Music Education Professional Development Series

2023-2024 Professional Development Series

FALL

You Don’t Have to Hurt!: Body Mapping for Beginning Strings

Noelle Rader & Allison Ross, Presenters
Karin Hendricks, Host
September 16th, 1:00-2:30pm ET

Toward Cultural Competence through Music Education: Where Do We Begin?

Austina Lee, Presenter
Gareth Smith, Host
October 28th, 10:00-11:30am ET

Intersectionality and Music Education: Embracing the Complexities of Student Identities

T Parker, Fabian Lopez, and Lily Grant, Presenters
Kelly Bylica, Host
November 4th, 10:00-11:30am ET

SPRING

Trauma Symptoms as They Present in the Music Classroom

Erin Price-Hamilton, Presenter
Tawnya Smith, Host
February 24th, 10:00-11:30am ET

Opening the Door: Creating an Optimal Learning Environment for Neurodiverse Students in Music Ensembles

Becky Ford, Jackie Smith, & Adam Symborski, Presenters
Jackie Smith, Host
April 6th, 10:00-11:30am ET

Can I Just Play? (Do You Hear Me?): The Identities of Five Elementary Music Students

Melissa Goetschius, Presenter
Tawnya Smith, Host
April 20th, 10:00-11:30am ET

2023-2024 series:

All PD Sessions will take place via Zoom, Eastern Time
Registration is required to receive the zoom link for the event.

Previous Workshops

2022-2023 Professional Development Series

Spring 2022

Whiteness and Elementary Music Education

February 12, 2022

Since the murder of George Floyd, many music educators have declared #BlackLivesMatter. However, verbal and written proclamations—while important—are only one portion of the monumental and complicated task of undoing racism in music classrooms. Considering white supremacy (the root cause of racial injustice) is deeply and systematically ingrained in the United States (Kendi, 2016), if we are to move from words to systematic change, we first need tools to interrogate and uncover racial injustices perpetuated in music classrooms. So, in this workshop, I will (a) present scholarship from critical whiteness studies (Applebaum, 2016) as a conceptual tool for interrogating music teaching practice, (b) apply the scholarship to specific examples from my elementary teaching career, and (c) lead a discussion on how examining whiteness—with the goal of breaking down the barriers it presents—can serve as one of the many facets of realizing the anti-racism goals that are currently front of mind for many music educators. [References: Applebaum, B. (2016). Critical whiteness studies. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.; Kendi, I. X. (2016). Stamped from the beginning: The definitive history of racist ideas in America. Hachette Book Group, Inc.]

Presented by Allyn Phelps, a lecturer of music education at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Previously he taught K-6 general music and chorus in Northborough, MA, and Dedham, MA. Allyn is currently completing his doctorate of musical arts at Boston University. His research focuses on deconstructing whiteness and anti-racist practices in music education.

Although examples used in this session will be drawn primarily from elementary settings, the concepts and ideas discussed in this session will be applicable to all music settings.

Trauma-Informed Teaching in Music

March 26, 2022

This workshop featured four panelists who will speak briefly on the trauma-related topics listed below. Following their individual presentations, there will be a question-answer session moderated by Dr. Tawnya Smith.

Building Trusting Relationships with Students

Positive and trusting relationships with attentive adults are critical for student success, especially for students who have experienced trauma. Such relationships can help to repair disrupted attachment styles and regulate dysregulated behavior. In this presentation we will discuss strategies for building relationships through music, reframe student behavior as communication, and explore real-life examples from an elementary classroom.

Presented by Sallie Arnold, M.Ed., who teaches elementary general music, fifth grade band, and third through fifth grade choir in Bozeman, Montana. She also teaches Creative Arts Methods for elementary education majors at Montana State University and runs a local musical theatre program. As a doctoral candidate at Boston University, her research focuses on trauma-informed music teaching strategies and how students can build trust and feelings of safety through musical experiences.

Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Environment

As the number of trauma-affected students continues to grow, it has become increasingly important to establish safe learning environments that support the needs of trauma-affected students. In this portion of the presentation, we will discuss how to establish such classroom environments by incorporating supportive practices and avoiding practices that might potentially retrigger students’ trauma.

Presented by Betty Bauman, who teaches middle school music in Stoughton, Massachusetts, where she works with sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. As a doctoral student at Boston University, her research focuses on trauma-informed positive education in the music classroom. Additionally, she sings with the Zamir Chorale of Boston, having served as section leader, conducting intern, and vocal coach.

Showing Up For Class

An educator’s ability to be emotionally available for students is largely dependent on being grounded and engaged in what is happening in the moment. Mindfulness, described as non-judgmental presence, incorporates the skills of self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and compassion. These skills can be developed and fostered through intentional practice.

Presented by Michelle Jamieson • In addition to being a music educator at Natomas Middle School in Sacramento, Michelle Jamieson teaches the tools and skills of mindfulness, working in schools, corporations, and medical centers across California. She also delivers professional development for teachers, has authored multiple articles for NAfME publications, and presents sessions at state and national music conferences.

Understanding Student Trauma Responses

By understanding basic aspects of trauma response, we might begin to reframe our encounters with students. In this portion of the presentation, we will briefly discuss hallmarks of the physical and psychological changes that occur post trauma. While intended to only give a surface-level overview, basic terminology such as dissociation, hyperarousal, and disempowerment will be paired with music-specific examples.

Presented by Erin Price, M.M., who is a special education music teacher serving students with emotional disturbance in the greater Harrisburg, PA area. Ms. Price is interested in trauma-informed responses to maladaptive student behaviors and presents regularly on the topic of trauma-informed instruction for music. She continues to explore these responses as a part of her doctoral research at Boston University.

Integrating Self-Assessment Strategies into Jazz Education

April 9, 2022

Self-assessment is a significant predictor of achievement in jazz improvisation. However, self-assessment is not usually intentionally taught in the music classroom despite the indications that effective use of this competency may be related to one’s ability to be creative (a necessary component for improvisation). In this workshop, I will share a variety of teaching strategies that can be used to help students learn how to more accurately self-assess their playing in order to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and meaningful connections with other musicians.

Presented by Troy Davis, D.M.A., who is the Director of Instrumental Music & Jazz Studies at West Valley College in Saratoga, California. He is also a lecturer in Music Education at San José State University, a course facilitator in the Music Education Department at Boston University, and the Camp Director of Hayward La Honda Music Camp.

About Music Education at BU

The Music Education Department offers a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, a Master of Music in Music Education, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education. The BM program is a qualified licensure program in Massachusetts. Students in the MM program can also earn licensure in Massachusetts by taking additional licensure coursework. The department offers the MM in Music Education, Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Music Education and the DMA in Music Education online. Boston University offers a number of programs that lead to a professional license or certification.

Music Education Faculty

Kelly Bylica • Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education
Diana Dansereau • Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education
André de Quadros • Professor of Music, Music Education; Affiliate faculty, African American Studies, African Studies Center, American & New England Studies Program, Center for Antiracist Research, Center for the Study of Asia, Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies, Initiative on Cities, Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations, Latin American Studies, Pardee School Initiative on Forced Migration and Human Trafficking, Prison Education Program, and The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future
Ruth Debrot • Lecturer in Music, Music Education; Chair, Student Life and Honors Committee
Andrew Goodrich • Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education
Karin S. Hendricks • Associate Professor of Music and Chair, Music Education; Co-Chair, BU Inclusive Pedagogy Initiative
Brian W. Kellum • Lecturer in Music Education
Gareth Dylan Smith • Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education
Tawnya D. Smith • Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education
Kính T. Vũ • Assistant Professor of Music & Dissertation Progress Coordinator, Music Education