Amused

Sus checks in with ways to develop your musicians outside of the normal cycle of formal concerts. What value do informal performances (informances) bring to your program? Note: Audio is bad on this one, (sorry!) We had trouble with the H6. Olin's audio remains unscathed. Recorded 02/02/2020

John sits down with Barb Catlin the director at Pomona College and CIT, as well as the incoming president for the California Alliance for Jazz to discuss working in the rhythm section as a new director and a horn player. Barb's Bio can be found here: http://www.barbcatlin.com/bio

Sus inquires after John's three year checklist for literature and we find ourselves discussing the challenges and processes of choosing literature for our groups.

And... we're back. Quick check-in on how 2020 is shaping up and some of our goals for the semester.

Sus is back trying to solve a few problems with her leadership staff, we break down some lessons learned from our concerts and the semester. Recorded 12/15/2019

We talk about how to best ensure follow-through with your giant to-do list before the next iteration of whatever it is: new semester, new marching season, new school year. What are some steps to take to make sure the job gets done the way you want it to and things don't get left by the wayside. Recorded 12.8.2019

We're back from Break, and wary about this post Thanksgiving season. Nov 1st was on a Friday which means when we left for  break "Next Month" was actually "Next Week" and that feeling in the air is just a little bit of panic.   Recorded 12/1/2019

We had an opportunity to record close to our release date and make our episode topical, so gratitude ends up being the name of the game. We take a break from all our worries and strife of teaching to focus on what we're grateful for. We hope it finds you on your travel to or from family this break.   Recorded 11/24/2019

This late in the semester in can be frustrating if your classroom procedures have eroded due to lack of maintenance. We talk a bit of our on experience of how and why that happens and about getting back on track.   Recorded 11/11/2019

I talk this week with Dr. Redfield about the easy mistakes first year directors make with their bands, and peel back the curtain on what made Robert McQueen HS in Reno such a powerhouse. Dr. Redfield's Bio can be found here. Recorded 11/5/2019

This week we take a look at alternative forms of administrative evaluations that one might be able to use in their own professional development.   Recorded 11/3/2019

So your fundraiser was successful and you have a pile of money, how do you navigate the financial bureaucracy of your new school and spend that money on your students and program? These are the questions Sus brings us today, and we thought it would maybe be helpful for newer teachers to lay out the processes by which we spend money and support our students.

This week I sit down with Max Kiesner, director at our local city college to talk about how he's adjusting to his new gig, and what universal concepts he tries to teach whether he's in front of a bunch of green freshmen, a high powered performance ensemble or a bunch of adults who may or may not practice as much as we'd all like. It's a grab bag of sorts but it was a very insightful conversation.   Recorded 10/8/19

This week we share how we integrate singing, pitch memory, dictation and other musicianship exercises into our lessons.   Recorded 9/29/2019

This week I sit down with Clyde Quick to talk form, organizing the year into units, and choosing charts to teach concepts.  

Veronica is exhausted by her seventh graders who don't know how to "band" yet and are not used to delayed gratification when they have questions. What do you do to teach problem solving with your youngest students?   Recorded 9.22.19

This week I sit down with Josh Murray at Rio Americano High School to talk swing, and some of the most fundamental steps one can take towards establishing a swinging rhythm section.   Recorded 9.5.19

This week we discuss a few opportunities to help build community in your ensembles, but our main focus is on the different organizational systems we use for lesson planning and keep on top of the workload of being a program administrator as well as a teacher. Some things work for each of us but don't work for others.   Recorded 09.08.2019

So, Jazz Workshop is the new project we're sprinkling in between family episodes of AMusEd. This week we have on Bobby Rogers. He and John discuss at length what he does to get his kids improvising from day one.   Recorded August 6, 2019

We're back, catching up about changes in our teaching loads and what we're excited about for the coming year.   Recorded 8.24.2019