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 educators at 117 elementary schools. Prior to this, she taught kindergarten through eighth grade music for 22 years and high school music for 10 years. Anne is also the president of the California Music Educators Association. 

Episode 45: Creating the Collective Power

Throughout the interview, Anne shares how she harnesses a collective power to impact student learning and music making experiences. Some of these ideas included: 

  • Supporting music teachers and music students to ensure everyone feels seen and feels part of something larger than themselves 
  • Working with outside teaching artists, non-profits, and the local community
  • Having a strong purpose when planning and engaging in projects  
  • Leading with inquiry every day in the classroom 
  • Building community in the music room

“I had a motto that it got to the point where I said it so much that everyone would say it…’I hear you. I see you.’ Everything you say and do matters to all of us, or makes a difference to all of us.”

Connect with Anne and learn more about her work: 

Be sure to check out the full interview on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. You can even listen to the interview here, on Spotify!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *