Empowered Music Students

Curriculum, Choice, and the Path to Lifelong Musicianship In episode 105, Theresa and Kathryn welcome back longtime music educator Merlin Thompson, who reflects on nearly five decades of teaching and his evolving philosophy around lifelong music making. Merlin challenges the traditional, teacher-led “master–apprentice” model by introducing four curriculum models—teacher-led, student-led, shared, and neurodiverse—and explains how…

Getting Out of the Way: How Teachers Can Spark Musical Curiosity In episode 104, Theresa and Kathryn sit down with high school music educator Amelia Armstrong to explore what student-centered teaching can look like in real classrooms. Amelia shares her 22-year journey at Platteville High School in Wisconsin, where she has expanded a traditional choir…

Expanding What Counts as Music: Embracing Popular Music in the Classroom In this Episode 103, Theresa and Kathryn sit down with Emily Langerholc—elementary music teacher, PhD student, and author—to explore what it really means to embrace popular music in the classroom. Emily shares how her early love for MTV and radio shaped her musical identity,…

Proactive Inclusion: Creating Accessible Music Learning Environments In episode 102 Theresa and Kathryn talk with Dr. Rhoda Bernard—singer, pianist, educator, and founding Managing Director of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education—to explore what truly accessible music education looks like in today’s classrooms. Rhoda shares her journey through music teacher identity and her deep work…

Be the Change-Maker: What Happens When We Listen to Students In episode 101, Theresa and Kathryn sit down with David Davis, a music educator whose journey from traditional instruction to deeply student-centered, culturally responsive teaching is both relatable and transformative. David shares how his early experiences, especially working in diverse school settings, pushed him to…

Celebrating 5 Years and 100 Episodes! In this special 100th episode of Pass the Baton, co-hosts Kathryn Finch and Theresa Hoover celebrate two major milestones — five years since their book Pass the Baton was released and 100 podcast episodes of amplifying student-centered music education. They reminisce about how their collaboration began on Twitter, how…

Concert Prep to Empower Every Performer In episode 99, Kathryn and Theresa dive into the art of concert preparation—reimagining performances as opportunities for empowerment and inclusion rather than stress and perfection. They discuss how shifting the focus from the final product to the process helps students feel ownership and pride in their growth as musicians….

Scaffolding Success: Building Student Ownership from Rehearsals to the Stage In episode 98, Theresa and Kathryn welcome choir director and music educator Darlene Machacon. Darlene shares how she has reimagined her high school choir program to give students increasing ownership of their learning—from running sectionals and leading warmups to planning and producing an entire pops…

The Co-Constructed Curriculum: Embracing Student Voice in Music Education In episode 97, Theresa and Kathryn talk with Chris Ricketts, music educator, curriculum leader, and doctoral researcher from Portsmouth, UK. Chris shares insights from his work across nine schools in the Bohunt Education Trust, where he focuses on curriculum development, student voice, and building inclusive, co-constructed…

From Concept to Concert: A Student-Driven Choir Performance In episode 96, Theresa and Kathryn sit down with Rebecca Sensor, middle school choir director and president-elect of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. Rebecca shares how her choir program transformed its traditional spring concert into a fully student-driven “Pops Concert,” where students select, arrange, and even mash…