index

• ADVOCACY
• advocacy and concert programs: benefits of detailed & reimagined physical concert programs
• chopped: strategies to strengthen one’s music program advocaci
• the dirty word: assessment as advocacy
• ESSA: no ambiguity left behind: questioning NAfME and the Every Student Succeeds Act
• intent: what are might be doing in our programs to shoot ourselves in the foot
• letter to the legislature: music for all: my argument for it
• sacred music police: my rant – and advocacy – for choosing literature with sacred text
• three strikes part 1: the three strikes already against every music teacher
• three strikes part 2 (and 3, and 4, and…): how to overcome the three strikes
• ASSESSMENT & GRADING
• a smattering of thoughts on assessment: benefits of music assessment
• analytical assessment: updated benefits of individual assessment practices in the classroom
• arts dabble?: the danger of this approach
• the case for letter grades(?): an annotated mocking of someone’s case for using letter grades
• cry uncle: reflections on student academic accountability
• grades: a rant against letter grades
• letter grades: the big farce: a not-so-subtle jab at traditional grading practices
• shifting sands: assessment practices moving to the forefront
• video assessments: one approach to assessing the individual in the large group setting
• why even bother?: the case for the relentless pursuit of authentic assessment practices
• CLASSROOM PEDAGOGY
• believe: how to approach every kid
• critique: the value and some ideas around this learning target
• flipping the music classroom: Jen Etter’s reflections on this instructional approach
• group voice lessons?: approaching classwork from this perspective
• the interconnected circles: one way to approach being the best teacher you can be
• imperfect offering: the art of teaching
• isolated disciplines: an argument for working details, and then moving outward
• melting pot: identifying challenges unique to the performance ensemble class
• performing ensembles: the quandary facing performance ensemble classes
• problems vs. symptoms: articulating the importance between the distinction
• spot on teaching: connecting rigor, love for music and interpersonal needs in the classroom
• the value of boring: developing skills one step at a time
• think different show different be different: an umbrella approach to classroom pedagogy
• CONCERTS
• the concert: Jarika’s reflection on her first ever concert
• the concert: promoting literacy #1: Jarika’s description of teaching the audience to sight read
• the concert: audience as performer: Jarika takeaways from teaching the audience sight reading
• the concert: promoting literacy #2: my description of teaching the audience to sight read
• concert apple seeds: reflections on the power and impact of our concerts
• concerts and reflective thinking – part 1: overview of my student concert evaluations
• concerts and reflective thinking – part 2: examples of my student concert evaluations
• further adventures in concert revision: yet more on student concert evaluations
• george seurat and choral performance: keeping imperfections in perspective
• george seurat part two: another way of looking at concerts from a pointillism perspective
• helplessness: post concert reflections
• letters to PCC: approaching our performance: thoughts around this topic
• unattainable: the irony of performing ensembles
• CURRICULUM
• building bridges out of witches: reflections on Common Core
• creativity through music composition: connecting creativity and music theory curriculum
• dinosaur farts: discussion for the importance of academic building blocks
• high school music requirement: the argument for fighting for a grad requirement for music
• lessons learned: going outside the box to identify important lessons
• pop music: Jarika’s approach to choosing this literature for her choirs
• you are what you eat: literature programming considerations
• hello mr. shwa: adventures with this little detail
• LEARNING STANDARDS / INDICATORS
• be bop a lula: a rant on letter grades
• leschetizky had it right: an exemplar of approaching standards/indicators based teaching
• national core standards: danger will robinson my concerns regarding the national standards
• pushback: staying the course with standards
• standards, assessment, blah blah blah… part 1: articulating standards based
• standards, assessment, blah blah blah… part 2: benefits of standards based
• standards, assessment, blah blah blah… part 3: primer on implementing standards based
• standards, assessment, blah blah blah… part 4: final thoughts on standards based
• why proficiency worked… in the arts: the ongoing argument for standards based approaches
• LITERACY
• choral foundations – vocal technique: reflections on teaching vocal pedagogy
• guido d’arezzo would have preferred a pc?: brief pro and con of numbers and solfege
• why solfege worked: comprehensive essay on numbers vs. solfege
• MISCELLANEOUS
• getting off islands: the importance of connecting with colleagues in the tech age
• goal setting: quick thoughts around this topic
• happy 3rd birthday: a mock birthday celebration for the blog
• letters to PCC: not-so-psycho analysis: approaching rehearsals from the singer’s standpoint
• nhmea workshop 4/5/24: links to notes from my PD at NHMEA
• Oct 7 PD: Standards Based Awesomeness for the Arts: resources for PD in arts assessment
• professional development: the point and benefits of attending PD in music
• role playing: compartmentalizing our roles
• what would betty atterbury say: a reflection on 20 years of growth in Maine, 1992 – 2012
• PEOPLE
• denny: reflections on my mentor, Denny Cox
• lessons from my sports legends, part 1: Tom Brady & Larry Bird
• lessons from my sports legends, part 2: Larry Bird, Carl Yastrzemski and Dale Earnhardt
• lessons from my sports legends, part 3: would you believe more Larry Bird?
• letters from marv, part 1: a collection of letters/thoughts from an important mentor
• letters from marv, part 2: a collection of letters/thoughts from an important mentor
• sond advice applied lessons from the brain of Stephen Sondheim
• stephen smith and peter pan: lessons from another mentor of mine
• thank you: importance of reflecting on and thanking our mentors
• what does it take: lessons from KSC professor, Dr. Sandi Howard
• PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
•  a year gone by: reflections on my 30th year teaching
• as you think you travel, as you love, you attract: Jarika’s reflections in her 4th year
• fatigue: the end of the school year, and running on empty
• grace: a perspective
• letters to PCC: programming: thoughts on this topic for adult choirs
• moments: my postcript to a school year
• moving on: another postscript to a school year
• new years resolutions: my teacher goals for a new year
• off the grid: reflections on the gains of teaching at the tail end of covid
• perspective: reflections on the passing of time in this profession
• talking shop: the importance of connecting with colleagues
• in my 50’s: lessons learned
• in my 50’s 2.0: more lessons learned
• ode to small schools: kudos to what colleagues do with what they have
• tug of war: inherent difficulties of being a classroom teacher
• what would happen: random reflections on music education
• PHILOSOPHICAL
• aesthetics and academia – part 1: the co-existence of these two polar opposites
• aesthetics and academia – part 2 the co-existence of these two polar opposites
• epiphany: a brief reflection of rehearsals vs. concerts
• failure: using failure to grow
• have it both ways: my two imperatives for the future of music education
• nothing to learn from beginning teachers: the necessity of learning from newer teachers
• process vs. product: a philosophical approach to what we do and why
• reading books: philosophical foundation (why) another argument for “why” over the “what”
• risk taking: promoting doing so
• student teachers: reflections and joys of taking on interns and student teachers
• Why vs. What: brief approach to professional growth
• REHEARSAL
• a cappella listening – part 1: benefits of a cappella rehearsing
• analytical: a core component of what we can be teaching our students
• articulation: diction and articulation training
• WARMUPS
• difficult intervals: ear training exercises
• warmups: thoughts on why we must expand our goals of warmups
• warmups: ear training: ear training in our warmups practices
• warmups: reference points: rehearsal = warmups + sheet music
• warmups for skills: resources for PD around warmups