When Dr. Jessica Vaughan-Marra started her undergraduate degree in music education at Duquesne University in 2002, she envisioned teaching beginning instrumentalists for her whole career. As she journeyed into music teacher education, her view changed. She is now the Coordinator of Music Education and Associate Professor of Music at Seton Hill University where she oversees music teacher licensure and degree completion. She also coordinates fieldwork placements, student teaching internships and music teacher education curriculum and content.

“Seeing undergraduate music education majors begin their journey into the profession, work their way through coursework and fieldwork where they explore teaching practices, and then evolve into novice music educators with excitement and interest in seeking more information is what I find most rewarding,” she says.

Though she doesn’t conduct ensembles as part of her teaching responsibilities, Vaughan-Marra hosts as many as 10 local vocal and instrumental ensembles at Seton Hill as an on-campus fieldwork and clinic opportunity for her students. “These ‘fieldwork Fridays’ help our music education majors by providing longer rehearsal time blocks for micro-teaching as well as opportunities to sit in with the ensembles performing on secondary instruments.,” she explains.

One of Vaughan-Marra’s goals with her transition into higher education was to expand her impact on the lives of student musicians. Prior to her Ph.D., she was a middle school band and orchestra director in the Silicon Valley of California. Through volunteer efforts and active membership in music education organizations, she has developed and maintained relationships with pre-K-12 music educators across the country, which “helps me stay connected to the classroom,” she says. She often invites colleagues and peers in the profession to present or work with her students at Seton Hill.

Students who graduate from Seton Hill’s music education program often represent the university motto of being “fit for the world.” According to Vaughan-Marra, “Our students are prepared for not only the music teaching experiences that parallel their education but also adaptability to the ever-evolving landscape of music education.

Vaughan-Marra co-authored a chapter (with Dr. Scott Edgar) about music teacher preparation for teaching beginning instrumental band ensembles in “The Oxford Handbook of Preservice Music Teacher Education.” She included proven practices and methods that she employed with her ensembles in the Cupertino Union School District.

“When working with large ensembles, I emphasized musicianship skill development, which moves beyond assessing the accuracy of student performances,” she explains. “Instead, engage students in opportunities to sing, move, chant and explore their aural and oral skill development through improvisation activities throughout rehearsals. Balancing between teaching technical skills and musicianship skills will result in the individual and collective motivation of the ensemble.”

During the 2020 season, Princeton High School Band Director Kyle D. Phillips saw half of his students every other week, which made it extremely difficult to rehearse marching band and it also limited performance opportunities. Because of the pandemic, the already abbreviated season was made that much more challenging because the Pride of Princeton (PoP) marching band could not travel, and there were only three performances for the entire season.

“Knowing  how hard they were working and how much they love performing together, my team and I developed the Senior Showcase,” Phillips explains. “It began — and continues to be — a marching band exclusive performance, where we perform our halftime show for an audience of our fans without having to share the field with the football team.”

Senior members are celebrated that night, and together, they selected an additional set of songs to perform from each of the previous halftime shows. The event is capped off with a fireworks display, provided by the Princeton Music Boosters.

In 2017, a new event in Cincinnati — the BLINK festival, a light, art and projection-mapping event and parade — provided a huge opportunity for PoP to perform in downtown Cincinnati. The first event drew in more than 100,000 spectators. “Since then, we have performed at every BLINK parade,” Phillips says. “In 2022, we were invited to participate in the parade’s Grand Finale, an honor reserved for only a few groups — and we were the only marching band. For my students to be recognized by an outside organization for their talents was a dream come true!”  

In his eight years as the head director, Phillips has grown the band program by more than 40% — from 139 members in 2015 to over 200 in 2023. Some of his best recruitment and retention efforts include:

• Individual meetings with each 8th grade band member in the Spring to discuss their plans for high school band and to encourage them to at least try marching band.
• Middle school band night every year, where all 7th and 8th graders perform with the PoP on a Friday night
• Finding extra opportunities beyond football games to add to the allure of playing in the band, such as travel and special community/city events.
• Empower the band’s student leadership team to take ownership with regimented student-led instruction, goal setting and regular check-ins throughout the season.

“We celebrate our successes, but we also share in our struggles,” Phillips says. “If a rehearsal isn’t going well, I encourage the band to reflect on how we can improve. I often tell students that there’s no ‘bench’ in marching band and that when one of us struggles, it reflects on all of us.”

During the pandemic, Music Industry Teacher Kevin Longwill started Modern Music Makers (M3) so that Abington School District students could continue to make music with their friends by recording projects using a cloud-based digital audio workstation (DAW) like Soundtrap, then sharing them with their peers. “At the time, it was an interesting concept, and many students gravitated toward it,” Longwill says. “When we resumed in-person learning, more students wanted to make and share music, but they wanted to do more like form performing ensembles or take the music they made to a new level with traditional recording, production and release.”

Longwill points out that the students are the driving force behind many of the decisions involved in the program. “The idea to form bands and to record/release original music – all came from the students,” he says. “These kids have been the inspiration behind the direction of the M3 program, and this has allowed them to demonstrate agency and authenticity in their music-making and learning. We’re excited to see where our students will steer the program next!”

When the district shifted building structures from a junior high to a middle school, Longwill was presented with a great opportunity to adjust how to handle music technology coursework. “In this new environment, our middle school offered an ‘experience-based’ entry-level approach to music technology,” he explains. “At the high school, we establish three more years of instruction, each building on skills established in previous years’ instruction.”

This tiered structure has proven to be immensely beneficial with middle school and high school students taking on complex projects in class and in their own pursuits. Currently, there are 127 M3 students in grades 9-12 and 105 in grades 6-8.

Longwill’s next step was to create a venue where students could perform for more than just their friends and family — and so, the Modern Music Invitational was born. Numerous schools with modern music programs come together and play for each other. The show also provides opportunities for non-performing students to showcase their skills at working a soundboard or handling performance elements like lighting, media, etc. “While the show itself was a fantastic achievement, the additional opportunity to create masterclasses with industry professionals, including touring/recording musicians, audio engineers and music business professionals, proved to be really impactful for the students and their teachers,” Longwill says.

He is astounded to see how the Modern Music Invitational started locally and now it is reaching students, teachers and, starting this year, future educators, from other states and parts of country.

Blythewood High School Orchestra Director Julie Anne Russell has found several ways to bridge the gap between middle school and high school orchestra programs. First, she reconnected with colleague Netta Hadari to perform his piece, “Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like,” which was written for beginning strings (performed by middle school students), advanced strings (Blythewood High’s chamber orchestra), winds and brass (local teachers and professionals) and four soloists (Russell and three professional players/teachers). “At the performance, the audience and students could see the progression from first-year playing to the outer limits of what can be accomplished as an adult,” Russell says.

This performance was emotional for Russell because she was able to perform alongside her best friend, students, future students, colleagues and her son, who was part of the middle school orchestra. “In the final measures of the piece, I actually missed a cue because I couldn’t see through my tears. I was overcome with joy with all that we had accomplished,” she says.

Other initiatives that involve the middle school and high school include a composition unit with the middle school where students write pieces based on children’s books, and the orchestra mentor project where Russell’s high school students teach free private lessons to middle schoolers.  

Russell is known for her out-of-the-box ideas. During the pandemic and resulting shutdown, Russell wanted students to be able to still connect with musicians and music “beyond these walls,” which has become a catchphrase for her vision of the orchestra program. Respected musicians from Hong Kong to California and many countries, states and cities in between, graciously created videos talking about their life and what they do. The unit, called “Meet the Artists,” resulted in about 12 videos explaining different aspects of what it means to be a musician and how it can shape your career.

She also spearheaded a full day of workshops and rehearsals for Richland School District 2 honors orchestra students with the esteemed musicians of Varna International. Several students were given the opportunity to perform on actual Violins of Hope, and students were able to meet and ask questions to Avshi Weinstein, one of the luthiers who restored the instruments from the Holocaust.

A special fundraiser for the orchestra is the Painted Fiddle Project, which began in 2009. Students lead the project and are in charge of the collaborations, designing and logistics. They work closely with the National Art Honors Society where students and local artists are encouraged to paint the fiddles. “My dad, Jim Wilson, and I work together in the wood shop to hand cut each fiddle,” Russell explains. “At each concert, 10 to 12 fiddles are auctioned with proceeds going to purchase equipment, sheet music and supplies for the program as well as fund a scholarship for a local student to attend the University of South Carolina String Project Summer Camp.”

Little Mission Studio launched in 2014 to help meet the need for quality music education in San Francisco. Matthew Rupert and the other co-founders of the studio had been teaching privately out of their homes, and they saw the need for a school where they could combine their talents, offer more programming and improve the quality of instruction available to local students. “We started with just 20 or so students and three teachers, and we now employ 17 faculty — all professional musicians — who teach about 400 students,” says Rupert.

The studio was recently renovated and expanded, doubling the teaching and performance space, so that Rupert and his team can continue to grow their musical community with more studio classes, recitals and ensembles.  

“I’m really proud of our ‘composer of the week’ initiative,” Rupert says. “We highlight a new composer every week, and students collect ‘trading cards’ where they learn about the composer. We intentionally highlight diverse composers from different backgrounds and musical styles because we want to ensure that our students see themselves represented in the world of music. Our illustrator friend custom draws each new composer card, and it’s awesome to see our students learning about musicians like Clara Schumann, Nina Simone, Kaija Saariaho and so many more.”

In 2017, the Little Mission Jam Band was formed to provide a collaborative musical experience for students. “I love living in San Francisco, but it’s an odd quirk of the city that only a fraction of middle and high schools offer band or orchestra programs,” Rupert explains. “There are so many students with no ensemble playing and performance opportunities at school. Our Jam Band is the place for them!”

The Jam Band survived through the pandemic with online rehearsals. Multi-track performance videos were created and later, the band rehearsed outdoors in front of the studio. “So many students and parents expressed gratitude that we kept things going,” Rupert says.

In 2021, Rupert started a scholarship fund in his mother’s memory because she was an avid supporter of music education and the arts. It soon grew into a full-fledged nonprofit called the Make More Music Foundation. “In just our first couple of years, we have awarded over $20,000 in scholarship funds to young musicians to take private music lessons that they couldn’t afford to otherwise,” Rupert says. “We also curate and host regular, free educational concerts at community centers around the city. Last year’s concert series centered on music of the Americas and featured music by Latin and indigenous composers.”

