All Episodes

159. Teaching Beyond the Notes: Creativity, Assessment & Musicality with Abby Alwin

158. Richard Meyer: Teaching, Composing, Rehearsing, and Sharing What We Know

157. The “Forbidden” Skill of String Playing: Tuning Pegs, Agency & Innovation with Wesley Hamilton

156. Building an Orchestra Program Through Recruiting, Leadership, Fundraising & Legacy with Charles Bossert

155. Kristen Ferguson: Creating an Orchestra for Everyone

154. Building a Thriving Orchestra Program: Lessons from Lee Anderson

153. Preparing the Next Generation of Orchestra Teachers with Dr. Robert Gardner

152. From Band to Orchestra—How Zoe Whittle is Building a Thriving Middle School Program

151. Excellence Through Community, Leadership, and Music with Sixto Elizondo IV

150. A Lifetime of Service to Orchestra Education with Jim Palmer

149. Young Kim: Four Decades of Excellence, Fundamentals, and Building Musicianship That Lasts

148. A Legacy of Excellence with Laura Mulligan Thomas

147. From College Leader to First-Year Teacher with Olivia Durrence

146. ASTA, Advocacy, and the Future of String Education with Lynn Tuttle

145. Conducting, Curiosity, and Continuous Growth with Dr. Selim Giray

144. Denese Odegaard on Standards, Leadership, and Student Connection

143. Full Orchestra, Full Heart: Dan Scott on Building Meaningful Programs

142. Movement, Freedom, and Healthy String Playing with Dr. Aaron Jacobs

141. Rehearsal Energy, String Pedagogy, and the Future of Orchestra Education with Dr. Keith Dodson

140. Kirt Mosier — Inside the Mind of a World-Class Educator, Composer, and Conductor

139. Student Leadership, Global Perspectives, and Creative Musicianship with Lori Buonamici

138. Joshua Reznicow — Composing, Teaching, and Creating Opportunities

137. The Golden Baton, Music Marathons & Creative Innovation with Al Rodriguez

136. From the Air Force to the Podium with Erica Donahoe, Orchestra Director & Published Composer

135. Mentorship, Legacy, and Building Award-Winning Orchestra Programs — with Shelly Burger & Dr. Chuck Cushinery

134. Joanne May — 50 Years of Teaching, Rolland Pedagogy, and Building Lasting Programs

133. Dr. Brenda Brenner — Changing Lives Through Strings

132. Damián Berdakín — Mindful Warm-Ups, Creative Programming, and Commissioning New Music

131. Coverage from the 2026 national ASTA conference in San Francisco

130. Building Community Through Strings — From Appalachia to Nigeria with Liz Dinwiddie

129. Shoulder Pain? Injury Prevention & Longevity for String Players with Dr. Caleb Davis

128. Trust, Belonging, and Excellence in School Orchestras with Jonathan Glawe, Pioneer HS

127. Practical Orchestra Teaching & PD in Your Pocket with Angela Ammerman

126. Elementary Orchestra Done Right with Susan Ott Rodberg

125. Consistency, Culture, and Craft with Sheldon Fisher

124. In the Classroom, On the Podium, and in the Dirt: Ashley Braithwaite’s Orchestra Life

New Sponsorship Announcement! Keiser Productions

123. Gretchen Wyder Zunic: How to Build a Thriving, Student-Centered Orchestra Program

122. Building Belonging Through Team-Teaching Magic: A Conversation with Daryl Silberman & Matthew White

121. Dr. Annalisa Chang discusses inclusion, student leadership, and her journey from higher ed to the high school orchestra classroom

120. Leadership, Repertoire, and the Modern Conductor — Insights from Dr. Nathaniel Parker (KSU)

119. Developing Young Bassists by Mastering the Mindset and Mechanics for Audition Success Featuring Darren Sacks

118. Repertoire, Routines, and Fresh Perspectives with Abby Miles, Dublin City Schools (OH)

117. Composing Beyond Limits, Inspiring Musicians with Brian Balmages

116. Directing, Composing, Inspiring: A Conversation with Dr. Perry Holbrook

115. Building Community & Legacy with Dr. Gail Barnes, Professor Emerita at the University of South Carolina

114. Marc Kaufman discusses his background and tenure as a band director and his transition to teaching middle school orchestra

113. Ashley Culley discusses strategies for program growth, student engagement, and community building, along with insights from her upcoming invitation to perform at The Midwest Clinic.

112. Clay McKinney, author of TheCello.online and full-time middle school director, discusses some cello tip & tricks, his teaching, and more.

111. Taniesha Pooser discusses her journey from into an administration role and her initiative, RecolorEd.org

110. Sadie Uhing discusses her transition into the string world (from band), the challenges and triumphs of her first year in the classroom, and the mindset shifts that helped her succeed.

109. Frank Lestina talks about his Viola App, Repertoire Adaptation, Rehearsal Insights, and more!

108. A violin/viola pedagogy focus! David Cho shares his "bow tapes" strategy and Charles Laux & Harrison Cook have a Q&A about violin/viola pedagogy.

