That Music Podcast: A Podcast for Elementary Music Teachers

Melissa Stouffer is a music teacher in Michigan. She has taught infants through middle school general music, elementary and middle school choir as well as a middle school band program which she founded while teaching on a cart. She has a BS in Psychology and BME in Music Education from Central Michigan University and is Kodály Level Three certified. She serves as the past-president and secretary/treasurer of the Michigan Kodály Educators, the MMC Planning Committee representative for the Michigan Music Educators Association, the MMEA Professional Development Co-chair, and the sits on the APR committee for OAKE . She is a frequent presenter and the creator and author of www.mrsstouffersmusicroom.com.

Links and Resources:

• Connect with Melissa on Instagram
• Download the free Elementary Newbie Guide

This week's episode of That Music Podcast is definitely one that comes from the heart. In this episode I'll be sharing some tips that you can use to help you feel grounded and not so alone on music teacher island.

Links and Resources:

• Download the free Elementary Newbie Guide

Aileen Miracle teaches general music and choir in the Olentangy Local School District in Ohio; this will be her twenty-fourth year of teaching. She received her Bachelor of Music Education from Central Michigan University in 1999, and her Master of Music in Music Education with a Kodály emphasis from Capital University in 2003; over the past fifteen years, she has held leadership roles in local, regional, and national music education organizations.

In 2016, Aileen was awarded “Teacher of the Year” at Cheshire Elementary. She has taught Methodology and Folk Song Research for the Kodály Programs at Colorado State University, Capital University, and DePaul University. She enjoys blogging at www.mrsmiraclesmusicroom.com, has a podcast called “The Music Room,” and presents workshops across the nation and around the world. Her family includes her husband Scott, a singer/songwriter, her 18-year-old daughter Jenna, who plays flute and ukulele and is majoring in education at Ohio University, and her 9-year-old daughter Macy, who is taking Irish dancing lessons and is obsessed with “Carnival of the Animals”!

Links and Resources:

• Download the free Elementary Newbie Guide
• Aileen's Body Percussion Cards

Without a strong foundational understanding of steady beat, our students will struggle with nearly every rhythmic concept we throw at them.

In this week's episode of That Music Podcast I share my absolute favorite ways to teach steady beat in my classroom.

Links & Resources:

• Download your free copy of the Steady Beat Survival Guide

This week's episode of That Music Podcast hits close to home.

I chat with Jen Rafferty about burnout and what we as teachers can do to find some sort of balance as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of teaching.

Links and Resources:

• Download the free Elementary Newbie Guide
• Empowered Educator Resources
• Empowered Educator Faculty Lounge

This week's episode of That Music Podcast is NOT one to miss! I chat with Rachel Ammons about the common myths and helpful strategies for dyslexic students in the music classroom. Rachel Ammons is going into her fourth year as a music educator.

She works at a 2-12 independent school in Central Ohio that services students with ADHD, dyslexia, and executive dysfunction. She has a passion for adapting music lessons to be accessible to her students, and wants to help other teachers learn the truth about ADHD and dyslexia.

When she isn’t at school, she loves reading, writing, crocheting, and spending time with her husband and one-year-old son.

• Follow Rachel on Instagram

In this week's episode of That Music Podcast I dive into what it means to 'retrieve' a folk song and how a folk song collection can simplify your lesson planning.

On this week's episode of That Music Podcast I dive into the reasons in which a Kodály-influenced music classroom can still have a place in the modern music classroom.

If you've been on the fence about this "Kodály stuff," or if you've already decided it isn't for you, I invite you to listen to this week's episode to get my perspective of Kodály-influenced teaching in the modern elementary music classroom.

In this episode of That Music Podcast we talk about the importance of having a mentor, even if you're months away from retirement.

In this episode of That Music Podcast I chat with Erin Ross from My Music Staff about how you private music instructors can streamline and automate their procedures so they can focus on the important stuff: teaching music.

Claim your extended 60-day trial here.