Clarinet Bridge Key Issues  Words by Shawn Royer What are Bridge Keys? Bridge keys are the connector-keys that connect one joint of an instrument to another. These specific keys can be found on clarinets, oboes, and bass clarinets. The bridge key mecha …

My Music. My Story. Alexa Knoderer. Words by Meredith Resener Alexa Knoderer is a recent Butler grad and a first-year teacher. She talks about the importance that music has played in her and her family’s lives, as well as in her classroom.  Tell us abo …

What is Ecomusicology? Words by Elizabeth Frickey The word “ecomusicology” seems relatively straightforward. Just break it down and ecocriticism plus music equals ecomusicology, right? However, there are entire worlds contained within the fields of eco …

Women’s Trauma and Opera Words by Kate Hamori Content Warning: This article contains material relating to sexual assault, domestic violence, death, misogyny, and mental illness. For many years, trauma was defined as “an event that is outside the range …

Inclusive Practices You Can Incorporate into Your Ensemble Rehearsals By Shawn Lynn Royer & Sarah Breann Royer When we talk about inclusion in education, we are most often talking about including the students that require more classroom support in …

How To Raise A Young Musician Words by Crystal Hammon Imagine a contest that ranks the most commonly shared childhood experiences. A few rites of passage would quickly rise to the top. Taking the training wheels off your bike, dreaming that you’ve gone …

Differentiated Instruction in Music Ensembles Words by Shawn Royer The idea of differentiating instruction in music ensembles simply means that we are cognizant of and teach towards students with varied learning preferences, experience/ability levels, …

Story Time at the Symphony Words by Kate Hamori One of my most vivid musical memories is from my very first orchestra rehearsal in high school. I won’t lie—I was totally panicking. But as soon as we started to play, all my thoughts and worries disappea …

Women & The Orchestra Words by Kate Hamori If you take a look at your average symphony concert program, you’re likely to notice a pattern: the majority of the composers that appear on orchestra concerts are white men. This isn’t because women aren’ …

Ignatius Sancho: Composing the Hypocrisy of Colonialism & Convention Words by Joshua Thompson Episode 3 from Season 2 of Melanated Moments in Classical Music is sure to go down as one of my favorite episodes of this podcast thus far. I distinctly r …

My Music. My Story. Hilary Buttrick. Words by Elliot Shelton What is it about music that makes something buried deep in the roots of your soul begin to churn? Admit it, all of our hearts flutter when we hear a piece that has some kind of extraordinary …

Ways to Better Support LGBTQ+ Youth in Music Classrooms By Shawn Royer & Sarah Breann Royer When it comes to working with LGBTQ+ youth, even small efforts made by music teachers could make a huge difference to the health and well-being of students. …