Unleashing Our Impact: Empowering Music Educators In episode 52, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Jen Rafferty, a former music educator and the founder of the Empowered Educator. Jen discusses the importance of educators taking care of themselves to create a positive impact on students. By prioritizing self-care and practicing breathing exercises, teachers can regulate their…
Harmony and Connection: Leveraging SEL in Music Education In episode 51, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Elizabeth Peterson, a 25-year veteran teacher from New Hampshire. Elizabeth discusses the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in music education, especially in relation to building strong teacher-student relationships and fostering student empowerment. She emphasizes the significance of…
Welcome to episode 50 of the Pass the Baton podcast! It’s amazing to look back at the inspiring music educators we’ve had the pleasure of talking to during the last 49 episodes. This week’s episode starts with Theresa and Kathryn talking briefly about their school years and what to look forward to for Pass the…
This week, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Ryan Diefenderfer about his experiences implementing the Orpheus approach with his high school ensembles. Ryan works at Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, teaching the marching band, concert band, orchestra, chamber ensembles, and jazz band. He is also working on a master’s degree at Arizona State University…
This week, Kathryn and Theresa interviewed David Getz about how he incorporates music composition to spark student creativity. David is a high school orchestra teacher in central Illinois. He has also coached cross country, conducts a local youth orchestra, and recently published a book with F-flat Books, Unlocking Student Creativity Through Composition. As someone who…
In episode 47, Kathryn and Theresa talk to Allison Russo about how she works with music educators to create a values-based music program. Allison is currently an educational consultant in New Jersey, working with both schools and non-profit organizations. After graduating from Ithaca College, she taught elementary band for several years and then began working…
This week, Kathryn and Theresa spoke with Jared Brockmeyer about how he has incorporated game-based practices in his middle school band classes! Jared currently teaches 6th-8th grade band in Missouri. He also has experience teaching high school band and worked with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. As a game-lover, Jared has found that there…
This week’s podcast features an interview with music educator and leader, Anne Fennell. In this episode, Anne shares her insights on engaging community and creating a collective power through music education. Anne is in her 36th year in education. She is currently the K-12 Music Program Manager for San Diego Unified School District, supervising music…
This week, instead of interviewing a guest, Theresa interviewed Kathryn about empathy projects she has done with her elementary music students! Kathryn currently teaches K-5th grade general music in Northbrook, Illinois. Besides being a co-author of Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students, Kathryn also writes with Abigail Blair as part of the Blair Finch…
This week Kathryn and Theresa had the opportunity to talk to Lori Schwartz Reichl about an invaluable topic – reflection! Lori taught middle school band in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Currently, she provides professional development for music educators, does guest conducting and adjudication work, and writes for music educators and administrators. Lori also recently completed a…