Alan and Steve talk with educator and mind‑shifting coach Mitchell 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 tool, and how small shifts in language, silence, and curiosity can transform behavior and engagement in the music room. Mitch also shares practical strategies for navigating conflict with colleagues and administrators, advocating for music programs, and catching our own brains when they’re “lying” to us.
About Mitch Weisburgh
Mitch’s goal is to grow a critical mass of people who live happy, productive lives, who are resilient, resourceful, and collaborative in the face of obstacles, adversaries, and unintended outcomes.
From 1981 through 2000, Mitch founded and ran Personal Computer Learning Centers of America, training adults in the use of computers, growing the company to over 130 employees.
Mitch Weisburgh cofounded Academic Business Advisors in 2005, which helped organizations make a difference and reach more students in US schools. He has started various nonprofit organizations in education such as Games4Ed and Edchat Interactive.
Mitch’s first book, MindShifting: Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success came out in December, 2024, and focuses on techniques to change from mindsets that hold us back to ones that propel us forward. Mitch’s second book, MindShifting: Conflict and Collaboration was published inDecember, 2025. It is filled with actionable techniques for shifting from confrontation to cooperation in any setting: work, family, classrooms, or community life.
Since 2018, Mitch has been creating content and teaching MindShifting and Sensemaking and has started a Mindshifting Community for educators.
Mitch writes a weekly newsletter about ways to inspire the mind to learn and grow.
Links:
- MindShifting with Mitch website
- MindShifting Courses
- X
- Short video: How the brain makes fast decisions
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