Nicole DeGuire is Associate Director of Orchestras at Carmel High School, Indiana ASTA President, and an avid free-lance violinist with numerous orchestras across the state of Indiana. Earning her B.M. in Violin Performance with Honors at Butler University, she went on to complete her M.M. in Violin Performance and Literature, and an Orchestral Stu…

Check out this fantastic conversation with Dr. David Miller of the University of Kentucky. Dr. Miller discusses his discovery of string teaching (as a horn player growing up), the graduate opportunities at UK, his publications and research, and the string teacher shortage! -- David Miller is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the Universi…

An innovative music educator and accomplished musician, composer, conductor and performer, Ron Castonguay was named Director of the Arts and Music Director at The Frederick Gunn School in 2019. Ron teaches all levels of Vocal Ensemble, String Ensemble, and Concert Jazz Band as well as AP Music Theory and provides private music instruction. He is re…

Author of the book, 'Make Great Music with Ease! The Secret to Smarter Practice, Confident Performance, and Living a Happier Life', Jennifer Roig-Francolí is an international award-winning violinist, double-certified Alexander Technique teacher, and creator of The Art of Freedom® Method for conscious living and masterful artistry. Jennifer’s inspir…

This bonus episode contains a few brief, live interviews from the ASTA/SAA Conference in Louisville. March 21-22, 2024. The ASTA conference this year was absolutely fantastic! There was such a positive vibe and the energy was electric. The guests on this podcast include: Jean Lee from Michigan State University Eric McAllister from NV Dr. Mark Layco…

Ryan Silvestri is in his twelfth year at Wando High School as Director of Orchestras. A native of Boardman, Ohio, Mr. Silvestri earned a bachelor's degree in instrumental music education from Florida State University and a master's degree in violin performance from UNC-Greensboro. He is currently pursuing a doctor of music education degree from Lib…

Martha Mooke is a Grammy nominated, pioneering electric violist/composer, highly regarded for her artistry, music advocacy, and innovative educational programs. She transcends musical boundaries, enhancing classical training with extended techniques, technology and improvisation. A Yamaha Artist and Eventide’s first Artist in Residence, Mooke is a …

Ms. Billings-White is honored to be one of four the strings specialists in the Lexington Public Schools. She is currently the only itinerant teacher at the elementary schools, both middle schools and high School. Ms. Billings-White is an active director, strings teacher and performer in the Greater Boston area. She earned a Bachelors degree of Musi…

A graduate of Butler University in 2002, Heather Nieto is in her twenty-first year as a music educator. She started her career at Belzer Middle School in Lawrence Township, Indianapolis, Indiana, where she taught elementary and junior high string orchestra for eighteen years. Heather also served as the Belzer Middle School Performing Arts Departmen…

Adrian Gordon is an internationally performed composer and seasoned music educator. In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music as well as the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing, which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. His compositions appear on the California, Florida, Georgia, Mar…

The Orchestra Teacher Podcast with Dr. Rachel Dirks (Ep. 64)Dr. Rachel Dirks, Director of Orchestral Studies at Kansas State University, is an active conductor, clinician, researcher, and teacher. In addition to her work with the K-State Symphony Orchestra, she teaches graduate and undergraduate string education and conducting courses, and applied …

Rosie Riquelme Antunez, Director of Orchestras at Decatur High School, received her Bachelors of Music Education degree from Georgia College and State University where she was a student of Dr. Daniel Kaplunas. Rosie received her Masters of Music Education from the University of West Georgia through their online program and continued her own violin …

Jean Lee is the Instructor and Coordinator of String Music Education at the Michigan State University College of Music. She teaches string pedagogy and string methods courses while growing the string music education program through student recruitment and retention outreach programs. Lee is well-known throughout the Midwest as an accomplished clini…

I hope everyone is having a great back to school season! I know it's a crazy busy time for everyone with assigning instruments, open house, parent meetings, and more. I'm looking to compile a back to school checklist and would love your feedback. What's on your back to school list?? Reach out to me at charles@orchestrateacher.net and let me know yo…

The Orchestra Teacher Podcast with Anne Marie Patterson (Ep. 61)Anne Marie Patterson is the Orchestra Director at Robert Frost Middle School in Fairfax, VA. She has been a private teacher and freelance violinist in the Washington, DC area for over 25 years, and has taught all levels of school orchestra in Charles County, MD. She directed the Charle…

The Orchestra Teacher Podcast with Katie Eakes (Ep. 60)Katie Eakes is Alaskan native musician and educator. She recently completed her 17th year teaching in the Anchorage School District. She is a graduate of East High School in Anchorage and Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where she received a bachelors degree in music education. At TTU, …

The Orchestra Teacher Podcast with Michael Boitz (Ep. 59)Michael Boitz is Director of Orchestra and Band at Saratoga High School, Saratoga, CA, where he is serving in his 24th year, 20 years of which he served as Visual and Performing Arts Chair. After starting out as the single Instrumental Music Director at Saratoga HS in 1998 with a small number…

