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Recent Episodes:
Beyond the Concert (Part 2): Grading, Evaluation, and Repertoire Choices with Scott Jones
In part two of this two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Jones returns with Steve Shanley and Alan Feirer to apply the idea of teaching for independence to the most practical – and often most emotional – parts of the job: grading, evaluation, and repertoire selection. Building on Part 1’s skill buckets…
Quick Pro Tip: Better Questions for Student Feedback Meetings
Alan and Steve share ways to make student leadership check-ins more useful, focused, and efficient. Instead of asking vague questions like “What’s going well?” they suggest more specific prompts that help students give feedback teachers can actually use. They also discuss how small groups, clear time limits, and well-placed questions…
Beyond the Concert, Part 1: Teaching for Musical Independence with Scott Jones
In part one of this two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Jones joins Alan and Steve to explore what it means to teach for musical independence—not just prepare students for the next concert. Scott shares a practical framework for helping students read, listen, adjust, and make musical decisions on their own, with…
Back to School with Alan and Steve
Tariffs affecting equipment? Why on earth is PD so generic? Your cohosts have some thoughts – and dare we say – insights that are current and relevant. Learn more about tariffs here: https://bandmasters.org/articles/proposed-tariffs-learn-more/
“Back in January I spent about a good two hours going back and listening to the podcasts. I have really enjoyed them all a lot. So many episodes make me wish I had this podcast back when I was first teaching; it would have saved me some headaches early on.”
– Josh Hahn, Band Director, Prairie High School
