creative individual. Merideth emphasizes the importance of recognizing the different energies of being a manager and a maker. She advises taking large chunks of time for creative exploration and play to counteract the draining managerial tasks.

Angela asks Merideth about her experiences at Juilliard and how they shaped her as an artist. Merideth opens up about the difficulties she faced in such a high-pressure environment and how it led to a loss of joy in her music. She later found a path to rekindle her creative passion through Julia Cameron’s book, “The Artist’s Way,” which explores the connection between spirituality and creativity.

As a Suzuki parent, Merideth’s perspective on “creating in the cracks” has evolved. She encourages others to find joy and playfulness in their creative pursuits, even within short periods of time. Merideth believes that viewing creativity as an act of devotion and being intentional about accessing one’s creative spirit can make a significant difference.

The episode wraps up with Angela and Merideth discussing the upcoming release of Merideth’s book, “The Artist’s Joy,” and where listeners can find her work and engage with her online, such as her podcast, “Artists for Joy,” and her website, ArtistsForJoy.org. Angela expresses her excitement for the book and encourages listeners to pre-order it. They end the show by sending love and encouragement to all creative minds, students, and fellow musicians.

@artistsforjoy 

Join her email list: https://artistsforjoy.org/book

Before delving into the discussion, Angela Ammerman introduces Angela Harman’s impressive accomplishments, including her significant impact on increasing enrollment in orchestra programs. Angela Harman shares her journey into music, starting with the inspiration she felt after seeing a recruiting show in fourth grade and how it led her to pursue a career in orchestra education.

Angela Harman’s passion for teaching and innovation shines through as she describes her unique approach to marketing and recruiting. She utilizes her creative talents to design materials that captivate students and parents alike. The “zombie takeover” theme for her recruiting show and the use of inspiring fortune cookies are just a few examples of her innovative strategies. Her marketing efforts, combined with her engaging concerts and classroom experiences, have resulted in a substantial following and positive word-of-mouth from her students.

The conversation shifts to the topic of maintaining healthy relationships with colleagues in the face of competition for enrollment. Angela Harman shares her experiences and emphasizes the importance of focusing on delivering exceptional experiences in one’s own classroom rather than engaging in unhealthy competition. This approach allows all music educators to thrive and create a positive impact on their students.

The episode concludes with Angela Harman discussing her plans for the future, including further developing her website orchestra classroom.com and exploring new ways to handle assessment and grading in her orchestra classes. Listeners are encouraged to follow Angela Harman on social media to stay updated on her inspiring work and innovative ideas.

Join Angela Ammerman and Angela Harman on this episode filled with passion, creativity, and a dedication to inspiring the next generation of musicians and music lovers. Happy musicing!

Find more from Angela at the following places:

http://www.giamusic.com 

http://www.orchestraclassroom.com

@orchestra.teacher.life

This podcast was edited by Brogan Molloy.

In this episode, Jenna shares how she balances the many activities she does, how she runs a business and a family, and putting God first.

I love this episode so much and I know you will benefit from Jenna’s experiences and wisdom!

​​Anthony J. Maiello is Professor of Music and University Professor at George Mason University. Professor Maiello teaches applied lessons in Conducting, Aural Skills, and classes in Instrumental Conducting. 

Professor Maiello makes professional appearances both nationally and abroad conducting music festivals, adjudicating ensembles and presenting clinics, lectures and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and Europe. He conducted musical activities for the Gold Medal Ceremonies at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York; served as Musical Director for Music Festivals International; was selected as President of International Association of Jazz Educators – New York State Chapter; and is a guest clinician for Yamaha Corporation and Warner Bros. Publications. In March of 2010, he was inducted into the Bands of America Hall of Fame at Music for All’s Indianapolis headquarters.

Professor Maiello’s professional recording credits include conducting the American Wind Symphony and additional studio ensembles for Alfred/Belwin Publications. Locally, Maiello has served as Associate Conductor of The McLean Orchestra, McLean, Virginia; been appointed an Honorary Conductor of The United States Navy Band, Washington, D.C.; and was a participant in the National Conducting Institute with Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., to which he has provided his services as a cover conductor.Throughout his career, Maiello has published musical compositions for string orchestra and is the author of “Conducting Nuances” (GIA Publications, Inc.); “Conducting: A Hands-On-Approach” (Warner Bros./Alfred Publications); and co-author of “The 21st Century Band Method” (Warner Bros./Alfred Publications). In 2007, Maiello was awarded the title of “University Professor” by the GMU Board of Visitors, the highest rank given to Mason faculty members. Maestro Maiello is the BELOVED founder and Conductor/Artistic Director of the American Festival Pops Orchestra, a professional ensemble in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area dedicated to promoting and performing American popular music. The American Festival Pops Orchestra’s May 14, 2022 performance marked the beloved Maestro’s final performance with the orchestra, capping off 12 years of leadership.

Remember to give us a follow and share with a friend! And bonus if you can leave us a review!

Ashley Cuthbertson (she/her) is the Founder, CEO & Principal Consultant of A. Cuthbertson Consulting, LLC, an educational consulting firm that partners with schools, districts, and organizations to help music educators center diverse, inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive pedagogical practices so they can ensure all learners have access to the high quality music education they deserve.

