Ensembles

Marcus Roberts at the piano during a performance on stage with audience in background

Unlocking the Mystery and Beauty of the Art of Jazz

To commemorate Jazz Appreciation Month, NAfME’s Teaching Music Advisory Committee member Larry Blocher interviews jazz great Marcus Roberts.

Read More
judge's gavel on white background

Adjudication—What’s the Point?

By NAfME Member Lori Schwartz Reichl “Responsibility has become the fundamental imperative in modern civilization, and it should be an unavoidable criterion to assess and evaluate human actions, including, in…

Read More
abstract multicolored jazz art instruments

Celebrating Jazz in the Classroom

Teachers Share Favorite Activities and Artists This article first appeared in the January 2026 issue of Teaching Music. To help music educators plan for Jazz Appreciation Month in April, Teaching…

Read More
young smiling boy practicing guitar

Guitar Teaching Focused on Creative Development and Composition Skills

Teaching Guitar for Ages 5–11 Fostering Creativity and Compositional Mastery By NAfME Member Oleksiy Bilous Objective of the Article This article aims to present a methodology for teaching children of…

Read More
Top 10 on tablet with cup of coffee

Top 10 Most-Read Music Education Blogs of 2025

Top 10 #MusicEd Blogs of 2025 Here’s a look back at the Top 10 most-read NAfME Blogs of 2025. We thank NAfME members and corporate members for sharing your ideas,…

Read More
secondary choral students in black concert attire singing

Reframing and Reimagining Choir Festival Repertoire

Reframing and Reimagining Choir Festival Repertoire Thoughts Going beyond Traditional Adjudicated Performances By Darlene Machacon This article originally appeared in Tactus, spring/summer issue (2025). Permission to reprint is granted by the Western Region American…

Read More
Fragment of the clarinet

An Overview and Guide to Flexible Band Music

An Overview and Guide to Flexible Band Music Big Music with Small Groups By NAfME Member Dr. Thomas Willmann Overview The emergence of “Flex Band” or “Flexible” arrangements began appearing…

Read More
black and white photo of microphones and music stands on empty stage

The Lived Experiences of Black Undergraduate Music Education Students in Predominantly White Schools of Music

We Wear the Mask The Lived Experiences of Black Undergraduate Music Education Students in Predominantly White Schools of Music By NAfME Member Quinton D. Parker This article first appeared in…

Read More
Mark Reynolds directing ensemble

Q&A with Mark Reynolds, Brass Lecturer

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Staff Spotlight Q&A with Mark Reynolds, Brass Lecturer This blog is sponsored by NAfME Corporate member Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). This article first appeared on…

Read More
Joseph Rutkowski in band rehearsal in classroom

You Can’t Buy That

You Can’t Buy That How Invaluable Music Education Is By NAfME Member Joseph Rutkowski Three years after teaching high school band and orchestra classes for 39 years, I found a…

Read More