Common Time Podcast

Dutch composer and conductor Johan de Meij joins John Pasquale and David Clemmer for a conversation about his remarkable career and the evolution of wind band music. From beginning his composing journey with Symphony No. 1: The Lord of the Rings to writing and arranging music performed around the world, Johan shares the experiences and ideas that have shaped his work.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The story behind The Lord of the Rings: How Johan’s first major composition became one of the most recognized works in wind band repertoire.
• Finding inspiration: Turning literature, history, art, and storytelling into music.
• Learning the craft: His unconventional path from professional band musician and arranger to internationally recognized composer.
• The global wind band community: How band traditions differ around the world and how wind bands help develop professional musicians.
• The evolution of wind band music: New instrumentation, electronics, vocals, thematic programming, and expanding performance spaces.
• The composer's creative process: Developing ideas, studying scores, and finding a unique musical voice.
• The future of the repertoire: Bringing lesser-known works by composers like Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland to wind ensembles.

Johan also shares why wind bands deserve greater recognition, the importance of kindness in music-making, and a few stories behind the books and music that have inspired him.

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Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

What does it mean to make great music, and how do we help students become independent, expressive musicians rather than simply following instructions?

Richard Floyd, UIL State Director of Music Emeritus and longtime leader in Texas music education, joins John Pasquale and David Clemmer for a conversation about putting artistry at the center of the band room. Drawing on decades of teaching, conducting, and working with ensembles, Richard challenges directors to rethink familiar habits and focus on the experiences that make music meaningful.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Artistry before technique: Why making music expressive and meaningful should guide technical work.
• Developing independent musicians: Using questions and discovery to help students think and make artistic decisions for themselves.
• Purposeful rehearsals: Moving beyond mechanical warm-ups, constant metronome use, and simply correcting notes and rhythms.
• Choosing meaningful repertoire: Balancing technical growth, enjoyment, and artistic value.
• Rethinking competition: Why ratings, rankings, and accomplishments shouldn't define success in music education.
• Building an inspiring rehearsal culture: Leading with passion, care, positive language, and a clear artistic vision.
• Advice for young directors: Keep learning, expand your musical horizons, seek out mentors, and remember to be an artist first.

Richard reminds us that success isn't just a rating, a difficult piece, or a perfectly executed passage. It's what students experience, discover, and carry with them long after the performance is over.

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Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

What makes a great music educator, and what do students carry with them long after they leave the rehearsal room? Ray Cramer, Professor Emeritus and former Director of Bands at Indiana University, joins Common Time to reflect on a remarkable career in music education, conducting, and mentorship.

Ray shares lessons from the teachers who shaped his life and offers practical advice for creating purposeful rehearsals, building personal connections with students, and pursuing musical excellence while leading with humility.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Planning purposeful rehearsals that help students improve every day
• Building student trust by learning names and making personal connections
• Balancing high musical standards with respect, teamwork, and kindness
• Developing leadership through humility, creativity, and risk-taking
• Choosing repertoire through thoughtful score study and musical integrity
• Protecting work-life balance while remaining dedicated to teaching
• Building a legacy by investing in students and future music educators

Ray’s message is a powerful reminder that a legacy isn’t just what we leave behind, it’s what we leave in people. For music educators, the goal is bigger than a great performance: it’s helping students grow through the experience of making music together.

Connect with Common Time Podcast:

Follow us on social media at @CommonTimePodcast

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Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

What happens when music education becomes about more than the music? Conductor and educator Damien Crutcher, founder of Crescendo Detroit, joins Common Time to discuss building community, expanding access to music education, and creating meaningful opportunities for students.

Drawing on his experiences as a music educator and community leader, Damien shares practical ways to build trust, listen to students, engage families, and maintain high expectations while meeting students where they are.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Building a community-centered music program through Crescendo Detroit
• Creating access to music education and meaningful opportunities for students
• Balancing high standards with trust, patience, and student support
• Listening to student feedback and using it to strengthen your program
• Building authentic relationships with parents and the broader community
• Choosing repertoire that challenges students and deepens their musical understanding
• Exploring diverse composers, musical traditions, and perspectives
• Expanding the role of music educators beyond the classroom

Damien reminds us that students remember the teachers who believed in them, opened new doors, and helped them imagine a bigger future. His challenge to music educators is simple: Who is better off because of the work you do?

Connect with Common Time Podcast:

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Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments below or on our social media channels. Let’s keep the discussion going!

Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

What does it take to build a thriving band program where every student feels they belong? For Jennifer Jimenez, 2026 Grammy Music Educator Award recipient and Director of Bands at South Miami Senior High School, it starts with intentional leadership, access, and community.

