Pass the Baton: Empowering Students in Music Education

In Episode 59, Kathryn and Theresa engage in a conversation exploring the intersection of music education, student empowerment, and research! Theresa, a PhD student at Arizona State University, delves into her research project that analyzes themes from the Pass the Baton podcast, particularly focusing on secondary music education. 

The discussion reveals key findings: music teachers strive for their students to become independent musicians and learners by focusing on individual needs and creating a nurturing classroom environment. This encompasses fostering lifelong musicianship, encouraging creative thinking, and developing critical life skills. The conversation also touches on the nuanced use of language in education, the evolution of teaching practices, and the importance of creating conditions for student empowerment rather than merely bestowing it. Theresa's research underscores the significance of student agency and personalized learning, providing valuable perspectives for anyone involved in educational practices.

In Episode 58, Kathryn and Theresa interview Jamie Widener, a music educator passionate about incorporating Genius Hour in her elementary music classes. The episode focuses on Jamie's approach to engaging students by allowing them to pursue music-related passion projects, inspired by Google's strategy of allowing employees to dedicate 20% of their work time to personal projects. Jamie discusses the practical aspects of implementing Genius Hour in the music classroom, including project selection, time management, and fostering creativity and autonomy among students. This method has been successful in engaging students by allowing them to explore topics they are passionate about, leading to diverse projects like instrument building and experimenting with different musical genres. The episode emphasizes the importance of student choice and empowerment in education, highlighting the benefits of Genius Hour in developing not only musical skills but also soft skills like collaboration, research, and presentation.

Connect with Jamie:

In episode 57, Kathryn and Theresa talk to SJ, a music educator originally from India, now teaching in Dubai. In this interview, SJ discusses his approach to teaching music to early and primary year students. He emphasizes the importance of using the voice as a primary instrument in the classroom and reflects on his transition from a traditional, teacher-centered approach to a more inquiry-based, student-centered style. SJ advocates for creating a learning environment that sparks curiosity and allows students to explore and engage deeply with music. He shares insights on the significance of adapting lessons to meet the diverse needs and interests of students, highlighting the need for flexibility and the power of involving students in the planning process to foster a sense of empowerment and ownership in their learning journey.

Connect with SJ:

In episode 56, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Tom Chester and Justin Johnson, music educators and ensemble directors from Illinois. The discussion revolves around the concept of student-centered learning in the realm of music education. Both Tom and Justin emphasize the importance of equipping students with the tools to think critically and independently about music. They highlight the pitfalls of traditional teaching methods that often prioritize performance preparation over genuine musical understanding. By drawing parallels to other academic subjects and real-life scenarios, they advocate for a teaching approach that empowers students to make informed decisions about musicality, expression, and technique. The conversation underscores the value of fostering a lifelong appreciation and understanding of music beyond the confines of the classroom or a specific performance.

Connect with Tom and Justin:

In episode 55, Kathryn and Theresa sit down with Terry Little, a veteran music educator with over three decades of experience. Terry delves deep into the concept of "assessment for learning," emphasizing its role in making the educational process more student-centered. Instead of traditional grading methods, this approach involves students actively in their assessment, allowing them to produce tangible evidence of their learning journey. This evidence enables students to self-assess, set learning goals, and monitor their progress. Terry also touches on the importance of purpose in learning, ensuring students understand the "why" behind their tasks. Throughout the interview, Terry underscores the significance of integrating assessments into the learning process, fostering greater student engagement, motivation, and understanding of their growth.

Connect with Terry:

• littlet@elmbrookschools.org

Learn more about Pass the Baton:

In episode 54, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Dr. Dylan Maddix, an Assistant Professor of Instrumental Conducting and Community Engagement at Memorial University, as he shares his extensive journey in music education and his insights on the transformative power of servant leadership within this realm. Dylan delves into his experiences with various educators and how they shaped his perspective on leadership and teaching. He discusses the profound impact of servant leadership, a concept formalized by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s, emphasizing its role in fostering meaningful relationships and focusing on the well-being of students. Dylan’s reflections, coupled with his research involving interviews with several conductors and educators, underscore the importance of leading with love and empathy in music education, aiming to create a more positive and holistic learning environment for students.