Rupert also authored “Music for Broken Arms,” which features one-handed (for right and left hand) piano solos. No need to halt lessons for students who have injured a finger, hand or arm! 

In Fall 2020, Ben Pedersen was hired as the Director of Bands at Foreman College and Career Academy to restart the band program, which had been dormant for years. He spent the summer before inventorying equipment and watching hours of YouTube tutorials to repair enough instruments to send home for virtual learning.

Once in-person teaching resumed, Pedersen recruited band members by talking to students in the halls, offering lessons after school and practicing with his door open to draw in students curious about what they were hearing. “I’ve emphasized arranging music for my ensembles to ensure students at beginning levels can play music that is historically significant, fun and culturally relevant,” he says. “Now, four years into the program, we offer five sections of band, we have won awards — Outstanding Woodwind Section at the Jazz in the Chi Festival and an ILMEA All-District selection — and about 25% of the school population participates in the program.”

Pedersen uses his school’s location in Chicago to introduce even more musical culture to his students. “When transitioning to public school education from a career as a freelance trombonist, a primary goal of mine was to bring great Chicago artists into my school and bring my students out into Chicago’s vibrant music scene,” he explains. “Foreman has been visited by numerous guest artists, including legendary Chicago artists like saxophonist Eric Schneider and bassist Dennis Carroll, and each visit was paired with a field trip to see them play at a jazz club in the city that night. The experience of getting to meet and work with artists, then seeing them perform in the real world brings the music to life for students.”

Pedersen also works with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Foreman hosted a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) Orchestra for a clinic with our jazz ensemble. The visit was paired with complimentary tickets for students to see the JALC Orchestra play that evening at Symphony Center — an incredible experience.

“We have also been fortunate to participate in a Jazz Institute program which pairs Chicago jazz artists with schools to provide multiple guest visits to the school as well as tickets and transportation to the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts to see prominent jazz artists perform live,” Pedersen says.

Foreman serves a diverse student population from a range of cultures within Chicago and from around the world. Most of Pedersen’s students have not had the opportunity to play musical instruments or take a music class before. “I am proud to be able to share my passion for instrumental music and help students achieve success in an area of study that they may have never known they would be interested in. My ultimate goal is to create lifelong appreciators of music,” he says. 

In 2011, Cale Patton started teaching at Dawes Elementary School, part of the Chicago Public Schools system.  At that point, music consisted of music on a cart with no instruments and certainly no ensembles. She spent over a decade building a robust program that now includes an unconventional band program and an after-school rock band. She also spearheaded hands-on learning through performance opportunities and field trips. “An art-on-a-cart scenario is certainly not ideal,” Patton says. “However, the blank slate at Dawes along with a supportive administration allowed us to explore new ideas and to experiment with different approaches. Of course, there were failures and challenges along the way, but I never gave up hope and worked every day to connect with students and staff.”

After several years, music was finally given its own classroom! In 2020, Dawes was awarded Fine and Performing Arts School status by the district, due in part to the music program. Because of Patton’s commitment to innovation and her track record of pushing the artistic envelope, she was asked to build a music program from scratch at Gillespie Technology Magnet Cluster School in 2024. “Gillespie’s population is even more at-risk than Dawes with a student population that is 95% Black and majority low income. While it was sad to leave Dawes, I have discovered that my calling is to bring the light of music to students who need it the most. I look forward to working with Gillespie’s students and the community to build an innovative, technology-infused and culturally responsive music program.”

Funding her efforts at Dawes required networking and pursuing grants, which Patton says is a full-time job on top of teaching. She searches for grant sources online and pursues every opportunity possible. She has received funding, instruments and more from DonorsChoose, Save the Music (which did “save” her music program in 2017 by providing instruments to start a band program) and Give a Note Foundation (which helped with funds to purchase a sousaphone).

Patton also reached out to local community partners. “One of our greatest partnerships was with Ford City Mall, which donated craft supplies and costume materials, as well as welcomed our ensembles to perform. A highlight for my students and me include Christmas caroling and marching the mall corridors with the Dawes band for Mardi Gras,” she says.

According to Patton, music programs help those who need them the most. “I love to recruit diverse learners and students with behavior challenges because they need positive and encouraging outlets for expression,” she says.

A special tradition for the Dawes marching band is playing to send off Special Olympics athletes and coaches to the games. “The band and drumline would lead the athletes on a march through the halls of the school, outside and onto the bus. The school halls were lined with cheering and supportive students and staff, waving banners and signs of support,” Patton says.

Patton acknowledges that the Dawes band may not exhibit the traditional musical “excellence” of a wind ensemble, but “I am proud that they exhibit excellence in the areas of spirit, fun, community and inclusion. These skills will take the students much farther than a high ranking at contest,” she says.

It’s safe to say that if you’re a student of Dr. Stephen Page, Associate Professor of Saxophone at The University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music, you are almost guaranteed a job upon graduation. His students have nearly 100% job placement at universities and public schools, performance venues, cultural nonprofits and other companies. “One of the best things about being a mentor is witnessing students seek and discover their passion and, more importantly, their purpose,” Page says. “The biggest thing I can do is to let students be open to their own curiosity. From there, I do what I can when I can to foster things forward.”

Page helps students connect with organizations and people who align with their interests in a way that supports turning their own motion into momentum. “In essence, the best thing I can do is to lead students on their way,” he says. “What a gift to do so!”

Page challenges his students with studio projects that involve other subjects like philosophy and neurology. He hopes that these opportunities will create an ongoing sense of curiosity that sets each student on individual paths of discovery. “It’s been great to explore a number of things together as a studio. Whether reading books by artists of other disciplines, watching documentaries about famous chefs or exploring our brain and the ways we can better incorporate our natural selves into our work, we always walk away with something new to think about,” he says.

Another project that Page spearheads is a UT Saxophone Studio YouTube Channel. Many performance videos have been shared on the platform, including one that’s quickly approaching 500,000 views. “New this year is a series of educational videos on all-state audition material. This series put a few of our students in the driver’s seat, performing the etudes and sharing several practice tips for viewers. We’re excited to expand on this into general topics on pedagogy and more to create a valuable resource,” Page says.

Rocky River High School’s Vocal Music Teacher Allison Paetz enlists the community and engages students when teaching global music. “I love performing music from all over the world, but I am certainly not an expert in every culture,” she says. “I have worked with students to select music that originated in a culture that they have a connection to or special knowledge of. Then, I involve them in helping to teach the language or share information and traditions related to the song.”

Paetz welcomes parents and grandparents to help with language if a student isn’t comfortable, and she says that her class’ understanding and connection to the music is much deeper because of those experiences. “The biggest challenge is finding the right piece for an ensemble in terms of voicing and difficulty level,” Paetz explains. “I have seen so much more music become available since I started teaching, but I would love to see music publishers expand their offerings even more. It would be fantastic to have resources beyond the printed page, especially for music that isn’t traditionally transmitted that way.”

Ten years ago, Paetz started the a cappella group, Chromatix, because she wanted to have an ensemble that could sing challenging arrangements of contemporary popular music. The 14 members of Chromatix — the largest group yet — regularly perform at local events and festivals, and once they helped her during a presentation at a vernacular music conference.

Like all educators, Paetz adapted her teaching approach during the pandemic, and she has retained some of the technology that she used when she taught online. “I still use some lesson plans and projects, especially those that give students the opportunity to transcribe and arrange music. For example, students in our beginning ensemble compose short melodies using a browser-based notation software, which we then use for sight-reading in class,” she says.

Paetz has also embraced the district’s implementation of Canvas to make more resources available to students 24/7 so they can practice independently. “Recently, students recorded themselves singing with their phones while we rehearsed the same piece together in class,” she says. “Students submitted their individual recordings for a quick and easy formative assessment. That would have been a file-management nightmare before Canvas, but I can do things like that more frequently now.”

Paetz is currently working on her Ph.D. dissertation and is conducting a study on perfectionism, stress and burnout in pre K–12 music educators in the United States. “I love what I do, but it is hard work. My hope is that my research can help identify patterns of thought and behavior that increase stress and burnout among music teachers so that we can work on better supporting music teachers and, as a result, students,” she says.

“No cowards” may be a strange message to share with students, but Director of Bands and Orchestras Christopher Noce uses that phrase for students to know that they can safely and confidently make mistakes during rehearsals. “The biggest difference between a new student at Concord-Carlisle High School and one who has been in our ensembles for a couple of years is in how they handle making mistakes,” Noce says. “Our established members will quickly acknowledge their mistakes in rehearsal — often with a quick glance toward me — and we can continue our rehearsal knowing that we’re all on the same page.”

He goes on to explain that “no cowards” is a tongue-in-cheek way to remind students to own the inevitability of an error. “It’s also important for me that we are always pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones — whether it’s singing in rehearsals, performing challenging repertoire, hollering for soloists in the jazz ensemble or cheering on the football team at home games. We take what we do very seriously, but we try not to take ourselves too seriously,” he says.

Noce brings in conductors who will extend his students’ understanding and perspectives beyond what he can bring to the table. “I keep an eye out at festivals and conferences for folks who may enrich our learning,” he explains. “I’m very cognizant of my limited perspective and inherent bias, and I work to bring in as many varied perspectives as possible.” 

Some core values that Noce emphasizes in his class and throughout the program include:

• Candor: Students know that he will be honest with them and expects the same from them.
• Community and belonging: Everyone is welcome, and Noce means it. Concord-Carlisle sponsors multiple events throughout the year so musicians can just be together and enjoy each other’s company.
• Living composers and new repertoire: Noce participates in consortiums and commissions to introduce students and audiences to new composers and repertoire nearly every concert cycle. “We perform a lot of repertoire by living composers, and one of the greatest advantages of this is that we don’t need a Ouija board to communicate with them, and the students love hearing about the work firsthand,” he says.
• Musicianship outside our ensembles: Many of Noce’s students perform in outside bands, orchestras, chamber ensembles, hardcore bands and as singer-songwriters. All these pursuits are valued equally for the role they play in enriching the musical community within Concord-Carlisle ensembles.