In this episode, Jennifer shares how she has spent 19 years building a music program that serves students from diverse backgrounds and creates opportunities for students who might otherwise never have access to music education.

We discuss:

• Expanding access to music education: Why Jennifer created a beginning band class for high school students with no prior experience.
• Building a culture of belonging: Mentorship, student leadership, shared responsibility, and creating a band family where everyone has a place.
• Community partnerships: How fundraising and partnerships with local arts organizations help provide instruments, camps, performances, and experiences for students.
• Intentional program culture: Establishing expectations, empowering student leaders, and building systems that help a program thrive.
• Representation and mentorship: Jennifer’s research on underrepresented populations in music education and why students and teachers need to see what’s possible.
• Sustainable teaching: Finding work-life balance, avoiding comparison, and growing the program you have rather than wishing for someone else’s resources.

Jennifer also shares advice for young band directors: You are not alone, don't be afraid to ask for help, and give yourself permission to be the teacher you are—not someone else.

This is an inspiring conversation about music education, student leadership, equity, and the impact of making sure every student has the opportunity to belong.

Connect with Common Time Podcast:

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Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments below or on our social media channels. Let’s keep the discussion going!

Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

What does it take to build an ensemble that consistently performs at an elite level—and sustain that excellence over decades?

In this episode of Common Time, we talk with Matt Harloff, former Director of Bands at Avon High School and current Brass Caption Head with Carolina Crown. Matt shares lessons from his career in marching band, concert band, and drum corps about developing culture, teaching musical artistry, building student ownership, and getting the most out of every rehearsal.

They discuss:

• Building a culture of excellence without sacrificing artistry and emotion
• Why the first weeks of a season are critical for establishing expectations and rehearsal discipline
• How to make rehearsals more efficient by talking less and doing more
• Using fundamentals and warm-ups to directly address challenges in repertoire
• What high school band directors can learn from the drum corps model
• Creating student ownership by explaining the “why” behind expectations
• Sustaining excellence through strong systems, staff culture, and a willingness to keep evolving
• The importance of finding balance, setting boundaries, and avoiding burnout as a band director
• Why band directors can learn a lot from coaches and strength & conditioning professionals
• Matt’s recommended reading, including Leading with the Heart and Extreme Ownership

Matt also reflects on one of his favorite lessons from his career: sometimes the goal isn't simply to perform perfectly—it’s to create a performance that allows musicians and audiences to stop analyzing and simply experience the music.

Connect with Common Time Podcast:

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Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments below or on our social media channels. Let’s keep the discussion going!

Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

In this episode of the Common Time Podcast, we sit down with legendary music educator, conductor, clinician, author, and University of Texas Professor Emeritus Paula Crider for a conversation about music education, meaningful music making, rehearsal techniques, leadership, and the human side of teaching.

Paula shares lessons from a lifetime in music education, including how to create more purposeful rehearsals, help students connect with the meaning behind the notes, develop student ownership, and balance high expectations with genuine care.

In This Episode:

• What makes a great music rehearsal
• Why “meaningful music” goes beyond playing the right notes
• Score study, preparation, and lifelong learning
• Using positive language to improve rehearsals
• Developing student leadership and ownership
• Creating a culture of high achievement and genuine care
• The importance of mentorship in music education
• What today's music students need from their teachers
• Why educators should never lose sight of the gift of music

Whether you're a band director, music educator, conductor, or student teacher, Paula's perspective offers practical reminders about teaching music with purpose, passion, and humanity.

Connect with Common Time Podcast:

Follow us on social media at @CommonTimePodcast

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Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

The Common Time Podcast is back for Season 5! Hosts John Pasquale and David Clemmer return for a conversation about summer adventures, music education, leadership, the power of the arts, and what listeners can expect from the newest season of the podcast.

After a summer break, John and David catch up on what they’ve been doing—and where their careers are taking them next.

John shares highlights from traveling to Japan and Vietnam, where he worked with bands and students and experienced musical cultures that challenged and inspired him. He also talks about returning to the University of Michigan Marching Band, the importance of musical fundamentals, and why a strong rehearsal process ultimately leads to a stronger artistic product.

David talks about his new role as Executive Director of the Amarillo Symphony and how the position brings together so many different parts of his career in music education, leadership, community engagement, and the arts. The conversation also explores the important role that music educators play in developing lifelong patrons and supporters of the arts.

Season 5 expands the Common Time conversation even further. While the podcast has deep roots in band and ensemble education, John and David are bringing in perspectives from across the musical world, including choral music, orchestral music, international music education, leadership, and the broader arts community.

Listeners can look forward to conversations with inspiring educators, conductors, composers, performers, and other guests from across the United States and around the world.

