Category: Education
What college professors don’t know about their music department colleagues
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in EducationI’m a music professor, and I find there are sometimes disconnects between the music faculty and the faculty in other departments. Of course not every institution is the same, and even areas of concentration within music can have differing roles and expectations, but here’s what sometimes surprises my non-music colleagues about my particular job: Check …
Teaching a college woodwind methods course
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in EducationIf you’re scrambling to prepare a new woodwind methods course, here are a few resources.
What to expect in your first semester studying music in college
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in EducationJumping in the deep end. In some college majors, you will spend your first couple of years doing “general education” courses (like writing, math, history, and science), and not take many “major” classes until later on. But with music, you usually start on day one with a lot of music classes. A thorough and varied …
How to have a good lesson
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in EducationI’ve taught lots of woodwind lessons, from beginner to college level. Here are some things that I look for in a good, successful lesson: Has the student made progress since the previous lesson? If things sound the same as last time, that’s not a good sign. I can tell when students are focusing their practice …
Advice on multiple-woodwinds graduate degrees and teaching careers
I often have university students bring up the idea of graduate school and a university teaching career, and I have previously given general advice about that. Perhaps since my graduate degrees and a teaching career are in multiple woodwinds, my students sometimes wonder if that’s a path they should take. Here are a few thoughts: …
Do I have to practice over the summer?
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in EducationAs I send my students off to their summer plans, I know many of them are asking themselves the same question I used to ask: Do I have to practice? Your teacher might give you a summer assignment. I feel like I really can’t give my students official, enforceable assignments when they aren’t enrolled in …
When things get canceled
At the time it seemed like the world was coming to an end. But things worked out. I canceled some things and modified or delayed some others. Some kind prof
Do I need a college degree for my instrumental music career plans?
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in EducationWhile college study may not be the right choice for every instrumentalist, it’s hard to beat for a well-rounded musical education (with performance study, music theory, music history, and more), plus life skills, networking, and enhanced employability in the general job market.
Which multiple woodwinds degree programs should I apply to?
“Which multiple woodwinds degree programs should I apply to?” I get this question a lot, since I write about multiple woodwind degree programs here on the blog, have a couple of those degrees myself, and maintain a list of such programs. (The list is meant to be comprehensive but probably isn’t. If you know of …
Your first lesson with your college instrument teacher
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in EducationEvery teacher is different, but here are some ideas of what you might expect when you take your first instrumental lesson with your new college teacher. Before the semester starts: When you have your login information, check your new university email and LMS (it might be something like “Canvas,” “Blackboard,” or “Moodle”—a site you can …