A Nationally Board Certified Teacher, Ashley holds a Master’s in Education, as well as certifications in the Kodály approach and Arts integration. Ashley has over thirteen years of experience in education as a general music & choral educator, an band educator, a K-12 musicianship instructor, a private lessons instructor, adjunct professor, speaker, clinician, and curriculum writer.

A dedicated music educator with a track record of success working with students in a wide variety of diverse communities and contexts, Ashley consistently received highly effective teacher ratings at the district level and consistently demonstrated the ability to move students’ musicianship skills forward as evidenced by yearly assessments.

A skilled curriculum designer, Ashley has written curriculum at the district level, as well as led curriculum teams for the Virginia Department of Education resulting in over 15 new general music units for the “Go Open VA” open educational resource database.

With over 9 years of experience as a teacher educator in the professional development and university sectors, Ashley consistently received above average university departmental student evaluation ratings. 

Described as an engaging and charismatic teacher educator, Ashley has created and facilitated close to 100 professional development sessions for music educators across the U.S. and internationally on a variety of topics for music classrooms, including Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, Assessment, Arts Integration, and Learner Centered Instruction. 95% of workshop participants report that Ashley’s sessions are engaging and highly useful to their work in their music classrooms.

A passionate advocate for music education, Ashley currently serves the National Association for Music Education as a member of the Repertoire Diversity Task Force and the Virginia Music Educators Association as chair of the DEI Council. 

A regular coach and consultant for schools, districts, and organizations across the U.S., Ashley supports music educators with professional learning, coaching, curriculum development, and music program design strategy to ensure all learners have access to the high quality music education they deserve.

Check out Ashley HERE or follow @acuthbertson10 !

Did you know we have a new book out? Here is how you can be entered for an AUTOGRAPHED giveaway of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners:

1. Write review of #MusicEdLove wherever you get your podcasts!
2. Subscribe to my mailing list at www.angelaammerman.com 
3. I will email the winner the first week of July and then I will send you your very own autographed copy of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners!

My apologies for the poor audio quality of this one. I was traveling at the time of the recording and my audio was not the best…

Dr. Alice M. Hammel, Virginia Music Educator Association Outstanding Educator (2018) and current President of the Virginia Music Educators Association, is a widely known music educator, author, and clinician whose experience in music is extraordinarily diverse. She is a member of the faculty of James Madison University, and has many years of experience teaching instrumental and choral music in public and private schools. Dr. Hammel has put these varied experiences to great use while compiling a large body of scholarly work. She is a co-author for four texts: Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label-free Approach, Teaching Music to Students with Autism, Winding It Back: Teaching to Individual Differences in Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings, and Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Practical Resource. Dr. Hammel is Past-President of the Council for Exceptional Children—Divison for Visual and Performing Arts Education. 

If you haven’t yet left a review, please follow the steps below to be entered into our giveaway for March!

MTGEELL Contest:

1. Write review of #MusicEdLove
2. Subscribe to my mailing list at angelaammerman.com 
3. I will email the winner in March and then I will send out the winner’s very own copy of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners!

Claire Allen Claire Allen is a performer and a Teaching Artist of Violin and Strings Coordinator at Mason Community Arts Academy. Since joining the string faculty at MCAA in 2013, she has taught a studio of violinists ages four to adult, created and collaborated on the development of the Violin Beginnings and Violin Adventures classes, and is a co-creator and director of Summer Violin Bootcamp and Summer Violin Academy. In 2019, she was selected as the Outstanding String Teacher of the Year by the Virginia chapter of the American String Teachers Association.
Ms. Allen’s teaching style combines elements from both Suzuki and traditional methods, and includes a focus on developing a healthy and holistic violin technique. She is always on the lookout for works by new composers to introduce to her students so that recital performances feature a mix of new and standard violin repertoire, and is passionate about creating a more diverse and integrated student repertoire that reflects the world her students live in. In 2022, she was a featured presenter at the ASTA National Conference on the topic “Creating A Diverse Repertoire for Elementary Level Violinists.”
Her students perform in four solo recitals a year, both hosted through MCAA and at other community venues and participate in monthly studio classes. They have successfully competed in competitions including the biannual Mason Community Arts Academy Competition, the Feder Memorial String Competition, and the American Protege Competition, and have received passing marks on their American String Teachers Association Certificate Advancement Program exams and superior ratings at Solo & Ensemble festival. Many participate in their school orchestra levels in the top ensembles and have been accepted into honor orchestras including Junior and Senior District Orchestras, Senior Regional Orchestra, and multiple orchestras in the AYPO and TCSYO organizations.

Ms. Allen has completed extensive teacher training which includes Suzuki registered training for Books 1-4, Rebecca Henry’s pedagogy course at Peabody Conservatory, Mimi Zweig’s Violin/Viola Teacher Retreat, the 2019 Starling DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies at The Juilliard School, and the ABME course “What Every Musician Needs To Know About The Body.” She has been interviewed on the Suzuki podcasts “Beyond the Music Lesson” and “Time to Practice” with Suzuki teacher and violinist Christine Goodner. 

In addition to her work at Mason Community Arts Academy, Ms. Allen teaches violin sectionals for Fairfax County Public Schools, serves as an examiner for American String Teacher Association Certificate Advancement Program exams, and is on the advisory board of Violinist.com, for which she writes articles on violin pedagogy and other musical topics. 

As a performing violinist, Ms. Allen has performed as a chamber musician in the MCAA Faculty String Quartet, was in the first violin section of the Tysons-McLean Orchestra from 2015 – 2020, and is the first violinist in the Haase Quartet. She also performs recitals as a soloist and as a chamber musician with pianist colleagues at venues around the Northern Virginia area. 
Ms. Allen holds a Master of Music degree from Peabody Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from Baldwin-Wallace College. Her primary teachers include Rebecca Henry, Keng-Yuen Tseng, Burton Kaplan, Julian Ross, Lisa Cridge, Gene Pohl, and Estelle Roth. She performs on a modern violin made by Tetsuo Matsuda and a bow by Eugidius Dörfler.

https://www.claireallenviolin.com

Amy will share some of the best activities to do with your children to get them involved in music from an early age. She will discuss the importance of focus and the ability to follow directions before you sign your child up for private lessons.

I also wanted to bring Amy onto the show to chat a bit about her experiences as a home school music teacher! For anyone considering homeschooling and concerned about the quality of music education from home, you will be blown away by all that Amy has done and continues to do for homeschool students in Fredericksburg!

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!!!

P.S. – We have another giveaway happening right now for my new book: “The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners!” Simply leave a review for #MusicEdLove wherever you listen to your podcasts, and subscribe to www.angelaammerman.com by the end of September to be entered!

Helpful Links:

ArtTime4Kids

StringRise Box Violins

www.angelaammerman.com 

The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners

My Toddler Page!

Did you know we have a new book out? Here is how you can be entered for an AUTOGRAPHED giveaway of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners:

1. Write review of #MusicEdLove wherever you get your podcasts!
2. Subscribe to my mailing list at www.angelaammerman.com 
3. I will email the winner the first week of July and then I will send you your very own autographed copy of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners!

My very own husband: Dr. David Allen Ammerman, delves into pacing, building rapport, differentiation, gamification, repetition, and so much more! 

Dr. Ammerman is Assistant Teaching Professor of Finance and Director of Academic Operations for the Master of Science in Finance (MSF) Program. Prior to his appointment at Georgetown University, Dr. Ammerman was a faculty member at West Texas A&M University where he taught courses in corporate finance and valuation. Additionally, Dr. Ammerman has over 10 years of financial management experience working in the for-profit, non-profit, and governmental sectors.

Dr. Ammerman’s research is focused on issues at the intersection of household finance and family economics. Dr. Ammerman has presented research at several national conferences, and his work has been published in the core financial planning journals, including the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning and the Journal of Financial Therapy. Dr. Ammerman has been recognized for his innovative approach to researching household finance, specifically in treating the household as a firm and adapting/applying the principles of corporate finance to household financial behavior. Awards include the 2018 Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE) Outstanding Research Journal Article of the Year, and the CFP Board Financial Planning Paper Award at the 2017 meeting of the American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI).

Did you know we have a new book out? Here is how you can be entered for an AUTOGRAPHED giveaway of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners:

1. Write review of #MusicEdLove wherever you get your podcasts!
2. Subscribe to my mailing list at www.angelaammerman.com 
3. I will email the winner the first week of July and then I will send you your very own autographed copy of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners!

Products:

How to Teach so Students Remember – by Marilee Sprenger

This episode is SO inspiring! Listen as orchestra director: Annie Ray shares about her chance meeting with the “CAT-B” students at Annandale High School and how she started a program specifically for them! Annie discusses simple accommodations for students with significant or severe disabilities, many of whom are non verbal or have limited verbal communication skills. She shares how more than anything, they have changed her life. You do NOT want to miss this one!

Be on the lookout for Annie’s Ted Talk: “The Sounds of Success” to learn more!

Did you know we have a new book out? Here is how you can be entered for an AUTOGRAPHED giveaway of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners:

1. Write review of #MusicEdLove wherever you get your podcasts!
2. Subscribe to my mailing list at www.angelaammerman.com
3. I will email the winner the first week of June and then I will send you your very own copy of The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners!

Annie Ray hails from a family of musical performers and educators in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and began playing piano at the age of three and harp at the age of five. A graduate of the University of North Texas in 2017, Annie holds Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Harp Performance. She currently serves as both the Orchestra Director and Leadership teacher at Annandale High School in the Fairfax County Public School system. Annie is an advocate for providing universal access to quality music education and is known for founding and developing creative opportunities to make music accessible to students of all demographics. Her creation of the FCPS Parent Orchestra helps over 150 parents learn to play their child’s instrument each year and has been featured in the County School news several times. In addition, the program also partners with local music colleges to provide hands-on teaching opportunities for future music educators before and during their student teaching. Annie’s collective efforts both in and out of the classroom have received multiple accolades including being declared “Beginning Teacher of the Year” in 2019 and “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” in 2021. This past year, Annie also created a CAT B Orchestra program to bring the joy of Orchestra to special needs High School students with severe developmental or intellectual disabilities. In January 2022, this program was featured and acclaimed on the cover of the Metro section in The Washington Post. TEDx reached out and asked Annie to give a TEDx talk in April 2022, The Sounds of Success, based on this work. She is an active presenter and has been heard at Texas Orchestra Director Association conference with her presentation Harpe Diem: harp in your everyday classroom, Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education on recruitment and retention, upcoming at the 2022 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and as the keynote speaker for Sam Houston State University’s Art of Teaching seminar. She currently resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Irving, their baby girl Eloise, and her two favorite four-legged hiking buddies: dogs Baymax and Roo. She is an adventurer at heart, and her biggest bucket list item is to one day run The Amazing Race.

Check out more by listening and check out Theresa’s FREE professional development HERE!

Full STEAM Ahead: Lessons to shift instruction, empower students, and transform your music classroom

Everyone Loves a Story: Bringing Books to Life Through Music

@Singingfinch1
Pass the Baton Book

Blog: Off the Beaten Path

Book: Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students

Course: Empowering Music Students

Twitter & Instagram: @MusicalTheresa 

Take a bit of time to listen to this episode today and Make Your Money Work for You!

I have been following Nicole and the work she has done for some time now and I have been amazed at the doors she is opening for children all over the world!

If you love hearing from Nicole, check out stringrise.com and use MUSICEDLOVE at checkout to earn 10% off of your entire order AND to contribute to paying the conference fee for a future music educator to attend the American String Teachers Association Conference in Georgia!

Please feel free to reach out to Jessica at jessica@thedomesticmusician.com or directly on her website: https://www.thedomesticmusician.com

Also check out her podcast: The Elementary Music Teacher Podcast!

Dr. Linda Apple Monson, International Steinway Artist, serves as the Director of the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music at George Mason University. A Distinguished Service Professor, Monson was awarded The John Toups Presidential Medal for Excellence in Teaching at George Mason University’s 2018 Commencement Ceremony. Named the George Mason University Distinguished Faculty Member of the Year (2012), Monson also received the Influential Women of Virginia award (2014). Monson delivered two TED-X talks and received the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Award (2014) “in recognition of outstanding dedication, leadership, and contributions in the areas of education and international understanding.” Monson is the recipient of the George Mason University Teaching Excellence Award (2009) “for exemplary dedication to student learning and commitment to educational excellence.” In honor of the extraordinary impact of Monson’s teaching and music leadership at George Mason University, multiple donors established in 2011 the Dr. Linda Apple Monson Music Endowment Fund. A professor at Mason since 1999, Monson has also served as Director of Music at Springfield United Methodist Church for many years.

A $1 million scholarship commitment from Sid and Reva Dewberry to Mason’s School of Music in 2017 established the Linda Apple Monson Scholars Endowment Fund to support talented artist-scholars. Monson was recognized in September 2017 through the renaming of the Grand Tier III of Mason’s Center for the Arts in her honor to the Dr. Linda Apple Monson Grand Tier.

An active performer-scholar and an internationally recognized master teacher, Monson has given lecture-recitals, solo piano recitals, and piano master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. An advocate of new music, Monson has presented numerous world premieres of solo piano works. Her research has been featured in lecture-recitals at the College Music Society International Conferences in Brussels, Sydney, Stockholm, Helsinki, Buenos Aires, Dubrovnik, Bangkok, Madrid, and San Jose. Monson has also given lecture-recitals and piano masterclasses internationally in Seoul, Oxford, Dublin, Nanjing, Kuala Lumpur, San Jose, and San Juan. Monson delivered an interdisciplinary lecture-recital at the Oxford Round Table in England and was a featured lecture-recitalist for the Alban Berg International Festival in Hannover, Germany. She was an invited concert artist, lecturer, and piano master class clinician at Nanjing Normal University, China where she has been appointed a visiting guest professor. In addition, Monson has presented solo piano recitals and piano master classes at countless universities throughout the United States and abroad.

A native of central Pennsylvania, Monson earned three degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore: the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance, the Master of Music degree in Piano, and the Bachelor of Music Education Degree with a double-major in Piano and Bassoon. She also received a Diploma in Piano from Musica en Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. In addition, she studied chamber music at the Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara, California. Monson previously served on the music faculties of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore School for the Arts, and Northern Virginia Community College. She is married to Dr. Keith L. Monson, a forensic scientist. The Monsons are blessed with two children, Kristofer and Linnea.

In this episode, Mr. Hensler shares insights into his classroom management strategies, particularly the importance of pacing, as well as finding what works for you, and getting off of the podium. It has been years since I have been in a classroom with Mr. Hensler, but I continue to learn from the example he sets about creating an environment filled with joy, laughter, and high standards. I cannot wait for you to hear this one!

Mark A. Hensler recently retired after 36 years as a music educator in the Northwest Local School District (Cincinnati, OH).  During his tenure at NWLSD, he was band director at Northwest High School (1984-1994), Pleasant Run Middle School (1984-2020) and several elementary schools. Under his direction, the Pleasant Run MS Bands earned 30 Superior ratings at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Adjudicated Events, (including a run of 19 consecutive years), and was selected to perform at the 2014 OMEA State Professional Development Conference (PDC) held in Columbus, OH.