Connect with Dylan and learn more about his work:

In episode 53, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Dr. Shane Calhoun, an assistant professor of music technology and contemporary styles at Alabama State University. Shane discusses the importance of rethinking traditional approaches to music education by challenging the notion of "music education for all," arguing that current programs often cater only to students with specific musical interests, such as classical instruments, while neglecting those interested in contemporary or popular music. He advocates for a more student-centered approach, where educators ask students what they want to learn and tailor the curriculum accordingly. Shane also emphasizes the need to train future teachers to be open to different forms of musicianship and to be willing to adapt their methods to better serve a diverse student body. 

Connect with Shane and learn more:

In episode 52, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Jen Rafferty, a former music educator and the founder of the Empowered Educator. Jen discusses the importance of educators taking care of themselves to create a positive impact on students. By prioritizing self-care and practicing breathing exercises, teachers can regulate their nervous systems and make better decisions. Jen advocates for shifting the narrative from selflessness and martyrdom to empowering educators, as their well-being directly affects student success. Modeling healthy behaviors for students can create a positive learning environment and foster emotional awareness and resilience in young learners.

Connect with Jen and learn more:

In episode 51, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Elizabeth Peterson, a 25-year veteran teacher from New Hampshire.  Elizabeth discusses the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in the music classroom, especially in relation to building strong teacher-student relationships and fostering student empowerment. She emphasizes the significance of SEL in helping students become more emotionally aware and socially competent, and offers strategies to help music teachers promote SEL concepts. These not only enhance students' musical abilities but also help develop empathy, communication, and emotional understanding among them, creating a safe and caring learning environment. Elizabeth shares that proactive and explicit SEL practices can foster a sense of empowerment and engagement among students, making them more enthusiastic about their learning experiences.

Connect with Elizabeth:

Welcome to episode 50 of the Pass the Baton podcast! This episode starts with Theresa and Kathryn talking briefly about their school years and what to look forward to for Pass the Baton. Then we look back at some of the great moments captured in season two of the podcast. 

This week, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Ryan Diefenderfer, about his experiences implementing the Orpheus approach with his high school ensembles. Ryan works at Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, teaching the marching band, concert band, orchestra, chamber ensembles, and jazz band. He is also working on a master's degree at Arizona State University and was recently named a quarterfinalist for the 2024 Grammy Music Educator Award. 

Throughout the interview, Ryan shares how he first learned about the Orpheus approach and why he felt this would benefit his students at Paradise Valley High School. He also provides suggestions for other music teachers interested in trying something similar with their own students.

Connect with Ryan and learn more about his work:

This week, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Jared Brockmeyer about how he has incorporated game-based practices in his middle school band classes! Jared currently teaches 6th-8th grade band in Missouri. He also has experience teaching high school band and worked with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. As a game-lover, Jared has found that there are several elements in video games that not only engage students but also give them agency, and by incorporating those elements in the classroom, he has transformed the learning experience.

Connect with Jared and learn more about his work:

This week’s podcast features an interview with music educator and leader, Anne Fennell. In this episode, Anne shares her insights on engaging community and creating a collective power through music education. Anne is in her 36th year in education. She is currently the K-12 Music Program Manager for San Diego Unified School District, supervising music educators at 117 elementary schools. Prior to this, she taught kindergarten through eighth grade music for 22 years and high school music for 10 years. Anne is also the president of the California Music Educators Association. 

Connect with Anne and learn more about her work: 

This week, instead of interviewing a guest, Theresa interviewed Kathryn about empathy projects she has done with her elementary music students. Kathryn currently teaches K-5th grade general music in Northbrook, Illinois. In addition to being a co-author of Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students, Kathryn also writes with Abigail Blair as part of the Blair Finch Project. In this interview, Kathryn shares how a STEAM project involving adaptive instruments helped students incorporate empathy in the creative process.   

Connect with Kathryn and learn more about her work:  

• Full STEAM Ahead: https://lorenz.com/shop/elementary-classroom/fundamentals/full-steam-ahead
• Everyone Loves a Story: https://lorenz.com/shop/elementary-classroom/teaching-aids/everyone-loves-a-story
• The Blair Finch Project: https://blairfinchproject.wixsite.com/samr
• Full STEAM Ahead YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOwxixywGX5qh_4PSG6a8mIumuoP-ccec
• The Adaptive Recorder in Action: https://youtu.be/OBEgAlPx6DA
• Setting up a Makey-Makey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMF2VqfsXp0

This week Kathryn and Theresa had the opportunity to talk to Lori Schwartz Reichl about an invaluable topic - reflection! Lori taught middle school band in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Currently, she provides professional development for music educators, does guest conducting and adjudication work, and writes for music educators and administrators. Lori also recently completed a doctoral degree in music education. One of Lori’s passions is reflection, and in this interview she shares why and how everyone - music educators and music students - should include reflection as part of their practice.   

