Like me, many music educators leave college planning to lead a secondary school music program, but find employment teaching elementary music. In our previous episode, master elementary music teacher David Row and I had a great discussion about how to get started with an elementary program. As it turned out, much of David’s advice applies to the secondary classroom as well! In this week’s episode David and I continue our conversation about teaching elementary music.

Most music education degrees come with a K-12 teaching certificate, but that doesn’t mean you feel comfortable with the K-4 kids. Most of us focused on secondary school in college, and when confronted with the realities of teaching elementary music we have to make some adjustments. In this episode, I talk with master elementary music teacher David Row about everything you need to know to teach elementary music.

I’m a huge fan of parent booster groups. They can really help promote your program, make fundraising easier, and engage your community. Joining me this week is Ryan Crabtree, president-elect of the Colorado Bandmasters Association. Ryan's success demonstrates how it booster groups are totally worth the effort. We’re talking about five-digit fundraising, covering travel for 130 students.

Led by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), “Music in Our Schools Month” was created to demonstrate the powerful role that quality music programs play in the lives of young people. Every student should have access to music education at school. In this episode, I’ll share activities you can do online, in class, and at your concert to support MIOSM.

In this very special episode of the Music Ed Mentor Podcast we welcome our first GRAMMY winning guest! I’m excited to share my conversation with Melissa Salguero, who just became the GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year. Melissa and I became Facebook friends after the NAfME conference, and when I realized she won a GRAMMY, I knew I wanted to share her story with all of you. In this episode, Melissa describes how she got involved with music, why she became a teacher, and how she stays motivated.

Many schools are starting to incorporate commercial and popular music ensembles as part of their music curriculum. In this episode of the podcast, I interview Steve Giddings. Steve literally wrote the book on starting a rock band at your school, and his tips will help you whether you’re starting from scratch at a small school or have years of experience in a well-established program.

Making sure that kids don’t run off for a shiny new elective is just as important as getting them in your door in the first place. In this episode, I speak with Scott Lang, founder of Be Part of the Music, about how we can keep students coming back year after year. Scott’s an incredibly passionate speaker and advocate, and he has hands-on tips for keeping your enrollment numbers up.

Having a great recruitment and retention strategy not only keeps your ensembles sounding great, but also helps expand your budget, secure support from the community, and show value to administrators. In this episode I’m joined by Wendy Higdon, a fabulous band director and recruiting expert, to go over a long-term recruiting timeline, look at simple things you can do this week to improve retention, and share our favorite resources for this crucial topic.

As regular listeners know, I’m a little obsessed with helping music educators have the best lifestyle they can. I want you to be healthy in all the ways that matter – physically, mentally, spiritually, financially, and socially. Making the right resolutions can go a long way toward being happy and healthy. In this episode of the podcast, I offer seven resolutions that will help you live a better life in the next year.

Whether you’re just getting started in music education or are thinking about a new position, you likely have questions about getting a job. In this episode, I speak with five educators with experience in the field. Together they offer tips on every piece of the hiring process, from building a resume to handling the first day at a new job.