Innovation

Apex Commercial Band at National Assembly 2024

Creating Spaces and On-Ramps: Welcoming Every Musician in the Classroom

Creating Spaces and On-Ramps Welcoming Every Musician in the Classroom By Shane Colquhoun, Chair of the NAfME Council for Innovations, Alabama State University In the fast-evolving landscape of the 21st century,…

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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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microphone in a broadcast studio

What Sly Stone Can Teach Us about Music Production Education

What Sly Stone Can Teach Us about Music Production Education By NAfME Member José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. Sly Stone is often remembered for his radical stage presence and his role…

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Senior man playing acoustic guitar for his wife

The Deeper Role of Music in Senior Living

The Deeper Role of Music in Senior Living By NAfME Member José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. and Jesse Tillman Pitts Abstract This article applies Jesse Tillman Pitts’s TILLMAN Framework to the…

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five multicolored singing phones

Singing Phones: A DIY Project for Elementary Music Teachers

Singing Phones A DIY Project for Elementary Music Teachers By NAfME Member Jennifer Hibbard Do-it-yourself projects are often a necessity in elementary music classrooms, where limited budgets must serve an…

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DJ operating black terminal mixer

The DJ as Educator

The DJ as Educator Beyond Beats By NAfME Members Dr. José Valentino Ruiz and Andrew Wang In recent years, DJing has evolved from a niche skillset associated primarily with entertainment…

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preservice music educator with percussion instrument

Faculty-Alumni Projects That Empower Students

Faculty-Alumni Projects That Empower Students By NAfME Members Dr. José Valentino Ruiz and Derris Lee As music educators and academic leaders, one of our most powerful tools for advancing student…

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illustration of girl with hands on hips looking up at moon and constellations

Being More Than “Just a Music Educator”

Being More Than “Just a Music Educator” The Five Ps of Vocational Alignment By NAfME Member José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. Abstract In today’s convoluted educational and cultural climate, music educators…

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music conductor at podium

From the Podium to the Publisher

From the Podium to the Publisher Finding Methods that Support Your Teaching By Chase Banks, sponsored by NAfME Corporate member Hal Leonard As a beginning band student, my very first…

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Young women making music in studio and having fun

Making Music for People, Not Just for Peers

Making Music for People, Not Just for Peers A Case for Audience-First Composition By NAfME Member José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. and Brian Bromberg, GRAMMY®-Nominated Bassist-Producer-Composer In jazz education and professional…

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