As euphoniumist, Mr. Hensler has performed with the Frank Simon Band, The Cincinnati, (Fillmore), Wind Band, The Fillmore Brass Band, Bavarian’s German Band, and the Yuletide Brass Quartet, and appears frequently as a soloist with school and community groups in the Greater Cincinnati area. He currently directs the Ohio Military Band, (1995-present).

Mr. Hensler has served the Ohio Music Education Association in numerous posts including State President, and is currently the Director of Professional Development and Conference Management, (2014-present). 

He received his Bachelor of Music Education from Morehead State University, KY, where he studied with Dr. Earle L. Louder. He also holds an MBA from Miami University, Oxford, OH. He resides in Fairfield Township, Ohio with his wife Jenni. He is an avid collector of recordings, vintage sheet music, and historical band memorabilia.

You can get in touch with Mr. Hensler with any of the links below:

pd_director@omea-ohio.org
www.omea-ohio.org
www.omeapdc.com

http://www.ohiomilitaryband.com

Monica Guido is the band director at Mannion Middle School in Henderson, NV. Mrs. Guido conducts the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band and Beginning Band. Mrs. Guido assists the Foothill High School Marching Band as a flute section coach and visual instructor. Mrs. Guido has been a music educator for 17 years in the states of Texas and Nevada; and as a flutist, has performed at the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and the Midwest Conference in Chicago. Mrs. Guido’s ensembles have earned superior ratings at the Clark County School District Band Festivals and Best Overall at music festivals in California and New York.

It was truly a joy to chat with Essel and I just know you will love this episode!

Annamarie also tells us her top qualifications for candidates when she is interviewing. Get your tablets out and write this down!

I hope you love this episode as much as I do! Please listen and share it with anyone looking for a job this year or in the near future!

Happy Musicking!

This is exactly what my student teachers have been asking for and I am thrilled to deliver!

Please share this wonderful episode widely and be on the lookout for the second part!

Annamarie currently serves as the Facilitator of Fine and Performing Arts for Stafford County Public Schools. Under her leadership, Stafford County Public Schools has been named a Best Communities for Music Education Award Winner by the (NAMM) Foundation. Annamarie also works with music education students and is currently pursuing her doctorate. 

Annamarie is the President of the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) and represents the Southern Division on theNational Association for Music Education (NAfME) Music Program Leaders Council.

Jeanne is also writing a chapter for the Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners which will come out in December!

If you love Ida as much as we do, be sure to keep an eye out for her chapter in the upcoming book “The Music Teacher’s Guide to Engaging English Language Learners!” The book will hit shelves everywhere December of 2021!

In this episode, we delve into our publicly shared value-systems and the connection between what we say are our values and our behaviors. We take a closer look at how all of us have (inadvertently, most often) contributed toward a classist and exclusionary model for music education.

Annalisa Chang, John-Rine Zabanal, and Angela Ammerman chat about these important issues.

Jacob Kohut is a Washington-based bassoonist, composer, and music instructor. He currently is the president of the Fairfax County Band Directors Association and coordinator of the Fairfax County Band Directors’ Association Solo Competition. His resume of compositions for various ensembles and ability levels now exceeds 50 pieces. Some of his ensembles have been performed by the Mason Symphony Orchestra, Mason Wind Ensemble, West Potomac High School Wind Symphony, Bishop Ireton High School Wind Ensemble, Lanier Middle School Wind Ensemble, Hayfield Secondary Symphonic Band, 257th Army Band, and the Capitol Reed Trio. 

As an eleven-year member of the 257th Army Band in Washington, DC, Jacob has performed in Jamaica and the Virgin Islands for notables including the Jamaican Ambassador, Former First Lady Michelle Obama, National Security Advisor, H. R. McMaster, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Frank Grass. 

Download the episode to hear all about what Dr. Kohut has been up to recently!

Check out Jake’s Open Shot Tutorial HERE

Find more on Jake’s website HERE and click HERE for his youtube page

In this episode, Blair tackles some of the common obstacles facing music teachers, particularly in rural communities and small towns. Blair reminds us all to collaborate, connect, and to always ask for whatever it is we need.

Here are a few notes from our episode, but listen to get the full picture!

