Music (ed) Matters

Latest Episodes:

Episode 24: Bonus Episode #24 - John Mlynczak - CEO and President of NAMM and the NAMM Foundation Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Meet NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) CEO and President of the NAMM Foundation, John Mlynczak. In this conversation, we talk about what is NAMM and how important it is for us to know the work they are doing, especially as music educators. This episode was incredibly inspirational and exciting as NAMM is continuing the awesome work they’ve been doing while also starting some new huge things under Mlynczak’s leadership. The big question - who wants to go to the Trade Show with me? 2025? Let’s do a meet-up! I can’t wait! Find out more about NAMM: https://www.namm.org/about Learn more about CEO and President, John Mlynczak: https://www.namm.org/johnmlynczak Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1vew4f1qNxA The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!

Episode 23: Bonus Episode #23 - Ruth Hart and Empowering Small-Budget Arts Leaders and the Urgency for Change Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

This conversation covers the recently released 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts from the NEA. The decline in arts audiences from 1982 - 2022 as well as an upcoming workshop series designed to empower small-budget arts leaders to drive meaningful change in 2024 with relevance strategist, Ruth Hartt. Ruth Hartt leverages interdisciplinary insights to champion the arts, foster inclusivity, and drive meaningful change. Known for merging powerful perspective shifts with actionable insights, Ruth brings a unique blend of experience to her work as a relevance strategist for arts organizations. Currently serving as Chief of Staff at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, Ruth previously spent nearly two decades in the arts sector as an opera singer, choral director, and music educator. Drawing on 23 years of experience in the cultural and nonprofit sectors, including six years’ immersion in innovation frameworks, Ruth helps arts organizations rethink audience development and arts marketing through a customer-centric lens. Her perspective as a relevance strategist has been shaped by her unique journey: growing up in blue-collar Maine, convincing teenagers to love choral music, training and performing as an opera singer, engaging with donors and opera patrons, and supporting the research of a Harvard Business School professor. This diverse range of experience provides Ruth with a distinctly empathetic and inclusive viewpoint, enabling her to connect with and advocate for a wide range of stakeholders in the arts industry. Find at more about the workshops: http://www.cultureforhire.com/a-path-forwardFind the slide deck: https://www.cultureforhire.com/articles/82-22 Listen to Ruth’s original podcast appearance in Episode 169! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tC3fv_7EKY8 The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!

Episode 172: Episode 172 - Dr. Peter Steenblik - Addressing Burnout! (An A&C Curated Episode) Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

You’ve met Dr. Steenblik before in his awesome episode about the sight-reading chorus as part of Florida All-State programming. We get to bring him back today, but this time addressing a BIG hot topic - burnout! Get ready for tools, ideas, and so much more — including guest co-host, Alex Gartner! This episode is part of the ACDA National Standing Committee for Advocacy & Collaboration Committee’s curated content. Check out more from Dr. Steenblik in episode 143! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QfCtU4Mlcc4 Resources list: Brock, Barbara L., and Marilyn L. Grady, Rekindling the Flame. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, Inc., 2000.Hancock, C. B., “National Estimates of Retention, Migration and Attrition: A Multiyear Comparison of Music and Non-Music Teachers.” Journal of Research in Music Education 57:2 (2009): 92-107.Hamann, D. L., “Burnout: How to Spot it, How to Avoid it.” Music Educators Journal 77:2 (1990): 30-33.Kim, Sung Eun, and David Barg, “Reducing Music Teacher Turnover and Its Consequences.” Music Education Policy Briefs (Boston University), October 2010.Siebert, Johanna J., “Why Music Teachers Remain in the Profession: Conversations with Career Music Educators.” PhD diss., Eastman School of Music, 2007. Unpublished.Strauss, Valerie, “Teacher: The Day I Knew For Sure I Was Burned Out.” The Washington Post, December 12, 2014.Warren, Franchesca, “Teacher Burnout is Real – Signs and How to Avoid It.” NAfME.org, May 20, 2015.+ Dr. Steenblik's own experiences The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!

Episode 171: Episode 171 - Dennis Carpenter - ACDA Director of Membership Programs & Services (and A&C Curated Episode) Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Let’s talk about “customer value!” Meet the American Choral Directors Association's newest Director of Membership Programs & Services, Dennis Carpenter. In this episode, you’ll learn all about the path that led Dennis to ACDA, his goals and ideas for the role, and lots of other little tidbits, especially related to advocacy and collaboration as this episode is part of the A&C Committee’s curated content. Learn more about Dennis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denniscarpenteriom/ and https://acda.org/national-office Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jybyf3bbGxU. The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!

Episode 170: Episode 170 - Polly Paulusma - UK Singer/Songwriter Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Meet UK Singer/Songwriter Polly Paulusma as we talk about songwriting, motherhood and the music business, mental health, wild swimming…and so much more! This conversation is a fun one! Learn more about Polly: pollypaulusma.com Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DHwpFumLJvs The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!

Episode 169: Episode 169 - Ruth Hartt - Culture for Hire [an ACDA Advocacy & Collaboration Committee Curated Episode] Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

Meet Ruth—former opera singer, “compassionate truthteller”, relevance strategist, and arts champion. Her company, “Culture for hire,” addresses the eye-opening perspective shift for arts orgs - it’s not about you! In this conversation, “The Business of Choir” Co-Author, Alex Gartner joins as co-host as we talk to Ruth about how we can all approach arts marketing and our arts orgs - no matter what kind of “arts” we are involved in - to start being essential! Learn more about Culture for Hire: https://www.cultureforhire.com/Learn more about Ruth Hartt: https://www.cultureforhire.com/about-ruth Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/88sBD6wXHSI The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!

Episode 168: Episode 168 - Allison Russo - The Critical Good Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Let’s talk choir culture! Consultant, author, and educator Allison Russo has dedicated her career to creating more ethical and effective arts learning spaces. She has a BM from Ithaca College and an MM from Boston University, both in Music Education. As an elementary band teacher and non-profit arts leader, Allison has designed and delivered music programming to thousands of students and teachers. She has presented at state and regional conferences, colleges, and public schools on topics including ethical classroom culture, trauma-informed care, and gender equity in jazz education. Allison founded The Critical Good, an arts education consultancy in 2021, where she facilitates the creation of ground-up and equity-focused strategic plans for the arts departments of schools and nonprofits. She is also a graduate course facilitator for the Longy School of Music at Bard College, a collaborator with consulting firm WolfBrown, and freelance grant writer. She envisions a world where arts education is boundless, universally accessible, and joyful for all. Learn more about Allison Russo www.thecriticalgood.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lIdqYSXxTh8 The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more!

Episode 167: Episode 167 - Erik Jacobs - Middle School Monster Musicians and The Choir Dude Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

Let’s talk about building thriving middle school choirs through authentic relationships, developing a culture of positivity, and keeping it FUN while creating monster musicians (Jacobs’ phrase in lieu of the more stuffy “independent musicianship” ) Meet Erik Jacobs, a choir director at Willard Middle School in Aldie, VA where he co-directs the Wildcat Chorus program which has over 400 singers in six different choirs. Prior to his current position, Jacobs was the choir director at J. Michael Lunsford Middle School in South Riding, VA. Both schools have been designated Blue Ribbon Schools of Musical Excellence consecutively by the Virginia Music Educator’s Association. Before his work in Loudoun County, Jacobs began his choral teaching career in Prince William County. Prior to becoming a choral music educator, Jacobs was an active touring musician, releasing two albums and touring with two of his own music projects: the Po’Boys Brass Band and ROC City Stompers. Learn more about Mr. Jacobs: https://www.slychorale.org/associate-artistic-director https://linktr.ee/erikjacobs https://tinyurl.com/MiddleSchoolChorus Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZxrykEoWbnI The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more! **Show music originally written by Mr. Todd Monsell

Episode 166: Episode 166 - Kevin Boushel: Championing Irish Choral Music (and more!) Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

Kevin Boushel is a conductor and music educator based in Dublin, Ireland. He is the Chamber Choir Director and a Government of Ireland Scholar at Dublin City University where he is pursuing a PhD under the supervision of Dr Barbara Dignam. In 2022 he was appointed Associate Conductor of the University College Dublin School of Music where he works with the UCD Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir. Kevin has delivered music programmes to students of all ages and abilities, from kindergarten to adult education. As a conductor, he has worked with collegiate ensembles, workplace choirs, community choirs, children’s groups, and semi-professional ensembles. He has presented his research at the national conferences of the American Choral Directors' Association, the Society for Music Theory, and the Society for Musicology in Ireland. Kevin is also a fluent Irish-language speaker and language rights activist. He served on the executive board of the Gaelic League in Ireland, and hosted a weekend show on choral music on Dublin's Irish-language radio station. In this episode we talk about Irish choral music and culture, multi-culuralism, muli-lingualism, coalition-building, and even anti-racist action. Lots to learn, hear, and implement. Can’t wait to hear what you think! Links from Episode: www.teanglann.ie - Teanglann, website with actors reading Irish words for pronunciationwww.cailino.ie - Cailíno Music Publisherswww.cmc.ie - Contemporary Music Centre Irelandhttps://www.singireland.ie/youth/youthsing-ireland - Sing Ireland's YouthSing resources for schoolskevin.boushel3@mail.dcu.ie Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7VfbYP5bl1Y The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more! **Show music originally written by Mr. Todd Monsell

Episode 165: Episode 165 - Chronicles of a First-Year Teacher (made it to summer!) with Kyle Feather - PART FOUR Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

You first met first-year teacher, Mr. Kyle Feather, back in Episode 120 when we got a chance to talk to him on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! You heard from him again in Episode 132, after the first concert. In Episode 152, right after spring break, we talked about all the things he is feeling confident with and the things he is still learning. This time, our final installment, we hear from Mr. Feather as he has made it to summer and reflects on the first year as a whole. We’re calling it “Sharpening the saw - Growing abilities in the off-season/Reflection upon the year/Planning for the following year.” We are super thankful for Kyle for sharing this year with us and we hope you listened to remember your first year, to learn for your first year, or to be inspired because…we have the coolest job, y’all! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J6dlKnFiWTc The Music (ed) Matters Podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Perform International. Thinking of going on tour domestically or abroad, want to take a solo tour, or team up with a dynamic festival? PI offers the best educationally sound and culturally significant experiences! Check them out, and tell them Emmy sent you :) Perform-International.com Order your copy of “The Business of Choir" - check out the website, businessofchoir.com. Join us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet-ups, monthly bonus episodes, special content, and more! **Show music originally written by Mr. Todd Monsell

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