Prior to joining Concord-Carlisle, Noce co-taught at the elementary and middle school level with Paul Halpainy for nearly a decade. They built a robust program that was more than just a feeder for the high school. “We wanted something that students could be proud of right there and then,” Noce says. “We set high standards, brought in clinicians, participated in concert festivals and even commissioned new works. The biggest investment was in the culture and community within and around our program, and it has paid dividends at the high school level.”

Now, Noce is reconnecting with those students who he remembers teaching how to put together their instruments. “Those 4th graders are now these incredible, passionate, driven, smart, funny and hard-working musicians filling the seats of my high school ensembles,” he says proudly.

The band at Sam L. Martin Middle School has a large Hispanic population with many coming from Central and South America who speak little English. Over 92% of band members are economically disadvantaged and a large portion have at least one accommodation. Director of Bands Alex Mutz says that being a person of color and a multilingual educator from outside the U.S. has helped him form a bond with his students because he understands what his students have gone through as immigrants. “Being able to navigate their language brightens students’ mood because they have someone who they can communicate with,” Mutz says.

He makes sure that his students can overcome obstacles and have the tools and resources they need to succeed, such as playing professional-level instruments. “My view is: Why shouldn’t they have the opportunity to receive the same level of education as any other student regardless of their home situation,” Mutz says.

Mutz adapted many of his lessons to accommodate non-native English speakers. For example, while certain songs are common in the U.S. like “Mary had a Little Lamb,” many of his students do not know it. “So, I try to incorporate songs that they know from their culture,” he explains. “When we are learning notes on the staff, I ask students for input and together we create Spanish versions of ‘every good boy does fine’ to help them remember the notes.”

Mutz has also researched different phonetic approaches and words to help students learn to articulate on wind instruments, which sets them up for success.

It seems fateful that when Mutz attended his college orientation, he decided to change his major from engineering to music. “At registration, it struck me that engineering wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to keep pursuing music, so I changed my major right there,” he says.

Currently, Mutz is pursuing his masters in music education at Eastman School of Music on top of his work with the middle school and high school bands, and teaching private lessons. “I give the hours that I can without overly stressing myself and still being able to give maximum effort. I have a clear line of communication with my schools. It’s about perspective and loving what you do without burning yourself out,” he says.

As a child, Mutz wanted to join the legendary Blue Devils Bugle and Drum Corps after watching their 1994 show and in particular, the featured euphonium player. When he eventually made the corps, Mutz met the euphonium player and told him that he was his inspiration growing up. “He told me that when he was young, he wanted to be like someone in the corps as well,” Mutz says. “Years after aging out, a euphonium player on one of the marching bands that I was teaching came up and told me that I was his inspiration and that he wanted to be like me. A full circle moment!”

Small schools don’t mean weak music programs!

That’s the mantra often repeated by Orchestra Director and Music Department Chair Adam Murray, who teaches at Port Clinton City Schools, a small district with about 85 students in the orchestra program. To maintain and grow enrollment, Murray has found a unique way to includes his high school students in the recruitment process, which includes a recruitment concert and an instrument selection event.

Each spring, Murray does a deep dive with his high school symphony into a different facet of the contemporary music industry, such as film, video games, Broadway, television, pop music, etc. In addition to learning the music, students participate in planning and executing a performance event, which includes program designing, advertising and creating related media like videos and posters. The first half of the unit culminates in a midterm project: a multimedia recruitment concert exclusively for 5th graders.  

Phase two of the event is an “instrument selection party” where the high schoolers work in groups to plan games, playlists, decorate and help facilitate the instrument petting zoo. The Baroque Violin Shop in Cincinnati brings in dozens of instruments for every 5th grader to play and take home once they have made their decision. “Once you select your instrument and get your picture taken in front of our orchestra backdrop, the red rope unlocks, and you get to head into the VIP orchestra party,” Murray exclaims.

These efforts not only bring in new members to the orchestra, but it also retains the ones Murray already has. “Recruitment numbers are important to me but it’s the retention number that really matters,” he says. “It’s rare that I lose a student before graduation. When Port Clinton students pick orchestra, they are investing in it for the long haul.”

During the summer of 2022, Murray worked with administrative staff at the Firelands Symphony to extend its educational outreach program to Port Clinton. This partnership had not previously existed but has since flourished. “We have sectional coaches, access to private teachers, elementary recruitment tools and many other resources that the symphony is generously providing free of cost,” Murray says. “On the horizon, we are hoping to plan a ‘side-by-side’ with the symphony. Firelands also provides free concert tickets for all students, and our program has taken full advantage of the chance to see a professional symphony in action!”

Murray took over the program from a beloved director. “It might have been hubris, but I never had any pretense about being my predecessor,” he says. “Since day one, I have made this program an unapologetic mirror of who I am as an educator and as a performer. I see these kids five days a week from 6th grade until they graduate. We go through a lot of life together. We are energized, we are effective, and we aren’t afraid to take risks.”

The Nashville Symphony’s education programming is designed to support the city’s students and educators and provide experiences that supplement and enhance the school curriculum. “We are always eager to collaborate and design new programming with our city to better serve the community,” says Kimberly Kraft McLemore, Vice President of Education and Community Engagement.

A popular program is Music In My Neighborhood, an annual week-long residency that is designed to bring the Nashville Symphony’s programming out of the concert hall and into a new neighborhood each year. Musicians, staff and board members visit local schools, community organizations and neighborhood associations to grow existing partnerships, build new relationships and spend time listening and learning from the community about how best to highlight the amazing work already happening in their neighborhood. “We then curate a week-long schedule of programming to showcase our partnerships in that neighborhood,” McLemore says. “We want to collaborate with the community to make music for the community. It is an amazing week full of partnership and music-making!”

Another program, Accelerando, which launched in 2015, is focused on diversifying classical music. Selected students receive full scholarship support to take weekly private lessons with Nashville Symphony musicians, participate in the youth orchestra, take music theory courses, access masterclasses and workshops led by world-renowned guest artists, and attend summer music festivals. “We also help students navigate the collegiate audition process in addition to covering visits and auditions at potential colleges or conservatories. All program activities and curriculum are designed to prepare students to study music in college and eventually go on to pursue a career in orchestral music,” McLemore says.

The first Accelerando had six students. Currently, annual enrollment stands at 24. The program is designed for students to remain in Accelerando for multiple years, with many participating from middle school through high school graduation. “I am so proud of our Accelerando alumni who have gone on to study music at schools like Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Colburn Conservatory, Northwestern Bienen School of Music, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music, to name a few,” McLemore says.

In February 2024, Nashville Symphony will be partnering with Carnegie Hall to produce the Link Up program with 3,000 students, who will bring their recorders to the concert hall to play and sing with the Nashville Symphony during the performance. “This program is a true collaboration with Metro Nashville Public Schools that provided students with recorders and helped coordinate educator professional-development sessions,” McLemore says. “This program is an opportunity to do more than just expose young students to orchestral music. I hope this program will show them that our concert hall is a space for them to come and make music. That they belong here on our stage.”

Another partnership is with We Are Nashville, a student festival that prioritizes access to high-quality performance opportunities and learning experiences. The festival teaches 300 choir and orchestra students that they have a voice and deserve a space in our music ecosystem. “It was an easy decision to partner with the festival as their host organization. Our city’s students deserve to perform on the Schermerhorn stage, and I’m proud to provide space for them to share their voice,” McLemore says.

Westfield High School’s music program was in dire need of revitalization. That’s when Director of Bands and Performing Arts Andrew Muth stepped in. “A successful program isn’t built in a day or a single year. We knew that it was going to take time to build the program,” he explains.

Muth put together five- and 10-year plans that detailed where he wanted to go and how to get there, and he shared the vision with students, parents and the community. “Our goals were big and at times they felt impossible, but we always said that if we do the work, the results will come,” he says.

This inclusive and transparent approach has paid off — there is a real sense of pride around the band program. “I am blown away everyday by the power of relationships. Our kids care about each other. Our parents are the hardest working crew, and the relationship that they have built with the program is incredible,” Muth says.

According to Muth, success has always and will always be the byproduct of excellence. That level of excellence has seeped into their performances. “Our philosophy is that every detail matters,” he says. “This has meant that we always work with designers and vendors who care about our kids. We put shows together that create an identity that is uniquely Westfield. This means we pull from a variety of visual and musical inspirations.”

A particularly memorable experience occurred last year at the WGI Winds finals. “As we were walking onto the floor to perform, a senior leaned over to me and said, ‘I don’t ever want this to be over,’ which made tears fill my eyes. Anytime you watch a student understand the transformative power of music, you couldn’t ask for more,” Muth says.

Muth finds daily inspiration from his own high school band director, Bill Laughlin, who had a sign in the front of the band room that read “good enough is neither.” This phrase affects my leadership style every day. “I would never ask a parent, student or staff member to do something for the program that I wouldn’t personally do myself. I am unapologetically passionate about our kids and our program. I believe in the power of believing in the ability of your students. I go into every season and school year believing that this can be our best year yet,” he says.

Band Director Kacee Sanders is a firm believer in building independent musicians where her only role in the classroom is to act as a facilitator. The goal is for her students at DuPont Hadley Middle School to be thinkers and problem solvers and to be able to operate without her. “I’m not the one making the music; the musicians are. I challenge the traditional band room setting where the band director barks orders from the podium, and the musicians militaristically sit in the chairs and do what’s asked.”

Instead, Sanders wants everyone in the room to be involved in the music-making. She tells her students that every voice and every contribution is needed to create a completely unique and beautiful performance. “I encourage my classrooms to have conversations,” she says.

This independence also results in a supportive, positive and inclusive environment within the band. As a Title I school, most DuPont Hadley students will need music scholarships to go to college. “They work to motivate each other,” Sanders says. “They help each other and have been incredibly encouraging of each other’s successes.”

Sanders employs social and emotional learning practices in the classroom and focuses on creating an engaging learning environment. Every Monday, students complete a “rehearsal reflections” graphic organizer with sections to set their rehearsal intentions for the week, indicate any upcoming performances and track individual, section and ensemble goals.

She also implements several teaching strategies that actively involve students learning with and from their peers. “I believe that all students have something to contribute to the learning environment and should have the opportunity to feel valued and succeed, and I have worked to create a positive classroom culture where this is possible,” she says. 

