We navigate the last few weeks of school with an increasingly urgent need for the year to be over. Recorded 5.22.2022

We navigate the last few weeks of school with an increasingly urgent need for the year to be over. Recorded 5.22.2022

The one where Olin forgets to turn on his mic

We chat about how things are actually returning to the way they were before, and reflect honestly on how we navigated the challenges of this past year now that we're not in the middle of it all. S8E31 Recorded 5.5.2022

We chat about how things are actually returning to the way they were before, and reflect honestly on how we navigated the challenges of this past year now that we're not in the middle of it all. S8E31 Recorded 5.5.2022

Reflections upon exiting "Survival Mode" this year.

Veroinca asks the question: Can you still build a shiny, award winning program while still maintaining healthy boundaries in your life?   S8E30 Recorded 4.24.2022

Veroinca asks the question: Can you still build a shiny, award winning program while still maintaining healthy boundaries in your life? S8E30 Recorded 4.24.2022

Boundaries and Being the Best

We talk about the logistics of showcasing the entirety of the music program, collaborating with others in your department and how to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time. S8E29 Recorded 4/18/22

We talk about the logistics of showcasing the entirety of the music program, collaborating with others in your department and how to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time. S8E29 Recorded 4/18/22

Prism Concerts and Large Combined Events

It's been a while since we were all together so our focus meanders a bit, but our original conversations focuses on rewarding students who are represntative of the values of your program beyond just outstanding musicianship.   S8E28 Recorded 4.10.2022

It's been a while since we were all together so our focus meanders a bit, but our original conversations focuses on rewarding students who are represntative of the values of your program beyond just outstanding musicianship. S8E28 Recorded 4.10.2022

Awards and other considerations

Olin is out this week so the secondary school teachers discuss how the tail is wagging the dog when it comes to how elective enrollment is driving curriculum.

Olin is out this week so the secondary school teachers discuss how the tail is wagging the dog when it comes to how elective enrollment is driving curriculum.

When Student Enrollment Drives Curriculum

How do you thread the needle celebrating your top students without leaving your other ensembles behind? We have our friend Jeff Kumagai on who is going through the last growing pains of taking over a program and dealing with the expectations of students who align with the values of the previous director. S8E26 Recorded 3.26.22

How do you thread the needle celebrating your top students without leaving your other ensembles behind? We have our friend Jeff Kumagai on who is going through the last growing pains of taking over a program and dealing with the expectations of students who align with the values of the previous director. S8E26 Recorded 3.26.22

Managing Student Expectations: Prestige vs Equity in you program

Sus is out this week due to tech week for the musical, Olin is still in the middle of the madness. Veronica has one very long week til spring break. We check in with our goals for the end of the semester, how (if?) we are on track with them. S8E25 Recorded 3/13/2022

Sus is out this week due to tech week for the musical, Olin is still in the middle of the madness. Veronica has one very long week til spring break. We check in with our goals for the end of the semester, how (if?) we are on track with them. S8E25 Recorded 3/13/2022

Mid Semester Check-in

Welcome to the spring. Things are going fine. We're sure. 100% Everything is fine. S8E24 Recorded 3/6/2022

Welcome to the spring. Things are going fine. We're sure. 100% Everything is fine. S8E24 Recorded 3/6/2022

The one where John forgets to Sub

We continue our conversation regarding what a professional trjectory looks like for us, our previous discussion focused on what it wasn't.   S8E23 Recorded 2.27.2022

We continue our conversation regarding what a professional trjectory looks like for us, our previous discussion focused on what it wasn't. S8E23 Recorded 2.27.2022

Professional Trajectory Part 2

Four music teachers discuss current issues in music education; offer resources, tips, and tricks; and catalogue their growth and missteps made as young teachers. Originally started with all in their first five years of teaching, see how they have grown now in their eighth season.We DeFinItElY kNoW wHaT wE'rE dOiNg.

I love this podcast. I’m currently a high school student involved in choir and band and I love music in general. I’m pursing a career in music education and I love hearing the real struggles, wins, and stories of these teachers. My favorite thing about this podcast is the lack of rigid topics and scripts. Most other podcasts seem too professional and scripted. But this podcast is a casual discussion with people who get each other. It’s refreshing, and hilarious. Keep it up!!

Not a teacher (yet).

Veronica may love the sound of her own voice more than music. There are some helpful and interesting bits, but they are all TOO OFTEN buried in extraneous ramblings.

Amused?

Four music teachers discuss current issues in music education; offer resources, tips, and tricks; and catalogue their growth and missteps made as young teachers. Originally started with all in their first five years of teaching, see how they have grown now in their eighth season. We DeFinItElY kNoW wHaT wE'rE dOiNg.

AMusEd

We're back from Break, and wary about this post Thanksgiving season. Nov 1st was on a Friday which means when we left for  break "Next Month" was actually "Next Week" and that feeling in the air is just a little bit of panic.   Recorded 12/1/2019

We're back from Break, and wary about this post Thanksgiving season. Nov 1st was on a Friday which means when we left for  break "Next Month" was actually "Next Week" and that feeling in the air is just a little bit of panic. Recorded 12/1/2019

Concert Crunch

This late in the semester in can be frustrating if your classroom procedures have eroded due to lack of maintenance. We talk a bit of our on experience of how and why that happens and about getting back on track.   Recorded 11/11/2019

This late in the semester in can be frustrating if your classroom procedures have eroded due to lack of maintenance. We talk a bit of our on experience of how and why that happens and about getting back on track. Recorded 11/11/2019

Re-establishing Procedures

Veronica did a reflection exercise with her students and we all copied it. We talk about our different results and reflect ourselves on the culture of our programs.   Recorded 5.13.2018

Veronica did a reflection exercise with her students and we all copied it. We talk about our different results and reflect ourselves on the culture of our programs. Recorded 5.13.2018

Reflections on Culture

We spend a lot of time advocating on behalf of our students, our programs and for music education in general. Sometimes we need to take a second and look into standing up for and taking care of ourselves as well.

We spend a lot of time advocating on behalf of our students, our programs and for music education in general. Sometimes we need to take a second and look into standing up for and taking care of ourselves as well.

Advocating for Yourself

Bobby Rogers

Bobby is here to talk about backwards mapping warm-ups and fundamentals exercises from your concert to make sure there is always time for great teaching and not just rehearsal in your class. It's band focused this time but we swear he'll be back to talk strings.   Recorded 12/9/18.

Bobby is here to talk about backwards mapping warm-ups and fundamentals exercises from your concert to make sure there is always time for great teaching and not just rehearsal in your class. It's band focused this time but we swear he'll be back to talk strings. Recorded 12/9/18.

Never Abandoning the Fundamentals with Bobby Rogers

This week we discuss how learning procedure effects music teachers and how we need to be empathetic when teaching procedure to our students. Olin is away at band camp.   Recorded 9.9.18

This week we discuss how learning procedure effects music teachers and how we need to be empathetic when teaching procedure to our students. Olin is away at band camp. Recorded 9.9.18

Procedure for Music Teachers

So your fundraiser was successful and you have a pile of money, how do you navigate the financial bureaucracy of your new school and spend that money on your students and program? These are the questions Sus brings us today, and we thought it would maybe be helpful for newer teachers to lay out the processes by which we spend money and support our students.

So your fundraiser was successful and you have a pile of money, how do you navigate the financial bureaucracy of your new school and spend that money on your students and program? These are the questions Sus brings us today, and we thought it would maybe be helpful for newer teachers to lay out the processes by which we spend money and support our students.

Of Bursars and Boosters

CASMEC Debrief

Chelsie Chan

We discuss what we walked away from our state conference with and talk a bit about master's programs and other avenues of professional development.

We discuss what we walked away from our state conference with and talk a bit about master's programs and other avenues of professional development.

CASMEC Debrief (with Chelsie Chan)

John sits down with Barb Catlin the director at Pomona College and CIT, as well as the incoming president for the California Alliance for Jazz to discuss working in the rhythm section as a new director and a horn player. Barb's Bio can be found here: http://www.barbcatlin.com/bio

John sits down with Barb Catlin the director at Pomona College and CIT, as well as the incoming president for the California Alliance for Jazz to discuss working in the rhythm section as a new director and a horn player. Barb's Bio can be found here: <a href="http://www.barbcatlin.com/bio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.barbcatlin.com/bio</a>

Jazz Workshop Episode 6: Digging in with the Rhythm Section

Reflections on our teaching this past year and some goals for our programs and ourselves for the 2018-19 school year.

Reflections on our teaching this past year and some goals for our programs and ourselves for the 2018-19 school year.

