Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning

You know the feeling:

Lackluster.
Laborious.
Boring.
Same old, same old.

It’s easy to slip into a rut in rehearsals from time to time, but I think we can all agree: it’s not a great feeling.

Feel like your rehearsals have gotten a bit monotonous lately? Here are a few reasons why this may be happening, plus some helpful strategies for getting out of that rut and back to making music with creativity and enthusiasm.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources mentioned:

50 Awesome Choral Warm-Ups for Church Choirs - free eBook

My Step-By-Step Process for Rehearsing a New Anthem

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Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

Think about some of the great teachers you’ve observed or had the pleasure of working with throughout your life. What made them great? What separates them in your mind from other teachers you’ve had?

One thing that I’ve noticed is that exceptional teachers have an innate ability to inspire and motivate those they teach. Their focus is not on the content, curriculum, or goals that they’ve set for the year, but rather on the individual learner—where they are and what’s important to them.

Today, I’m sharing three ways to inspire and motivate your students to help them grow and reach their full potential.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources mentioned:

Ways to Praise: Words That Inspire, Encourage, and Motivate

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Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

A few years ago, I finally got around to reading a book that was on my to-read list for a few years: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink. The book is based on scientific research by people like Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, Carol Dweck, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, among others, and provides insight into the role of motivation in our lives.

Here are my three biggest takeaways.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources mentioned:

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through some of these links.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

Julia Child once said, "You’ll never know everything about anything, especially something you love."

So true, right? The world is constantly changing and evolving and we need to be constantly changing, adapting, learning, and evolving along with it to be the best teachers we can be.

Here are eight things you can do to continue developing your teaching skills this year.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources mentioned:

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through some of these links.

Teaching reflection checklist from a Growing in Grace session at the Alleluia Conference

Choristers Guild

Four Reasons Why Playing Your Instrument for Fun is Vital to Your Music Career

The Art of Music Teaching & Learning - an online course for music educators

Spruce Up Your Teaching Routine With This Fun App (+ Creative Ways to Use It!)

An Inside Look at My Creative Process

Toggl - a free time-tracking tool

Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives

The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

I love setting goals, specifically ones that are intentional and strategic, and help me become a better version of myself; goals that have a purpose and a “why” behind them.

Today, I want to talk about goal-setting in the context of our work as musicians and educators. Here are three questions to help you find clarity and direction this year.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources mentioned:

2020 Goal Setting series by Lara Casey

Plan Your Life Without Becoming a Robot - free 4-day mini-course by Kendra of The Lazy Genius Collective

Teaching Reflection Workbook - a free printable

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew