In Episode 62, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Kathleen Jacoby, a high school band director in Fairfax, Virginia. Kathleen’s teaching philosophy revolves around student ownership and engagement in the music program, drawing from her own experiences in a small band program where every member's contribution was vital. She shares innovative strategies she employs to involve students in decision-making processes, such as selecting pieces and contributing to rehearsal methods. The interview delves into h...
Feb 05, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 62
In episode 61, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Dr. Rob Pethel, an innovative music educator with a passion for guitar and virtual teaching. Rob talks about the importance of embracing change and innovation in music education, shedding light on his approach to keeping students engaged and motivated in a virtual environment. He discusses methods for fostering a creative and productive learning space, highlighting the critical role of technology in modern music education. Rob also shares practical insi...
Jan 22, 2024•48 min•Season 3Ep. 61
In Episode 60, Kathryn and Theresa interview Kyle Smith, a high school band director from Maine. Kyle discusses his journey and experiences, emphasizing the importance of continuous growth and learning in education. He shares insights from his podcast "The Growing Band Director," where he and his guests explore various educational topics. Kyle talks about effective teaching methods and the significance of keeping music education engaging and relevant. He highlights key lessons learned from his p...
Jan 08, 2024•41 min•Season 3Ep. 60
In Episode 59, Kathryn and Theresa engage in a conversation exploring the intersection of music education, student empowerment, and research! Theresa, a PhD student at Arizona State University, delves into her research project that analyzes themes from the Pass the Baton podcast, particularly focusing on secondary music education. The discussion reveals key findings: music teachers strive for their students to become independent musicians and learners by focusing on individual needs and creating...
Dec 04, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 59
In Episode 58, Kathryn and Theresa interview Jamie Widener, a music educator passionate about incorporating Genius Hour in her elementary music classes. The episode focuses on Jamie's approach to engaging students by allowing them to pursue music-related passion projects, inspired by Google's strategy of allowing employees to dedicate 20% of their work time to personal projects. Jamie discusses the practical aspects of implementing Genius Hour in the music classroom, including project selection,...
Nov 20, 2023•28 min•Season 58Ep. 3
In episode 57, Kathryn and Theresa talk to SJ, a music educator originally from India, now teaching in Dubai. In this interview, SJ discusses his approach to teaching music to early and primary year students. He emphasizes the importance of using the voice as a primary instrument in the classroom and reflects on his transition from a traditional, teacher-centered approach to a more inquiry-based, student-centered style. SJ advocates for creating a learning environment that sparks curiosity and a...
Nov 06, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 57
In episode 56, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Tom Chester and Justin Johnson, music educators and ensemble directors from Illinois. The discussion revolves around the concept of student-centered learning in the realm of music education. Both Tom and Justin emphasize the importance of equipping students with the tools to think critically and independently about music. They highlight the pitfalls of traditional teaching methods that often prioritize performance preparation over genuine musical unders...
Oct 23, 2023•51 min•Season 3Ep. 56
In episode 55, Kathryn and Theresa sit down with Terry Little, a veteran music educator with over three decades of experience. Terry delves deep into the concept of "assessment for learning," emphasizing its role in making the educational process more student-centered. Instead of traditional grading methods, this approach involves students actively in their assessment, allowing them to produce tangible evidence of their learning journey. This evidence enables students to self-assess, set learnin...
Oct 09, 2023•40 min•Season 3Ep. 55
In episode 54, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Dr. Dylan Maddix, an Assistant Professor of Instrumental Conducting and Community Engagement at Memorial University, as he shares his extensive journey in music education and his insights on the transformative power of servant leadership within this realm. Dylan delves into his experiences with various educators and how they shaped his perspective on leadership and teaching. He discusses the profound impact of servant leadership, a concept formalized by...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 54
In episode 53, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Dr. Shane Colquhoun, an assistant professor of music technology and contemporary styles at Alabama State University. Shane discusses the importance of rethinking traditional approaches to music education by challenging the notion of "music education for all," arguing that current programs often cater only to students with specific musical interests, such as classical instruments, while neglecting those interested in contemporary or popular music. He adv...
