Introduction

As a music educator, staying up to date with the latest teaching techniques and strategies is crucial for fostering student engagement and success. The Practicing Musician Summer Symposium offers an incredible opportunity for concert band teachers, orchestra teachers, and homeschool parents to enhance their skills through free, self-paced professional development sessions — available anytime, at your own pace.

summer symposium practicing musician

Why Attend the Practicing Musician Summer Symposium?

By attending the Practicing Musician Summer Symposium, you will gain access to:

  • Personalized PD sessions tailored to your specific needs and interests, ensuring you receive the most relevant and impactful training
  • Valuable insights and strategies to maximize student engagement, improve instrument skills, and create a collaborative classroom culture
  • Free, self-paced access to our full professional development library — work through sessions on your own schedule, anytime

By implementing the techniques and strategies learned at the Symposium, you will be better equipped to inspire and engage your students, leading to increased motivation, skill development, and overall success in their musical journeys.

How to Get Started

Getting started with Practicing Musician’s professional development is simple:

  1. Create your free teacher account →
  2. Access the full PD library from your App Dashboard and start learning today
  3. Subscribe to our educator newsletter → to be the first to know when the next Summer Symposium dates are announced
Music Education Professional Development Symposium - Practicing Musician Summer Symposium

Topics Covered at the Music Education Professional Development Symposium

The Practicing Musician Summer Symposium covers a wide range of topics designed to help you enhance your teaching skills and create a more engaging learning environment for your students. Some of the topics include:

– Maximizing Student Engagement: Learn proven strategies to captivate your students’ attention and foster a love for music, such as incorporating interactive activities and using technology effectively.

– Blend and Balance: Discover techniques to help your ensemble achieve a cohesive sound, focusing on intonation, dynamics, and timbre.

– Improving String Instrument Skills: Gain insights on how to help your students develop proper technique, posture, and tone production on string instruments.

– DIY Instrument Repair Hacks: Learn simple, cost-effective ways to maintain and repair instruments, saving time and resources.

– Building a Collaborative Classroom Culture: Explore methods to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment that encourages teamwork and mutual respect among students.

– Effective Rehearsal Techniques for Bands and Orchestras: Discover strategies to optimize rehearsal time, improve pacing, and address common challenges faced by instrumental ensembles.

– Advocating for Music Programs: Learn how to effectively communicate the value of music education to administrators, parents, and the community to garner support for your program.

– Recruitment and Retention: Uncover proven strategies to attract and retain students in your music program, ensuring its long-term sustainability and growth.

– Diverse Music and Composers: Explore ways to incorporate a wide range of musical styles and composers into your curriculum, promoting cultural awareness and inclusivity.

– Practical Student Assessment Techniques: Learn effective methods to assess student progress, provide meaningful feedback, and use data to inform instruction.

– How to Teach Students to Play in Tune: Discover exercises and techniques to help your students develop a keen sense of pitch and improve intonation individually and as an ensemble.

– Developing Strong Sight-Reading Skills in Instrumental Students: Gain insights on how to systematically teach and reinforce sight-reading skills, enabling your students to confidently tackle new music.

practicing Musician online education - video screenshot- Practicing Musician Summer Symposium

Join Our Mission

At Practicing Musician, we are on a mission to help every child, everywhere, be joyfully engaged in music. By attending the Practicing Musician Summer Symposium, you will not only enhance your own teaching skills but also contribute to this noble cause. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of young musicians worldwide.

Get Started Today

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to supercharge your music teaching skills and connect with a community of passionate educators. Subscribe to our educator newsletter to be the first to know when the next Summer Symposium dates are announced — and in the meantime, explore everything Practicing Musician has to offer right now.

Practicing Musician isn’t just about professional development. As a teacher, you also get access to our free music lesson library — assign lessons directly to your students and monitor their progress every step of the way, all from your teacher dashboard. No more guessing whether students practiced — you can see exactly where they are and what they need next.

And if you really want to supercharge your music program, our one-on-one mentorship connects you directly with master educators like Stephen Nelson and Dr. Frederick Burrack — personalized guidance for your specific classroom, your students, and your goals.

Subscribe for Symposium updates →
Create your free teacher account →
Explore the full PD library →
Learn about one-on-one mentorship →

 

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