Music Ed Insights

Lesley Moffat on Surviving Band Directing: Wellness, Boundaries, and Tiny Habits That Stick

Veteran band director and wellness advocate Lesley Moffat joins Alan and Steve to talk honestly about loving your job so much it starts to break your body—and what to do before (or after) you hit that wall. She shares he

Julie Ressler on Imposter Phenomenon: When Great Teachers Secretly Feel Like Frauds

Adult learning expert Dr. Julie Ressler joins us to unpack imposter phenomenon—why some of the most competent, caring educators still feel like they’re faking it. Drawing on her research with high-achieving professionals

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. Susa

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 art

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

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,” disti

MindShifting for Music Teachers: Turning “I Can’t” into “Perhaps I Can” with Mitch Weisburgh

Alan and Steve talk with educator and mind‑shifting coach Mitch Weisburgh about how music teachers can help students—and themselves—move from limbic “survival mode” into resourceful, resilient, and collaborative mindsets

Quick Pro Tip: A Fast, Effective Way to Review This Year and Plan the Next

Alan and Steve share a fast, practical debrief tool you can use after a concert, contest, trip, marching season, or school year: WWW/TALA — What Went Well and Take A Look At. Built on Alan’s longtime approach to project

Beats, Bands, and Attention Spans: A Conversation with Amani Roberts

DJ, author, and music business professor Amani Roberts joins Alan and Steve to unpack how today’s students are listening to and creating music—and what that means for K–12 music educators. In this episode, they discuss:

Lessons from Student Travel: Live from Walt Disney World with Alan & Steve

Student trips are more expensive and more complex than ever—so are they still worth it? In this episode of Music Ed Insights, Alan and Steve return to the very same Disney resort room where they recorded a student travel

Teaching Today’s Kids: Inclusion, Accommodations, and Family Partnerships with Cortez Daniel

Alan and Steve talk with Athens, Georgia–based music educator and Tones Collective co‑founder Cortez Daniel about what he’s learning from teaching “today’s kids” in K–12 and community settings. Cortez shares how his work

Quick Pro Tip: Giving Great Clinics and Fair Judging Comments

Quick Pro Tip: One Rule in Music - Make it Sound Good - but HOW?

Just in time for spring contest preparation, Alan and Steve unpack one deceptively simple idea: “There’s one rule in music – make it sound good.” If that’s true, what does it actually look like in rehearsal? Steve breaks

Everyone Can Move: Michael Rosales on Movement for Every Music Program

Alan and Steve talk with choreographer and movement educator Michael Rosales (Carolina Crown, Bluecoats, Santa Clara Vanguard, The Breakdown Camp) about why every student—and every director—can move with confidence. They

Quick Pro Tip: Do You Hold Your Students to Standards you Sometime Miss Yourself?

Steve and Alan take on a touchy but important topic: the gap between what we ask from students and what we actually model ourselves. They admit their own everyday hypocrisies (hello, phones at stoplights and slow email r

Teaching the Bigger Picture: Russ Gershon on Context, Curiosity, and Ethiopian Grooves

Composer, bandleader, and educator Russ Gershon (Either/Orchestra) joins us to explore how music becomes a window into history, geography, and human connection. Russ shares how he uses songs like “Proud Mary” with K–4 st

Quick Pro Tip: Rethinking Flex Charts for All Ensembles

Steve and Alan take on the bad reputation of “flex” music and make the case for using flexible-instrumentation charts as a musical tool, not a last-resort compromise. They compare band culture to choir and orchestra trad

José Antonio Zayas Cabán connects Latin Jazz, Community Care, and Classroom Practice

Grammy-nominated saxophonist, educator, and activist José A. Zayas Cabán joins us to connect what’s happening on the streets of the Twin Cities with what happens in our music rooms. He shares firsthand experiences of the

Quick Pro Tip: Making the Most of Your Honor Ensemble Day

Alan and Steve share practical strategies for conducting honor bands, choirs, and orchestras without burning everyone out. They walk through smart programming (including why you must have one easier “win” piece), how to

Building Musical Community: Stacey Ryan on School of Rock’s Social Impact

Stacey Ryan of School of Rock joins Alan and Steve to unpack a new social-impact study showing how ensemble music-making boosts students’ happiness, confidence, and teamwork over time. They discuss data on mental health