Sanders is proud of her role as Executive Director of the Southeastern Women in Music Symposium and considers it her biggest accomplishment and undertaking. The symposium originated as a Girl Scout Gold Award project by a former student, Mya Foley, who approached Sanders in 2021 to be her sponsor and to brainstorm project ideas. As a percussionist, Mya experienced the male-dominated landscape of the music community and recognized the need for more female representation in both the clinicians she worked with and the composers whose music she performed. The concept of an all-female honor festival began to take shape. The one-time Gold Award project has now evolved into a nonprofit organization and an annual symposium. “Our second symposium took place in December 2023, and we hosted 75 high school and undergraduate participants, who benefited from rehearsals, discussions and mentorship,” Sanders says. “The symposium has never been just an event to Mya and me. It is a testament to our commitment to increase female representation, provide a space for young women to thrive and foster mutual support among women in music.”

How difficult is it to teach music in a STEM-focused school like California State Polytechnic University, Pomona? Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology Dr. Jessie M. Vallejo finds it enjoyable to teach courses that foster creativity, problem-solving, beauty, social justice and a sense of community in this interdisciplinary space.

She revived some courses, such as the mariachi ensemble, which existed in the 1970s and ’80s, and the Music of Mexico course. She also started the mariachi program in 2016. Even though Pomona is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HIS), “there is still a lot of work to be done to realize our potential in serving students from diverse backgrounds,” she says.

Vallejo developed two new courses: Ethnographic Field Methods and one on musical instruments. “The field methods class encourages students to develop research skills and interact with a community of musicians while connecting with some of their other disciplines and interests, such as history, anthropology, or languages,” Vallejo says.

“The organology class — Theory, History and Design of Musical Instruments — is one of the most enjoyable classes for me to teach. I have always loved the sciences, and this is my way of connecting the department more directly with Cal Poly Pomona’s engineering and science areas,” she says.

Each semester, the students in this course work with the Student Innovation Idea Labs to learn about tools and resources that may be used to build instruments, such as laser cutters or scroll saws. Throughout the class, they discuss instruments’ cultural meanings and roles in different societies, as well as social and scientific issues around instruments like sustainability of materials, endangered plant or animal species and accessibility for people with disabilities, including how to adapt instruments for different needs.

One of her favorite experiences as an educator was the collaboration between the Cal Poly’s premiere mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Los Broncos, and Dr. Julian Saporiti (a.k.a. No-No Boy). “Dr. Saporiti’s music is rich in history lessons, and his song, “The Best God Damn Band in Wyoming,” tied together some of the overlapping experiences of Asian, Mexican and Central Americans in the Pomona area over the last century,” Vallejo explains. “The song is a great vehicle to study local history and contemporary events through performance, and best of all, the collaboration was fun!”

In addition to teaching music, Vallejo works on the school’s transportation committee to address issues about mobility on campus. The committee was able to add a stop on campus for the Foothill Transit Silver Streak bus line, which has helped to shift Cal Poly from being a car-dependent campus. It has also improved transit on the I-10 corridor, reduced greenhouse emissions and made the campus more accessible. Other projects the committee is exploring include continuing to expand bus service, building a mobility hub and extending the protected bike lanes connecting campus to nearby cities.

Vallejo’s research and her own life experiences have taught her the critical importance of representation and culturally relevant programming in K-12 and college settings. “Growing up as one of the few Mexican Americans in Syracuse, New York, I was frustrated that I didn’t have opportunities to learn about my culture, especially in music programs and ensembles,” she says. “I am thankful that I can help ensure that students at Cal Poly Pomona have the opportunities that I had to fight for or seek out through study abroad experiences.”

Like most higher education institutions, the song repertoire curriculum at the University of Memphis focused on “standard” Western classical repertoire. When Dr. Paulina Villarreal joined the faculty in 2020 as Assistant Professor of Voice, she was given the opportunity to reimagine the special topics repertoire courses offered at the graduate level.

“I wanted to inspire students through repertoire and expose them to ‘gems’ that they’ve never heard of before, so I dedicated special topic courses to two distinct topics: 1) Entartete Musik (degenerate music)/songs by Jewish composers who were banned by the Third Reich and 2) Iberian and Latin American repertoire,” she says. “I am proud that today, every graduate vocal student has a few selections from underrepresented groups/composers in their performance repertoire!”

Villarreal is passionate about finding songs by Latin American composers who have never been recorded and create high-quality audio and video clips for future performers to explore. She has also presented at national conferences and shared her knowledge of this repertoire with other teachers and musicians. “I am currently in the process of recording a whole album by Mexican composer Maria Grever,” she says. The album’s publication will be preceded by a performer’s guide so that singers all around the world can have access to this composer’s music!”

The Nuevas canciones vocal competition began as a collaboration with Opera Memphis to introduce singers to song and operatic repertoire from Spain and Latin America. Competitors were asked to find and perform at least one selection in Spanish during the final round of the competition.

Another area that Villareal focuses on is trauma-informed pedagogy (TIP), which recognizes that teachers and students have past and present experiences that may negatively affect teaching and learning. “It’s vital to ensure the physical and emotional safety of every student,” she explains. “Some other ways I implement TIP in the studio is being mindful of power dynamics, and always presenting myself as empathetic, open and flexible. I also constantly remind students about on-campus resources, and lead by example by engaging in self-care.”

In 2017, Villarreal founded Cantos para el Mundo (songs for the world) to promote vocal arts of the highest caliber in the North of Mexico. The concert series is in its eighth year, and has represented artists from over 12 nationalities and promoted local talent through scholarships and vocal clinics.

“The University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music is one of the only places in the country that challenges students to become well-rounded musicians, instead of focusing solely on one musical genre,” Villarreal says. “The school of music offers scholarships to any talented and deserving student regardless of major. Our ensembles include finance, law, anthropology and biology majors, among others.”

At Upper Arlington High School, Orchestra Director Christopher Lape took the lead in adapting the curriculum from every other day to everyday instruction. “It’s been a collaborative and continuing effort with my colleagues,” he explains. “There’s significantly more room for growth with the consistency of daily instruction. The bulk of the transition has been updating our curriculum map and choosing method/technique books that correlate the best. It’s honestly a reflective process and I want to do what’s best for our students because we place a lot of value on our students and their musical journey.”

In addition to adapting the curriculum, Lape has brought some innovation activities to the orchestra, including the rock band project, an idea that he borrowed from a string teacher in a neighboring district. Students divide into groups to form rock bands and choose a song (a verse and/or chorus), chart the chord structure using keyboard/guitar tablature, and figure out the melody. Once students have the basics mapped out, they choose their roles in the band (melody, root, 3rd, 5th). They have freedom to use different instruments and their voice to experiment with a variety rhythms and movement. “By the end of the project, they’ve created their own arrangements. I love this project because it gives students autonomy in something that is relevant to them,” Lape says.

Another popular project, especially with middle schoolers, is the string sound FX story, which Lape usually schedules around Halloween. “Students step into the role of a Foley artist and experiment with different kinds of sounds that they can make on their instruments. They then incorporate those sound effects into a story that they’ve composed and perform for the class. I put a crackling campfire on the tv, turn out the lights and let their creativity shine,” he says.

Lape co-chairs the Central Ohio String Festival, a large-group adjudicated festival that Upper Arlington High School hosts for middle school and high school orchestras. Each group performs for three adjudicators who provide written/audio-recorded feedback and a rating. Following each performance, a fourth clinician gives the group a clinic where they provide and apply feedback in real time. Last year, 30 orchestras (~1000 students) participated in the event. The goal for the annual festival is to provide growth opportunities for both students and teachers through authentic feedback from a rotating team of highly qualified string educators.

According to parents and students, Lape’s “superpower” is developing rapport with students. He acknowledges and appreciates students for who they are in hopes that they feel seen. “I’m intentional in how I interact with students to help them build confidence in themselves as musicians,” he says. “I value their opinions and give them a voice in musical decisions and repertoire choice. If you take the time to build rapport with your students, you’ll see that they have a lot to offer. We celebrate successes and provide a safe space for struggles and mistakes. That’s how we build resilience and grow!”

Promoting the role of women in music, and in particular trumpet composition and playing, is a huge driving force for Dr. Jacquelyn Lankford, Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Mississippi State University.

She created the Women Composing for Trumpet (WCFT) Competition to add to the list of “standard” trumpet repertoire composed by women. “While there are many incredible compositions by women for solo trumpet, the only one that is considered standard by the trumpet community is the ‘Pakhmutova,’ written in 1955. It was the goal of this competition to bring light to this matter, as well as give modern women composers the opportunity to contribute to this list of standards and be recognized for their accomplishments,” Lankford explains.

The competition announced two winners (Katie Jenkins and Madeline Lee) who were awarded $2,000 each, a recording of their work and a publishing deal with Murphy Music Press.

Another event that Lankford spearheaded was the Powerful Women in Music Concert Series, which was created to continue to initiate ways to change the fact that underrepresentation of women is prominent in the music world. “This is true when it comes to performance opportunities for individual women performers and groups, as well as an audience’s exposure and opportunities to attend events featuring these women,” she says.

To accomplish this, a concert series was created featuring women soloists and groups of women performers from various genres, backgrounds and ethnicities. Performers included Alexa Tarantino (Jazz at Lincoln Center) with the Jazz Band, Caeley Jackson (U.S. Navy Band) and Calypsus Brass (a professional women’s chamber ensemble that Lankford is a member of).

Lankford strives to inspire and motivate those often forgotten or neglected in the trumpet community — so last semester, she started the Trumpet Festival at Mississippi State. Trumpet players at the high school level and beyond were able to come together for this free experience where they could learn, perform and connect. She brought in three guest artists with different genre specializations: Jason Bergman from Indiana University, Pancho Romero from New Mexico State University and Josh Kauffman from U.S. Army Blues. Each provided a masterclass, private lessons and a concert at the end of the festival. “My goal with this event was to provide accessible, high-quality educational and performance opportunities for trumpet players who typically do not get to experience them because of their location or financial situation,” Lankford says.

At Mississippi State University, collaboration is not just something that happens between professors, the students are also inspired to collaborate often. “This includes everything from putting ensembles together for their recitals, dedicating themselves to a trumpet ensemble with a goal to compete at the National Trumpet Competition, meeting outside of any scheduled events to practice together, and even meeting to work on their audition music together,” Lankford says. “This behavior is evident in the trumpet studio, and I have seen it influencing other music students, as well as non-majors who want to be a part of this healthy and inspired culture.”