The Orchestra Teacher Podcast with Corie Benton (Ep. 58) Corie Benton is the orchestra director at Pope High School in Cobb County, Georgia. Mrs. Benton received her bachelor’s degree in music education from Loyola University in New Orleans. After graduating from Loyola, she began her teaching career in Plano, Texas, moving to Georgia in 2000.Mrs. …

Dr. Rebecca MacLeod is Professor of Music Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she directs the string education program and conducts the UNCG Sinfonia. She is the author of Teaching Strings in Today’s Classroom and is published in Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music Education, Bulletin f…

Adam Gresham is a music educator and percussionist from Marietta, GA. He just finished his seventh year of teaching, and his first year as the Director of Orchestras at Barber Middle School in Acworth, GA. Prior to this position, he served as the Director of Bands at Richards Middle School in Lawrenceville, GA. Mr. Gresham has also served as the As…

Katie O’Hara LaBrie is a composer, conductor, clinician, and cellist from Northern Virginia and is the new Orchestra Editor for Randall Standridge Music Publications. An educator at heart, Mrs. LaBrie spent the first 15 years of her career teaching orchestra in Fairfax County, Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from St. Olaf…

[TRAILER] The Orchestra Teacher Podcast - June 12, 2023Alaska trip #2 wrap upCheck out the new The Orchestra Teacher Facebook page at:https://www.facebook.com/TheOrchestraTeacherUpcoming podcast guests:• Katie O'Hare LaBrie - Wednesay, June 14, 10:00 AM (Ep. 55)• Adam Gresham - Thursday, June 15, 11:00 AM (Ep. 56)• Dr. Rebecca MacLeod - Thursday, J…

Dr. Catherine Hudnall received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of music, her Master’s degree from Georgia State University, and her Doctoral degree from Mercer University. Currently she is the Orchestra Director at Norcross High School and is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Metropolitan Yout…

Greg Jackson is the Director of Orchestras at South Cobb High School in Austell, Georgia, outside of Atlanta. He is currently on staff at Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps as an Ensemble Specialist. From 2017 until 2020 Dr. Jackson was Director of Bands at Saint James School. He was the Associate Professor of Percussion studies at Alabama State Universi…

TRAILER EPISODE: Wrapping up the school year Professional Development Opportunities Upcoming Episodes Michigan String Educators Workshop Ann Arbor, MI Dr. Michael Hopkins with Special Guest Dr. Frank Diaz Thursday, June 22-Saturday, June 24, 2023 https://smtd.umich.edu/engagement-outreach/adult-programs/string-educators-workshop/ Habits Institute C…

Michael Hopkins is professor and chair of Music Education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he teaches courses in string techniques, orchestra methods, research methods, and the psychology of music. He has been a guest conductor at over 100 orchestra festivals and clinics throughout the United States, and has given over 60 presentat…

Listen to the live broadcast on with Special Guest Dr. Michael Hopkins, Chair of Music Education and Professor of Music at the University of Michigan. We will air the video streaming live on YouTube and Facebook on Sunday, April 2 at 10:00 AM EST. An audio only version will also be available on the podcast. www.OrchestraTeacher.net --- Support this…

David Metrio is the orchestra director at North Gwinnett High School in Georgia. We discuss the Midwest Clinic, his career and development and his preparations for a performance at the 2023 Georgia Music Educators Conference in January. This episode is sponsored by Eastman Strings. Please visit https://www.eastmanstrings.com for more information. -…

Grace Law is the owner of SmartStringTeacher.com. This site offers great string pedagogy courses for teachers from the comfort of their own home. The site allows teachers to: * Learn simple strategies that are quick and successful. * Use teaching materials that help your students think smarter and independently so they progress faster. * Introduce …

Jason talks about his work at Eastman and beyond and we show off a few incredible products from the Eastman Strings line, including the Eastman+ that incorporates a nearly-invisible electric pick-up system. Also featured are the double basses with the Eastman E-String extension. VIDEO available at: https://youtu.be/CX5xurJlVSU Guest Bio: Jason Heat…

This episode features a wrap-up of my 2022 Midwest Clinic experience. It contains a few short interviews with these educators: * Amos Liu, orchestra director at River Trail Middle School in Fulton County, Georgia * Adrian Gordon, composer, author, and orchestra director in North Carolina (Check out https://www.adriangordonmusic.com) * Creston Herro…

46. Cello Email Scam EXPOSED! (Audio Only) If you would like to watch the video of episode you can find it here: https://youtu.be/p3-YEcYFRQc This episode tells my most recent encounter with an email scam involving a "free" cello. I hope it will be entertaining and informative! When in doubt, don't click on links in emails or make arrangements for …

47. 2022 Midwest Clinic Trailer This episode is a short trailer to let you know about upcoming podcast episodes that will be recorded live from the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. I'm looking forward to hearing some amazing orchestras and learning at the clinics. https://www.midwestclinic.org If you will be attending the Midwest Clinic and would like to…

