Please enjoy this guest post from Michelle Kennedy Hawkins, a piano teacher member of the Teach Music 21C community. Thanks so much Michelle for sharing your thoughts in this informative blog.
The longer I teach, the more comfortable I feel reaching out to the families of my students to touch b...
With September music lessons just days away, I’m wondering about what the year has in store. What will my students take away from their music-making explorations? Fresh directions? Comfortable experiences? Taking risks and exploring the uncharted? When I think about the year ahead, I’m always r...
The final weeks of August can be an intense time for music teachers. Getting ready for September. Organizing the teaching schedule. Looking for fresh music. Tweaking everything possible. It can take a lot of time, energy, and thought. So let me share with you my own experiences regarding the end of ...
It's the middle of summer. A perfect time for some reflection and looking back on my teaching career. What jumps out? Two “pivotal conversations”. I call them my “pivotal conversations” because they genuinely shifted my attention and challenged me to think about teaching in ways I hadn’t anticipated...
Here at Teach Music 21C, we believe that music teaching is more than lessons, methods, or traditions. It’s about shaping meaningful connections, nurturing lifelong music making, and reimagining what music teaching can accomplish in today’s world. What We Stand For is a reminder of our root...
As June wraps up, many music teachers are finishing another teaching year. We may be slightly exhausted. There may be feelings of relief. We’ve made it through another year. With the end in sight, we’re already anticipating what it’ll be like to have time all to ourselves. Before we close the door a...
Over the last several months, it’s been interesting for me to note how the topic of “efficiency” in music teaching has surfaced from time to time. I see it on social media platforms when music teachers reach out with concerns like the following: “I’m not sure what to do. How can I get more effi...
Can you believe June is already here!? Where has the time gone? I really appreciate this time of year as an opportunity to look back and see what's happened over the past few months. All the big goals have come and gone. Now June is a month where we can just relax. It's not a "growth" time...
Have you ever experienced an uncomfortable moment when a music student says something inappropriate? Sometimes? Here and there? For music teachers, these moments can be unsettling, especially if you’re caught off guard or unsure how to respond. Whether it’s a rude remark, an off-colour joke, or an i...
Thanks so much to Josanna Justine for sharing her experience with Kitchen Party Concerts in this blog. It's super to tap into the thoughts and insights from Teach Music 21C members. Thanks Josanna!
Last year at a wedding reception – that beautifully awkward gathering of strangers, connected only beca...
As you probably know, I spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to be a music studio teacher in today’s music teaching world. Something that really impresses me is how we’re going through an extraordinary transformation in teacher mindset. Unlike previous generations, today’s teachers are i...
Please enjoy this guest post from Dyane Protzmann Rogelstad, a longtime supporter of Teach Music 21C. Thanks Dyane for sharing your reflections.
Have you ever had a mentor or teacher who recognized your potential before you could see it yourself—someone who gently nudged you onto a path that wo...
I’m always amazed at the power of words. Take for example the statement: “I can imagine you sharing this piece with others someday”. It’s the kind of statement music teachers incorporate that confirms the importance of music in students’ lives. It’s the kind of statement that can shift our students’...
When you first started teaching, did you ever feel like you needed to share everything you know with your students? Every insight. Every technique. Every shortcut to success. After all, isn’t that what great teachers do - we equip students with all the knowledge we’ve worked to acquire? In this blog...
Please enjoy this guest post from Paul McGlinchey, executive team member in charge of Community Development at Teach Music 21C. Thanks Paul for sharing your thoughts.
Music teachers are already designers, whether we realize it or not. We're especially good at designing a given student's curriculum, a...
Are you familiar with imposter syndrome? Those feelings of inadequacy that can wreak havoc with music teacher frame of mind. The sense that “I’m not good enough” or “I don’t really know what I’m doing” can be paralyzing, even in the face of real achievements and credentials. Within music teaching, w...
There's no doubt about it - every student is unique. And as music teachers, we have the amazing opportunity to help them build their own unique musical identity —the best of their own musical brand! We can shape each student’s journey to reflect their personality, interests, and goals. Whether they’...
I know I’ve been writing a lot these days about the transformation that’s taking place in music teaching. It's such an important development and there’s so much going on! It’s amazing to hear from so many teachers as we refine our teaching strategies. Which brings me to these timely questions: What ...
I appreciate all the recent conversations I’ve had with music teachers who are intentionally changing the tone of music lessons. Like Sophia who’s integrating students’ own choice right from the first lesson. And Patrick who’s grown comfortable with promoting student independence. And Joanne who pre...
This blog post is authored by Dyane Protzmann Rogelstad, a long-time supporter of Teach Music 21C. Thanks so much Dyane for sharing your reflections on Questions & Concepts from TM21C. There's lots to think about in your words.
What makes TM 21C so great for me?
In March, 2020, when I ...
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