Connect with Lori to learn more about her work:  

• https://makingkeychanges.com 
• https://nafme.org/the-heartbreaking-truth-about-education-why-and-how-will-we-survive/
• https://nafme.org/5-things-teachers-can-do-to-recharge-over-the-summer/

This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Michelle Rose. Michelle teaches middle and high school general music at a virtual school in North Carolina. She’s been teaching music online since before the pandemic! Michelle is also a PhD student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Michelle is no stranger to Pass the Baton! She was actually featured as the encore story in Chapter 8 of Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students. In this interview, Michelle talks to us about the value of peer feedback and how we can scaffold this process to meet the needs of our students.

Connect with Michelle to learn more about her work: 

In episode 41, Kathryn and Theresa had the pleasure of interviewing two amazing music educators from Fairfax, Virginia - Katie LaBrie and Tracy Magwire! Katie LaBrie taught orchestra in Fairfax County Public Schools for over 16 years and is currently the new Orchestra Division Editor for Randall Standridge Music Publications. Tracy Magwire is in her 19th year teaching band also in Fairfax County. In this interview, Katie and Tracy shared their “Big IDEA” method, to help students practice with purpose and become more independent musicians.

Connect with Katie and Tracy to learn more about their work: 

In this episode, Kathryn and Theresa look back at the highlights from the first half of season two.

In Episode 39, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Dr. Tina Huynh, an assistant professor of music education at the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, Washington. Currently, Tina teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education. Previously, Tina taught elementary general music in Southern California. In this interview, Tina shares how she used student-created games to create learner-centered experiences in her music classes.

Check out Tina's website, http://tinaahuynh.com, to learn more about her work. 

In episode 38, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Dr. Tom FitzStephens, a high school music teacher in Atlanta, Georgia. Tom’s teaching assignment includes chorus, AP music theory, and guitar classes. He has a master’s degree in choral conducting and a PhD in music education. Tom considered himself a relatively traditional choral teacher until he started working towards his PhD. Learning about different styles and philosophies of music education expanded his view of what the music classroom could be. Teaching for amateurism helps students see how music will benefit their lives beyond participating in the school ensemble.   

You can learn more about Tom’s work here:  

In episode 37, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Roger Coss, a music educator in California. After getting his bachelors and masters degrees in jazz studies, Roger was teaching second grade at a charter school in San Jose, California while working on a doctoral degree. It was then he discovered how much he enjoyed teaching and made the switch to teach music. Currently, Roger teaches at Hickman Charter School near Modesto, California. He is an avid rock climber and often compares exploration in climbing to the importance of exploration in music. In this interview, Roger talks to us about the importance of creative thinking in music classes.  

Connect with Roger and learn more: 

In Episode 36, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Heather Fortune, a music educator in Philadelphia, PA. Heather is a professional flutist, with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in flute performance from Boston University. She was a freelance musician for 10-years in the Philadelphia area before becoming a flute teacher at a Quaker school in the city. After 4 years of teaching private lessons at the school, Heather was hired as the full time instrumental music teacher. Since that time, Heather has worked with the students to create a program that is musically satisfying and empowering for everyone involved.

Connect with Heather and learn more: 

In Episode 35, Theresa and Kathryn talked to music educator, Zach Rush. Zach began his teaching career in international schools, teaching music in both Dubai and Pakistan. He returned to the US to get a master’s degree and then began teaching elementary general music in Arlington, Virginia. This school year, he has moved closer to home to teach music in Iowa City. In addition to teaching music, Zach is also interested in research, and how educators can use that to inform their practice.

You can connect with Zach and learn more about his work here: 

In episode 34, we talked to Elise Hackl-Blumstein, a former accessible music educator and current student-services coordinator in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Elise has experience teaching preschool through eighth grade music, and also has created an accessible arts organization focused on accessibility in all arts. She is passionate about making sure all students have access to music and music education. In this interview, Elise shares how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a beneficial framework for teaching all music students.

You can connect with Elise and learn more about her work here:

Episode 33 features an interview with two outstanding educators who are no strangers to Pass the Baton - Amy Rever-Oberle and Lauren Staniszewski. Amy is the band director at Hart Middle School in Rochester Hills, Michigan where she teaches 6th through 8th grade band. Lauren is the band director at Stoney Creek High School, also in Rochester Hills, where she teaches three high school concert bands, marching band, jazz band, and collaborates with Amy to teach one section of 6th grade band. Both educators have found that empowering their music students begins with teaching them to become independent musicians.

