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Recent Episodes:
AI Can’t Play Your Trumpet: Why Music Education Matters More Than Ever
Alan and Steve respond to Mia Silverio’s Prof G article “What AI Is Doing to School,” which raises serious concerns about students outsourcing writing, attention, and critical thinking to AI. Rather than treating the article only as doom and gloom, they see an advocacy opportunity for music educators: band, choir,…
Cynthia Johnston Turner Live at IBA: Product, People, and Improvisation in the Band Room
Recorded live at the 2026 Iowa Bandmasters Association conference, Alan and Steve sit down with conductor and educator Cynthia Johnston Turner for a candid conversation about what really matters in the band room. Cynthia unpacks how she moved from a fear‑ and product‑driven rehearsal culture to one centered on psychological…
Quick Pro Tip: Getting Students to Meet Deadlines
Alan and Steve dig into a common teacher frustration: students who don’t take deadlines seriously. Alan shares a practical approach to setting deadlines that actually mean something—by clearly explaining the “why,” distinguishing between preferred and true drop-dead dates, and avoiding fake or inflated due dates that desensitize students. Steve adds…
MindShifting for Music Teachers: Turning “I Can’t” into “Perhaps I Can” with Mitch Weisburgh
Alan and Steve talk with educator and mind‑shifting coach Mitch Weisburgh about how music teachers can help students—and themselves—move from limbic “survival mode” into resourceful, resilient, and collaborative mindsets. They explore how to respond when students say “I can’t do this,” how to use music itself as a powerful self‑regulation…
“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
