Become a Music Ed Insights Insider!
Recent Episodes:
Excellence Doesn’t Have a Number: Susan Smith on Small Band Empowerment
Alan and Steve talk with Susan Smith live at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference about small band empowerment, smart repertoire choices, adjudication, and what it means to teach the students in front of you. Susan challenges the idea that smaller programs should have lower standards, reminding directors that success is…
AI Can’t Play Your Trumpet: Why Music Education Matters More Than Ever
Alan and Steve respond to Mia Silverio’s Prof G article “What AI Is Doing to School,” which raises serious concerns about students outsourcing writing, attention, and critical thinking to AI. Rather than treating the article only as doom and gloom, they see an advocacy opportunity for music educators: band, choir,…
Cynthia Johnston Turner Live at IBA: Product, People, and Improvisation in the Band Room
Recorded live at the 2026 Iowa Bandmasters Association conference, Alan and Steve sit down with conductor and educator Cynthia Johnston Turner for a candid conversation about what really matters in the band room. Cynthia unpacks how she moved from a fear‑ and product‑driven rehearsal culture to one centered on psychological…
Quick Pro Tip: Getting Students to Meet Deadlines
Alan and Steve dig into a common teacher frustration: students who don’t take deadlines seriously. Alan shares a practical approach to setting deadlines that actually mean something—by clearly explaining the “why,” distinguishing between preferred and true drop-dead dates, and avoiding fake or inflated due dates that desensitize students. Steve adds…
“Back in January I spent about a good two hours going back and listening to the podcasts. I have really enjoyed them all a lot. So many episodes make me wish I had this podcast back when I was first teaching; it would have saved me some headaches early on.”
– Josh Hahn, Band Director, Prairie High School
