The Anacrusic Podcast: Purposeful, Sequential, & Joyful Music Education

Today on the podcast, I’m answering 7 questions I’ve gotten from the Anacrusic Tribe over the last few weeks. These questions come from folks who are podcast listeners, newsletter subscribers, Instagram peeps, and everything in between. These are quick answers that might help you with those burning questions that have been firing up your brain. 

Today on the podcast I’m sharing the 3 rules I almost always break in my teaching, plus 1 that I almost never break. Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably a HUGE rule follower. It is not in my normal nature to break rules, but I have forced myself to get comfortable with getting uncomfortable, because I know that is where the magic is.

Today on the podcast, I'm putting all four active music making approaches we've been discussing into the framework of a learning sequence. Kodály-inspired teaching, Orff-Schulwerk, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and Gordon Music Learning Theory all have the common goal of music fluency. The common goal is fluency and sequence, so I'm breaking down a learning sequence from each pedagogical perspective, to shed light on how I interpret these different approaches and the tools they bring to my teaching practice.

On this episode of TAP, Dr. Julie Scott and I are talking all about Orff-Schulwerk. The philosophy, the pedagogy, and a few of the misconceptions about what Orff-Schulwerk teachers do and don’t do, quality materials, and how our bodies are our first instruments.

Today I am beyond thrilled to have my great friend and mentor Kathy Kuddes on the podcast to talk all about her experience with Kodály. Our conversation goes beyond what you might expect from a stereotypical “Kodály” interview, and we talk about all things training programs, historical context, and the upcoming teacher’s tour to Hungary.

Today’s episode is all about Dalcroze Eurhythmics, with Dr. David Frego. David is a Dalcroze practitioner and teacher trainer, and has developed materials for children and teachers to implement meaningful movement in the various settings. He is an incredibly joyful and intentional pedagog, and in this interview we discuss some of the main tenants of Dalcroze inspired teaching.

Today on the podcast, I get to talk with the wonderful Jennifer Bailey of Sing to Kids. Jenn is an absolutely amazing pedagog, and is one of the kindest, most intentional teachers I think I've ever met. She helps talk me through some of the tenants of Gordon Music Learning Theory that still seem a bit mysterious or understood, and helps identify the approach as a sequential, joyful music making venture for students.

Today’s episode of the podcast is about blurring pedagogy lines and labels. My hope is that with this episode, and all the interviews this season, you will see that many of those boxes we force ourselves into can really be broken out of and work together for a common goal. So today, I’m reviewing a few of the approaches I am most familiar with, and sharing the things that resonate with me most about them.

Today’s episode of TAP is going in the books as one of my favorites. I was lucky enough to speak with one of my mentors, Dr. Brent Gault, about Kodály-inspired teaching, and the book he co-edited with Dr. Carlos Abril, Teaching General Music. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it!

Welcome to the kickoff to Season 2 of The Anacrusic Podcast! Today on TAP is an episode all about learning sequences, a topic that has been a recent passion project of mine. Not sure what learning sequences are? You are 100% in the right place, because today I’m unpacking all of that for you.

Fresh off of teaching Kodály Levels at SMU in Dallas, in this bonus episode I give you some behind the music insight to what Kodály training is really like.

TAP 020: Season 1 Wrap Up

Today on the podcast, I’m sharing how I approach composition in the music room. Spoiler alert: it’s part of a sequence, and improvisation is the main scaffold to get to all things composition. This episode was inspired by a blog post I wrote earlier this year. Go to anacrusic.com/blog to check it out!

Today on TAP, I’m sharing the 5 things I’d tell my First Year Music Teacher Self. The things I would go back in time and tell myself has little to do with what curriculum or concept to use, and much more about how unexpected life as a first year teacher was. I was overcome with all of these changes, all these pattern shifts that I didn’t deal with well. Overtime, although these feelings haven’t gone away, I’ve found a few ways to cope and make things better.

Today on The Anacrusic Podcast, I interview my good friend Kelli Wise about what it really means to have all the different areas of your life feel the way you want them to feel, no matter where you are in your personal life and your teaching. We talk all about balance and what that really means, if it really exists, and how Kelli gets a handle on all things teacher life.