#MusicEdLove Podcast

Welcome to MusicEdLove! You know that feeling when something has GOT to change, but you don’t know exactly what or how just yet? Then this episode is for you. Award-winning composer Katie O’Hara LaBrie delves into life after the classroom, composing for school ensembles, the publishing industry, and her process as a composer. 

Originally recorded in August of 2023, I am just now catching up on my podcasting game and cannot wait for you to read this one! Composer Katie O’Hara LaBrie is one of my dearest friends and one of the most inspiring music educators I have ever met. Take some time to listen to this one today. You will be so glad you did!

Be sure to also take a look at Katie’s career webinars!

Career webinars

Rhythms of Success: Charting Your Career Path in the Music World, Part One

Rhythms of Success: Charting Your Career Path in the Music World, Part Two

So, You Want to Be a Music Teacher? A Music Education Career Discussion with Katie O’Hara LaBrie

Career Blog: 

Careers in Music: Following Your Passion to New and Exciting Places

https://www.makemusic.com/blog/careers-in-music-following-your-passion-to-new-and-exciting-places/

Katie O’Hara LaBrie (b.1982) is a conductor, composer, cellist, and clinician from Northern Virginia, most recently elected as President-Elect for the Virginia String Teachers’ Association. An educator at heart, Mrs. LaBrie spent the first 15 years of her career teaching orchestra in Fairfax County, Virginia. In her capacity as an orchestra director she enjoyed creating a variety of fulfilling experiences for her students, from Fiddle Days to Rock Shows, Summer Camps to Trips around the East Coast, performances at the Virginia State Music Educators Conference and in collaboration with the Detmold Jugendorchesterof Detmold, Germany. In 2022, she was honored as one of Yamaha’s “40 Under 40,” for her action, courage, creativity, and commitment to growth in the music education field.

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Mrs. LaBrie holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from St.Olaf College and a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from George Mason University. Her primary conducting teachers include Anthony Maiello, Steven Amundson & Timothy Mahr, as well as David Carter on cello.

In addition to her love of teaching Mrs. LaBrie is a published composer and arranger, and is the editor for the Orchestra Division of Randall Standridge Music Publications. As a composer, Mrs. LaBrie enjoys creating new music with the goal of being educationally sound, pleasing to audiences, and above all, fun for the players. She finds inspiration from many sources, including family and nature, but primarily draws from her students and her own experiences as a music educator. Her compositions have received many accolades, including frequent selection as J.W. Pepper Editor’s Choice, as well as performances at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Directors Clinic and at the American String Teachers Association National Conference. 

Mrs. LaBrie is a member of NAFME, ASTA, and ASCAP. She is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician. She has presented clinics on: New Music (VMEA 2015, VA DoE 2019), “Practicing with Purpose: What’s the Big IDEA?” (FCPS 2017, VMEA 2017, ASTA 2021, NCMEA 2022 Midwest 2022), and “How to Win Rehearsals & Influence Students” (ASTA 2022, MMEA 2022, NCMEA 2022, VBODA 2022). 

Mrs. LaBrie is the founding conductor of the Fairfax Chamber Players and the co-creator of “the Big I.D.E.A.” practice method (www.PracticeWithPurpose.net). She lives in Fairfax with her husband Joe who is a middle school band director, and their budding musician, Liam.

In this episode of #MusicEdLove, Angela Ammerman chats with composer, educator, conductor: Adrian Gordon! Adrian shares about his process as a composer, his journey, and how he manages to be so phenomenally productive! This episode explores Adrian’s composing, writing, and productivity!

This episode is so great for anyone who aspires to do more with the gifts they are given. We just know you will gain inspiration and motivation from this wonderful episode!!!

Please remember to subscribe and leave us a review if you loved this episode!

Adrian Gordon is an active performer, composer, and music educator living in Charlotte, NC. His colorful compositions are captivating for musicians of all ages from very easy to advanced levels. Over the years Gordon has written several acclaimed works for string orchestra such as “Apocalypse” and “Song of the Ocean Winds” to name a few.

Adrian takes pride in creating music that is fun and pedagogically sound at all levels. Mr. Gordon currently serves as the orchestra director at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. He received his B.A. in music from the University of Miami, and his Masters degree in Music Education at Florida International University.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music Publishing and the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing which, publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. Mr. Gordon’s compositions appear on the California, Florida, Texas, Maryland, and Georgia Orchestra Association Music Performance Assessment Lists. His compositions are distributed through JW Pepper and have been performed throughout the world. Adrian resides in Charlotte with his wife Kelly and their two sons.

I cannot wait for you to tune in to this *SPECIAL* collaboration podcast episode with the host of the music education podcast: Choralosophy! This episode delves into a few of the controversial truths within music education and explores the struggle to excel in a field that often boasts freedom of expression and creativity but often promotes its own brand of conformity.

If you have enjoyed this episode, please drop us a review and let your friends know!

