TeachMusic21C - Blog , Lifelong MusicTeachMusic21C - Blog , Lifelong Musichttps://www.teachmusic21c.com/blogs/lifelong-musicThu, 16 Apr 2026 06:15:13 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[What We Stand For at Teach Music 21C]]>https://www.teachmusic21c.com/blogs/post/tm21c

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 roots and a guide for where we’re headed — an invitation to teachers to join a vibrant, human-centered future for music learning.


Please let us introduce three pillars at the core of What We Stand For - Why we teach, What we believe, and What we’re doing.  These pillars are transformative ideas - they’re actions we live in our conversations, our studios, and our continued evolution as music teachers.

Why We Teach


At Teach Music 21C, we teach because we care about making music, we care about people, and we care about teaching music. 


We know how making music can move us in many directions - as an anchor, inspiration, distraction, challenge, companion, and more. It’s why we return to making music again and again. 


We also care about our students and their families, getting to know them, their interests, their backgrounds, their strengths and obstacles. 


And we care about teaching music - about doing it thoughtfully, creatively, and reflectively so that our students experience what we know making music can accomplish for all of us. Here at Teach Music 21C, making music matters, people matter, and teaching music is our way of weaving things all together.

What We Believe


We believe that music makers come in all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and circumstances. They’re real people who have their own individual and moving connections to music. 


We also believe the best way to achieve successful music lessons is for teachers and students to work together. This means that right from the very first lesson, we collaborate to ensure that students experience their own musical journey complete with detours, setbacks, and celebrations. 


Furthermore, we believe musical explorations necessarily involve students’ whole person - their physical, emotional, intellectual, intuitive, and spiritual capacities. Making music is more than something students learn—it’s something they live, breathe, feel, think about, trust, treasure, and more.

What We’re Doing


At Teach Music 21C, I appreciate how it all starts with asking different questions of ourselves than past generations of music teachers. Questions like - What musical activities will my students participate in 20 years from now because of this week’s music lesson? Asking different questions leads to experimentation, deep listening, and reflective thinking - which in turn leads to using 21st century teaching tools like Curriculum Models and Reflective Partnership Teaching.


We design musical experiences that prepare our students as music makers across their entire lifespan. What we’re doing is more than helping students prepare for their next concert, exam, or music lesson. We’re preparing our students for their own musical futures at every stage of their lives. 


Finally, here at Teach Music 21C we’re building a community of forward-thinking music teachers who care deeply about their students and about the future of teaching. Together, we explore ideas, share actions, and support one another in reimagining what music teaching can be — for today’s students and tomorrow’s world. We value inclusivity, reflection, and innovation. We enjoy sharing spaces where questions are welcome, collaboration is key, and change begins with putting ideas into action.

Looking Ahead


Since it's inception in 2023, things have been busy at Teach Music 21C. We’ve welcomed music teachers into Certification cohorts, held conversations about parents, practicing, and neuroscience, and presented podcasts on topics that ask teachers to rethink what music teaching can be. And there’s something quite remarkable about it all - how the Teach Music 21C community is filled with thoughtful, curious, and creative music teachers ready to do things differently and better. 


At this time, I want to acknowledge how three pillars - Why we teach, What we believe, and What we’re doing - provide the impetus for transformation that doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time and takes intention, support, and courage. It happens when we show up—for ourselves, our students, and each other. We make changes to how we teach because we believe music is essential to being human.


So as you prepare for what’s next, I invite you to carry this with you: YOUR MUSIC TEACHING MATTERS. What you do every day—lesson by lesson, question by question—supports our students’ musical futures.


Thank you for being part of Teach Music 21C. I’m so grateful to be in community with you.

If you're thinking now is the right time to connect with our thoughtful TM21C community, deepen your teaching, and explore new questions, TM21C Certification might be the next step for you. Click HERE for more information on what that looks like.

]]>Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:34:22 +0000<![CDATA[What Happens When Music Teachers Change the Tone of Music Lessons]]>https://www.teachmusic21c.com/blogs/post/changing-the-tone

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 previously couldn’t imagine teaching without parents monitoring students’ home practice; these days she’s stepping out of her comfort zone to explore strategies that allow parents to regularly step back and empower students to take charge.


In other words, we’re doing things differently. We’re listening to our students and their families so that music making becomes something students carry with them throughout their lives - not just a temporary childhood exploration - but a lifelong and treasured companion. We’re reshaping and redefining the purpose of music lessons.