Sep 11, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 53
In episode 52, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Jen Rafferty, a former music educator and the founder of the Empowered Educator. Jen discusses the importance of educators taking care of themselves to create a positive impact on students. By prioritizing self-care and practicing breathing exercises, teachers can regulate their nervous systems and make better decisions. Jen advocates for shifting the narrative from selflessness and martyrdom to empowering educators, as their well-being directly affects...
Aug 28, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 52
In episode 51, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Elizabeth Peterson, a 25-year veteran teacher from New Hampshire. Elizabeth discusses the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in the music classroom, especially in relation to building strong teacher-student relationships and fostering student empowerment. She emphasizes the significance of SEL in helping students become more emotionally aware and socially competent, and offers strategies to help music teachers promote SEL concepts. These ...
Aug 14, 2023•40 min•Season 3Ep. 51
Welcome to episode 50 of the Pass the Baton podcast! This episode starts with Theresa and Kathryn talking briefly about their school years and what to look forward to for Pass the Baton. Then we look back at some of the great moments captured in season two of the podcast. Get a free preview of Pass the Baton here: https://www.daveburgessconsulting.com/books/pass-the-baton/ Support Pass the Baton - Resources, Books, Coaching, and more! ➡ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/passthebaton For more...
Jun 05, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 50
This week, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Ryan Diefenderfer, about his experiences implementing the Orpheus approach with his high school ensembles. Ryan works at Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, teaching the marching band, concert band, orchestra, chamber ensembles, and jazz band. He is also working on a master's degree at Arizona State University and was recently named a quarterfinalist for the 2024 Grammy Music Educator Award. Throughout the interview, Ryan shares how he first...
May 22, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 49
This week, Kathryn and Theresa interviewed David Getz about how he incorporates music composition to spark student creativity. David is a high school orchestra teacher in central Illinois. He has also coached cross country, conducts a local youth orchestra, and recently published a book with F-flat Books, Unlocking Student Creativity Through Composition . As someone who was encouraged to compose and improvise at a young age, David recognizes how influential those experiences were. He now works t...
May 08, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 48
In episode 47, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Allison Russo about how she works with music educators to create a values-based music program. Allison is currently an educational consultant in New Jersey, working with both schools and non-profit organizations. After graduating from Ithaca College, she taught elementary band for several years and then began working for a jazz education non-profit, helping to bring jazz education into schools and running their gender equity program. It was through thes...
Apr 24, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 47
This week, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Jared Brockmeyer about how he has incorporated game-based practices in his middle school band classes! Jared currently teaches 6th-8th grade band in Missouri. He also has experience teaching high school band and worked with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. As a game-lover, Jared has found that there are several elements in video games that not only engage students but also give them agency, and by incorporating those elements in the classroom, he has tran...
Apr 10, 2023•54 min•Season 46Ep. 2
This week’s podcast features an interview with music educator and leader, Anne Fennell. In this episode, Anne shares her insights on engaging community and creating a collective power through music education. Anne is in her 36th year in education. She is currently the K-12 Music Program Manager for San Diego Unified School District, supervising music educators at 117 elementary schools. Prior to this, she taught kindergarten through eighth grade music for 22 years and high school music for 10 ye...
Mar 27, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 45
This week, instead of interviewing a guest, Theresa interviewed Kathryn about empathy projects she has done with her elementary music students. Kathryn currently teaches K-5th grade general music in Northbrook, Illinois. In addition to being a co-author of Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students, Kathryn also writes with Abigail Blair as part of the Blair Finch Project. In this interview, Kathryn shares how a STEAM project involving adaptive instruments helped students incorporate empathy ...
Feb 27, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 44
This week Kathryn and Theresa had the opportunity to talk to Lori Schwartz Reichl about an invaluable topic - reflection! Lori taught middle school band in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Currently, she provides professional development for music educators, does guest conducting and adjudication work, and writes for music educators and administrators. Lori also recently completed a doctoral degree in music education. One of Lori’s passions is reflection, and in this interview she shares why and how e...
