It has been a year, to say the least. The past year has provided many different thoughts, experiences, and ideas along the way; so much so, that the idea of sitting down to write about any one of them is overwhelming. But when I was recently asked to write a piece for musicians looking to enter the field of music education, one topic came to the forefront of my consciousness. One of the greatest lessons I've learned in my time in education so far is the difference between "can't" and "won't": "Won't" is when a student makes a choice to not participate in their learning. They may be consciously avoiding it or unconsciously distracted, but ultimately, they are disengaged for reasons within their own control. "Can't" is when there is a roadblock in the way preventing students from engaging in the learning process. These are students who have larger struggles, out of their control, preventing them from effectively engaging in le
At the beginning of our remote learning this year, I asked students for input on the kinds of activities they most like to do independently as well as what topics most interest them. After getting a wide variety of topics, I wondered how I might be able to help address as many of them as possible in a short amount of time. The conundrum reminded me of an oft felt feeling when attending professional music conferences-- there are so many sessions I want to attend, but I can't possibly go to all of them at once. via GIPHY OK, so follow me for a moment.... A Virtual Music Conference for Students. What if we created a music conference for students based around their interests in music? Much like a professional conference, students could choose different sessions that interested them and explore more in depth some of the topics in music we typically don't address. Would it even be possible? I think so. Here's what I think we're going to do. First of all, it's worth