Providing meaningful and memorable performance opportunities is vital to Lily Ianaconi’s role as a 9-12 Instrumental Music Instructor at Franklin Academy High School. Last year, the wind ensemble performed the piece “I Am Enough” by Marie Douglas, which was part of the 2023 California Band Directors Association Social Impact Consortium. The piece is a three-movement suite on the topic of mental health. “Our students truly appreciated the opportunity to perform a piece with such relevance and purpose,” Ianaconi says. “We really made a memorable connection with this music throughout our preparation and performance through deep conversation about mental health, underrepresented composers and diversity of wind band literature. The audience sincerely enjoyed the piece and could hear and feel the emotions of anxiety, self-doubt, motivation and fear through the music.”

Ianaconi is always looking to add new experiences for her students, so she added chamber ensemble performances at concerts. Parents, families and audience members enjoyed hearing the different combinations of instruments and styles of music. “As music educators, we’re always searching for ways to highlight the wonderful things that our students are doing. A chamber ensemble is a terrific opportunity for students to work together toward a common goal. The student-led rehearsals give them the artistic space to make musical decisions, communicate their ideas and create lasting memories of making music together,” she says.

A few years ago, Franklin Academy had the opportunity to host a college wind ensemble while the musicians were touring New York. “One of my former students was studying at this university to become a music teacher,” she shares. The college students spent the day with us putting on workshops, masterclasses and performances. That evening, our high school band students performed in a combined concert with the college students. It was a tremendous musical success for everyone involved.”

In 2018, Ianaconi along with other band teachers in the county worked together to add an All-County Festival that had two additional ensembles so that more students could participate in an honor band. “At these amazing and memorable festivals, students become better musicians, make long-lasting friendships and learn more about themselves as performers,” she says.  

Each Friday, Ianaconi ends rehearsal by challenging students’ scale playing with a fun game called “The Scallenge.” The full ensemble plays all 12 major scales together. “After the practice round when mistakes and scale sheets are allowed, students must play The Scallenge again without the use of their scale sheets,” Ianaconi explains. “If they make a mistake, they are out! After a student finishes all 12 major scales, their name appears on the wall in the band room. It’s an exciting way for students to support each other as their technique, practice and concentration improve throughout the year.”

Ianaconi’s dedication to her students was clear during the production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” She not only directed the pit but played woodwinds and percussion throughout the show. “I quickly turned pages in my score while giving cues to students on stage with a baton in one hand and a flute in the other. I wetted my Eb clarinet reed in my mouth, tried not to touch the windchimes with my left foot while my right foot rocked a mounted tambourine with a bass drum pedal on 2 and 4 of the tune.”

The audience enjoyed the performance and the students had an incredible time making the show a success. Ianaconi says the experience helped her grow as a director and musician.

Boise State University embraces innovation in an interdisciplinary way — something they call “Blue Turf Thinking” (named after the famous blue turf at its football field). Dr. Richard Hutton, Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and Assistant Director of Choral Activities, wholeheartedly believes in “Blue Turf Thinking” and finds creative and compassionate avenues to teach choral music.

“I am inspired by the pure transcendent joy of music, and I’m driven to empower my students to develop their artistic and creative capacities, enable them to be a part of a musical community and provide opportunities where they will experience the power and value of music,” he says.

Hutton has found deep community and enduring friendships through choir, so he provides opportunities that foster those bonds in his ensembles and showcase it to the wider community through activities like Friday night talent shows, neighborhood caroling or Valentine’s Day singing telegrams. He emphasizes that anyone who wants to be a part of the choir program will be welcomed. “The successful choral program gets everyone involved,” Hutton explains. “One of the things I love about choir is that anyone can join and find a sense of belonging. No instrument needs to be purchased and no prerequisite needs to be fulfilled. I have the joy of recruiting even those kids who will say, ‘Oh, you don’t want to hear me sing.’ To which, I tell them, ‘Teaching you to sing is our superpower!’”

Prior to Boise State, Hutton taught at a high school where he offered a choir designed for students who required special education services. Most of the choristers were a part of the comprehensive life skills (CLS) program for students who take one or two elective general education courses where they can integrate with mainstream students. “Rather than having a few CLS students in a variety of choirs, I worked with administration to offer ‘Cougar Choir’ so students from my advanced choir could come alongside a larger number of CLS students in a supportive peer tutor relationship, which fostered an environment where everyone thrived.”

The structured routine of Cougar Choir included greeting and goodbye songs, songs that incorporated American Sign Language, songs with movement and dance, and songs that required Orff instruments, boomwhackers and desk bells. “When I moved on from secondary to higher education, this group of students was the hardest to leave,” Hutton says.

The music department faculty at Boise State demonstrate care for students academically and personally. “Students experience a supportive yet challenging environment and get to enjoy a large university experience in a city with a vibrant arts scene,” Hutton says. “One of our goals is to prepare students for successful careers in an increasingly interconnected global community. I am proud to equip future choral music educators with the tools to make an impact in the lives of students across the Treasure Valley and beyond.”

Music Director Miguel Hidalgo takes his role as a Latino teaching at Esperanza Academy Charter School, which primarily serves children of color, seriously. “Being a role model for my students is extremely important to me. This representation fosters a sense of belonging and demonstrates the possibility of breaking down barriers and stereotypes,” he says.

At Esperanza Academy, the music program is part of the curricular majors track. “It goes beyond mere music appreciation to building skills that could set our students on a pathway to pursue a career as professional musicians,” Hidalgo explains. “Despite the challenges of working with orchestral and other instruments that require frequent maintenance, our students’ immense heart, passion and dedication prevail. We are excited to continue growing our small but highly spirited program.”

Hidalgo is dedicated to supporting his students’ academic growth as he strives to instill values, build resilience and empower them to believe in their limitless potential. “I hope these actions create a ripple effect, influencing the next generation to invest in their community and contribute positively to society as a whole,” he says.

Because he teaches students who have varying levels of musical skill and development, Hidalgo must constantly deal with changes in instrumentation. “To meet individual student needs, I simplify parts and rework arrangements to ensure inclusivity and accessibility. This approach fosters a supportive environment, allowing each student to contribute and grow, regardless of their skill level or chosen instrument,” he says.

Many of his students start playing instruments in the 10th grade, and Hidalgo works with them to fast-track their skills with consistent hands-on practice, focusing on foundational skills and gradually building complexity. By fostering a mindset that acknowledges the journey from imperfection to proficiency, he encourages students to navigate challenges and find joy in their musical growth. “I emphasize playing examples regularly, which helps them unlock the power of listening,” he explains. “When trumpets or trombones are struggling, I will play alongside them, even if I am not playing the instrument well. By doing this, I am encouraging them to explore and accept the initial discomfort of sounding ‘bad’ to reinforce the idea that mastery evolves through persistence.”

To foster camaraderie among students, Hidalgo encourages group collaboration and teamwork. “When the bands perform, I do not conduct the ensembles. I believe this pushes students to trust each other and emphasizes the importance of listening. This shared experience creates a cohesive bond, promoting interdependence and teaching them the value of collective harmony on and off the stage,” he says.

Inclusive is the best way to describe the music program at Peter Johansen High School. Instrumental Music  Teacher Brad Hart oversees the United Sound chapter at the school, which pairs students with special needs, called “New Musicians” with band members, called “Peer Mentors.”

“During our first Spring as a United Sound chapter, a New Musician was able to travel and perform with the band at Carnegie Hall,” Hart says. “One of our Peer Mentors made the choice to pursue special education as a result of the connection and experience. The new friends and colleagues in music make real connections that is evident around campus. They know each other as musicians and as people, and we get to see the impact of those relationships every week.”

Hart was able to create additional leadership positions for some of the Peer Mentors who can gain experience making lesson plans, reviewing how classes went and writing parts together. “It can be a struggle for sure, but at no time is the struggle not worth it,” he says.

Another way that Hart works with special education students is with a weekly bucket drumming class for three of the school’s severely handicap classes. Students learn rhythms and apply them to performing various styles of music. “They performed ‘Sweet Caroline’ at a rally last year with our band program, and for the last two years, they performed at their field day event with student colleagues from around the county. It’s pure joy to make music with them each week,” Hart says.

Engaging directly with the community is important to Hart, and he established a schedule of performances to do just that. Outside of the traditional school concerts, the band participates in several parades, including the Fourth of July parade with local veterans, winter city of lights parade, a holiday parade and the Airport Neighborhood parade. There are also many jazz combo and jazz band opportunities throughout the year around the community.

Peter Johansen High School has a history of collaborating with guest artists and groups, including The Family Crest, Josh Rosenblum Band and Orquesta Dharma. In February 2024, the band will perform with Grammy-winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra.

Hart also works with new composers and has commissioned several over the years. The school band has also performed works written by students.

“Our program has never been as big as I want it to be because I believe every student should be in music through high school,” Hart says. “But I have always wanted to adapt to reflect who the students are and project to them ways to expand their understanding.”

Music Teacher Dennis Giotta at Southeast Local School District established a music technology class to equip students with contemporary skills while nurturing their passion for music. The goal of the class is to prepare students not just for today, but to instill a love for lifelong musical exploration in an ever-changing world “Recognizing the evolving landscape of the music industry, I aimed to empower students with technological proficiency, enabling them to create, produce and innovate within diverse musical realms,” he says. “This class is a bridge between traditional musical education and modern tools, fostering creativity, technical aptitude and a deeper understanding of music’s ever-expanding possibilities.”

Giotta knows that exposure to a broad range of musical styles cultivates not only technical proficiency but also enriches students’ cultural appreciation, empathy and connection to the broader human experience. “That’s why we frequently bring in guest clinicians and guest artists. Learning to play alongside accomplished musicians provides our students with a unique, firsthand insight into professional artistry and the opportunity to witness the pinnacle of musical achievement,” he says. “Guest clinicians help to broaden students’ experiences, and they are a reminder that there is not only one way to teach music.”

Another popular class that Giotta teaches is songwriting, which came out of his interest in finding more opportunities for all students to receive a music education — not just those in band, chorus or orchestra. “This class focused on vernacular music that students would write and perform by themselves on ukulele or piano. The students would also perform their songs at a local coffee shop at the end of the year,” Giotta says.

The songwriting class evolved into rock band after a few years so students could add some more popular instruments and have more collaborative experiences. “Students still write their own music and perform in authentic settings. They also get to perform covers of their favorite songs,” he says.

