The Elementary Music Teacher Podcast: Music Education

In your teacher life, things can get so stressful.  You constantly have things swirling around in your mind and it can cause you to feel stuck.   This episode will help you to process through those "what if" questions like... "what if my students can sing" so you can move forward with confidence in your teaching.  Get the "What If" graphic organizers on my TPT store here.  Join the Elementary Music Teacher Community Facebook group to continue the conversation. I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

Today on the podcast, I'm talking to Stephanie Leavell about songwriting AND teaching music to preschool and kindergarten students.  We talk about her process for songwriting and how she doesn't complicate it, teaching music, using music for transitions, and musical cues that work amazingly well with the littlest of students.  Stephanie Leavell is a board certified music therapist, music educator and the founder of Music for Kiddos-- a website dedicated to high-quality children's music. She's a songwriter, Berklee College of Music grad, and is passionate about using music to support kids academically, socially, and developmentally. You can connect with Stephanie here: Her website: www.musicforkiddos.com On Facebook: facebook.com/Musicforkiddos/ On Instagram: Instagram.com/music_for_kiddos Join the Elementary Music Teacher Community Facebook group to continue the conversation. I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

These are 5 tips that work great when it comes to helping your student teacher thrive.  Of course there are more ideas I could share, but these are my favorite ideas that I’ve shared with teachers when they ask me where to start with a student teacher.  Go to coffee or invite them to meet you before they ever step foot into your classroom, whether that be in person or virtually.   Know that they won’t do things the same way you do.   Be patient and ask them lots of questions. Model great teaching, classroom management, and the way you plan.   Start with having them observe, then co-teach, then they can take over.   Join the Elementary Music Teacher Community Facebook group to continue the conversation. I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

Robert Franz joins me on the podcast to talk about his experience being a director and a conductor and how he is passionate about bringing live music to kids.  He also discusses why active listening is so important and shares ways he goes about doing this with kids through in person concerts and while kids are at home learning.  Acclaimed conductor, Robert Franz, recognized as “an outstanding musician with profound intelligence,” has held to three principles throughout his career: a commitment to the highest artistic standards, to creating alliances and building bridges in each community he serves, and a dedication to being a strong force in music education. As Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony, and newly appointed Artistic Advisor of the Boise Baroque Orchestra, he has achieved success through his focus on each of these principles. You can find out more about Robert and his amazing work at robertfranz.com. You can connect with Robert on social media here: On Facebook  On Instagram Check out these links as well: The Stella's Magical, Musical Balloon Ride series Robert's TEDx talk about active listening Join the Elementary Music Teacher Community Facebook group to continue the conversation. I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

This school year, you may find yourself with a crazy schedule.  Not only are you possibly teaching virtually, on a cart, in person, or a combination of all of the above, but you also might have a schedule that looks like a complete hot mess. In this episode, I'm break down the crazy schedules you might find yourself with and will provide you with action steps to help you move forward.  Join the Elementary Music Teacher Community Facebook group to continue the conversation. I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

This episode is a conversation about inclusion and literature in the music room.  Charissa does a fantastic job of breaking down what inclusion is, how to help all students to feel included in the music room, and why using a variety of literature in your music room is so important. Charissa Duncanson has taught K-5th grade general music in the Metro Detroit Area for six years. Born and raised in Michigan, Charissa began her musical journey in elementary school. Throughout her childhood Charissa participated in choirs, bands, and theatre within her community and schools.  She earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Education from Wayne State University and currently teaches at McDonald Elementary School in Dearborn.   As a professional, Charissa has performed and presented throughout the Metro Detroit Area ranging from state conferences to local PD workshops. Being an avid advocate for music education, Ms. Duncanson has served on multiple boards for music education associations. In her spare time  Charissa loves to craft, sew, and go on walks with her husband and dog, Maizey. You can connect with Charissa here: Facebook @musicwithmrsdunc Instagram @musicwithmrsdunc Twitter @musicwitmrsdunc Email is music@mrsdunc@gmail.com Join the Elementary Music Teacher Community Facebook group to continue the conversation.  I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

I can't WAIT to share this episode with you today.  My book "Make A Note: What You Really Need To Know About Teaching Elementary Music" is available.  This book has been on my heart to write for several years now and I'm excited to share a portion of the book on today's episode.  The book goes into detail about what you need to know about: Life Feelings The first year Teaching music Classroom management School dynamics To find out more about the book and to purchase the eBook or paperback version, head to www.thedomesticmusician.com/book You can also find the eBook by heading directly to fflat-books.com/books/ I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

Today's episode is a such a great conversation with Darlene Machacon.  We're both pianists AND music teachers, and we talk about how to bring that unique perspective into the music room.  Darlene talks about how she goes about planning her lessons and why she leaves space in her planning to add in new activities she finds throughout each month.  Also, she talks about the importance of meeting your students where they're at and why it's important to stay flexible.  Darlene Machacon is a TK-6th grade elementary music educator, chorus director, and private piano teacher in Orange County, California. Her experiences include designing group piano and general music curriculum, overseeing studio group music programs, accompanying for the Intermediate group of the Emmy award-winning Southern California Children's Chorus and playing keyboard for various church worship bands in the area.  After experiencing her Carnegie Hall solo piano debut in 2019, she quickly realized that performing was not her calling and decided to focus on reforming general music education for diverse students. She holds a dual Bachelor's of Music degree in Music Education and Piano Performance from Biola University and is currently pursuing a Master's in Music Education degree at VanderCook College of Music. You can connect with Darlene on: Instagram @thedarlingmusicteacher TikTok search for @thedarlingmusicteacher You can also check out Darlene's new podcast "Coloring the Melody"  I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

Teaching music virtually is something you may have never thought you would be doing.  It's a learning curve and comes with it's own unique challenges, especially if it's out of your comfort zone. With COVID-19, so many teachers became virtual teachers all of a sudden.  I asked my friend Michelle Rose to come on the podcast to talk about her experience with virtual teaching so that you can get the help and guidance you need to help you move forward this school year.  She also talks about self care and offers a unique perspective that I know you'll get a lot from. Michelle Rose teaches middle & high school music at North Carolina Virtual Academy. She also directs the after school virtual band and choir. Michelle holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and Performance (flute) from Elon University and is currently pursuing a Master's in Music Education from The University of North Carolina, Greensboro.  She is a teacher-author and blogger at themusicalrose.com.  Michelle has been a presenter at several conferences and has been a guest speaker for pre-service music teachers at colleges across the country. In her free time, she enjoys baking, sewing, and going on walks with her dog Tovy (short for Beethoven). You can connect with her on Instagram @the_musical_rose or through her website themusicalrose.com Links mentioned in the episode: How to create a virtual ensemble using SmartMusic and GarageBand: https://youtu.be/LKcDXTubAiM How to play Doggie, Doggie via Zoom for elementary music teachers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVOWmfex2ME I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.

So much has been on my heart lately, especially in regards to going back to school.  The worry, anxiety, and overwhelm parents, students, and teachers alike are facing is surreal.   I wanted to record this episode today for a couple of reasons.  First of all, you're not alone.  I'm praying for you as you go back to school and completely get the feelings you're probably feeling.  Secondly, preparing to go back to school will look a bit different this year.  Never in a million years did I think I would need to buy masks during back to school shopping for my kids.  As you listen to the episode, my hope is that you're able to get even one piece of advice to help you move forward into the new school year with hope and feeling loved.  Although this year looks so strange, and there are so many unknowns ahead, you can do this. I'd love for you to leave a rating and a review of the podcast on I-tunes, be sure to share the podcast with any music teacher friends who would find it helpful and be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.