Ensembles

Close-up view of high school band students performing with brass instruments, including trumpets and trombones, during a school concert.

Rethinking Band Adjudication Through an Equity Lens

Adjudication is meant to validate preparation, growth, and artistry. Yet, as educators, we must also prepare students to understand the system itself, its strengths, its limitations, and its human element.

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High school jazz ensemble rehearsal

Lead with Swing! Fostering Leadership, Collaboration, and Confidence Through Jazz Education

When teachers intentionally design rehearsal culture around these ideas, they create ensembles that don’t just play jazz—they are transformed by and through it.

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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.

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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