Giotta strives to create a music curriculum that is dynamic and relevant. He seeks feedback from students, colleagues and the community, as he researches the changing landscape of music throughout the world. “Our music program is a vibrant, collaborative community where passion and creativity thrive. This collaborative approach ensures that our program continually evolves within an environment of constant refinement and adaptation,” he says.

At Parkland High School, the music department is one of the three pillars that define the philosophy of the district: Arts, Athletics and Academics. “Even with this level of support, advocacy always remains an active part of the job. Being visible in the community is crucial,” says Assistant Band and Choral Director Allison Figueroa.

One area of advocacy — recruitment — is one of Figueroa’s passion projects. She believes that all incoming 8th graders would benefit from a high school band experience because band teaches students a long list of valuable life skills. “I have amplified our 8th-grade outreach with middle school band nights with the high school marching band and jazz band. We also have a meet-and-greet performance with the younger high school concert band. Parkland’s head director and I guest conduct a song with the 8th-grade band during their concerts,” Figueroa says.

She credits the music educators at the district’s nine elementary and two middle schools who lay the musical foundation for students. Once they reach Parkland, students have the opportunity to gain further instruction in performance ensembles as well as select from a catalog of music electives.

In addition to directing the ensembles and teaching courses, Figueroa is the advisor of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Membership has doubled in the last two years, and students continually look for ways to be more involved in service projects, performances and fundraisers. “I enjoy finding opportunities for our student musicians to be seen and heard by the rest of the school, such as performing in small ensembles throughout the school during the holidays, Music in our Schools month, etc..” says Figueroa. “It has become something the school looks forward to, and it’s incredible how it makes a large school of 3,200 students seem a little smaller even if it’s just for a few moments.”

Figueroa is particularly proud of a collaboration between Tri-M and the PALS (Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies) hand chime choir. ”A committee of Tri-M students runs rehearsals with members of the PALS club to bring the experience of performing in an ensemble to those students who otherwise may not have the opportunity. The students perform side by side at our Festival of the Arts and our Life Skills commencement ceremony,” she explains.

Figueroa is proud to teach at her alma mater. “When I attended Parkland back in the day, I was the eager drum major with dreams of leading my own band. I adored band, chorus and our A-wing (the arts wing) for being a place where I could feel good at something in such a large school,” she says. “Now things have come full circle and nothing makes me prouder than being an A-wing teacher who gets to usher classes of students through the same journey.”

Nicholas Fields, the Band Director at Edgewood City Schools, doesn’t take the responsibility of his job lightly. “A good band/music director gives students a sense of belonging and helps build character, confidence and discipline. These are all traits that build good people later in life,” he says.

When the district faced a budget shortfall this school year, Fields compared the current budget to those from past years to figure out what were the top priorities.  “It was my goal to make our band fee as low as possible in order to allow the most participation. It absolutely broke my heart that students couldn’t participate due to cost,” he said.

His compassion was also evident when he stepped in to help the high school band when its director fell ill in 2022. “There was no way that I would let the students not have a quality band education and successful season. I pushed them to be their best and to always keep their goal in mind when things got tough. We made OMEA State finals and earned the top rating of Superior, 1 that year. We finished the year with an overnight trip and contest performance at Cedar Point.”

Fields also spearheaded two fun performance events for his students. The Fine Arts Festival showcases the middle school students in the district. “Choir, band and visual arts all collaborate to make this event a special evening of performances and art displays. The festival brings in a large number of our community members and families,” Fields says.

Because he is a percussionist, Fields is especially excited about the Night of Percussion where the high school percussion ensemble performs a full-length concert of percussion-only literature. “We perform in large group settings, small ensembles and even feature soloists,” he says.

Recently, Fields has seen evidence of the long-term impact of being a music educator. “The process of starting a student in beginning band as a 6th grader and actively being a part of their transformation into a talented graduate is awesome. Lately I’ve been blessed to be included in college graduations, weddings, birth announcements, etc. of former students. The fact that I still come to their minds in these moments is humbling and invokes unspeakable pride. It shows me that the work I do doesn’t just stay in the band room or on the practice field.”

“I always say that I can’t do anything more for kids than to just show them the way. They must first be open to it,” says Monroe Elementary School Music Teacher Jeff Driscoll.

However, Driscoll has done much more than just show students the way. In the 15 years that he has worked at the district, the music program’s offerings have grown as has its visibility. Additions include the before-school jazz band, before- and after-school vocal ensembles, the creation of a separate 5th-grade choir (prior to this, there was a 5-8 choir) and a pep band. Outside of the traditional day, there is also a four-week summer band program and a school musical.

He credits the school for supporting the music program and being open to growing it and making it accessible to all students, as well as the parents and community for helping to build up the program and make it possible for their kids to jump in. “Once the kids realize they’re passionate about music, I can show them all the opportunities, activities and different paths that are available,” he says.

The first step Driscoll takes is to look for areas where students don’t have an outlet. For example, starting the jazz band was an opportunity for students to play a different style of music. The pep band also played different types of music, but it also expanded the visibility of the program to a subset of the community that wouldn’t normally hear them. “A before-school advanced vocal group was started for a few years as a chance to sing other styles of music, which slowly morphed into a soprano/alto group. Then we eventually started a tenor/bass group to make sure those kids had outlets as well,” Driscoll says. “We also had a lot of kids who were dramatically minded and loved doing shows, and once the logistics within the school building made sense — which included building a second gym — we added the musical as an extracurricular opportunity.”

Driscoll co-founded Arc Light Productions, a nonprofit community theater with Rachel Roderick, a classmate from high school. Both share a love of theater and wanted to create more artistic and creative-based outlets for kids during the summers. “We have now have two youth productions with 50 to 60 kids each summer in addition to our mainstage adult/community show, Christmastime madrigal dinner that features two children’s choirs, and a full adult choir,” he says proudly.

For Driscoll, it’s all about providing avenues for students to be creative and successful. “Anytime I get to witness kids doing things they didn’t realize they were capable of — that’s a win for me,” he says.

The music program at Harmony Learning Center is among the first in the state to offer music production and engineering for students. “It would be my dream to see more programs like this available, especially for students in underserved communities or for students with disabilities,” says K-12 Music Technology and Engineering Instructor Gillian Desmarais. “I look forward to continuing this important work and building resources for teaching music technology in public schools.”

Desmarais’ class is equipped with sound tech, computers, electronic multi-button controllers and a recording studio. To garner the funds for this equipment, she approached her principal with proof of research, a sample curriculum, long-term goals for students and an outline of expenses. “Providing all this documentation seemed like a lot, but it ultimately gave her enough material to approach other administrators and make a collective decision on the investment,” Desmarais explains. “Within weeks I was approved and could start planning out my dream classroom!”

Because many of her students have moderate to severe disabilities, Desmarais can provide unique accommodations for them by using technology. “For example, with the Launchpad Pro, I can arrange LED colors and patterns of root notes and scales in a variety of combinations. With this advantage, students can improvise, create chord progressions and design melodies without having to work through additional learning barriers,” she explains.

Her students strongly identify with the music and artists they listen to, especially hip hop. Through the lens of production and engineering, Desmarais filters out inappropriate content by creating deconstructed versions of songs. Students learn musical concepts by re-creating parts, remixing, redesigning timbres and so much more.

A popular unit in Desmarais’ class focuses on lyric writing. By the time the unit begins, her students have already deconstructed over 20 popular songs and have been making a lot of new music in the process. “Many students expressed the desire to write lyrics, but they honestly didn’t know how to clearly organize their thoughts. That’s when I decided to build a series of interactive worksheets that students could use to practice rhyming words, develop hooks and find their rhythmic flow,” she says. “Once they mastered the process, they were able to make it their own. After the unit, a lot of students continued to independently write and asked to collaborate with other students. It was a great experience!”

Desmarais considers the bulk of her students to be “non-traditional music students.” This term, as defined by David Brian Williams (2012), describes students who don’t participate in traditional performing ensembles and might not read music notation, but who might sing or play an instrument and aspire to a career in the music industry. By teaching via digital audio workstations (DAW), Desmarais opens a door to a world of instrument sounds for recording and redesigning as well as a workspace to capture and manipulate musical ideas. “By creating relevant original music, students gain confidence in their abilities and find meaning in sharing their art with others. It gives them a voice and I’m grateful to be part of that journey,” she says.

In addition to teaching, Desmarais carves out time to create music. “Four days a week, I try to take a few hours after school to compose, improvise on synths, or play through traditional repertoire. I try to treat it like exercise. By exercising, I can keep those muscles strong for when I really need them. It’s also wonderfully therapeutic,” she says.

The nonprofit Black Hills Studios of the Arts (BHSA) was born from a for-profit concept: Bringing excellent music instructors to one place to provide various music instruction. “This one-stop-shop allows parents of multiple children or multi-instrumental children to have a place to receive service for all of their music needs,” says Executive Director Mallory A. Dekker.

BHSA serves the community as an affordable music education facility. Currently, it has 110 private lesson students and reaches an additional 204 through its outreach program to private schools that cannot afford a full-time music educator. “I go to three private schools in the area where I teach general music classes and/or band,” Dekker says. “Sometimes I’m at a school for 4½ hours, other times, just 1 hour. Each school has its own curriculum written for them by me, and it usually incorporates a Christmas and Spring concert, and off we go!”

Dekker and her team are applying for grants for other outreach programs, such as a ukulele group for the Girl Scouts. This would require group lessons, teacher pay and all the ukuleles,” she says.

Because music is so important for emotional and mental health, not to mention physical health, BHSA made it a mission to make music affordable, and to work  for students of all ages and for those with ADHD, autistic and Down syndrome. Several years ago, Dekker encountered a student with Down syndrome who wanted to play the clarinet. “Since I love learning about the brain and how it works, I dove into all the case studies and research that I could get my hands on, “ she says. “I spoke with the parents several times, and talked to several doctors and special education instructors. With the plethora of information that I had gathered, I made a system that works for this student — a coding system with some auditory training; using highlighters, numbers and listening exercises.”

After several years of study with Dekker, this student can play particularly well with minimum assistance. “It’s important to note that we develop a new system for each student, and that the student is part of the planning,” she says.