Feb 13, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 43
This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Michelle Rose. Michelle teaches middle and high school general music at a virtual school in North Carolina. She’s been teaching music online since before the pandemic! Michelle is also a PhD student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Michelle is no stranger to Pass the Baton ! She was actually featured as the encore story in Chapter 8 of Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students. In this interview, Michelle talks to us about the value of ...
Jan 30, 2023•46 min•Season 2Ep. 42
In episode 41, Kathryn and Theresa had the pleasure of interviewing two amazing music educators from Fairfax, Virginia - Katie LaBrie and Tracy Magwire! Katie LaBrie taught orchestra in Fairfax County Public Schools for over 16 years and is currently the new Orchestra Division Editor for Randall Standridge Music Publications. Tracy Magwire is in her 19th year teaching band also in Fairfax County. In this interview, Katie and Tracy shared their “Big IDEA” method, to help students practice with pu...
Jan 16, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 41
In this episode, Kathryn and Theresa look back at the highlights from the first half of season two. Get a free book preview here: Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students For more info: Pass the Baton Free Download - Exit Tickets for Self-Reflection: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/f8l7g9...
Dec 19, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 40
In Episode 39, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Dr. Tina Huynh, an assistant professor of music education at the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, Washington. Currently, Tina teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education. Previously, Tina taught elementary general music in Southern California. In this interview, Tina shares how she used student-created games to create learner-centered experiences in her music classes. Check out Tina's website, http://tinaahuynh.com, to learn mor...
Dec 05, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 39
In episode 38, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Dr. Tom FitzStephens, a high school music teacher in Atlanta, Georgia. Tom’s teaching assignment includes chorus, AP music theory, and guitar classes. He has a master’s degree in choral conducting and a PhD in music education. Tom considered himself a relatively traditional choral teacher until he started working towards his PhD. Learning about different styles and philosophies of music education expanded his view of what the music classroom could be....
Nov 21, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 38
In episode 37, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Roger Coss, a music educator in California. After getting his bachelors and masters degrees in jazz studies, Roger was teaching second grade at a charter school in San Jose, California while working on a doctoral degree. It was then he discovered how much he enjoyed teaching and made the switch to teach music. Currently, Roger teaches at Hickman Charter School near Modesto, California. He is an avid rock climber and often compares exploration in climb...
Nov 07, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 37
In Episode 36, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Heather Fortune, a music educator in Philadelphia, PA. Heather is a professional flutist, with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in flute performance from Boston University. She was a freelance musician for 10-years in the Philadelphia area before becoming a flute teacher at a Quaker school in the city. After 4 years of teaching private lessons at the school, Heather was hired as the full time instrumental music teacher. Since that time, Heather has...
Oct 24, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 36
In Episode 35, Theresa and Kathryn talked to music educator, Zach Rush. Zach began his teaching career in international schools, teaching music in both Dubai and Pakistan. He returned to the US to get a master’s degree and then began teaching elementary general music in Arlington, Virginia. This school year, he has moved closer to home to teach music in Iowa City. In addition to teaching music, Zach is also interested in research, and how educators can use that to inform their practice. You can ...
Oct 10, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 35
In episode 34, we talked to Elise Hackl-Blumstein, a former accessible music educator and current student-services coordinator in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Elise has experience teaching preschool through eighth grade music, and also has created an accessible arts organization focused on accessibility in all arts. She is passionate about making sure all students have access to music and music education. In this interview, Elise shares how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a beneficial framewo...
Sep 26, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 34
Episode 33 features an interview with two outstanding educators who are no strangers to Pass the Baton - Amy Rever-Oberle and Lauren Staniszewski. Amy is the band director at Hart Middle School in Rochester Hills, Michigan where she teaches 6th through 8th grade band. Lauren is the band director at Stoney Creek High School, also in Rochester Hills, where she teaches three high school concert bands, marching band, jazz band, and collaborates with Amy to teach one section of 6th grade band. Both e...
Sep 12, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 33