107. Mac Mayer of Whitaker Middle School in Keizer, OR shares his journey in string teaching and shares some great ideas for warmups, repertoire, and more.

106. Practical, hands-on cello pedagogy with Harrison Cook. Facilitating scale fingerings, shifting, and extensions, oh my!

105. Annie Ray, Orchestra Director at Annandale HS in Virginia and 2024 Music Educator Grammy Award Winner discusses her unique teaching approach and more.

104. Dr. Heather Lofdahl, Assistant Professor of Music Ed at The Ohio State University discusses her career and shares some of her favorite go-to pedagogy tips

103. Dr. Tamara Dworetz: Leading with Passion, Purpose, and Presence

102. Dr. Benjamin Whitcomb shares insights from his extensive career as a performer, educator, and author

101. Dr. Rick Webb, Associate Professor at SUNY-Fredonia, joins us to discuss his journey in music education, the importance of arranging works by underrepresented composers, and more!

100. Dr. Bob Gillespie talks about his training, his career, the beginning of Essential Elements, and more!

99. Jesús Florido discusses his roots in El Sistema and his journey performing and teaching all over the globe.

98. Dr. James Mick of Ithaca College discusses college teaching, his research, and more!

97. Inspiring the Next Generation: A Conversation with Daniella Valdez of CYSO String Ensembles and Maine West High School in Des Plaines, IL

96. A Legacy of Excellence: Bill Bitter on Four Decades of Music Education

95. Dr. Geoff Neuman from the State College of Florida discusses his career, his teaching, performing, and philosophy.

94. Georgia Ekonomou discusses her amazing career, her philosophy of an orchestra program, and her work on the ASTA Emeritus Committee.

93. An insightful conversation with Dr. Mark Laycock on mentorship, music education, orchestral leadership, conducting and more

Sponsorship Announcement - Kaleidoscope Adventures!

92. Inspiring Excellence in Music Education with Stephen Lawrence-Carroll

91. Kiana June Weber, an American-Irish Fiddler, educator, and entrepreneur discusses her career and implementing fiddling into the classroom and her teaching

90. Building Bridges: Fostering Collaboration Between Band and Orchestra Directors with Susan Abell & Nick Blue

89. Jessie Fuchs, Orchestra Director at Kell HS, in Marietta, GA, discusses an upcoming presentation at the ASTA national conference.

88. Amy Clement and Sarah Ball discuss their careers and decades of co-teaching at North Gwinnett Middle School

87. Harrison Cook discusses his program at Kennesaw Mountain High School

86. Building an Orchestra Legacy: Insights from Angela Harman of OrchestraClassroom.com

85. A Conversation with Christine Gero, Orchestra Director at Roosevelt HS in Seattle, WA

84. Advancing String Education: A Conversation with Dr. David Pope

Trailer for Episodes 84, 85, & 86 - Weekend of January 24, 2025

83. David Doke discusses his career, his incredible school orchestra trips, some repertoire, and his transition to retirement

82. Ben McWhorter, orchestra director at Tates Creek HS in Lexington, KY discusses his unique program including professional chamber music coaching, a peer tutoring program, and more.

81. Tom Chen talks about his program at Carmel High School, selecting repertoire, working with younger high school orchestras, and more.

80. Lauren Roznowski Hayden discusses her MS program with over 300 students!

79. Dr. Rachael Keplin discusses free improvisation and mindfulness and it's impact on string teaching and learning.

78. Special episode with alumni to discuss orchestra's impact on success in the real world!

Trailer for Episodes 78 & 79

77. Conversation with Vinny Conrod, Orchestra Director at Innovation High School in Orlando, FL

76. Bob Phillips reflects on his teaching and career.

75. Conversation with Tiffany Ou-Ponticelli

After a much needed break, there's more content on the way!

73. Nicole DeGuire talks about summer PD opportunities, Midwest planning, the importance of full orchestra, and more

72. Dr. David Miller discusses his discovery of string teaching, the graduate opportunities at UK, his publications and research, and the string teacher shortage.

71. Ron Castonguay discusses the Tik-A Tee Method, his new book "Rhythmic Sight Reading" and more!

70. Jennifer Roig-Francolí discusses Alexander Technique, and principles of her book, "Make Great Music with Ease!"

Live from the ASTA/SAA Conference 2024

69. Ryan Silvestri discusses his dissertation research about recruiting and retention, classroom teaching strategies, balancing personal and professional life, and more

68. Martha Mooke discusses multi-style string playing and a unique collegiate program while highlighting moments from her career

67. Jessica Billings-White discusses her itinerant string teaching position outside of Boston, MA

66. Conversation with Heather Nieto of Hamilton Southeastern High School in Indiana

65. Adrian Gordon speaks about his role as a conductor, author, composer, and educator

64. Conversation with Dr. Rachel Dirks of Kansas State University about wellness, building community, and more

63. Rosie Riquelme talks about her new position and some creative teaching strategies

62. Conversation with Jean Lee, Michigan State University

[Trailer] Back to School 2023, Your Back to School "To Do" List, Upcoming Guests Announced