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone! I'm very thankful for my friends and family and for all of you who support the work I do on The Orchestra Teacher website, YouTube channel, and podcast. I hope you've had a restful break and are looking forward to your December break as well. Thanks for listening! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.sp…

Episode 44. Teaching adult beginners online with Rachael Ridge Streamed live on Facebook and YouTube on November 21, 2022 Rachael Ridge is a violinist and former school orchestra teacher turned stay-at-home mom and private lesson teacher. She recently launched The Adult Violin Academy which offers online courses for adult violin beginners. When not…

This episode is a mobile podcast in the form of a car conversation with my friend and partner in crime, Mr. David Eccles. We candidly discuss a variety of topics as we travel from Atlanta to Greenville, SC to conduct their SCMEA Region 2 orchestras. Hope you will enjoy! About our guest... David F. Eccles is a native of Norfolk, Virginia. He current…

42. Building rapport and fostering positive relationships with students. Interviews with Lisa Loucks, Stephan Labelle, Katie VanDenBerghe, and Jami Kleinert. These teachers share their unique experiences and strategies for building rapport and positive relationships with students that allow for higher quality teaching, student engagement, and a str…

This is a trailer for an upcoming episode on building rapport and positive relationships with your students, parents, administration, colleagues and community. How do you build rapport and positive relationships with your students, parents, administration, and community? Would you like share your experiences and be featured on The Orchestra Teacher…

This episode features special guest Mr. Adam Gresham of Barber Middle School Orchestra in Cobb County Georgia. Adam talks about going from being a band director to an orchestra director, his training for the position, and his experiences of the first part of the school year. --- Adam Gresham is a music educator and percussionist from Marietta, GA. …

Creston Herron is the current Director of Fine Arts for the Klein Independent School District and the Conductor of Rice University’s Campanile Orchestra. He is the former Director of Orchestras at Klein High School and the former Director of Strings for the Yes Prep Public Schools. Mr. Herron’s many engagements as a guest conductor include work wit…

This is a trailer to let you know about the next Orchestra Teacher Podcast with Mr. Creston Herron of Kliein ISD in Texas. The full episode will be streamed LIVE on YouTube this Sunday, July 31 at 11:00 AM EST, 10:00 AM Central. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orchestrateacher/support…

I hope you are all enjoying your summer, resting and recharging for the new school year. This episode is a summer recap and has some information about some great and FREE PD workshops that will be available in August. Please let me know if you have guests you'd like to see on the podcast or topics you'd like to hear discussed. Your support is appre…

Angela Ammerman, referred to by the Washington Post as a “music teacher prodigy,” earned degrees in Music Education from the University of Cincinnati: College-Conservatory of Music, Boston University, and her PhD from George Mason University. Dr. Ammerman has dedicated much of her musical career to providing access to quality music education for un…

Dear Podcast Listeners, Thanks for your patience with me as I know it's been a while since my last Orchestra Teacher Podcast episode. It's been a busy few months with my school orchestra assessments/festivals, some guest conducting, presentations at my state music conference, a school trip to Washington D.C., the amazing ASTA conference, and coachi…

Violinist, educator and composer, Christian Howes was voted #1 in the Downbeat Critics Poll (“Rising Stars/Violin”), named among the top three jazz violinists in the JazzTimes critics poll, and nominated for Violinist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association. He received the Residency Partner Award through Chamber Music America, earned a USAr…

Episode #34. Teaching Fundamentals, Community Orchestras, Student Teachers and more with Jim Van Eizenga of Novi High School, Michigan Jim Van Eizenga is in his 10th year as Director of Orchestras at Novi High School. In addition to his position in Novi, he is the conductor and music director of the Gaylord Community Orchestra, and is the conductor…

Ms. Jessie Ahuama-Jonas is in her fifteenth year of teaching Orchestral music and is the current Director of Orchestras at Centennial High School in Roswell Georgia. A product of the Fulton County School system, Ms. Ahuama-Jonas started taking viola performance seriously in the eighth grade, eventually earning positions with, the Atlanta Symphony O…

Jason Heath is an active performer, writer, blogger and teacher who is known for his podcast Contrabass Conversations, devoted to exploring music and ideas associated with the double bass. His podcast and blog are highly regarded in the music world, and he truly is the voice of the double bass world with hundreds of podcast episodes interviewing so…

Live from the Midwest Clinic in Chicago! Anna talks about her upcoming session Hindsight Is 20/20: A Vision To Build a Stronger Beginner String Foundation. Anna Radspinner is an alumnus of the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education with a Master’s degree in Administration from Wilkes University. She has been a mus…

Rachel Woods is the orchestra director at Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School, a 6th-12th grade academic magnet school in Dallas ISD (Dallas, TX). Prior to taking her current position, she taught at Floyd Middle School (Cobb County, GA) and Lake Highlands Jr. High School (Dallas, TX). Originally from Georgia, Rachel attended Kennesaw State …