Some of the more common tools Dekker and her team uses to work with special needs students include graphic organizers, highlighters, concept maps, jumping jacks (sounds strange, but she says it works!), directed brain breaks and crayon-coding (a term  that Dekker made up, which is essentially “color-coding with extra benefits”).

Another way to reach her students is through online teaching, which was a necessity during the pandemic. “Currently, we have students in rural regions, who are mere hours away, to several out-of-state students, a family in Germany, and one touring the world with her family,” Dekker says. “Most of these families got their start with us in Rapid City, then moved on, and we’re blessed that they chose to stay on with us!”

BHSA continues to grow, but Dekker has faced some limiting factors. Right now, there is more demand than instructors, and it’s difficult to find qualified people. “This demand proves that we are filling an important facet in our community. I just hope to continue to find amazing instructors so we can meet the needs of the area,” Dekker says.

Plank Junior High has unique and hard-working students, according to Band Director Jessica Corry. “Working at a Title 1 school can sometimes feel like you are constantly dealing with a broken system, but once you have a little bit of success with your students, it makes all the struggles worth it. I’m always amazed at how much adversity students can take on and still prevail,” she says.

Corry increased communication in Spanish to reach Plank’s growing Spanish-speaking population and to grow her program, which currently has 170 members. In the spring, she asks current students if they are willing to call incoming Spanish-speaking families and invite them to instrument fittings. “These calls are always very well received and appreciated,” she says.

She also takes her band members on tours of elementary feeder schools, sends postcards to all incoming families, and holds instrument fitting days to help guide new and potential band members onto instruments that they match with best. These extra efforts to communicate with band families has worked! At the band’s recent state performance, more than 100 family members drove three hours to cheer on their students. Plank parents’ support has been unwavering, according to Corry. “They are so grateful to have teachers who will work hard for their students and are always willing to step up and support when the time comes. Having so many families come out to our performance was a testament of the power and impact of what we do daily and the importance it holds in our students’ lives,” she says.

Corry also makes sure that she is seen throughout the day at Plank outside of the music department. She is currently a breakfast supervisor and sees students who come in early for breakfast to start their day. In past years, she was the main door greeter and was the first face every student saw in the morning. “By the end of the year, pretty much every kid in the building knew who I was and what I did. I would say that I have at least five students each year who join the band just because they wanted to take my class, or had a friend who loved band. That means something,” she says.

Another area where Corry is seen is at in-school suspension (ISI). “I start my day working with ISI students,” she says. “I view these students as my own during this time. We go through all their classes and assignments and make a game plan of how they will work to tackle new or old/missing assignments. We also discuss how they can change their behavior or reaction to situations they find themselves in to avoid coming back to ISI. I always end the ISI period by saying, ‘I’m happy to see you today, but I hope I don’t see you back in here again.’”

Corry recognizes the invaluable influence of mentors. “I entered education due to some fantastic music educators who impacted my life, and I wanted to pass that along to other students,” she explains. Corry is an advocate for making relationships with music educators in the area and having them come out to her classroom consistently, especially at the beginning of the school year. “Feedback from a seasoned educator has a lot more impact during the first month of the school year, opposed to a few weeks prior to a performance,” she says.

She would like to pay it forward and be available to other educators who also teach at Title I schools. “Sometimes, we just need to know that there are other people in our situations who make it work, and all we need to do is connect with them,” she says.

During her second year at Flora High School, Director of Musical Activities Jena Combs completely revitalized the music program. She reintroduced choir, drama and music appreciation classes, started a rock and jazz bands, launched a beginner guitar and ukulele class (and added an intermediate class the following year) and made music appreciation dual credit. “Recognizing the need for more general and non-traditional music options, I aimed to cater to diverse student interests,” she explains. “This initiative resulted in a significant increase in enrollment. In just three years, we went from 24 students in one class — which accounts for less than 10% of the school population — to 92 students across eight music classes — over 25% of the school population.”

One of the more popular new offerings is the rock band, which Combs proposed and established as an alternative ensemble in response to student interest in drums and bass guitar. The eight students in the class play various instruments, fostering versatility. Despite some students being new to their instruments, they practice frequently outside of class. “The rock band has enthusiastically performed at multiple events, showcasing their rapid progress by learning and assembling a new song nearly every week,” Combs says. “The rock band has not only expanded musical offerings but also sparked genuine enthusiasm for learning and performing.”

Thanks to Combs’ efforts, Flora provides a dynamic space for each student to discover their potential and contribute to the music program’s reputation as a symbol of hard work and dedication. She credits the collective success of Flora’s music program on the exceptional dedication and hard work of her students. ”Their commitment to going above and beyond has shaped the program’s recognition for excellence and created a platform for students to shine and grow. Their unwavering passion contributes not only to individual achievements but also fosters a culture of collective success,” she says.

Combs presented a clinic on innovative approaches to starting and sustaining non-traditional classes at the Illinois Music Education Conference, where she emphasized the importance of design, teaching methods, and strategies for student recruitment and retention. “Recognizing the need for diversification in my district, I introduced courses addressing this gap, fostering inclusivity, creativity and self-expression. These classes not only enrich cognitive development but also open up diverse career options,” Combs says.

Teaching in a small, rural community, Combs has witnessed firsthand how these opportunities promote cultural awareness, musical diversity and enhance overall engagement and learning. She aims to guide educators in implementing such programs, making a positive impact regardless of school size or location.

Growing a small music program with limited resources takes vision and a lot of hard work. Director of Beginning Band Raymond William Cannon credits his fellow performing arts colleagues in Addison School District 4, an elementary district of nine schools, who share his dream for student success and program growth. “Our performing arts team has worked tirelessly to grow our program and ensure student success,” he explains. “We have worked with our district administration to modernize our facilities, provide funding for new instrument purchases and to grow and foster our music parents’ organization.”

The music teachers ask 4th- and 5th-grade teachers to encourage students to participate in 5th grade band and orchestra, they work with their young musicians to foster a mentorship program, and they collaborate with parents to grow a robust music advocacy program. Cannon and his colleagues also reach out to the community. “Local businesses help fundraise and provide opportunities for the program. Our local community members and vendors have also helped with student-specific needs, often donating instruments and items that the school doesn’t possess or adapting instruments to meet students’ physical abilities. This allows us to always have an instrument for our young musicians,” he explains.

Cannon went above and beyond when a young musician injured his arm. Rather than have the student join the band after he healed, Cannon used CAD software and designed a mount that would attach to a cymbal stand. After the model was created, it was printed by the 3D printing club for the student to use. The stand held the instrument, and the student was able to learn and play alongside his peers. Cannon uploaded the model to multiple band director groups for others to use free of charge.

According to Cannon, a key to the success of the Addison music program is giving all stakeholders a voice. “Our ensembles focus on student voice and choice,” he says. “Our students and graduates have a voice in the program, which gives them ownership and encourages them to help the program grow.”

Communication with band families is provided in multiple languages with opportunities for parents to learn with their young musicians. “This allows parents to take an active and involved role in our music program through our Addison Music Parents Organization. This organization plays a vital role in giving parent choice in our program,” he says.

Cannon strives to teach his students that music is a lifelong activity. “Our program may be small, but we are mighty. We are very fortunate to work in a district that believes in our mission of ‘music for all.’ This mindset allows us to overcome adversity and ensure that all students have access to music education regardless of any barriers.”

Changing jobs is always stressful, but moving to a brand-new school is particularly daunting. From day one, Horizon High School Band Director Charlene Cannon focused on building a culture of teamwork and collaboration between all sections to ensure that students would be positive and helpful to one another.

“Our first activity at our first band camp was determining what we would say when the marching band was called to attention because I wanted to make sure all students felt included as part of establishing the look and vibe of our marching band, The Sound of Horizon,” she says. “I have a frame in my office with pictures from day one and day 10 of this first band camp. The difference in camaraderie and connectedness amongst the students is evident. These photos drive me every day to continue my work on student culture and connection to ensure that everyone has a positive experience in my classroom.”

At band camp, there were 36 students. By the second week of school, the number of students almost doubled to 68. Since then, Cannon’s program has experienced a steady growth. “I write my own marching band drill formations each year, and I did a lot of re-writing that first year to make sure that everyone who joined would be included no matter when they signed up for the band program,” she explained.

Cannon was in a unique situation when she started at Horizon High School because a middle school opened on the high school campus at the same time, and she also served as the band director there for a year. She encouraged teamwork and friendship among the middle schoolers, which they carried with them when they entered high school.

For students with no prior musical experience, Cannon started a beginning band class this year to ensure that there was an entry-level option. “This class is taught the same way as the other classes, just at a different pace. By focusing on their individual fundamentals, we’ve made remarkable progress in a short amount of time,” she says.

Cannon encourages her band students to participate in other activities. “I am so proud that my students are also involved in football, cheerleading, golf, cross country, track and field, basketball, volleyball, various clubs and honor societies, tutoring and more,” she says. “I believe that participating in other activities provides high school students the chance to be well-rounded and the mindset to always try new things.”

When Horizon opened, Cannon worked with athletics to determine a policy for resolving conflicts between sports and performing arts. “I’m fortunate to have colleagues who understand the importance of supporting these multi-talented, busy students. The band and color guard students have become excellent advocates of time management and responsibility for their schedules,” she says.

Director of Bands Douglas Brown has a deep passion for traditional music forms like band, choir and orchestra, but he knows that these aren’t the preferred mediums for all students at Middleton High School. “To bridge this gap, I introduced a curriculum centered around hip hop and digital music production,” he says. “This curriculum not only resonates with the changing dynamics of the music scene but also caters to a wider array of student interests.”

The success of Brown’s program highlights the significance of evolving music education to align with the varied interests and ambitions of students. “Each year, we see hundreds of students enthusiastically engaging in these classes, which has nurtured a strong community of budding musicians in our school,” he explains. “It’s particularly heartening to witness students from this program advancing to higher education in music production and carving out successful careers in the industry, including roles as hip hop artists, producers and sound engineers.”

Middleton has a state-of-the-art hip hop/music production lab and recording studio. Every student has access to a production cart, which is equipped with a laptop, digital audio workstation, audio interface, power conditioner, microphones, digital/analog turntables, a MIDI keyboard and reference monitors. These stations enable students to perform live DJ sets during lunch breaks and transform any classroom into a production and recording space. Brown emphasizes and appreciates the collaborative effort required to create the lab, recording studio and individual production stations. “All this was made possible through the support of our school district and the generosity of numerous dedicated and enthusiastic donors. Their contributions have been instrumental in bringing this visionary project to life, greatly enriching the music education experience for our students,” he says.