61. Interview with Anne Marie Patterson, author of A Practical Guide to String Instruction

60. Katie Eakes of Anchorage, Alaska, discusses her busy life as a teacher and professional double bassist, and teaching beginning string players in Alaska

59. Michael Boitz, Saratoga High School (CA), discusses programming and a very special orchestra culture at his school

58. Corie Benton, Pope High School in Marietta, GA, discusses time on the ASTA board, teaching and reaching students

57. Rebecca MacLeod, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, discusses research, pedagogy, ASTA, and more.

56. Discussing a successful first year teaching and transition to string teaching with Adam Gresham, Barber Middle School

55. Interview with Katie O'Hara LaBrie - composer, clinician, conductor

[Trailer] Week of June 12 - Katie O'Hara Labrie, Adam Gresham, & Dr. Recbecca MacLeod

54. Interview with Dr. Cathie Hudnall, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta

53. Interview with Dr. Gregory Jackson, South Cobb High School

(Trailer) End of School Year; Summer PD Opportunities; Dr. Gregory Jackson and Dr. Cathie Hudnall on May 31!

52. Interview with Michael Hopkins, University of Michigan, on teaching, composing, and the UofM Summer workshop and master's degree

(Trailer) Special Guest: Dr. Michael Hopkins, University of Michigan, Live Sunday 4/2/23, 10:00 AM EST

51. Conversation with David Metrio, North Gwinnett High School at the 2022 Midwest Clinic

50. Conversation with Grace Law of SmartStringTeacher com; from the Midwest Clinic 2022

49. Chat with Jason Heath of Eastman Strings, from the Midwest Clinic 2022

48. From the 2022 Midwest Clinic, with guests Amos Liu, Adrian Gordon, and Creston Herron

46. Cello Email Scam EXPOSED! (Audio Only)

47. Midwest Clinic Trailer (sponsored by Eastman Strings)

45. Thankful (bonus episode)

44. Teaching adult beginners online with Rachael Ridge

43. On the road with David Eccles - a mobile podcast episode sharing thoughts on a variety of topics

42. Building rapport and fostering positive relationships with students. Interviews with Lisa Loucks, Stephan Labelle, Katie VanDenBerghe, and Jami Kleinert.

Trailer - Upcoming episode on establishing rapport and positive relationships with your students, parents, administration, colleagues, and community

40. Conversation with Adam Gresham, Barber Middle School, Cobb County, Georgia

39. Conversation with Creston Herron from Klein ISD, Klein, Texas

Trailer - Upcoming Episode with Creston Herron

38. Summer Updates and more to come...

37. Angela Ammerman on family balance, new horizons, English language learners, teacher training

36. Spring 2022 Update; We're still here and there's more to come!

35. Creative String Playing with Christian Howes

34. Teaching Fundamentals, Community Orchestras, Student Teachers and more with Jim Van Eizenga of Novi High School, Michigan

33. Continuing professional development and more with Jessie Ahuama-Jonas, Centennial High School

32. Live from the 75th Midwest Clinic with Jason Heath of Eastman Strings

31. Recorded at the Midwest Clinic 2021 with Anna Radspinner

30. Navigating through your career and managing work/life balance with Rachel Woods from Dallas ISD

29. Interview with Angela Pendleton, Rockwall ISD

28. Interview with David Eccles, The Lovett School (LIVE)

27. Interview with Jennifer Wiggin, KidStringsBox.com

26. Interview with Nassar Edwards, Langham Creek HS, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

25. Interview with Sandy Goldie, Virginia Commonwealth University

24. Interview with Krissi Davis, Grady High School, Atlanta Public Schools

23. Interview with Dr. Frank Diaz, Indiana University

22. Interview with Brad Pfeil, Neuqua Valley High School

21. Interview with Lisa (Hopko) Loucks, Maitland Middle School, Maitland, Florida

20. A casual conversation with Dr. Soo Han

19. Interview with Renee Wang, Space Center Intermediate, Clear Creek ISD

18. Update #3 on Hybrid Teaching with guest David Metrio

17. Update #2 on Hybrid Teaching with guest Scott Laird

16. Update on Hybrid Teaching with guest Shawn Morton

15. Update on hybrid teaching (Simultaneous F2F and remote)

14. Interview with Shawn Morton - Teaching online and face to face

13. Pre-planning thoughts and teaser regarding our next episode

12. Back to School Update 20-21

11. Special Episode #5 - Distance Learning with Cory Zilisch

10. Interview with Scott Laird, North Carolina School of Science and Math

9. Special Episode #4 - Distance Learning with Amanda Turner

8. Special Episode #3 - Distance Learning with Dr. Marci Major

7. Special Episode #2 - Distance Learning with Rosie Riquelme

6. Special Episode #1 - Distance Learning with Stephan LaBelle

5. Interview with Karel Butz, Beckendorff Junior High School, Katy, TX

4. Interview with Erin Broadhurst, Hilliard City Schools, OH

3. Interview with David Metrio, Lanier High School, GA

2. Interview with Dr. Blair Williams, Texas Tech University

1. Interview with Matthew Radspinner, Williamsport Area High School, PA

Welcome to The Orchestra Teacher Podcast!