Connect with Amy and Lauren: 

In Episode 32, Kathryn and Theresa had the pleasure of speaking with Australian composer and educator Jodie Blackshaw. Jodie is a third-generation teacher. Her grandmother was one of the first people to practice Orff-Schulwerk in Australia, and her father taught in a one-room schoolhouse. Jodie’s work for concert band is nothing short of innovative. Her focus on student creativity is unmatched, which is such an amazing example of giving students ownership of their music making.

Learn more about Jodie and her work here:

Welcome to season 2 of the Pass the Baton podcast! In Episode 31, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Dr. Matthew Arau, a professor of music at Lawrence University Conservatory in Appleton, Wisconsin. Prior to teaching at Lawrence, Matthew taught middle school and high school band in Loveland, Colorado. Matthew is passionate about incorporating mindset and leadership strategies in his teaching, and spoke about how we can use these to create a culture for student empowerment. He is the author of the book, Upbeat: Mindfulness, Mindset, and Leadership in Music Education and Beyond, and is also the founder of Upbeat Global.  

Learn more about Matthew's work here:  

This week, Kathryn and Theresa recap their school years and discuss some common themes from this season of the Pass the Baton podcast.  Some of the highlights include: 

This week we spoke with Krystal Williams, a public school music educator in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Krystal teaches music theory and composition at Northwestern High School and also teaches at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as a woodwind adjunct. Krystal is the music technology chair for the Maryland Music Educators Association. She is passionate about incorporating technology into her music classes, and helping other music educators do the same.

Connect with Krystal and learn more about her work here:

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Ashley Cuthbertson, an elementary general music teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia. Ashley has taught music in a variety of settings, teaching private lessons, school students of all ages, and even adults at a nearby university. Ashley loves working with kids and helping them connect their learning outside the classroom. One of her passions includes creating culturally responsive music classes.

Learn more about Ashley and her work here:

This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Dr. Brian Weidner, an assistant professor of music education at Butler University, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Brian spent twelve years teaching high school band prior to earning a PhD from Northwestern University. Much of his work now spawned from the various questions he asked during his time teaching public school music, such as, how do we build classrooms that emphasize musical independence?

Connect with Brian and learn more: 

This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Kevin Feher, a high school band director in Southeast Pennsylvania. After graduating from Duquesne University with a degree in music education, Kevin taught in a variety of settings before joining the music department at Penn Ridge High School, where he has taught for the last seven years. In this interview, Kevin talks about how he incorporates mission statements in his high school band program.  

Connect with Kevin and learn more:  

This week Kathryn and Theresa interviewed Angela Ammerman, an adjunct professor of music at George Mason University in Northern Virginia. Angela is a lifelong music educator, teaching her dolls to sing as a young child, teaching private lessons in her neighborhood as a middle school student, and working as a counselor at a strings camp in high school. This helped her realize early on the importance of music when building community and shaped her development as a music educator.

One of Angela’s passions involves working with English Language Learners (ELLs), which began when she was teaching at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. Angela has noticed many benefits to her students as a result of participating in orchestra as ELLs. Students had more confidence, increased English language skills, and felt they were part of a community. Angela now works to share what she's learned about teaching ELLs with other music educators.

Connect with Angela and learn more:

This week Kathryn and Theresa had the pleasure of interviewing NAfME president-elect, Scott Sheehan! In addition to his NAfME responsibilities, Scott is the high school band director and K-12 music department chair in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. He is involved with PMEA, working with their Leadership Academy and the Model Curriculum Framework project. Scott is also a Conn-Selmer educational clinician. Along with his varied roles and teaching experiences, Scott is very knowledgeable about the national music standards launched in 2014. He even worked on one of the revision teams, providing feedback on the performance track before the standards were officially released.

In this interview, Scott shared some great information about the standards, including:

• The creation and adoption of the 2014 National Core Arts Standards and how, as process-driven standards, they differ from the 1994 standards
• How these standards support student empowerment
• How to look at the verbs within the standards to understand where to start
• What it looks like in the classroom
• Where to start when incorporating the standards more in lesson plans

Connect with Scott and learn more:

This week’s interview features Matt Clauhs, an associate professor of Music Education at Ithaca College. Matt’s background includes degrees at Penn State University (B.S.), the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (M.M.) and Temple University (Ph.D.), as well as experience teaching band students at both the elementary and high school levels. As a jazz saxophone player, Matt has always been interested in incorporating creativity and improvisation in all areas of music education, not just jazz studies. Not only is it a positive and rewarding experience for students, creativity and artistic literacy are part of our national music standards.

