As music educators, so much of what we tend to focus on stems from ensemble performances, sometimes neglecting what music education can and should be for our students in the process. We’ve measured ourselves by concert performances and adjudicators scores instead of what we should be focused on: creating passionate musicians.
In this episode, I speak with Ingrid Martin, a thought leader from Australia who shares how she pivoted her ensembles, what activities she discovered that can work best no matter what your teaching situation is, and how you can continue to build stronger and lasting relationships with your students—even if you aren’t seeing them in a traditional rehearsal.
Whether you’re teaching in-person, entirely online, or some version of hybrid, I hope that you keep this in mind: what are we doing to create passionate musicians?
This Episode Is Available On:
Key Topics
- What are ensembles for? What is rehearsal for? How has your teaching philosophy changed?
- How teachers can best serve their students
- Moving from rigidity to flexibility—a step-by-step journey for educators.
Additional Resources
- Conducting Artistry Website
- Free Resource: Online Ensemble Basics
- Score Reading for Ensembles eBook
- 110 Innovative Online/Hybrid Rehearsal Activities
- Video Examples of Online Rehearsals
- The Body Keeps the Score (Book)
Liked this podcast? Check out more Music Ed Mentor Podcasts.
An experienced K8 music educator, Elisa Janson Jones specializes in helping music educators build, manage, and grow thriving school music programs and have long and happy careers. She holds a Bachelor of Music, a Master of Business Administration, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Instructional Design.
Elisa uses her vast and diverse skill set to help nonprofits, businesses, and music educators around the world. She serves as conductor of her local community band, a columnist for SBO Magazine, and maintains a private lesson studio. Elisa is an internationally-recognized speaker, and has presented at national, state, and local conferences as well. She is the host and producer of the Music Ed Mentor Podcast, founder of the Society for Online Music Education, and author of The Music Educator’s Guide to Thrive and The Music Booster Manual.