Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities

This course will focus on identifying areas of strength and challenge in students with differences and disabilities, advocating for the appropriate classroom environment for all students, and the creation of adaptations and modifications (winding) for students in inclusive and self-contained music classrooms.

Beyond Measure "Ungrading" Your Music Classroom



This course will examine the use, and purpose of assessment and grading. We will look at research and reflect on our own methodologies thinking deeply about equity, effectiveness, and our own grading practices. We will imagine and construct new assessment methods that serve the most important people in the room – the students.

Beginner Strings, Retention, and Community in the Orchestra

This six-week course will discuss strategies in Beginner instructional strategies (bow hold, setting the left hand), Shoulder Rest and Chin Rest Styles and Fitting, Technique focused classes (tone production, bow techniques, shifting, vibrato, intonation), Recruitment and Retention; Building Community in the Orchestra Classroom, and Social Emotional Learning specifically in the Orchestra classroom. 

Mastering Focus and Concentration in the Classroom

This course offers practical and proven strategies to reclaim focus, cultivate brain fitness, and optimize productivity for students and teachers alike. The course addresses the most common focus-hindering factors of contemporary life and explores behavioral and cognitive tools to gain control over our brains and behaviors.

Drumset Methods for the Music Educator

Whether it be a concert band “movie medley,” a pops orchestra piece, or jazz band, introducing the young drum set player to these new pieces can prove challenging, and it’s a topic not often covered in other methods classes. This course will cover everything from drumset set-up, equipment choices, tuning to performance of basic beats, and discussion of the different types of notation the drummer will encounter.

Musical Theatre Preparation and Production

This course is designed for music educators who direct their school musical. Musical directors of all levels (elementary, middle school, high school, community theatre) will benefit from course contents. This practical course will incorporate a step-by-step guide in planning one’s show from selecting your musical through the final bows.

Bass: Jazz for the Beginning Bassist

Learn the building blocks of improvising on the double bass or bass guitar in a jazz style. Develop walking bass lines and improvised solos from chord charts and discover methods for instructing young bassists in a jazz ensemble setting. Students can choose either upright or electric bass to take this course. No previous jazz or improvisation experience necessary.

Latin American Music in the General/Elementary Classroom



As diverse as our Latinx students are, it is important to represent the music of their cultures, but also provide opportunities to learn about other Latinx cultures. Participants in this course will have the opportunity to learn about different Latin American music, culture, musical history, artists, dances, and songs, apply the content through a sample variety of activities appropriate for the music classroom using Orff Schülwerk and Kodály approaches, and develop authentic lessons that are inclusive, student-driven, engaging, and equitable for their students.

Modern Band: Introduction to Popular Music Education

This course is designed to help educators develop the essential skills needed to lead a student-centered Modern Band program. Educators will explore various aspects of popular music education, including performance preparation, live sound, equipment basics, student motivation, and show curation. The course emphasizes real-world applications that will allow students to engage actively with the music and understand the music industry’s collaborative nature. Teachers will create project-based activities that directly translate to classroom implementation.

Introduction to the Kodaly Method

This course will introduce participants to the Kodály methodology using current research findings and the implications of that research on the development of a sequenced music and movement curriculum for early childhood through intermediate graded students. Materials and activities will be presented for children from birth through grade 5-6. Collecting materials, building and analyzing a folk song collection, designing teaching strategies, and lesson planning while developing a sequenced curriculum will all be covered.

Beginning Jazz Improvisation

Learn the building blocks of improvising on the double bass or bass guitar in a jazz style. Develop walking bass lines and improvised solos from chord charts and discover methods for instructing young bassists in a jazz ensemble setting. Students can choose either upright or electric bass to take this course. No previous jazz or improvisation experience necessary.