Episode 33 features an interview with two outstanding educators who are no strangers to Pass the Baton – Amy Rever-Oberle and Lauren Staniszewski. Amy is the band director at Hart Middle School in Rochester Hills, Michigan, where she teaches 6th through 8th grade band. Lauren is the band director at Stoney Creek High School, also…
This week, Kathryn and Theresa had the pleasure of speaking with Australian composer and educator Jodie Blackshaw. Jodie is a third-generation teacher. Her grandmother was one of the first people to practice Orff-Schulwerk in Australia, and her father taught in a one-room schoolhouse. Jodie’s work for concert band is nothing short of innovative. Her focus…
Welcome to season two! In Episode 31, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Dr. Matthew Arau, a professor of music at Lawrence University Conservatory in Appleton, Wisconsin. Prior to teaching at Lawrence, Matthew taught middle school and high school band in Loveland, Colorado. Matthew earned a master’s degree from the American Band College and a doctoral…
Looking back, this was a great season for the Pass the Baton podcast! Since August 2021, we’ve interviewed 18 amazing music educators from all over the world. While they all have unique teaching situations, they have one thing in common: they’ve found creative ways to put students at the center so they can take ownership…
Thanks to everyone who has joined us this season for the Pass the Baton podcast! This week, to wrap up season 1, Kathryn and Theresa begin by recapping their school years and then discuss some highlights from this season on the Pass the Baton podcast. Season 1 Highlights Throughout season 1, there were several recurring…
This week we spoke with Krystal Williams, a public school music educator in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Krystal teaches music theory and composition at Northwestern High School and also teaches at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as a woodwind adjunct. She is a graduate of Morgan State University, where she also completed graduate work….
This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Ashley Cuthbertson, an elementary general music teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia. Ashley has taught music in a variety of settings, teaching private lessons, school students of all ages, and even adults at a nearby university. Ashley loves working with kids and helping them connect their learning…
This week’s interview was a real treat, as Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Dr. Scott Edgar about a very important topic: social emotional learning (SEL). Scott is an associate professor of music at Lake Forest College and also the department chair. He began his career teaching K-12 music in Dayton, Ohio before earning a PhD…
This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Dr. Brian Weidner, an assistant professor of music education at Butler University, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Brian spent twelve years teaching high school band prior to earning a PhD from Northwestern University. Much of his work now spawned from the various questions he asked during his time teaching public…
This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Kevin Feher, a high school band director in Southeast Pennsylvania. After graduating from Duquesne University with a degree in music education, Kevin taught in a variety of settings before joining the music department at Penn Ridge High School, where he has been for the last seven years. In…