Brown also encourages collaboration among Middleton’s diverse music class offerings. “This collaborative spirit is evident in various projects, such as when our digital music students record and produce albums for the singer-songwriter class, or when our advanced music composition class writes pieces for one of the bands, choirs or orchestras,” Brown says.

A particularly innovative collaboration involved pairing DJs and rappers from the hip hop class with the marching band. A team of creative music writers that included students and professionals composed a marching show that fused elements of acoustic and digital music. The show featured a diverse array of instruments like multiple synthesizers, vocoders, electronic wind instruments and turntables, as well as a rapper who performed verses and spoken word poetry. A highlight was the construction of a central DJ booth on the field, complete with a wall of speakers. “This groundbreaking collaboration not only showcased our students’ diverse talents but also broke new ground in blending traditional and modern musical genres in a live performance setting,” Brown says.

In addition to overseeing the hip hop and digital music courses, Brown also conducts the marching band, four curricular instrumental music ensembles, the percussion ensemble, two extracurricular jazz bands and has over 300 students involved in the band department at Middleton High School. “I often joke that I gave up sleep years ago, but in truth, my passion for what I do fuels me with incredible energy, especially when it comes to serving my students,” he says. “Managing the multifaceted aspects of this role is undeniably challenging, but it’s made achievable thanks to an amazing wife, who is a great musician and educator in her own right, and a team of music educators, private instructors, adjunct faculty and support staff. Each member of this team plays a crucial role, and they deserve equal recognition for the success of our students.”

Being part of caring and thoughtful communities is what making music is all about, according to Director of Bands Tony Boldt. “Throughout my career at Kasson-Mantorville High School, one aspect of music making that I have enjoyed the most is having different groups and individuals interact with one another. Music is so much about connection,” he says.

A decade ago, the communities of Kasson and Mantorville in Minnesota passed a referendum that included a new high school commons, a renovated gym, a new 800-seat auditorium and the renovation of the music department. Construction was completed two years later in 2016. “The community has always greatly supported the arts, and the Performing Arts Center serves as a constant reminder of that outstanding support. The space is used almost every day, and we have an amazing technical director who helps bring our concerts and productions to another level,” Boldt says.

He promotes a student aid program, which has fostered leadership skills. “Over the past few years, these students have really become the organization leaders who keep the ship running,” he says. “We have some wonderful senior leaders who are heavily involved in our fall musical and fall band and choir activities. While we pack a lot into the fall, it allows us to create a great leadership team of seniors.”

Performing works by up-and-coming composers has been a focal point for Boldt. His band has performed two works by composer Claire Howard, who Boldt met at the University of Minnesota Conducting Symposium. “We are hoping to expand this into a bigger commissioning project that will take place yearly,” he says.

Boldt’s seemingly endless energy and passion come from having wonderful mentors who modeled how to create groups and spaces where everyone feels welcomed and safe. “I use the same methods for recruiting as I saw my amazing middle school music teachers — Brian Cole and Denise Pesola — used,” Boldt says. “I strive to create community in the same way my college band directors — Dr. Nat Dickey and Dr. Scott Jones — did. My two colleagues at Kasson-Mantorville — Liz Harwood and Sarah Vinzant — are fantastic recruiters and proponents of music who constantly create outstanding connections with students while eliminating barriers to entry. I’ve learned so much from all these incredible music educators.”

Boldt also directs the Rochester Community Band, a group of about 75 musicians that range in age from 14 or 15 to 80! “So much of the recruitment for the Rochester Community Band is word of mouth through members, but I always make sure to invite local students, and we get many during the summer,” Boldt says.

Under Adam Bodony’s tenure as Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestras at Purdue University, the orchestra program has experienced remarkable growth. The number of students enrolled in orchestra has grown by more than a whopping 85% — from 150 during the 2015-2016 academic year to 280 in 2023-2024. The number of orchestras went from two when Bodony arrived at Purdue, to four — a first in the department’s 120-year history.

According to Bodony, enrollment grew for several reasons, including:

• Establishing a renewed sense of pride in being an orchestra member at Purdue, having a higher bar of artistic excellence, and creating a culture of support, understanding and kindness.
• Establishing a collaborative and supportive relationship with other areas in the department (such as marching band, concert band, jazz band, etc.) and with other colleges in the university (such as the College of Liberal Arts and its component areas related to music).
• Seeking out regional, national and international performance opportunities and competition participation to raise the awareness of Purdue’s program while simultaneously instilling a sense of pride in students in representing Purdue University outside of its campus borders.
• Reaching out to dozens of professional and collegiate guest artists, guest conductors and guest collaborators. “Our orchestra students have learned from some of the very best talent the United States has to offer,” Bodony says.
• Finally, Bodony believes the most important factor is that students “see in me and sense from me my pure love for music, even at a place like Purdue that is overwhelmingly STEM-centered,” he said.

Bodony is also the Artistic Director of the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra (IYO), which he wants to set up as a pre-college conservatory, offering instruction in topics like music theory, music history, conducting and chamber music. After finding out that IYO families were overwhelmingly interested in these pre-college modules, he identified partners to help. “For music theory and music history, we partnered with the Butler University Community Arts School and developed a curriculum together that their staff would then teach,” Bodony says.

For chamber music, IYO partnered with several local professional musicians from area universities as well as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Bodony developed the curriculum and taught the material for conducting, which culminated with students conducting the IYO Symphony Orchestra.

This pre-college system ran from 2015 to 2020, but everything came to a screeching halt during the pandemic. “This academic year (2023-2024), we restarted our music theory module. Conducting and music history will be next,” Bodony explains.

Having grown up in Indianapolis and now working with youth and college students in the city, creating and promoting local musical opportunities is important to Bodony. When he was young, he craved performance and concert opportunities and was generally supported and found what he was looking for. “It pains me to consider a young person somewhere out there in Indianapolis starving for more art, more music, more high-quality instruction, more depth, more knowledge, more everything, and not being fulfilled. That’s what drives me,” he says.

Knowing the immense power of music, Dr. Benjamin Bergey established an interdisciplinary major called Music and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University. “While many musicians and ensemble directors know on various levels that music helps to bring people together and make our world better, this is the first undergraduate major in the U.S. that combines the theories and practices of peacebuilding and conflict transformation with musical training,” the Assistant Professor of Music explains.

Students take core music and peacebuilding courses, and through colloquiums, concerts and community events, they experience and practice the applications of music in building peace, which increases their empathy and their ability to engage in dialogue. They must also complete an internship as well as a senior project where they combine the things that they have been learning.

“I also designed a course called Music and Peacebuilding to engage with the growing field and networks of arts-based peacebuilders, and to explore the theories and practices to use music to help transform conflict since making music together can help bridge divides and create common ground,” Bergey says.

As a small liberal arts college, EMU can adapt quickly to meet the varying needs of students, who have the opportunity to be involved in whatever they like. “The university culture is attuned to issues of social justice, inclusion and intercultural competency — values that are so helpful in cultivating a safe and inviting music department, which made developing a major like Music and Peacebuilding possible,” he says.

Bergey is always thinking outside the box to come up with solutions to help his students. He transitioned the music theory curriculum to use open educational resources (OER), which is free to students. “I received a grant from VIVA Open, a Virginia-based library consortium, and adapted and developed resources for our music theory curriculum,” he says. “We had been using expensive textbooks and workbooks for a long time, but that was not necessary. This way, students do not pay for books for their three music theory courses.”

Another solution Bergey spearheaded was during the pandemic. In the summer of 2020, he worked with others in the area to think through creative ways to still sing together in a safe way. Some used microphones and an FM transmitter to sing from their cars, which wasn’t feasible at a college. “I figured we could use PA speakers outside. All I needed were wireless microphones, a mixer, speakers and some cables to make it work,” Bergey explains. “We did that for a full year, giving students the chance to still sing during college, and we put on concerts outside for audiences, who really loved it.”

Bergey chronicled that first summer’s set up, and the choir was featured in a documentary showing the creative ways choirs were able to sing together safely during COVID.

Collaboration is valued at Greenbriar School, and music teacher Jeremy Bartunek finds many opportunities to collaborate with his colleagues and students to promote music, creativity and independence. Along with the school’s art teacher, he has developed full and complete artistic experiences for students. Together, they also work with other art and music teachers around the district, as well as with general education teachers to integrate learning across the curriculum, so performing and visual arts are not simply allocated to the music and art classrooms.

“The students play an integral role in the success of our program,” he explains. “I have 5th-grade students running the sound and lights for all our shows, as well as working backstage. My goal is that I can simply sit back and relax during the performances because the kids are running the show.”

Bartunek worked with his general music colleagues in the district to strip down the curriculum to the essentials, which allowed teachers to embellish the curriculum as they needed. For example, one of the markers is that students must successfully perform a melody with three pitches from music notation. “We left the word ‘perform’ rather vague and removed any reference to instruments, solfege, singing, ‘standard notation’ (so graphic notation could be used) or how that would be assessed,” he explains. “Some students used a recorder and standard notation, others sang and used solfege syllables, and others still used music software or created their own physical representation using manipulatives,”

The best part was that each teacher was allowed and encouraged to tailor the teaching and assessment to their kids and specific classes while still maintaining consistency across all three elementary schools in the district.

Bartunek founded the Northbrook 28 Children’s Choir in the Fall of 2019 with about 60 students in 3rd to 5th grade in three different ensembles. “This, of course, turned out to be a terrible time to start a choir because of the COVID pandemic in 2020,” he says. However, the choir continued to meet via Zoom and successfully “performed” virtual concerts. Today, the choir has grown to more than 200 students in 1st to 5th grade spread over four ensembles. The students have performed at community events at Wrigley Field, Northwest Community Hospital, the Northbrook Court mall and more.

Bartunek recognizes that he is just one of many teachers and subjects that students will encounter. “I strive to make the music room a space where students are comfortable expressing themselves musically and where they feel like they can be emotionally open,” he says.

Almost all his students are comfortable singing alone in front of their peers and using their voice as a medium for their personality. “The music room is the best room in the school (except, maybe, the auditorium) and that is because it is the most honest and open place for kids to be,” he says.