From late August to mid-November, a band director works two full-time jobs. There’s the field job: rehearsals after school, Friday nights in the stadium, Saturdays at district competitions or a Regional.
How to Challenge Your Most Advanced Music Students
You know the student. They show up already knowing the piece you recently assigned, or they’re sight-reading the next page while everyone else is still working through measure four.
Bridging the Equity Gap: How Thornton Middle School Replicates Private Lessons and Overcomes IT Roadblocks in a Title I Setting
For under-resourced band programs, the playing field can often feel uneven. In a lower socioeconomic status (SES) environment, expensive private lessons are rarely the norm.
From the List to the Stage: Preparing MPA Repertoire with MakeMusic Cloud
The assignment is written into the rules: a march of your choice, plus two selections from the Official NCBA Concert Band MPA Music List, drawn from the same or adjacent grade levels.
The Practice Partner at Home: How Wiley Middle School Built a Culture of Confidence and Shared Rehearsal Accountability
Every music teacher knows the heavy administrative weight that comes with live evaluation cycles. When your calendar is packed with major performance goals, like an invited showcase at the Midwest Clinic, the challenge isn’t a lack of student talent; it’s the finite number of instructional minutes before the opening downbeat.
From Field to Stage: How Rouse High School Built a Self-Correcting Band Culture Without the Burnout
Many band directors know the chaotic energy of a traditional Texas fall. Balancing a competitive state-level marching season with rigorous high school academics is already a monumental task.
Introducing Multiple Choice Assessment
We are thrilled to open a brand-new chapter in comprehensive music learning by introducing our first-ever written assessment type: Multiple Choice Assessment.
Connecting Families to Student Musical Progress
There’s a moment most music educators know well: a parent pulls you aside after a concert and says something like, “I had no idea they were learning all of that.” It’s equal parts gratifying and a little heartbreaking, because you’ve been watching their kid grow into a musician all semester, and they’re just now getting a glimpse of it.
Losing Access to Habits of a Successful Musician in your practice tool? Come Practice for Free at MakeMusic!
If you’ve been relying on GIA’s Habits of a Successful Musician as part of your students’ practice routine, you may have already heard the news or you’re about to feel it.
Free PD, No Friction: MakeMusic Academy
Whether you are looking for those final end-of-year PD hours or want to bank some credits this summer (hopefully while sitting by the pool), we have your solution with a zero-cost and low-friction training platform.