1. Tell us a bit about your own experience growing up and working in small, isolated, or newer programs? 
   1. Small, but traditional/long-standing program in Kansas
   2. New program in Waco/Hewitt while attending undergraduate – got to see the building and development
2. Did you experience any issues with arts advocacy? 
   1. We all experience issues with arts advocacy – it’s finding ways to connect to a community that is unique in each place.
3. What kinds of musical offerings do you see in rural schools? 
   1. In 2015-2016, I surveyed self-identified rural string teachers for my dissertation as I had an interest in small communities that house string programs. 
      1. Some had traditional string, band, choral classes
      2. Some focused on jazz band or show choir
      3. Others served folk or cultural music that represented their communities – mariachi, native american, etc. 
      4. But others were using technology – DJ, mixing, etc.
4. How might you handle common issues such as:
   1. Transportation 
      1. Here, local procedures and policies will be varied. I was asked one year to consider getting a CDL to be able to drive the bus periodically when a driver might not be available. I know many directors that do this.
   2. Instrument procurement
      1. I was super lucky here! Both growing up and in my professional career.
      2. Growing up: There were both larger corporate music stores and a few private luthier shops — but in larger cities — but everything was in larger cities. My teachers taught us early on how to check our instruments, change strings, etc.
      3. Professional career: Limited access. But then formed further relationships with dealers in larger cities that began to make bi-weekly trips to our region.
   3. Community support
      1. Communities want to know what you are going to do for them — not just exist in the school, etc. 
         1. Performing: weddings, receptions, local organizations, contribute to school competitions/fairs/state awards, etc.
         2. Service: string clinics in elementary schools, beginner start-up camp (try it out), Adopt-A-Highway, etc.
5. Some of my students have been given complete freedom to do with their program as they see fit but they are finding it overwhelming. Where would you suggest they start? 
   1. Start with the big rocks
      1. Concerts/Service/Fundraising/Trips?
      2. Talk with your principals and Fine Arts Coordinators (or other fine arts teachers) about the expectations in the school and municipal community of the orchestra program.
      3. Talk with parents and students about their expectations.
      4. Find out what activities other groups in your community already does — you don’t want to step on any toes! 
6. What advice would you give a teacher with an administration/community that doesn’t seem to support music in their school?
   1. First, you have a job in this community, so therefore there must be some kind of support there — find out more about the history of your program. Is it traditional, when was it created? By whom? What has the group done — concerts, programs, travel, awards?
   2. Second, find small ways to support your administrators as people — we learned the fight songs or alma maters of the administrators colleges and universities — to be able to either record and send to them on their birthdays — or simply show up outside their office to flash mob them. (Check with their secretaries, of course!)
   3. Third, find ways to get involved in the community. Is there a community celebration/fair/etc? Can you have a booth or a float? Perform at local association/organization meetings or special events, etc. 
7. Many of my former students are the only music teacher at multiple schools. They are struggling to find work-life balance. Do you have any suggestions for them? 
   1. Completely understand! Yes! Find ways to combine and collaborate with those schools! 
   2. Organize a combined Fine Arts Booster Club – all involved! 
   3. Look for ways to collaborate with regional programs.
8. Very few schools in West Tennessee have string programs but many of our graduates have expressed interest in starting a string program. What are some resources you can recommend? 
   1. DO IT! 
   2. Start to put together a budget and proposal. 
   3. Communicate with string instrument dealers for estimates and help with supplies. 
   4. Many resources! 
   5. Become a membership of your state and national organizations! Lots of resources and people! 
9. During this pandemic, what have you missed most right? Have you found any major benefits to this new model of teaching?
   1. Seeing and engaging with our students in-person. Doing some hybrid teaching for university classes, but have been online with string project and had to cancel community orchestra–looking forward to being with them again soon, I hope!

Reach out to Blair at: blair.williams@ttu.edu

Or follow Blair and her activities on social media:

Facebook: @TTUStringProject

Instagram: ttustringproject

Twitter: @TxTechStrProj

Feel free to reach out to us if you are interested in contacting any one of our music majors! They would be happy to address any of your questions.

Thanks for tuning in and remember to leave us a review!

We hope you love this episode as much as we do!

I just love Keith’s ideas on assessment and hope you will find his recommendations helpful for your own teaching, data collection, and advocacy!

Among the many tips from Professor Hodgson, here are my favorites!

1. Start thinking of Assessment as GOAL SETTING instead of testing.
2. Have your students create their own achievable goals.
3. Create a simple portfolio for students to track their own goals for years on end.
4. Keep that portfolio with you so that you can show it at IEP meetings, etc. Then, at the end of a student’s K-12 career, they can have a portfolio that demonstrates on paper, all of the musical activities they participated in and the tremendous growth they experienced.
5. You will know when your assessment is working if students become personally invested and motivated. Before you know it, you will have a culture of musical growth.

Contact: Khodgson@uarts.edu or http://www.keithwhodgson.com

Dr. Charles Laux is the Director of Orchestras at Alpharetta High School where his duties include directing five levels of orchestra, including the nationally recognized AHS Symphony Orchestra.  He also serves as Essential Elements clinician, consultant, and contributor for the Hal Leonard Corporation. 

A string educator for over 20 years, Dr. Laux has worked with diverse student populations from elementary school through the collegiate level.  He served as Assistant Professor of String Music Education at Kennesaw State University and directed award-winning school orchestra programs in Nevada, Florida, and Ohio.

Endorsed as an artist-educator by D’Addario Orchestral and Eastman Stringed Instruments, Dr. Laux has presented over 150 educational sessions for conferences and school district in-services. He remains in frequent demand across the nation as an orchestra clinician, conductor, and adjudicator.

