Today on the podcast, I’m sharing my New Year’s Resolutions for 2019. And no, it’s not to finally loose the baby weight, or to read a book a week (although those are both on my personal list), but I’m talking about some things that directly apply to my music teacher life.

Here are my Top 5 Goals for 2019

1. Stop Worrying About Being Perfect
2. Try Something New Everyday
3. Hone My Own Musicianship
4. Make a New Music Teach Friend
5. Say No

Links Mentioned in this Episode: Pitch Publications - Rainbow Ukulele | Derek Sivers “If it’s not a Heck Yes, it’s a no” | Tim Ferriss - Tools of Titans

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com

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Today on the podcast, I’m talking with my good friend, Michael Chandler all about Orff-Schulwerk. I first met Michael when he was my Level 1 recorder teacher at the Orff-Schulwerk Certification Course at Southern Methodist University. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Michael as a brilliant musician, thoughtful pedagog, and just a genuine human being. I hope you enjoy our conversation about music and music education as much as I did!

Originally from McKenzie, Tennessee, Michael Chandler taught music and movement to elementary school children in Texas public schools for 16 years, most of them in the Lewisville Independent School District, where he was named Teacher of the Year at two campuses. In 2005, 2007, and 2013 his student ensembles were selected to perform at the TMEA Clinic and Convention in San Antonio. Dr. Chandler has presented workshops in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for TMEA, TCDA, AOSA, and numerous state MEA organizations. He has taught in AOSA-approved Orff Schulwerk teacher education courses at Southern Methodist University, the University of Central Arkansas, the Hartt School, Oregon State University, the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), the University of Memphis, and Education Through Music in New York City. He is a past-president of the North Texas Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) and served as a Regional Representative on the AOSA National Board of Trustees. Dr. Chandler was a pianist for the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas (CCGD) for 10 years and the organist and pianist at Round Grove United Church (UCC) in Lewisville for 17 years. He is the author of Everyday Recorder, Recorder Everyday!, an Orff Schulwerk approach to integrating recorder into the general music classroom. His publications have also been featured in Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, The Orff Echo, and The Southwestern Musician. Dr. Chandler earned the Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee; the Master of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville; the Master of Arts degree in music education from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota; and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in music education from the University of North Texas.

Contact Michael | Everyday Recorder, Recorder Everyday

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com 

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In this episode of TAP, we’re continuing our conversations about active music making approaches. Today I talk with Dr. Marla Butke, current president of the American Eurhythmics Society, about using Dalcroze in the general music classroom.

Marla Butke, Ph.D., directs the Women's Chorale at Otterbein University and teaches Choral Methods at Capital University. She has previously taught at Ashland University, Xavier University, The Ohio State University, and Ohio Wesleyan University. She holds degrees from Miami University, Wright State University and The Ohio State University. She is a Master Teaching Artist with the American Eurhythmics Society, serves as the president of the board of AES, and is on the board of the Ohio Choral Directors Association. Dr. Butke regularly presents workshops throughout the United States on Dalcroze Eurhythmics. Dr. Butke has been published in General Music Today, TRIAD, Update, The Orff Echo, and Enrollment Management. Her book, co-authored by Dr. David Frego, Meaningful Movement: A Music Teacher's Guide to Dalcroze Eurhythmics, was recently released.

Links mentioned in this episode:

American Eurhythmics Society | Dalcroze Society of America | Meaningful Movement: A Music Teacher's Guide to Dalcroze Eurhythmics by Marla Butke and David Frego

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com 

Click here to become a member of the TAP Insiders FB Group | Click here to subscribe to the Anacrusic Newsletter

Today on TAP, I’m talking with Dr. Cynthia Crump Taggart all about Music Learning Theory. MLT is an approach that I’m not as familiar with as others, and to be blunt, one that I still have a lot of questions about. This conversation with Dr. Taggart shed a lot of light on the philosophical underpinnings of Music Learning Theory, and, once again, how there are many more similarities to other pedagogical approaches than what I may have originally thought.

Cynthia Taggart is professor of music education at the Michigan State University College of Music. She received her B.M. and M.M. in Music Education from University of Michigan and her Ph.D. in Music Education from Temple University. In addition to being a faculty member, she is immediate past president of the College Music Society. Taggart directs and teaches in the Early Childhood Music Program of the MSU Community Music School. She received the prestigious MSU Teacher-Scholar award. Prior to teaching at MSU, she taught for four years at Case Western Reserve University, where she won the Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award for the Humanities and Social Sciences. She also has extensive elementary and preschool teaching experience in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about Cynthia Crump Taggart here | Gordon Institute for Music Learning | TAP 024: MLT with Jennifer Bailey from Sing to Kids

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com 

Click here to become a member of the TAP Insiders FB Group | Click here to subscribe to the Anacrusic Newsletter

In today's podcast episode, I'm sharing my 7 takeaways from the American Orff-Schulwerk Association National Conference. And these might not be exactly what you think. No lesson plans or sequencing for body percussion here. This episode is all about why it's important to attend any conference, workshop, or seminar. It all comes down to community and continuing education.