This week, Angela interviews author, band director, speaker, and mom: Lesley Moffat! In this episode, Lesley shares how she transitioned from 14 medications to none, how she started a podcast, wrote two books, and founded her MPowered Educator Academy. Moffat also delves into life – work balance and envisioning your own flap copy! You will LOVE this episode!

Prior to writing Love the Job, Lose the Stress, Lesley Moffat’s story of overcoming the myriad of health issues she’d faced for decades as a high school band director and wrote about in the book I Love My Job but It’s Killing Me: The Teacher’s Guide to Conquering Chronic Stress and Sickness resonated with teachers all over the world. 

Lesley considers it a personal triumph to have overcome personal health issues that were the result of being an exhausted and worn-out band director who was on the verge of walking away from the career she loved. The responsibilities, time, and energy it took to run her music program left her struggling to balance her career with her family life. In order to stay in the job without continuing to struggle with burning the candle at both ends, she set out to figure out how she could be both the mom and badass band director she’d always dreamed of being. 

Through the course of her own research, what she learned through trial and error, activities she’s used in teaching more than 30,000 classes, and her experience with how students best learn, she has created a simple yet brilliant protocol that has the potential to change how teachers teach and students learn. 

Lesley has worked with thousands of people, helping them not only achieve musical goals (including repeated performances at Carnegie Hall, Disney Theme Parks, Royal Caribbean cruise ships, and competitions and festivals all over the US and Canada), but also teaching them how to develop the long-term life skills they need to help them achieve their goals. 

Lesley has been a presenter at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and WMEA Conferences, served on the board for the Mount Pilchuck Music Educators Association, and has been an adjudicator and guest conductor in the Pacific Northwest and is a frequent guest on education and music education podcasts and webinars, sharing strategies from her personal and professional struggles and triumphs. 

Lesley lives in the same Seattle suburb where she’s taught for most of her career, developing relationships with students and their families as their teacher and also as a fellow member of the same community. 

After completing her undergraduate degree at Indiana University, she returned to her roots and moved back to the Pacific Northwest, where she and her husband, George, raised their three daughters, all of whom were students in her high school band program. Fun fact: Lesley, George, all three of their daughters, and Lesley’s dad have performed at Carnegie Hall.

Check out more from Lesley Moffat Here:

Finding Joy After Julliard

Welcome to the #MusicEdLove Podcast. On this episode, host Angela Ammerman welcomes Merideth Hite Estevez, a talented oboist, podcaster, performer, author, and mother, onto the show. Angela and Merideth catch up after having known each other since their college days at CCM. 

Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez is a spiritual space-maker for artists as a writer, coach, educator, and performer. As an oboist, Merideth has performed with top orchestras in the US and abroad, including the Met Opera and PhillyPops, and is currently the English hornist/Second Oboe of the Chamber Orchestra of NY. She has served on faculties of numerous universities and schools of music, most recently as Associate Professor of Oboe at University of Delaware. Her education has taken her all over the world—Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Yale School of Music, Fulbright Scholar to Germany, and to The Juilliard School where she received her doctorate in oboe.

She has been a featured speaker at Google, Longy School of Music, ShePodcasts LIVE, Hope*writers, Music Institute of Chicago, and more. As a coach, she has helped thousands of artists overcome creative block through her popular online creative recovery clusters and has served as an executive coach for all types of arts leaders, from major museum directors to deans of conservatories and art schools. 

Dr. Estevez’s award-winning podcast, Artists for Joy, was in the top 250 podcasts in the US in the Self-Help category in January 2023 and is currently top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide. Her first book, “The Artist’s Joy: A Guide to Getting Unstuck, Embracing Imperfection, and Loving Your Creative Life,” debuts in Spring 2024 from Broadleaf Books.

Originally from South Carolina, Merideth now resides in Metro Detroit, Michigan, with her husband, Rev. Edwin Estevez, daughter Eva, and son Eli.

As a multifaceted artist, Merideth discusses her love for performing as an oboist and her involvement with various regional orchestras. She also talks about her work as a writer and her upcoming book, “The Artist’s Joy,” which focuses on helping creatives experiencing creative block, burnout, and creative wounding.

The conversation dives into the topic of managing time and energy as a creative individual. Merideth emphasizes the importance of recognizing the different energies of being a manager and a maker. She advises taking large chunks of time for creative exploration and play to counteract the draining managerial tasks.

Angela asks Merideth about her experiences at Juilliard and how they shaped her as an artist. Merideth opens up about the difficulties she faced in such a high-pressure environment and how it led to a loss of joy in her music. She later found a path to rekindle her creative passion through Julia Cameron’s book, “The Artist’s Way,” which explores the connection between spirituality and creativity.

As a Suzuki parent, Merideth’s perspective on “creating in the cracks” has evolved. She encourages others to find joy and playfulness in their creative pursuits, even within short periods of time. Merideth believes that viewing creativity as an act of devotion and being intentional about accessing one’s creative spirit can make a significant difference.

The episode wraps up with Angela and Merideth discussing the upcoming release of Merideth’s book, “The Artist’s Joy,” and where listeners can find her work and engage with her online, such as her podcast, “Artists for Joy,” and her website, ArtistsForJoy.org. Angela expresses her excitement for the book and encourages listeners to pre-order it. They end the show by sending love and encouragement to all creative minds, students, and fellow musicians.

@artistsforjoy 

Join her email list: https://artistsforjoy.org/book

Welcome to the #MusicEdLove Podcast. On this episode, hostess Angela Ammerman welcomes the accomplished music educator, innovator, conductor, and chapter contributor Angela Harman. The excitement is palpable as they prepare to delve into Angela Harman’s expertise in teaching orchestra and her inspiring recruitment strategies.

Before delving into the discussion, Angela Ammerman introduces Angela Harman’s impressive accomplishments, including her significant impact on increasing enrollment in orchestra programs. Angela Harman shares her journey into music, starting with the inspiration she felt after seeing a recruiting show in fourth grade and how it led her to pursue a career in orchestra education.

Angela Harman’s passion for teaching and innovation shines through as she describes her unique approach to marketing and recruiting. She utilizes her creative talents to design materials that captivate students and parents alike. The “zombie takeover” theme for her recruiting show and the use of inspiring fortune cookies are just a few examples of her innovative strategies. Her marketing efforts, combined with her engaging concerts and classroom experiences, have resulted in a substantial following and positive word-of-mouth from her students.

The conversation shifts to the topic of maintaining healthy relationships with colleagues in the face of competition for enrollment. Angela Harman shares her experiences and emphasizes the importance of focusing on delivering exceptional experiences in one’s own classroom rather than engaging in unhealthy competition. This approach allows all music educators to thrive and create a positive impact on their students.

The episode concludes with Angela Harman discussing her plans for the future, including further developing her website orchestra classroom.com and exploring new ways to handle assessment and grading in her orchestra classes. Listeners are encouraged to follow Angela Harman on social media to stay updated on her inspiring work and innovative ideas.

Join Angela Ammerman and Angela Harman on this episode filled with passion, creativity, and a dedication to inspiring the next generation of musicians and music lovers. Happy musicing!

Find more from Angela at the following places:

http://www.giamusic.com 

http://www.orchestraclassroom.com

@orchestra.teacher.life

This podcast was edited by Brogan Molloy.

It was so amazing to chat with music ed mama, business owner, philanthropist, ILLUSTRATOR and music advocate: Jenna Day on #MusicEdLove this week!!!

In this episode, Jenna shares how she balances the many activities she does, how she runs a business and a family, and putting God first.

I love this episode so much and I know you will benefit from Jenna’s experiences and wisdom!

Non-Traditional uniforms, building a family of musicians, music assessment, and balancing it all with the AMAZING educator, conductor, and violist: Ben Pereyra! Check this one out today and share it with a friend!

You all… this episode is so near and dear to my heart… Take a bit of time out of your day to listen to the LEGENDARY conductor: Maestro Tony Maiello!

​​Anthony J. Maiello is Professor of Music and University Professor at George Mason University. Professor Maiello teaches applied lessons in Conducting, Aural Skills, and classes in Instrumental Conducting. 

Professor Maiello makes professional appearances both nationally and abroad conducting music festivals, adjudicating ensembles and presenting clinics, lectures and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and Europe. He conducted musical activities for the Gold Medal Ceremonies at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York; served as Musical Director for Music Festivals International; was selected as President of International Association of Jazz Educators – New York State Chapter; and is a guest clinician for Yamaha Corporation and Warner Bros. Publications. In March of 2010, he was inducted into the Bands of America Hall of Fame at Music for All’s Indianapolis headquarters.

Professor Maiello’s professional recording credits include conducting the American Wind Symphony and additional studio ensembles for Alfred/Belwin Publications. Locally, Maiello has served as Associate Conductor of The McLean Orchestra, McLean, Virginia; been appointed an Honorary Conductor of The United States Navy Band, Washington, D.C.; and was a participant in the National Conducting Institute with Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., to which he has provided his services as a cover conductor.Throughout his career, Maiello has published musical compositions for string orchestra and is the author of “Conducting Nuances” (GIA Publications, Inc.); “Conducting: A Hands-On-Approach” (Warner Bros./Alfred Publications); and co-author of “The 21st Century Band Method” (Warner Bros./Alfred Publications). In 2007, Maiello was awarded the title of “University Professor” by the GMU Board of Visitors, the highest rank given to Mason faculty members. Maestro Maiello is the BELOVED founder and Conductor/Artistic Director of the American Festival Pops Orchestra, a professional ensemble in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area dedicated to promoting and performing American popular music. The American Festival Pops Orchestra’s May 14, 2022 performance marked the beloved Maestro’s final performance with the orchestra, capping off 12 years of leadership.

Take 5 minutes today to check out these simple tips for maximizing your rehearsal efficiency!

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