The goal remains the same: to create meaningful conversations that help music educators learn, reflect, grow, and connect with one another.

Connect with Common Time Podcast:

Follow us on social media at @CommonTimePodcast

Join our community focused on growth here: 🔗 https://www.facebook.com/groups/commontimecollective

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Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments below or on our social media channels. Let’s keep the discussion going!

Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

Season four goes out with just the two of us — and it turns out there's plenty to talk about. David reflects on his artist-in-residency at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he closed out a six-conductor series, and debuted a live interactive concert app he's calling the Living Program. John shares what it was like to step onto the red dot and deliver a TED Talk about navigating a speech impediment — and what that process of synthesis actually looked like.

From there David and John dig into their ongoing wind band pedagogy collaboration with the University of Cape Coast in Ghana (now reaching educators across 13 African countries, with a master's degree program on the horizon), field listener questions about honor band availability and the Common Time Collective, swap music recommendations, and make the case — loudly — for video recording your own rehearsals. There's a conducting soapbox or two along the way, some gratitude for four seasons and 25,000-plus downloads, and a preview of what season five might become.

Connect with Common Time Podcast:

Follow us on social media at @CommonTimePodcast

Join our community focused on growth here: 🔗 https://www.facebook.com/groups/commontimecollective

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

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Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments below or on our social media channels. Let’s keep the discussion going!

Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer

After 57 years of teaching — spanning stops at Wisconsin, Northern Colorado, Michigan State, and Cincinnati before landing at the University of North Texas — Eugene Migliaro Corporon is stepping away from the podium. In that time he has shaped not just a program but an entire generation of conductors, educators, and musicians who carry his influence into rehearsal rooms and concert halls around the world.

In this episode, we sit down with Corporon for a wide-ranging conversation that is equal parts master class and memoir. He reflects on what retirement actually feels like when music has been your life since junior high school, shares hard-won wisdom on the craft of rehearsing, makes the case for repertoire as the lifeblood of any ensemble, and offers a clear-eyed challenge to the next generation of band directors: don't let the urgency of the field eclipse your artistic self.

GUEST BIO

Eugene Migliaro Corporon

Regents Professor of Music · University of North Texas

Eugene Migliaro Corporon is one of the most decorated and widely respected figures in the wind band world. A Regents Professor of Music at the University of North Texas, he has served as Coordinator of Wind Studies and Conductor of the Wind Symphony there for decades, building UNT's program into a globally recognized model for wind band excellence. Before coming to Denton, he held positions at the University of Wisconsin, the University of Northern Colorado, Michigan State University, and the University of Cincinnati. Over a career spanning 57 years of teaching, Corporon has championed new music for winds with uncommon dedication — commissioning works, collaborating closely with living composers, and insisting that the wind band's future lies in original repertoire rather than transcription. He is the author of Explorations, Discoveries, Inventions and Designs in the Nowhere, published as part of the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series, and has conducted at major venues and conferences including Midwest, TMEA, and CBDNA. His students occupy positions in universities, conservatories, and professional ensembles throughout the world.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

0:00

Introduction — Corporon's career at UNT and opening reflections on retirement

1:22

Most vivid memories: students, composers, and the passing of Robert Reynolds

3:54

What he hopes former students carry forward — individuality, repertoire, and spontaneity

5:32

Building the UNT wind band program — modeling after jazz studies, outreach, and team culture

9:24

The art of rehearsal — from "stop at every mistake" to exploration, improvisation, and clarity

27:01

Non-negotiables in ensemble teaching — repertoire, advocacy, and live streaming as outreach

35:05

Defining leadership — preparation, belief, and treating composers as collaborators

40:22

Advice for the next generation — balance concert and marching, develop broadly, stay humble

48:45

One guiding principle — humanity in the rehearsal room, making students thirsty

57:26

Soapbox: value teachers as fully professional people

1:00:40

Recommended books and the Evelyn Glennie story

1:05:08

Favorite time signature — and why free time wins

1:06:50

Closing thoughts: taking credit for the work of your ensemble

Connect with Common Time Podcast:

Follow us on social media at @CommonTimePodcast

Join our community focused on growth here: 🔗 https://www.facebook.com/groups/commontimecollective

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

Nominate someone for a Standing Ovation: 🔗 https://forms.gle/i6aqoZxY85RMRwGP7

Fill out our anonymous listener survey: 🔗 https://forms.gle/E6VBNH2f4bWYNPFM8

Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments below or on our social media channels. Let’s keep the discussion going!

Hosts: Dr. John Pasquale and Dr. David Clemmer

Producers: Jessica Pasquale and Theresa Clemmer