Links mentioned in this episode:

American Orff-Schulwerk Association

Organization of American Kodály Educators

National Association for Music Education

The Music Crew on TpT

Take a peek at Anne's 2019 Workshops here.

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com 

Click here to become a member of the TAP Insiders FB Group | Click here to subscribe to the Anacrusic Newsletter

In today's episode of the podcast, I'm sharing a few stories that have shaped me as a musician, a music teacher, and a person overall. This episode was inspired by a recent podcast I was a guest for, The Musicality Podcast. In this interview, Christopher asked me some really specific questions about my musical life and experiences that have shaped me. I surprised myself by a few of the memories that flooded back into my brain without trying very hard. I decided to sit down and write about as many as I could think of, and it only felt natural to share a couple with you today.

If you want to know more, check out TAP Episode 002, Anne's Story, where I talk all about my winding pathway through the world of music and music education. Also check out my interview on The Musicality Podcast: Designing for Joyful Learning with Anne Mileski.

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com 

Click here to become a member of the TAP Insiders FB Group | Click here to subscribe to the Anacrusic Newsletter

Today on the podcast, I’m answering 7 questions I’ve gotten from the Anacrusic Tribe over the last few weeks. These questions come from folks who are podcast listeners, newsletter subscribers, Instagram peeps, and everything in between. These are quick answers that might help you with those burning questions that have been firing up your brain. 

Here are the questions I'm answering today:

(1) What are your must-do Thanksgiving games or activities?

(2) How do you plan intention, sequenced lessons with it taking FOREVER.

(3) When do you start using a five line staff? Why use a 4 line staff for do-re-mi-so-la?

(4) What is your favorite and least favorite lesson or concept?

(5) How do I put together meaningful, artful programs for my 3 and 4 year old students.

(6) How do I handle lesson expectations from non-music administrators fairly and graciously? 

(7) I wasn’t planning to to teach elementary, what do I do.

Links mentioned in this episode:

-TAP 010: Q&A Coffee Chat (the OG!)

-Candy Dash Rhythm Games

-Bobbing for Apples Melody Games

-Over the River and Through the Wood Book

-There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey

-I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie

-5 Benefits of Learning Sequences in Elementary Music

-TAP 021: All About Learning Sequences

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com

Click here to become a member of the TAP Insiders FB Group | Click here to become an Anacrusic Insider

Today on the podcast I’m sharing the 3 rules I almost always break in my teaching, plus 1 that I almost never break. Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably a HUGE rule follower. It is not in my normal nature to break rules, but I have forced myself to get comfortable with getting uncomfortable, because I know that is where the magic is. So today, here are a few things that I think you should infuse a bit more of you into your teaching, so you can feel inspired and feel music, so you can better help your kids become their most musical selves.

Past TAP episodes mentioned today: TAP 005: Why You Should Get Comfortable with Getting Uncomfortable & TAP 021: All About Learning Sequences

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com

Click here to become a member of the TAP Insiders FB Group | Click here to become an Anacrusic Insider

Today on the podcast, I’m putting all four active music making approaches we’ve been discussing into the framework of a learning sequence. Kodály-inspired teaching, Orff-Schulwerk, Dalcroze Eurhtyhmics, and Gordon Music Learning Theory all have the common goal of music fluency. Since all the pathways are sequential, I’m breaking down my definition of a learning sequence from each pedagogical perspective, to shed light on how I interpret these different approaches and the tools they bring to my teaching practice.

Good teaching is good teaching. Regardless of approach, media, or repertoire, as long as your teaching ispurposeful, sequential,andjoyful, you are likely doing everything your children need and more. Thank you for being an intentional teacher! Please note, this document is not intended to be a comprehensive explanation of different pedagogical approaches. This is simply my experience, and how I have assimilated the information and education I have received. I encourage you to take specific training courses to draw your own conclusions and adapt these pedagogical approaches your own way to your classroom!

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com

Click here to become a member of the TAP Insiders FB Group | Click here to get your cheat sheet for this episode

Today I am overjoyed to have my great mentor Dr. Julie Scott on the podcast to talk about Orff-Schulwerk. Julie is quite literally one of the reasons I am a music teacher today. While I was working on a masters in trumpet performance, I was assigned to the music education department for my work study. It was there that I met Julie, and our conversations about music education and early childhood music sparked my interest in becoming a music teacher.

On this episode of TAP, Julie and I are talking all about Orff-Schulwerk. The philosophy, the pedagogy, and a few of the misconceptions about what Orff-Schulwerk teachers do and don’t do, quality materials, and how our bodies are our first instruments.

The Anacrusic Podcast is a proud member of the Music Teacher Development Podcast Network. The MuTed network provides support in the form of audio on demand programming designed by and for music educators. You can find more information about our network at mutedpodcasts.com

Click here to learn more about Julie | Click here to become a member of the TAP Insiders FB Group | Click here to subscribe to the Anacrusic Newsletter