New Questions


For much of my early career, I kept this question at the forefront: “What skills and knowledge will my students take away from 10 years of music lessons?” It’s the kind of question that I inherited from my own teachers and reinforced the idea that there was a lot of musical work to be done. These days, I see how teachers are asking new questions like: “What can I do to ensure my students’ musical experience means something to them?”


That doesn’t mean we’ve given up on performance goals or skill acquisition. Of course they’re valuable. What’s important is the growing recognition that music lessons are more than a pathway to proficiency. Music lessons provide gateways and inspirations for our students’ lifelong music making, personal identity, and quality of life.


Rather than simply asking, “How can we ensure performance excellence?”, I’m thrilled to see today’s music teachers asking, “What activities can I incorporate to encourage students to personally experience the value in making music?” We utilize an instructional approach that prioritizes helping students explore music as something that’s part of who they are. Like my students: Angela who prepared her own Harry Potter music concert, Neil who gave a concert of his own compositions, Sarah who shared classical selections along with Billie Eilish, and beginner Lucas who’s determined to get his fingers around the first few bars of Fur Elise. Each student displays their own remarkable commitment.

Redefining What We Do


It’s exciting to witness the redefinition of what it means to be a music teacher. Today’s music teachers are more than knowledgeable instructors — we are mentors, guides, and facilitators of meaningful musical experiences. I’ve seen my colleagues - Linda, Chris, Lai Ping, Lauren, Dinu, Patrick, and others too many to mention - shifting away from “telling students what to do” toward a model of collaborative learning, where we create space for students and teachers to explore music together. 


As we navigate this new era, one thing is clear: music teaching is about doing what WE NEED TO DO to meet our students’ FUTURE musical needs. It’s more than just using shinier or more trendy versions of what teachers have always done. It’s about actually changing what we’re doing to nurture our students as individuals who experience music as something integral to their lives, who engage with it meaningfully, and who continue to explore its infinite possibilities.


For music teachers, this is both a challenging opportunity and a profound responsibility. At this most remarkable and resplendent moment, we can reshape music making into something that lasts, something that students carry with them throughout their lives as a treasured part of who they are.


How do you feel about changing the tone of music lessons? Are you ready to embrace this remarkable moment and lead the way into the future of music teaching? 


Today is a great day to take more steps in that direction. 

Get Started Now
]]>Sun, 02 Mar 2025 16:03:21 +0000<![CDATA[A New Way of Music Teaching is Underway!]]>https://www.teachmusic21c.com/blogs/post/Transitioning

Everywhere I go these days, I’m impressed to see how many music studio teachers are reevaluating the traditional master/apprentice model. There’s an extraordinary transition taking place as teachers work hard to incorporate the various layers of student-centered teaching: authenticity, flexibility, collaboration, and reflection to name just a few. What a fantastic development! Here’s what I notice...

We Focus on Authenticity and Personalized Learning


As music teachers I think we’re all familiar with traditional models wherein students were expected to conform to a specific mold of what ideal students and accomplished musicians should look like. Now, music teachers are moving toward a more individualized approach, where students’ interests and musical preferences are central to the learning process. Like my colleague Angie who helps students with exploring repertoire/technique from her vast expertise in combination with the musical interests grounded in her students’ own daily lives. This approach allows teachers to pass on what they know while simultaneously empowering the individuality of each student as music maker.


We know Flexibility is a Key Feature


In a student-centered teaching model, teachers adjust teaching methods and materials to fit the diverse needs of each student. This flexibility allows for a more dynamic and active learning environment, where students feel supported in their unique paths. For example with my colleague Jonathan, he's discovered some students thrive by learning by ear, learning by reading, practicing a lot, exploring Taylor Swift, and more. Jonathan doesn't feel boxed in by only doing RCM exams or any formal music teaching approach. In all situations, the teacher’s ability to adapt ensures that learning remains relevant and engaging.


We use Collaboration to Empower Our Students


In the past, music lessons often consisted of one-way transmission of knowledge—from teacher to student. I appreciate how today’s student-centered teachers actively engage students in conversations about their goals, progress, and challenges. Like my colleague Jessica who makes space in her schedule to talk with students and their parents about the various layers that influence students' musical journey. This collaborative process helps her with making sure students have ownership of their musical development, fostering a sense of agency and responsibility. Teachers take on the role of facilitator guiding students through a meaningful and personal discovery process. 

We know Reflection is Essential


Reflection plays a pivotal role in student-centered music teaching - as the guarantee that teachers and students are heading in the desired direction. This means teachers encourage students to think about their musical journey, reflect on what strategies worked, where they struggled, and what’s necessary for their next step. It’s always interesting to see teachers facilitate this process by asking meaningful questions and collaborating on constructive feedback that helps students develop their own personal music strategies.


