The First Six Notes with Classroom Composers

Send us Fan Mail Teaching music can easily become a job that takes as much time as you are willing to give it. Between rehearsals, performances, planning, emails, grading, and everything else that comes with running a music program, it can be difficult to separate work from the rest of your life. In Episode 40, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss work-life balance for music educators and the impo...

Send us Fan Mail Classroom management in beginning band can be especially challenging. Students are learning new instruments, new routines, and how to function as an ensemble all at the same time. In Episode 39, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss practical classroom management strategies specifically for beginning band. They talk about establishing clear expectations, teaching routines instead o...

Send us Fan Mail As music educators, it is easy to keep doing things simply because that is how they have always been done. But every rehearsal activity, performance, tradition, and expectation should have a clear purpose. In Episode 38, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss the importance of asking, “What’s the point?” They explore how defining the purpose behind what we teach can help music educa...

Send us Fan Mail Music education has changed, but many rehearsal techniques still rely on the same teacher-directed approach that has been used for decades. In Episode 37, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss modern teaching strategies that can make rehearsals more effective and help students become more independent musicians. They explore modeling, gradual release, chunking difficult material, ch...

Send us Fan Mail More music does not always mean a better concert. When music educators program too much or choose repertoire that requires every rehearsal just to survive the notes, there is less time to actually teach musicianship. In Episode 36, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss why music educators should stop overprogramming concerts and focus instead on choosing an appropriate amount of mu...

Send us Fan Mail What if you could spend less time planning every individual lesson and more time actually teaching? In Episode 35, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss how music educators can create a more predictable, low-prep school year by planning the big picture first, building repeatable routines, organizing resources ahead of time, and using systems that keep instruction moving without con...

Send us Fan Mail Running a successful music program takes more than good teaching. Music educators also have to understand where school money comes from, what funds are available, and how to advocate for the resources their students need. In Episode 34, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss school funding, budgeting, fundraising, purchasing, and practical ways music educators can make the most of t...

Send us Fan Mail Not every music educator gets the ideal schedule, class size, instrumentation, or teaching setup. Sometimes success means adjusting your expectations and finding a system that works for the students and circumstances you actually have. In Episode 33, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss their experiences teaching in unusual situations and how they have adapted instruction, pacing,...

Send us Fan Mail Good classroom management is not about having the perfect consequence system. It starts with creating clear expectations, predictable routines, and an environment where students know exactly what is expected of them. In this episode, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss practical classroom management strategies for music educators, including establishing routines, responding consi...

Send us Fan Mail Once students can assemble their instruments and produce a full instrument sound, it is finally time to start learning notes and making music. In Part 5, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss how they introduce the first notes, connect fingerings with music notation, build note changes, incorporate percussion, and decide when students are ready to move into method book exercises an...

Send us Fan Mail After students produce their first mouthpiece sounds, the next step is assembling instruments correctly, establishing faster setup routines, and creating the first full-instrument sounds. In Part 4, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss how they keep percussionists engaged, teach safe instrument assembly, correct posture and hand position, and address common problems before they be...

Send us Fan Mail Once students receive their instruments, it can be tempting to start playing immediately. However, taking time to teach instrument care, assembly, posture, breathing, and first sounds can prevent problems later. In Part 3, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss how they distribute instruments, establish safe setup routines, teach mouthpiece and headjoint assembly, and help students...

Send us Fan Mail Choosing instruments is one of the most exciting parts of beginning band, but student preference is only one part of the process. In Part 2, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss how they introduce the concert band instruments, test students on mouthpieces and headjoints, evaluate percussion coordination, and balance student interest with physical fit, available equipment, and ense...

Send us Fan Mail The first month of beginning band can shape the rest of the school year. Before students focus on making music, they need clear expectations for entering the room, handling equipment, following directions, and participating in an ensemble. In Part 1, Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank discuss the rules, routines, and behavior systems that help create a calm and productive beginning band...

Send us Fan Mail After nearly three years away, The First Six Notes Podcast is back! Kevin Hoff and Jessica Frank catch listeners up on their career changes, what they learned during the break, and why now feels like the right time to relaunch the show. Kevin discusses his move from middle school to high school and his upcoming return to middle school, while Jessica reflects on working in administ...

Are you feeling overwhelmed thinking of all you have to do to get ready for the start of another school year? No need to stress! We've got you covered with all the tips and tricks you need to start off your music classes on the right note! We are sharing everything you need to know about what to do during teacher prep week and in the first few weeks of the school year. From recruitment strate...

How can you successfully teach beginning strings when your background is in band? Teaching beginning strings requires a unique set of skills and knowledge. If you’re a band teacher teaching beginning strings, tune in as we dive into the world of teaching beginning strings. In this episode, we are breaking down the pros of teaching beginning strings, the 7 prerequisite skills you should have before...

Are you using warm-ups and drills as a way to prepare your students to play sheet music? If not, you may be missing out on an incredible opportunity to help your students be more successful in band! Join us as we dive into the importance of utilizing warm-ups and drills to effectively teach and practice new concepts and skills. Hear how we use backwards planning to craft our warm-ups and how warm-...

All over, teachers are seeing challenging behaviors that we have not seen previously. We know that in order to best serve our students and run a successful band program we need to reflect on what is working and what is not working and adapt as needed. In this episode, we are diving into the 7 main issues we saw this past school year, what our updated rules and expectations will be going forward, a...

We’ve all gotten frustrated with method books or curriculums that move too quickly or aren’t easily understood by students. We knew there was a gap between what options were out there for beginning bands and what beginning band students and their teachers actually needed. In this episode, we are diving into how the Quarter Note Companion helps set beginning band students up for success. We are sha...

Teaching beginning band can be overwhelming and challenging! We have found that having three key pillars in place has been incredibly beneficial to running our beginning band classes. Establishing these overarching pillars have helped us to build our beginning band program that is successful and enjoyable for us and our students. In this episode, we are sharing the importance of planning backwards...

A lot goes into teaching beginning strings. When helping students learn the correct posture, safety, bow hold, etc., it is so important that they understand your expectations and what is expected of them. That is one of the key tips our guest, Elizabeth Rohrs, shares about teaching beginning strings. In this episode, Elizabeth is diving into how she successfully teaches her very large classes of b...

We’re reaching the end of the school year and you’re likely busy with spring concert prep and the last thing you want to think about is getting all the end of the year tasks completed. We want to help you get organized and plan for the end of the year without adding more to your to-do list.  In this episode, we are diving into how we have simplified our end of the year processes to ensure all task...

What can we learn from video games and video game design that can help us as music educators? Jared Brockmeyer is joining us today to dive into how understanding video game design and student motivations can help us better reach and connect with our band students. Jared has recently been presenting on gamification in education and has so much incredible information about the topic. In this episode...

Music education looks different depending on which state you are in but many music educators would agree that Texas’ music education is better than other places in the United States. What is it about music education in Texas that helps to create such great programs? In this episode we are joined by Andy LaRusch, a head band director in Texas, who is sharing some great insight into music education...