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Alan and Steve talk with interdisciplinary artist, educator, and Bezerk Productions founder Linda Sibio about the unusual path she has taken from her own experience with schizophrenia into decades of work using art, voice, movement, and writing with people experiencing mental-health challenges. Linda leads them through exercises from Cracked Eggs and The Insanity Principle—saying ordinary words through contrasting emotions, connecting rhythm and voice to the body, and even learning to see the empty spaces around an object. For music educators, the conversation keeps returning to a simple idea: some students may need help “getting ready to get ready.” Linda challenges us to think beyond one definition of readiness and consider how movement, emotion, sound, perception, and nonlinear thinking can become entry points into creative work.

Steve and Alan talk through practical ways to make audition recordings that help your players give the best possible impression. From choosing the right opening excerpt to avoiding music that is too risky, they explain why first impressions matter and why “defense” — tone, pitch, blend, and rhythm — often matters more than flash. This episode is especially useful for directors preparing honor ensemble, festival, conference, or showcase submissions. Become an Insider for ad-free episodes, early releases, bonus content, and more! https://musicedinsights.supercast.com/

What makes teaching music in a small rural school uniquely challenging—and uniquely rewarding? In this conversation, Michael Genslinger, host of Rural Music Matters, joins Steve and Alan to explore the realities of K–12 generalist teaching, limited local resources, and the revolving door of rural positions. Along the way, they highlight how community, creativity, and a willingness to “do it all” can turn small‑school music programs into powerful, long‑lasting forces in students’ lives. Become an Insider for ad-free episodes, early releases, bonus content, and more! https://musicedinsights.supercast.com/

Slow, lyrical music can be beautiful, but it also exposes everything: tone, pitch, attacks, releases, balance, breath, bow control, and focus. Alan and Steve discuss when lyrical programming helps students grow, when it creates too much risk, and how to build in moments of sustain and phrasing without going too far. Whether through a full lyrical work or a shorter expressive section inside a faster piece, the goal is to follow our basic rule: Make it Sound Good. Become an Insider for ad-free episodes, early releases, bonus content, and more! https://musicedinsights.supercast.com/

In part two of this two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Jones returns with Steve Shanley and Alan Feirer to apply the idea of teaching for independence to the most practical – and often most emotional – parts of the job: grading, evaluation, and repertoire selection. Building on Part 1’s skill buckets and culture work, this episode explores: What grades should represent in a performance-based class Rethinking points for attendance, bringing an instrument, and “showing up” Aligning evaluation with the individual skills that lead to independence How a focus on independence can shape repertoire choice and long-term planning Scott also shares how he has wrestled with these questions over his career and how his current grading approach reflects what he most wants students to learn and become as musicians. Become an Insider for ad-free episodes, early releases, bonus content, and more! https://musicedinsights.supercast.com/

Alan and Steve share ways to make student leadership check-ins more useful, focused, and efficient. Instead of asking vague questions like “What’s going well?” they suggest more specific prompts that help students give feedback teachers can actually use. They also discuss how small groups, clear time limits, and well-placed questions can keep these discussions from turning into gripe sessions.

In part one of this two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Jones joins Alan and Steve to explore what it means to teach for musical independence—not just prepare students for the next concert. Scott shares a practical framework for helping students read, listen, adjust, and make musical decisions on their own, with special attention to rhythmic independence, notation, intonation, style, and embodied musicianship. They also discuss short individual playing, classroom culture, and why celebrating effort is essential if we want students to grow into confident, independent musicians. Part 2 continues the conversation with grading, evaluation, and repertoire choices through the same lens of independence.

Tariffs affecting equipment? Why on earth is PD so generic? Your cohosts have some thoughts - and dare we say - insights that are current and relevant.

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 her journey from 14 prescriptions, surgeries, and constant pain to a healthier, sustainable version of the same career, including the moment she realized, “I love my job, but it’s killing me.” From there, we dig into practical ways K–12 music teachers can set boundaries without feeling selfish, rethink pep bands, rehearsals, and extra events, and build “first push-up”–sized wellness habits that actually fit real school schedules. Along the way, Lesley offers concrete ideas for communicating limits to students and families, using tools like AI and boosters to offload busywork, and modeling a version of music teaching that’s excellent for kids and survivable for adults. Become an Insider for ad-free episodes, early releases, bonus content, and more! https://musicedinsights.supercast.com/

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 (including school-trained musicians and leaders), Julie explains why she prefers “phenomenon” over “syndrome,” how IP shows up in teachers as overpreparing, perfectionism, and fear of being “found out,” and why it often hits hardest when we step into new roles or high-pressure schools. From there, we explore practical strategies K–12 music teachers can use right away: reframing negative self-talk with a growth mindset, recognizing the difference between healthy stretch and toxic self-doubt, using “evidence files” to counter distorted beliefs, and modeling for students what it looks like to pursue excellence without pretending to be perfect.

Alan and Steve check in halfway through summer and somehow get from community band concerts and arranging music to “dad books,” artificial intelligence, young people wanting less gimmick and more authenticity, and whether we might be seeing a small return to kindness in public life. Steve has a theory that AI is the new World War II book for middle-aged dads. Alan has been working with hundreds of students and noticing more resilience, more phone-free thinking, and a stronger desire to keep things real. Along the way, they revisit the idea that AI can be useful when it helps us think better—but dangerous when we let it think for us. It’s a relaxed, groove-based summer conversation about what we’re reading, noticing, hoping, and still trying to figure out.

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. Susan challenges the idea that smaller programs should have lower standards, reminding directors that success is about culture, musical growth, and meaningful experiences—not just size or ratings. Along the way, she offers practical advice for young teachers, festival judges, mentors, and anyone working to build a strong program with the kids they actually have.

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 article only as doom and gloom, they see an advocacy opportunity for music educators: band, choir, orchestra, jazz, and other fine arts classes still require students to think, listen, problem-solve, practice, make mistakes, and improve in real time. They discuss how music may be one of the best places in school for students to build the very skills AI can tempt them to avoid.

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 unpacks how she moved from a fear‑ and product‑driven rehearsal culture to one centered on psychological safety, inclusion, and community—without lowering musical standards. She shares practical ideas for engaging 21st‑century learners, balancing “old school” structure with modern expectations, setting healthy boundaries with students, and bringing improvisation and creativity into the concert band setting through clear rules and low‑risk experiments. Band directors at all levels will find honest reflection, concrete strategies, and permission to separate their self‑worth from how the ensemble sounds. For just $5 per month, become a Music Ed Insights Insider to receive early access, ad-free episodes and more! https://musicedinsights.supercast.com/

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,” distinguishing between preferred and true drop-dead dates, and avoiding fake or inflated due dates that desensitize students. Steve adds perspective as someone who struggles with deadlines himself, highlighting how transparency and consideration for others’ time can motivate better follow-through. This short episode offers a concrete communication model educators can use right away to build trust, reduce chaos, and help students grow into more responsible adults. For just $5 per month, become a Music Ed Insights Insider to receive early access, ad-free episodes and more! https://musicedinsights.supercast.com/