Pass the Baton: Empowering Students in Music Education, a Podcast for Music Teachers

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 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

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-cent...

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 differen...

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...

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...

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, Za...

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 educat...

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...

In Episode 32, Kathryn and Theresa had the pleasure of speaking with Australian composer and educator Jodie Blackshaw. Jodie is a third-generation teacher. Her grandmother was one of the first people to practice Orff-Schulwerk in Australia, and her father taught in a one-room schoolhouse. Jodie’s work for concert band is nothing short of innovative. Her focus on student creativity is unmatched, wh...

Welcome to season 2 of the Pass the Baton podcast! In Episode 31, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Dr. Matthew Arau, a professor of music at Lawrence University Conservatory in Appleton, Wisconsin. Prior to teaching at Lawrence, Matthew taught middle school and high school band in Loveland, Colorado. Matthew is passionate about incorporating mindset and leadership strategies in his teaching, and spo...

This week, Kathryn and Theresa recap their school years and discuss some common themes from this season of the Pass the Baton podcast.   Some of the highlights include:   The importance of building relationships. Dr. Scott Edgar talks about this in Episode 27: The Connection Between SEL and Student Empowerment   When making any shifts in instruction, it's important to start small. S...

This week we spoke with Krystal Williams, a public school music educator in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Krystal teaches music theory and composition at Northwestern High School and also teaches at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as a woodwind adjunct. Krystal is the music technology chair for the Maryland Music Educators Association. She is passionate about incorporating techno...

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Ashley Cuthbertson, an elementary general music teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia. Ashley has taught music in a variety of settings, teaching private lessons, school students of all ages, and even adults at a nearby university. Ashley loves working with kids and helping them connect their learning outside the classroom. One of her passions includes...

This week’s interview was a real treat, as Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Dr. Scott Edgar about a very important topic: social emotional learning (SEL). Scott is an associate professor of music at Lake Forest College and also the department chair. He began his career teaching K-12 music in Dayton, Ohio before earning a PhD from the University of Michigan. It was there he developed an interest in S...

This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Dr. Brian Weidner, an assistant professor of music education at Butler University, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Brian spent twelve years teaching high school band prior to earning a PhD from Northwestern University. Much of his work now spawned from the various questions he asked during his time teaching public school music, such as, how do we build classrooms...

This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Kevin Feher, a high school band director in Southeast Pennsylvania. After graduating from Duquesne University with a degree in music education, Kevin taught in a variety of settings before joining the music department at Penn Ridge High School, where he has taught for the last seven years. In this interview, Kevin talks about how he incorporates mission sta...

This week Kathryn and Theresa interviewed Angela Ammerman, an adjunct professor of music at George Mason University in Northern Virginia. Angela is a lifelong music educator, teaching her dolls to sing as a young child, teaching private lessons in her neighborhood as a middle school student, and working as a counselor at a strings camp in high school. This helped her realize early on the importanc...

This week Kathryn and Theresa had the pleasure of interviewing NAfME president-elect, Scott Sheehan! In addition to his NAfME responsibilities, Scott is the high school band director and K-12 music department chair in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. He is involved with PMEA, working with their Leadership Academy and the Model Curriculum Framework project. Scott is also a Conn-Selmer educational clini...

This week’s interview features Matt Clauhs, an associate professor of Music Education at Ithaca College. Matt’s background includes degrees at Penn State University (B.S.), the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (M.M.) and Temple University (Ph. D.), as well as experience teaching band students at both the elementary and high school levels. As a jazz saxophone player, Matt has always been intere...

This week’s interview features Melissa Clark, a music teacher in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Currently, Melissa teaches 4th-6th grade strings and sixth grade general music. She also has experience teaching 7th and 8th grade strings. In this interview, Melissa talks to us about the small shifts she’s made in her music classes to empower students!      Connect With Melissa:  ...

Welcome back! This week, Kathryn and Theresa interviewed Rachael Sanguinetti, a middle school music teacher in Rochester, New York. Rachael’s teaching load includes middle school chorus and a variety of general music classes, such as 6th grade foundational music, audio production and modern band, ukulele, and more. Being at an independent school, Rachael has the flexibility to create courses the s...

This week Kathryn and Theresa talked to Mandy Hollingshead, an international band teacher. Mandy has taught in the Middle East, Hong Kong, and Beijing. Prior to teaching internationally, Mandy taught band in Canada. One thing Mandy has tried to incorporate in all of her schools is having students help with concert planning.  Connect with Mandy: Twitter: @MHollingshead  Email: msmandy@mho...

This week, we were excited to interview Shemeka Nash, a band director in Chicago, Illinois. Shemeka currently teaches 7th-12th grade band at Morgan Park High School and is also the fine arts department chair. She has done a lot of great things for the band program at Morgan Park, including creating a student-centered modern band. Connect with Shemeka and learn more:  Student-Centered Decision...

This week’s interview features Brian Ackles, a vocal music teacher at Marcellus High School, in Marcellus, NY. Brian has taught in his current position for 20 years, and previously taught middle school and elementary school music. In this interview, Brian talks about his student-centered choral program.    Connect with Brian and learn more:   Email: brianoackles@gmail.com  Lead...