Alan and Steve talk with veteran South Dakota music educator Ryan Stahle about moving beyond using artificial intelligence as a glorified search engine and actually learning to talk with it. Ryan shares practical examples from his own teaching, including creating targeted warm-ups, speeding up student feedback, organizing individual lessons, and even building tools to solve … Read more

Alan and Steve introduce a simple way to understand DiSC using two practical questions: Are you faster-paced or more moderate-paced? And do you tend to start with skepticism or warmth? They explain how D, i, S, and C styles can help music educators better understand students, colleagues, parents, and themselves—without putting anyone in a box. … Read more

Alan and Steve talk with interdisciplinary artist, educator, and Bezerk Productions founder Linda Sibio about the unusual path she has taken from her own experience with schizophrenia into decades of work using art, voice, movement, and writing with people experiencing mental-health challenges. Linda leads them through exercises from Cracked Eggs and The Insanity Principle—saying ordinary … Read more

Steve and Alan talk through practical ways to make audition recordings that help your players give the best possible impression. From choosing the right opening excerpt to avoiding music that is too risky, they explain why first impressions matter and why “defense” — tone, pitch, blend, and rhythm — often matters more than flash. This … Read more

What makes teaching music in a small rural school uniquely challenging—and uniquely rewarding? In this conversation, Michael Genslinger, host of Rural Music Matters, joins Steve and Alan to explore the realities of K–12 generalist teaching, limited local resources, and the revolving door of rural positions. Along the way, they highlight how community, creativity, and a … Read more

Slow, lyrical music can be beautiful, but it also exposes everything: tone, pitch, attacks, releases, balance, breath, bow control, and focus. Alan and Steve discuss when lyrical programming helps students grow, when it creates too much risk, and how to build in moments of sustain and phrasing without going too far. Whether through a full … Read more

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 and culture work, this episode … Read more