the music educator blog

COVID-19 is here and the reality is that many schools are making plans for distant learning instruction in the event of a closure related to the global pandemic.

This week’s episode addresses the relationships we all have with administrators. As music educators, we have a responsibility to demonstrate the value of the arts and what music does for the greater school community.

The performance is the culmination of weeks of rehearsing, but the music is not the only thing that needs to be prepared in advance of the concert.

In this episode, I turn over the hosting reins to my friend John Mlynczak live from the exhibit hall at the Texas Music Educators Association annual conference.

So you’re an aspiring composer, hoping to make your mark in educational music publishing. You may be asking: “If I want to compose, how can I get started?” “How does someone actually get their foot in the door as a working composer?” “What does a composer need to do to become successful?”

To that end, I’d like to offer two perspectives: first, as a somewhat “new-to-the-scene” female composer, I’d like to share a little bit about how I found success writing for choirs; and secondly, as an editor, I’d love to offer some insight about how new music is selected for publication, and how composers can put their best foot forward when submitting.

This episode is all about copyright. As we all know, you can do anything you want with music you create, but in this episode we’ll give you some very much needed clarity about what you can and cannot do with music you didn’t create.

So! Here we are. Welcome. I’m glad you’ve made it this far.

Some introductions are in order. Hi.

As we start the new year, I wanted to present an episode that is a bit different from our typical episodes.

One of the smartest things I did in my pre-music teaching life was to work at a music store. Not only did I make lifelong friends, I got to know all of the other music teachers in the area where I worked, I learned a lot about music instruments and accessories, I got to attend live performances of Broadway shows, meet professional musicians and celebrities, and basically develop a knowledge of the music industry.