Are you feeling overwhelmed thinking of all you have to do to get ready for the start of another school year? No need to stress! We've got you covered with all the tips and tricks you need to start off your music classes on the right note!

We are sharing everything you need to know about what to do during teacher prep week and in the first few weeks of the school year. From recruitment strategies to setting up classrooms and instrument distribution, we’re covering it all. Whether you're a seasoned teacher or just starting out, this episode is packed with valuable tips to help you navigate back to school season with confidence.

Be sure to join us inside our Facebook Group and share what your favorite back to school tips are!

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/first-weeks-of-school/

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

How can you successfully teach beginning strings when your background is in band? Teaching beginning strings requires a unique set of skills and knowledge. If you’re a band teacher teaching beginning strings, tune in as we dive into the world of teaching beginning strings.

In this episode, we are breaking down the pros of teaching beginning strings, the 7 prerequisite skills you should have before teaching beginning strings, tips we’ve learned along the way, and what a typical rehearsal for middle school strings looks like.

If you have questions about teaching beginning strings, be sure to join us inside our Facebook Group! We’ll be happy to help!

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/teaching-strings/

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

Are you using warm-ups and drills as a way to prepare your students to play sheet music? If not, you may be missing out on an incredible opportunity to help your students be more successful in band!

Join us as we dive into the importance of utilizing warm-ups and drills to effectively teach and practice new concepts and skills. Hear how we use backwards planning to craft our warm-ups and how warm-ups can be strategically used to teach important concepts needed to successfully play sheet music!

If you want to chat more about using warm-ups effectively, join us inside our Facebook Group and let us know what is working for you!

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/daily-warm-ups/

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

All over, teachers are seeing challenging behaviors that we have not seen previously. We know that in order to best serve our students and run a successful band program we need to reflect on what is working and what is not working and adapt as needed.

In this episode, we are diving into the 7 main issues we saw this past school year, what our updated rules and expectations will be going forward, and how we are presenting them to students and parents to ensure there is no misunderstanding about expectations and consequences. This may be a controversial topic but it is one we feel is important to discuss so we can all continue to improve our programs.

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/taking-what-didnt-work-this-year/ 

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

We’ve all gotten frustrated with method books or curriculums that move too quickly or aren’t easily understood by students. We knew there was a gap between what options were out there for beginning bands and what beginning band students and their teachers actually needed.

In this episode, we are diving into how the Quarter Note Companion helps set beginning band students up for success. We are sharing the research the curriculum is founded in, a look inside the 5 components of the curriculum, and how you can use this curriculum with beginning bands or middle school bands.

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/quarter-note-companion/

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

Teaching beginning band can be overwhelming and challenging! We have found that having three key pillars in place has been incredibly beneficial to running our beginning band classes. Establishing these overarching pillars have helped us to build our beginning band program that is successful and enjoyable for us and our students.

In this episode, we are sharing the importance of planning backwards based on our big goals, how we build and maintain a great classroom culture, the importance of clear rules and consequences, and the six things we include in our beginning band curriculum.

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/beginning-band-year-at-a-glance/

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

A lot goes into teaching beginning strings. When helping students learn the correct posture, safety, bow hold, etc., it is so important that they understand your expectations and what is expected of them. That is one of the key tips our guest, Elizabeth Rohrs, shares about teaching beginning strings.

In this episode, Elizabeth is diving into how she successfully teaches her very large classes of beginning strings with efficiency. She is sharing her background as a violinist and music educator, what her general scope and sequence is for beginning string students, how she structures her classes to make the best use of time, and how she teaches posture and bow hold. This episode is packed with practical information that we know will be so helpful for teaching beginning strings!

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/teaching-beginning-strings

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store:  www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

We’re reaching the end of the school year and you’re likely busy with spring concert prep and the last thing you want to think about is getting all the end of the year tasks completed. We want to help you get organized and plan for the end of the year without adding more to your to-do list. 

In this episode, we are diving into how we have simplified our end of the year processes to ensure all tasks get completed without adding unneeded stress. We’re sharing how we backwards plan for the rest of the year, ensure all logistics are set for field trips and concerts, clean and inventory instruments, and keep students engaged once concerts are over.

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/closing-out-the-school-year

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

What can we learn from video games and video game design that can help us as music educators? Jared Brockmeyer is joining us today to dive into how understanding video game design and student motivations can help us better reach and connect with our band students.

Jared has recently been presenting on gamification in education and has so much incredible information about the topic. In this episode, he is sharing how he made the connection between video games and music education, how we can structure our instruction to resemble the structure of video game, and why it's important to understand player type theory so we can understand and engage our students better.

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/what-video-games-can-teach-us/

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers

Music education looks different depending on which state you are in but many music educators would agree that Texas’ music education is better than other places in the United States. What is it about music education in Texas that helps to create such great programs?

In this episode we are joined by Andy LaRusch, a head band director in Texas, who is sharing some great insight into music education in Texas. He is sharing about his background as a music educator, his journey to becoming a head band director in Texas, the teaching environments for music educators in his district, what makes Texas music education stand out, and what he sees new music educators need the most support with.

Show notes: www.classroomcomposers.com/music-education-in-different-states

Website: www.classroomcomposers.com

TpT Store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Composers