Bringing It All Together


Authenticity, flexibility, collaboration, and reflection provide powerful cornerstones for today’s music teachers and students. I appreciate how this combination makes it possible for today’s music teachers to empower our students in ways that traditional methods have not succeeded. By bringing it all together, we create dynamic learning environments that foster lifelong music making and unlock students’ potential to make meaningful musical connections.


We're transitioning into a new way of teaching that involves building on what we've always done, letting go of outdated strategies, and inviting our students to contribute in multiple meaningful ways. Our transitioning is underway!


Where do you see your strengths as a music teacher? Authenticity? Flexibility? Collaboration? Reflection?


What could you do better? How would that happen?


Are there strategies you need to let go of? What about new strategies? 

]]>Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:28:37 +0000<![CDATA[How to Prepare for Students as Lifelong Music Makers: Sowing Seeds for the Future]]>https://www.teachmusic21c.com/blogs/post/twenty-years

We all know that our students’ musical futures are shaped by what we do today. Through countless conversations and explorations, we help students acquire the mindset, tools, strategies, and knowledge to pursue their own musical futures. Which brings me to these questions - How do the activities you include in this week's music lessons have an impact on students' future music making activities 20 years from now? What can music teachers do to sow seeds for our students' future music making?

I appreciate how these questions serve as keen reminders that music teachers influence students' future music making by what we do in today's music lessons.


The problem is that music teachers' "best intentions" can get in the way. Music teachers may be so focused on the pressured demands of lesson plans, deadlines, concerts, and exams that we lose sight of what’s possible.  We risk that our legacy becomes one where the majority of students, after their final music class, never sing or play an instrument again.


I'd like to encourage all of us to bring to life a different legacy—a legacy of lifelong music makers where students achieve something like the following:

* Recreational music makers who explore music purely for the joy it brings.

* Community music makers who find music making a soulful way to connect socially.

* Relational music makers who cherish the unique bonds music creates between family and friends.

* Real-life people who value music making for how it shapes who they are and how they experience the world.

Of course, we’ll continue to equip music students with the practical skills needed for musical excellence. But we'll also lay a foundation of engaging conversations, meaningful interactions, and inspiring explorations that ensure students develop their own confident experience of music making. It's what we do week after week, month after month, and year after year because we know what music making can do for all of us. 


Music making enriches who we are. Music making uplifts, soothes, sparks curiosity, and fosters deep reflection. We get to know ourselves and the world around us through msuic.  On occasion, music making acts as a welcome distraction, a resonant release from thinking and doing. At other times, making music has the capacity to magnify what’s going on inside, to amplify moments of hardship and grief, of joy and celebration. Music provides a strengthening of resolve, a reason to push beyond boundaries of fragility and vulnerability. There’s protection in music making.


Can you imagine students carrying their love for music from their lessons into adulthood? 


How amazing would it be for students to have music making as their go-to companion throughout life?


In this week's lessons, how can you involve students in music making in ways that serve students’ musical needs throughout their entire lives?


What can you do to help students actively engage with music in their lives more often, more significantly, and more purposefully than would have otherwise been the case without formal music lessons?

                                                                                                                                

Let’s reshape the legacy of music lessons and showcase lifelong music making as a reality for every one of our students.

]]>Mon, 11 Nov 2024 17:16:22 +0000<![CDATA[Why Music Making in Our Lives is so Important]]>https://www.teachmusic21c.com/blogs/post/music-making-in-our-lives

It seems like there's one topic I'm always circling back to more than any other - lifelong music making. As we move through the changing landscape of music teaching - what we prioritize, how we connect with our students, how we listen - all play roles in cultivating a future generation that sees music not just as a skill, but as a source of lifelong meaning and belonging. Why is music making so important to our lives?Why are human beings so enraptured by music making? What is it about music making that people from cultures around the world find so natural and meaningful throughout their entire lives? 

I have the impression people return to music making again and again because music making sparks something deep inside every one of us. No matter the level of competency, amateur or professional, casual or dedicated, music making reminds us of who we are as individuals and in communities. Through music making, we get to know ourselves and the world around us. There are no age limits on music making nor how often it’s allowed. Music making is accessible to anyone, in any place, and at any time. 

Music making takes place in the infinite number of simple yet generous activities involving singing or playing a musical instrument. Like threads woven through the fabric of life, music making brings colour and texture to an unending diversity of human undertakings. For people of every age living in all corners of the globe, music making enhances our lives with emotionally powerful and rewarding moments that may described in many ways. Anchor. Emotion. Distraction. Entertainment. Soul food. Friend. Energy. Beacon. Impetus. Ritual. Healing. Transcendence. Ceremony. Tradition. Community. Imagination. Movement. These are just a few words that encapsulate music making experiences. And to be clear, I’m not talking about listening to music here. That’s a whole other conversation. I’m referring to the subtle and bold transformations that take place when, for any reason, whether music making is accidental, purposeful, or providential, people bring musical sounds to life. 

A Thorny Issue. Music teachers have the amazing opportunity, by teaching students how to sing or play a musical instrument, to nurture and empower our students in lifelong music making. And yet, there’s a thorny issue connected with music making that today’s music teachers may want to address - an issue that has shadowed music lessons for decades. Namely, that the vast majority of young people who take music lessons during their childhood never participate in music making activities once they reach adulthood. After years of music lessons, practicing at home, putting in huge amounts of time and energy, most students never sing or take up their instrument again. Following their final lessons, I estimate as many as 90% of students completely relinquish their music making. Their futures as lifelong music makers evaporates. It’s the equivalent of making regular deposits in the bank and subsequently leaving them to disintegrate after years of investment. Somehow it feels like an immensely unfortunate outcome.


Week after week, year after year, music teachers shoulder responsibility to guide our students’ musical journeys by passing on the necessary skills and knowledge. The problem is that our expertise can overtake students’ own musical inclinations without our even noticing it. Music teachers can be so focused on helping students achieve musical excellence that we lose sight of students’ own journey. For their part, music students can also be so consumed with preparing for the next lesson, or concert, or exam, or deadline, that they run out of time and energy to explore their own relationship with music making. Students come away with formal musical experiences, to be sure. But when teachers consider students’ future as lifelong music makers, we may need to acknowledge the impact of music lessons falls short. Is there something music teachers can do about this?


The most advantageous thing music teachers can do is to create musical explorations that reflect what music making actually looks like in students’ own personal lives. Do students consider music making as anchor or entertainment? How about music making as energy or healing? Recreation or imagination? Refuge or launchpad? Is music making something students do in service of others or an investment in self-care? You get the picture. 

Lifelong Music Making. The point I want to make is that music lessons serve as more than teachers passing on skills/knowledge and making weekly assessments of students’ developmental progress. Music lessons provide the timely opportunity for teachers to prompt stimulating conversations and reflective thought processes that empower students to set up their own routines and habits of lifelong music making. We help students settle into the experience of music making as something natural and personally meaningful. Music lessons are more than just another activity to keep children occupied, another disciplined training regime, or systematic preparation for professional musical career. Rather, teachers use music lessons to reinforce the experiences that equip students with the combination of attitude, practical skillset, and personal satisfaction they need to fuel their own lifelong musical wish lists. We help students actively engage with music making in their lives more often, more significantly, and more purposefully than would have otherwise been the case without formal music lessons. Instead of teaching to formalized curriculum requirements, we teach so that students' music making experiences belong to themselves.


Quality of Life. Music teachers may influence our students’ musical future by what we do in today’s music lessons. We may sow the music making seeds that bear directly on our students' future quality of life. That may mean our students enjoy participating as recreational music makers interested in music making for the joy it brings them. Or relational music makers who appreciate the unique way music making connects family, friends, and community. Or amateur music makers - “amateur” being a marvellous word that comes from French and Latin roots which mean “one who loves”. Amateur music makers make music because they love it. I know I already mentioned the ways we connect with music - but it seems worth repeating how making music fulfills many of our life aspirations - Anchor. Emotion. Distraction. Entertainment. Soul food. Friend. Energy. Beacon. Impetus. Ritual. Healing. Transcendence. Ceremony. Tradition. Community. Imagination. Movement. When music teachers keep our eyes on what really happens when we make music, it feels like we take our teaching to another level entirely. We're talking about our humanity here! We're talking about quality of life!  


From where I’m standing, it’s obvious that making music as a way to enrich our quality of life is a lofty goal. And there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. So let’s make it happen. Let’s reverse the thorny issue that has plagued music teaching for much too long and make lifelong music making a reality. Let's focus on making music as an anchor for quality of life. Let's redefine music teaching as the spark that keeps music alive in people, not just in performances, or exams, or deadlines. Let's anchor our teaching in what truly matters: making music as a lifelong companion. Because when we invest in music making, we strengthen the very fabric of who we are in people, in communities, and across cultures. When lifelong music making thrives, so does our humanity.


How might our teaching change if we placed lifelong music making at the centre of every lesson?


What new possibilities could open up if students believed music belonged to them?


And what would our communities sound like if everyone found their own way to keep making music?

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