You can contact Charles at his website: https://www.charleslaux.com

Dr. Angela Ammerman, President-Elect of the Virginia String Teachers Association, has been featured in the Washington Post for her innovative and energetic teaching style and was referred to as the first “music teacher prodigy.” Dr. Ammerman was named Orchestra Director of the Year by the Virginia String Teachers Association, has been recognized as “top teacher” in Fairfax County Public Schools, and currently teaches at George Mason University. Ammerman presents and conducts all over the country and mostly enjoys spending time with her new baby, David Michael. 

Dr. Ammerman loves working with parents and students as they navigate the world of the music major and would be happy to chat with anyone who has questions about studying music at the undergraduate or graduate level.

8 Considerations from Dr. A:

1. You can seriously do ANYTHING with a music degree. Rather than thinking of this degree as limiting, Dr. Ammerman recommends that you see all of the potential and flexibility of a music degree. Businesses across the country are actively seeking music majors as they are found to be disciplined, hard working, excellent thinkers, and creative.
2. Get your child a private teacher as soon as possible! Ask your school music teacher for recommendations today!
3. Reach out to the Applied Professor (private teacher at the university level – if your child is a violist, search the university website for the viola professor) at the university your child is most interested in. Schedule a mock audition with each applied professor at the various universities your child might attend.
4. Music Ed Specific – Find out when your child will get their first music education experience. Will they get to teach kids in their first semester? Or will they have to wait until their senior year?
5. How do admissions work at each university? Does your child have to be accepted to just the university? Or to the university and the school of music?
6. ASK ASK ASK ASK! Ask all of the questions you might have to the applied professor, the music education professor, or the school of music ambassador. They are here for you and your child and are always interested in what is best for your child (even if that isn’t to attend their university).
7. Geographic Location – How close is the nearest symphony? What performance and teaching opportunities exist and how close are they? Does your child need a car for this school?
8. What is the time commitment like? Will your child be expected to practice 8 hours a day? Is that realistic for your child?

Healy & Ankney tackle the all important balance between control and empowerment, the art of listening, and developing the willingness to take risks in the classroom.

When speaking about improvisation, Kim says “…it sometimes can feel awkward because we always want to know where we’re going and what we’re doing. So to step back, you have to really hold back the reins, a little bit and it can be uncomfortable.”

Both Dan and Kim encourage us to lean into that discomfort for a bit because although we may not have the skills at first, we eventually will become better listeners and better facilitators for our students to really explore and take the lead.

Daniel Healy is the Assistant Professor and Head of Music Education at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He specializes in instrumental music and improvisation.  He co-authored the book, Music Discovery: Improvisation for the Large Ensemble and Music Classroom and the education supplement for the award-winning documentary film, Keep on Keepin’ On.

Kimberly Lansinger Ankney is assistant professor and Director of Music Education at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. Her research focuses on teachers’ perceptions of student thinking in improvisation, responsive pedagogy, preservice teacher development, and string education. She is the co-author of Music Discovery: Improvisation for the Large Ensemble and Music Classroom.

Some of the greatest takeaways from this episode are:

1. It’s not about TIME management, it is all about PRIORITY management
2. Dive into the DEEP work that makes your life more meaningful
3. DEFINE what you are before you spend time on work that may not contribute to your end goals.
4. Find your BLUE OCEAN and make the most of it!

The hacks are listed below but listen for the full version!

1. Show & Tell/Pregnant Angie’s “Eat & Tell”
2. Shorter Classes!
3. Singing & Playing with Mutes & Submitting Duets
4. Problem Identification
5. Practice Adjudication
6. Student-Led Sessions
7. Kahoot!!!!
8. Revert to Your Problem Child!

P.S. – Image from April fools’ Day when I sooooo pranked my students online

“Now that our entire structure for learning has completely and suddenly changed, we need to start thinking about what we CAN create online for students instead of what we can RECREATE online of what we already do.”

John Mlynczak offers an extensive range of experiences in music education and the music industry, and is a frequent national clinician. Mr. Mlynczak is Managing Director of Noteflight, a Hal Leonard company, and Past-president of the Technology Institute of Music Educators. John also teaches Graduate courses at VanderCook College and Boston University Online, and a Google Level-2 Certified Educator. Mr. Mlynczak is a passionate advocate for music education and technology, serving on the NAMM State Advocacy Coalition, the NAfME Advocacy Leadership Force, and is Advocacy Chairman for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association. Mr. Mlynczak holds degrees in music education, music performance, and educational leadership.

John sifts through the Coronavirus chaos to provide us with some feasible, tried and true resources for music making in a whole new world.

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as you do! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review today!

Thanks and Happy Musicking!

In this episode, we delve into the tricky aspects of improvisation and we ask the difficult questions. Where do we find the music? What does “Taking 4’s” mean??? How do I get everyone to solo in a class of 62? and What if I’m not good at jazz??? Dr. Ciorba will light a fire in you to incorporate jazz and improvisation into your own curriculum!

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Dr. Ciorba over this past year and can attest to his passion for music education and music teacher education, his ability to light a fire under ANYONE, and his enthusiasm for jazz education.  I am extremely grateful for his mentorship and friendship and I know you will gain so much from listening to the Jazz Cat on Improvisation!

Here are a few highlights from our interview today!