Season 4 Wrap-Up

John's back from a week at a BSA Camp School with some pedagogy on enabling youth leadership, and Olin shares his methods for empowering his student leadership. We're no Dr. Tim, but 'tis the season, and we hope you find it helpful.    Recorded 6/1/2018

John's back from a week at a BSA Camp School with some pedagogy on enabling youth leadership, and Olin shares his methods for empowering his student leadership. We're no Dr. Tim, but 'tis the season, and we hope you find it helpful.  Recorded 6/1/2018

Enabling Your Student Leadership to Teach

What values are on display in your audition process? How does it tell the kids what you value and what you are looking for in them. How does it tell them what is important to you?  Recorded 3/10/2019

What values are on display in your audition process? How does it tell the kids what you value and what you are looking for in them. How does it tell them what is important to you?  Recorded 3/10/2019

Program Values and your Audition Process

Welcome back! We hope everyone had a great labor day weekend. This episode is more personal than topical as we haven't done this in a few months and there's a lot to catch up on. Specifically, Sus changed jobs. We have a few surprises in store for this season. Enjoy.   Recorded 8.18.18

Welcome back! We hope everyone had a great labor day weekend. This episode is more personal than topical as we haven't done this in a few months and there's a lot to catch up on. Specifically, Sus changed jobs. We have a few surprises in store for this season. Enjoy. Recorded 8.18.18

Season 5 Welcome - Leaving students you love

This week we share how we integrate singing, pitch memory, dictation and other musicianship exercises into our lessons.   Recorded 9/29/2019

This week we share how we integrate singing, pitch memory, dictation and other musicianship exercises into our lessons. Recorded 9/29/2019

Incorporating Musicianship Skills into Your Rehearsal.

Veronica is looking for ways to devote more of her time to a curriculum that isn't oriented around performance literature, but in which the performances are a byproduct of everything she has taught up to that point; developing an underlying curriculum that is independent of literature chosen.   Recorded 10.4.2018

Veronica is looking for ways to devote more of her time to a curriculum that isn't oriented around performance literature, but in which the performances are a byproduct of everything she has taught up to that point; developing an underlying curriculum that is independent of literature chosen. Recorded 10.4.2018

Developing a Process Oriented Curriculum

What opportunities do your students have to perform/encounter amazing music around town? With the Holidays approaching those opportunities skyrocket and we wanted to address them.   Recorded 12/2/18

What opportunities do your students have to perform/encounter amazing music around town? With the Holidays approaching those opportunities skyrocket and we wanted to address them. Recorded 12/2/18

Encouraging Students to get involved in the Music Community

Our friend Jeff just took a new job where he has to teach a string orchestra. He brought his questions to the podcast. Warning: John talks a lot on this one.   Recorded June 9 2019

Our friend Jeff just took a new job where he has to teach a string orchestra. He brought his questions to the podcast. Warning: John talks a lot on this one. Recorded June 9 2019

A Bridge Too Far: Band Directors stepping into Teaching Orchestra

With a new school year there's just so much going on. We bounce ideas off of one another to solve a few quick problems and share solutions to the worries of how to get off the ground.   Recorded 8/25/18

With a new school year there's just so much going on. We bounce ideas off of one another to solve a few quick problems and share solutions to the worries of how to get off the ground. Recorded 8/25/18

Getting Started

This week we talk about setting up policies in your program so your admin always has your back when parents go around you.    Also, it's John's Birthday.   Recorded 11/13/2018

This week we talk about setting up policies in your program so your admin always has your back when parents go around you.  Also, it's John's Birthday. Recorded 11/13/2018

How to defuse (or prepare for) parents who go above your head.

What can you do at the end of the semester after the final concert? What sorts of units can you build into the curriculum that are not performance based to engage your students?   Recorded 5/5/2019

What can you do at the end of the semester after the final concert? What sorts of units can you build into the curriculum that are not performance based to engage your students? Recorded 5/5/2019

End of the Semester Units 

The Best Multi-Part Documentaries, with documentaries on Obama, Federer vs Nadal, the making of Star Wars, Netflix vs Blockbuster and more. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Multi-Part Documentaries

The best podcast episodes of the most interesting stories and things. From skyping someone while they're in space, to tracking down and meeting a telephone scammer in person, to the story of a Galapagos. These episodes will keep you and all your friends entertained and captivated for hours. Learn something new in every episode! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!