Every day, we make thousands of tiny choices.
We choose what to wear, what to eat, what to say, how to respond to the changing world around us. We make decisions in music and teaching, what to write, what to play, what to focus on.
We are inundated with options and possibilities, a dizzying array of information and ideas.
We feel an obligation to make the "right" choices, a responsibility to make choices quickly and efficiently, to be decisive and smart.
Lent begins two weeks from today—Wednesday, February 26.
For most denominations, this is a season marked by quiet confession, sacrifice, and reflection.
Maybe you’ll give something up this season (like caffeine or cookies or social media) or maybe you’ll take something on (exercise, prayer, or solitude).
Maybe you’ll walk a labyrinth or participate in a Taizé service or do some fasting.
You know those things you’ve heard that seem true? I mean, they sound plausible. Plus, if enough people say it, it must be true, right?
Before long, we find ourselves buying into the hype, retelling the story, believing something we’ve heard without stopping to ask questions.
This is how myths begin.
Sometimes, there’s simply a lack of information—nothing to disprove this theory or that idea. Other times, they sound good on paper but are only surface-level with no substance to back them up.
Whatever the case may be, we’ve all encountered myths (big and small) in various parts of our lives.
But have you ever stopped to think about myths related to teaching and learning? What stories are being told out there that affect our work and how we approach things? What’s being shared as fact when there isn’t research to back it up?
Do you ever think back to the teachers you had growing up?
Maybe a private music teacher or a choir director or your high school English teacher or a professor you had in college.
What do you remember about them? What was your learning experience like? What approaches did you observe? What do you find yourself incorporating into your own teaching?
There’s an age-old adage that says we teach how we were taught.
This isn’t the full story, of course: we all have unique backgrounds and a variety of experiences that inform the people we are today and the teachers we are becoming.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I like to start each year with a book list—a collection of books that I’d like to read (knowing that I usually discover other books throughout the year that I’ll add in).
I used to be a strict one-book-at-a-time reader, but last year, I found that I enjoyed reading two at a time—a nonfiction/business/health book for mornings or pockets of free time during the day and a novel/memoir for reading at night.
I always try to choose books from a few different categories:
Business
Health & Lifestyle
Spiritual
Relationships
Fiction
Personal/Intellectual
Nonfiction/Memoir
This helps me be intentional about the books I choose to read and ensure some diversity (so I don’t end up reading only one type of book!).
Without further ado, here is my book list for 2020:
Happy New Year's Eve, friends!
This year-in-review post is one of my favorites to write each year. Sometimes it feels like the year passes by so quickly, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to look back to this time last year and celebrate all that’s happened and how much we’ve learned along the way. Here's a look back on our year:
It’s that time of the year! Here’s a look at 2019, by the numbers:
Hosted a free 5-day online workshop (Music Education Basics Workshop) for over 650 music educators (stay tuned for 2020 dates + info!)
Launched three printable rhythm and tonal pattern card sets (Rhythm Pattern Card Set, Tonal & Rhythm Pattern Card Set: Older Elementary, Tonal & Rhythm Pattern Card Set: Younger Elementary)
Self-published two new handbell collections (Four Pieces for Lent and Four Pieces for Easter)
Self-published two instrumental pieces (Two Easter Hymn Settings for Brass Quintet and Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven for Violin and Cello)
Launched a new mini-course for church musicians: Music Education & Leadership Skills for the Youth Choir Director
Self-published three mini service music collections (Songs for the Sanctuary I, Songs for the Sanctuary II, Songs for the Sanctuary: Alleluias & Amens)
Was a guest on the new Choristers Guild podcast/YouTube show (watch here)
Wrote about 50 new posts, ranging from warm-up resources to rehearsal tips, planning tools, conferences, and vocal exploration ideas.
It’s that time of the year when we all start to feel a little weary.
There’s music to rehearse and gifts to wrap, appetizers to make and cookies to bake, traditions to carry on and a few last-minute gifts to purchase (does Amazon deliver on Christmas Eve?!).
It’s easy to forget the reason for the season and become overwhelmed by our calendars, commitments, and the chaos of the season.
But that’s not what Advent and Christmas are about. It’s a time of waiting, of patient expectation, of stillness and quiet and peace.
One of my favorite things to do in December is to look back at all the books I read during the year.
I set out with a book list, like I do every year, and then changed my mind as I came across books in the library and in church basement sales, books that came recommended by friends.
I used to set a goal to read 10 books in a year, then I worked my way up to 12. Last year, I read 16 books and this year, I read 31! Now, for those of you who read 50+ books a year, this may not be very impressive, but I hope it’s encouraging for those of you who want to read more that you can teach yourself how to be a better reader, little by little.
Today, I want to share the six best books I read in 2019, along with a brief description of what I liked about each one:
Mix-and-match wrapping paper.
Bubble wrap for packaging.
Winter Berries stamps.
Cantata rehearsals.
Appetizer recipes on Pinterest.
(Endless) to-do lists.
Amazon packages.
Christmas cards to stamp and address.
Cookie swaps.
Shipping deadlines.
Various versions of Jingle Bells in lessons every week.
These are the things our December days are made of.
Real-life December means we're behind on our Advent calendar. Because part of me feels like if I don't turn the cards over, the days won't go by so quickly.
It means a stack of holiday sheet music (sorted by level) to bring into lessons and holiday-themed activities for studio class.