In this interview, Matt talked to us about a variety of topics, including

• How he starts beginning band students without method books or even music stands,
• Some quick, yet effective, creative strategies directors can incorporate in any rehearsal or lesson,
• How creativity benefits music students, and why we should work to cultivate amateur musicians,
• His advice to teachers looking to include more creativity in their rehearsals.

This week’s interview features Melissa Clark, a music teacher in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Currently, Melissa teaches 4th-6th grade strings and sixth grade general music. She also has experience teaching 7th and 8th grade strings. In this interview, Melissa talks to us about the small shifts she’s made in her music classes to empower students!     

Connect With Melissa:  

• Twitter and Instagram: @ClarkLISmusic

Learn more about Pass the Baton:

Welcome back! This week, Kathryn and Theresa interviewed Rachael Sanguinetti, a middle school music teacher in Rochester, New York. Rachael’s teaching load includes middle school chorus and a variety of general music classes, such as 6th grade foundational music, audio production and modern band, ukulele, and more. Being at an independent school, Rachael has the flexibility to create courses the students are most interested in - which is perfect for student empowerment!  

Connect with Rachael and learn more:  

This week Kathryn and Theresa talked to Mandy Hollingshead, an international band teacher. Mandy has taught in the Middle East, Hong Kong, and Beijing. Prior to teaching internationally, Mandy taught band in Canada. One thing Mandy has tried to incorporate in all of her schools is having students help with concert planning. 

Connect with Mandy:

This week, we were excited to interview Shemeka Nash, a band director in Chicago, Illinois. Shemeka currently teaches 7th-12th grade band at Morgan Park High School and is also the fine arts department chair. She has done a lot of great things for the band program at Morgan Park, including creating a student-centered modern band.

Connect with Shemeka and learn more: 

This week’s interview features Brian Ackles, a vocal music teacher at Marcellus High School, in Marcellus, NY. Brian has taught in his current position for 20 years, and previously taught middle school and elementary school music. In this interview, Brian talks about his student-centered choral program.   

Connect with Brian and learn more:  

This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Levi Allison, a music teacher in South Korea. Levi has taught music in Kuwait and China, and currently teaches first through third grade general music at Chadwick International School. Levi’s school follows the IBPYP (International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme) framework and inquiry-based learning is prevalent in his classroom. In this interview, Levi talked to us about he incorporates learning centers in his music classes.  

Connect with Levi and learn more:  

This week’s interview features one of our co-authors, Theresa Hoover. Theresa is a former middle school band director, currently working as a music education and technology integration specialist. In this episode, Theresa talks about how she incorporated creativity and music composition in her middle school band classes.   

Connect with Theresa and learn more:  

This week’s interview features Robby Burns, a middle school band and general music teacher in Howard County, Maryland. Robby talks about how he incorporates creativity and music composition in his middle school band classes.    

Connect with Robby:  

This week’s interview features Sonya Knussen, a music educator, singer, and composer, currently living in Maryland. Sonya also runs Go Compose North America, an organization that provides music composition workshops for students. Sonya comes from a musical family, and always knew she was going to be a musician. As a result, she’s found a variety of ways to share her music both as a performer and an educator.  

Connect with Sonya:  

This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Dianne Nelson, a choral teacher at Talmadge Middle School in Independence, Oregon. Dianne has experience in a variety of settings, including degrees in biology and music education, teaching experience in early childhood and Waldorf settings, and a current position teaching music pedagogy at Western Oregon University. One of Dianne’s passions in education is project based learning, which she shared about in this interview.   

Connect with Dianne:  

In part two of this interview, Kathryn and Theresa continue the conversation with Jesse Rathgeber, a music education professor at Augustana College. Jesse discusses his views on planning and teaching student-centered music classes. Jesse’s wealth of knowledge and passion for music education are evident, creating an interview you don’t want to miss.  

Connect with Jesse:  

In this two-part interview, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Jesse Rathgeber, a music education professor at Augustana College, about his views on planning and teaching student-centered music classes. Jesse’s wealth of knowledge and passion for music education are evident, creating an interview you don’t want to miss.  

Connect with Jesse: