Patterns & Practice

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

Amber and Britt discuss four different Reddit posts and talk about their upcoming hiatus (AKA musical season). Stay tuned for more episodes of Patterns and Practice in a few months!

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

Join Amber and Brittany as they talk about folk music in the classroom and things they LOVE about this generation of students!

• Research Article: 
  • Giebelhausen, R. & Sierzega, A. (2025). Folk around and find out: Cultural and historical sourcing for music cited as “traditional” in a general music curriculum series. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/87551233251385580
• Reddit Post: “What does this generation of students do better than others? (Legitimately)” 

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

Amber and Brittany discuss their experience at the NYSSMA Winter Conference earlier this month along with their teacher "icks."

• Topics: 
  • Introduction: [00:00]
  • Topic of the Day: State Conference: [01:51]
  • Reddit Post of the Day: [54:20]
• Mentioned in the podcast: 
  • Franklin Willis 
  • Missy Story 
  • Stephanie Leavell 
  • Robin Giebelhausen 
  • Peripole
  • Jason Jones 
• Amber & Brittany’s presentations!: 
  • Classroom Management for the Elementary Music Teacher
  • Play to Your Advantage
• Reddit Post: “Sometimes admin is terrible. Sometimes students are terrible. Sometimes parents are terrible. So what makes TEACHERS sometimes terrible?” 

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

Join Amber and Brittany as they discuss what an Learning Sequence Activity (LSA) is, how they use LSA's in their teaching, and a Reddit post about improvisation in the music room. 

• Topics: 
  • Introduction: [00:00]
  • Topic of the Day: LSA’s: [00:37]
  • Reddit Post of the Day: [48:45]
• Books!
  • Jump Right In: 
    • Tonal Register Book
    • Rhythm Register Book
  • Jill Reese’s Navigating Music Learning Theory
• Watch some LSA's
  • Andy Mullen - YouTube
  • Heather Shouldice - YouTube
  • Jen Bailey - YouTube
• Reddit Post: “Should kids be taught improvisation?” 

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

Amber and Brittany talk about aptitude, how they collect data, making performances sensory-friendly, and an unpopular opinion on Reddit. 

**UPDATE** Amber and Brittany would like to apologize for an error which required us to republish the episode. As we like to share that this is a candid snapshot of our teaching, we had a candid, uncensored moment about a frustration in the classroom, and will do better to ensure it doesn't happen in the future. 

• Topics: 
  • Introduction: [00:00]
  • Topic of the Day: Aptitude: [02:45]
  • Research of the Day: [30:49]
  • Reddit Post of the Day: [45:18]
• Reynolds, J.H. & VanWeelden, K. (2023). Tips for making music performances sensory-friendly and inclusive. Journal of General Music Education, 37(2), 43-46   https://doi.org/10.1177/27527646231211704
• Reddit Post: “Unpopular Opinion”

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

Join Amber and Brittany as they go off-book to discuss several facets of lesson planning, their favorite activities so far, and expectations vs. standards in today's Reddit Post. 

• Topics: 
  • Introduction and Lesson Planning: [00:00]
  • Reddit Post of the Day: [44:20]
• Experimental Songs and Chants - Book 1 by Edwin Gordon, Beth Bolton, Wendy Valerio, Cynthia Taggert
• Gerudo Valley Theme
• Reddit Post: “Lower Your Standards”

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

• Topics: 
  • Introduction: [00:00]
  • Topic of the Day: Audiation: [04:25]
  • Research of the Day: [26:50]
  • Reddit Post of the Day: [42:06]
• Learning Sequences in Music (2012 Edition) by Edwin E. Gordon
• Culp, M. E. (2017). The Relationship Between Phonological Awareness and Music Aptitude. Journal of Research in Music Education, 65(3), 328-346. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429417729655
• Empire York State of Mind (your welcome)
• Reddit Post: Students love this one weird trick (apparently?) by Afalstein

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

• Topics: 
  • Introduction: [00:00]
  • Topic of the Day: Early Childhood Music: [03:29]
  • Research of the Day: [23:25]
  • Reddit Post of the Day: [39:00]
• “Shun the nonbeliever” Clip from “Charlie the Unicorn” by FilmCow
• Hackworth, R. S. (2023). Vocal health implications for music teachers: A literature review. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 42(1), 12-21. https/doi.org/10.1177/87551233211061119 
• Vocal Function Exercises from Adult Speech Therapy
• Reddit Post: What's the most important thing we as a society could do for kids today?
• Transcript of Today’s Episode: Ep. 6 - Shakin’ Maracas

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

Amber and Britt decompress from the first week of school and discuss... play!! There's loads to uncover and discuss here, but most excitedly, the hosts discuss how play might be interpreted as a skill. For the research, they uncover some of the elements that create play. Lastly, they read a Reddit post from someone who is feeling a bit unsure. 

• Topics: 
  • Introduction: [00:00]
  • Topic of the Day: Play and Engagement [01:30]
  • Research of the Day: The Elements of Play [28:46]
  • Reddit Post of the Day: I need someone to tell me this gets better lol [49:09]
• Dirty Dancing Clip
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• Eberle, S.G. (2014). The elements of play: Toward a philosophy and definition of play. The American Journal of Play, 6(2), 214-233. 
• Superwholock Lore
• Reddit Post:  I need someone to tell me this gets better lol
• Transcript of Today’s Episode: Ep. 5 - Parallel Play

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]

Share a wild classroom story or a research article with us!

Amber and Brittany dive into the 'Sunday Scaries' that is the week before school starts, back to school, a longitudinal study about self-reported experiences of first-year teachers, and making social media content as teachers.  

• Topics (w/time stamps):
  • Introduction [00:00]
  • Topic of the Day: Back to School [00:47]
  • Research of the Day [32:24]
  • Reddit Post of the Day [53:30]
• Shaw, B. (2024). Beginning music teachers' self-reported first-year preparation. Journal of Research in Music Education, 0(0), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224294251351209 
• New Teacher Curve (see image on Substack)
• Reddit Post: Friend Became a Teacher Just to Get Social Media Content
• Around [57:00] - we noticed the static too! We’re working on figuring it out for next time! It will stop around [58:00]
• Transcript of today’s episode: Ep. 4 - We Are Not Demure
  • [TRANSCRIPT] on Substack

Get in touch!

• You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @patternsandpracticepod
• Website patternsandpracticepod.com.
• Email: [email protected]