Music for Teens

When asked to revise and restart a course that hadn't been offered for the better part of a decade at my school,  I took it as an opportunity to diversify the topics addressed in a music history course.  Using Ethan Hein's blog post on Teaching Whiteness in Music Class,  I took a real reflective look at the barriers of music history and how it is not all about the Beethoven, Bach and Brahms.  I also address how to talk about the hard topics of past and current racism and classism in the music industry with students.Strategies are also given on how to implement student choice in assignments, and make assignments that your students will actually want to complete.  

Music for Teens Episode 1-3 "Are the Teenagers Alright?" is now live!  With the one year anniversary of remote learning and shutdowns many articles have been written on the status of school-aged children and teens.  Depending on who you ask the students are either thriving or they are drowning.  Like all things the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  This episode features insights and data i have gathered myself in this brave new world of remote teaching and learning.  Remember, this is just me and my situation, and my data has not been peer reviewed. Also addressed in this episode, how we as music teachers in a non-performance elective capacity can reduce stress on students and make them lifelong music lovers and consumers.  

After a longer than expected hiatus, Music for Teenagers returns with how what you learned about teaching methods in an elementary general music class, might not apply to teaching music to teenagers.  The 2015 American Psychological Association paper "The Top 20 Principals for Pk-12 Teaching and Learning". is referenced heavily, and how changes in the teenage brain make teens both more fascinated with music, and less likely to be creative with it.  I also talk about overcoming knowledge and experiences students may bring to the classroom through relationship building, and logical examples.  

Lesley Schultz, host of Music for Teens gives insight as to why she started this podcast, and topics she hopes to cover. She also shares her background as a Secondary General Music Specialist, and why she came to the conclusion that a podcast for this topic was needed.