1. Know your theory
2. Pick appropriate music
3. For students who might be afraid to solo, let them play at the same time as other students
4. Know your students and give them music at which they can excel
5. Improvise EVERY DAY, have your students record themselves and self-assess
6. Listen to the great jazz musicians if you want to be great
7. Challenge the students WITHIN their framework
8. JUST DO IT!!!

When asked “what if the students are better than the teacher at jazz?” Dr. Ciorba vehemently said “So what! You can learn from them.” Exactly the kind of teacher we want all of our music ed majors to become!

Useful Links: 

George Mason Music Education

music.gmu.edu

https://crciorba.wixsite.com/masonmusiceducation

Dr. Ciorba – cciorba@gmu.edu

P.S. – On the second listen, I realized I said that I completed my Masters degree at Mason. I have no idea why I said this! I completed my PhD at Mason, not my Masters! Just to be clear

The Mantra from this episode is listed below in red. Enjoy!

7. MUSIC SELECTION

• Now is NOT the time to pick the CHALLENGE pieces…
• If you can already tell that your students are not into the music, consider switching pieces NOW
• Do not scrimp on the warm up. This is the very first thing your judges will hear. It sets up their entire perception of you and your group

6. LISTEN & RECORD

• Recordings of great groups
• Recordings of not as great groups
• Have your students create a “listen obsessively playlist” of stellar recordings of your pieces
• Record your own students FROM THE VERY BEGINNING…
• You will not believe how helpful this will be throughout the rehearsal period…
• Play parts of recordings back for students at the beginning of the next class and ask them to write down what they can improve upon and what they did well

5. MANTRA!!!

• Create a mantra and say it every single day

I am successful, musical, and hard working TODAY. I don’t WISH for what I want, I WORK for what I want. I ENJOY the good stuff, I CRUSH the tough stuff, and I FULLY EMBRACE my Ultra Musical Self. I play with passion, I sing with accuracy, and I practice with fury. I am a team player who LISTENS, RESPONDS, and HOLDS my end of the bargain. I am the EMBODIMENT of Music and we are the great tellers of tales.

4. SING

• SING SING SING SING – Students need to get melodies into their heads and one of the best ways to do this is to SING!!!
• Rap tricky rhythms
• Create lyrics to challenging sections. WRITE THEM DOWN and do them over and over again

3. PLAN AHEAD!

• In your plan book, count out how many classes you have with each ensemble before your dress rehearsal and make a note of it on every single plan.
• It is so easy to think that you have three months until the big day until you realize you only have x amount of classes in those three months…
• Remember to plan ahead for snow days! Have your students take their instruments home EVERY SINGLE DAY!
• Take your own technology home and be prepared to send out tutorial videos if needed. You can check out my SUPER CHEESY youtube page to see some of the videos I have used in the past. They are NOT PERFECT but they were incredibly helpful for my students.
• I was always amazed at how many people were watching these videos and at the time of day they were watching them!

2. STUDY the RUBRIC WITH your students!

• Students should be intimately familiar with what it is they are being graded on
• Have them listen to recordings of themselves and grade them (they are waaaaay harsher on themselves than you might expect…
• Bring in a guest judge ahead of time to get them in the right mindset. What a great way to get them prepared EARLY!

1. NEVER LOSE SIGHT of the REAL purpose of a musical ensemble

• This may differ with every teacher, but I would imagine most of you teach music because
  • It’s FUN
  • You get to be part of this special, all-inclusive family
    • Please please please do not let ANYONE sit out, even for Assessment….
    • Even your beginners can go and WOW the judges!!!!
  • You are ultimately a family, show that to the judges in how you present yourselves.
    • The way you enter on stage (have a process and follow it… don’t look around like a lost puppy dog!)
    • The way you support one another. This comes across in musical conversations, in responsive dynamics and in musical movement
  • You LOVE music. Assessment is only a snapshot of musical performance in time…
• Your students will decide whether or not to continue in your class throughout the year. It is not all about the performance for most of your students. It is about the connections, the family, the love, and the sense of belonging they experience in your class. Bring them into the family and keep them there

Anne Marie Patterson received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from Washington and Lee University, and Masters Degrees in Performance and Music Education from Florida State University. Ms Patterson has shared the stage with Midori, Sarah Chang, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Branford Marsales, Leonard Slatkin and many others. She has served as President of the MD/DC Chapter of the American String Teachers Association, and has been a presenter at the national ASTA conference and most recently at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference. She has taught elementary, middle and high school strings in Charles County from 2002-2005, and 2012 to the present. In 2012 she also began directing the Charles County Youth Orchestra and Encore Strings, where has doubled the number of students in the program. The recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Music Teacher Award from the Maryland Music Educators Association, Anne Marie is in high demand as an author and presenter and recently completed a chapter in the book Rehearsing the Middle School Orchestra, edited by Sandy Goldie and has a new book coming out this summer!!!

You can find out so many more tips on her website:  https://stringsintheclassroom.com

The musical stuff can be taught but I can’t pull out the other stuff all the time!”

Dr. Annalisa Chang can be reached at annalisachang@clayton.edu or you can visit her online at https://www.acchang.com .