Top 10 Most-Read Music Education Blogs of 2024

Top 10 #MusicEd Blogs of 2024

We’re continuing our annual tradition of sharing the Top 10 most-read NAfME Blogs of 2024. Special thank you to NAfME members and corporate members for sharing your ideas, expertise, and passion for the profession. Check your NAfME Notes newsletter every other Thursday for the latest articles. Subscribe today.

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Number 10: “Guitar in the High School Classroom”

By NAfME Member Michael Klein

“Classroom guitar education provides invaluable opportunities for our next generation of guitarists as well as opportunities for those entering the workforce,” writes Klein. “Its growing popularity in schools across the country is a net benefit to all in the guitar community.” Read more

Number 9: “The Benefits of Singing Rounds in the Classroom”

By Edward Caswell and Peter Hunt, sponsored by NAfME Corporate Member Oxford University Press

“A beautiful melody is a wonderful thing,” the authors write, “but teaching a round can produce anything from the light and humorous to miraculous counterpoint as if out of thin air.” Read more

Number 8: “Enriching Spanish-Speaking English Learners’ Experiences in the English Music Classroom”

By NAfME Member Nabile Anahí Galván García

As school populations become more ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse, current and future music teachers must increase awareness of the barriers that the growing population of Spanish-speaking English Learners (EL) students may encounter. In this article, the author describes the language acquisition stages that Spanish-speaking EL students typically go through, providing insights into possible strategies for addressing their language barriers and socio-emotional needs, as well as fostering a culturally responsive and sustainable environment in the music classroom. Read more

Number 7: “Creating an Inclusive Classroom”

By NAfME Member Chiao-Wei Liu

“Creating an inclusive classroom,” she writes, “requires us to go beyond the present and create space for the changing, the emerging, and the unknown, through which our students may be more than what we know and build a better world.” Read more

Number 6: “The Four Rs of Music Education”

By NAfME Members José Valentino Ruiz and Eftihia Arkoudis

“We may find ourselves caught in the cycle of pursuing degrees and certifications solely to meet job requirements or enhance our resumes,” the authors write. “Yet, true fulfillment and professional satisfaction come from a deeper connection with our craft and a commitment to personal growth. To be liberated of this cycle, we propose embracing what we call the ‘Four Rs’—a process that encourages reflection, reinvention, retreat, and restoration. These steps are not just about career progression but also about cultivating a mindset of continuous improvement and self-discovery.” Read more

Number 5: “How to Keep Music in Our Schools”

By NAfME Member Ashley Cuthbertson

“In the face of pressures to perform well on high-stakes testing, budget constraints, and other realities of running schools and school districts, music and arts programs are often the first to be cut,” writes Cuthbertson. “In reality, keeping high-quality music programs in our schools actually contributes to our learners’ success in school and life, and it’s vital that we make sure that all learners have access.” Read more

Number 4: “The ‘New’ Model for Modern Music Education”

By Dan Mack, sponsored by NAfME Corporate Member Lang Lang International Music Foundation

“When you consider everything that the piano can address in the scope of 21st century learning,” writes Mack, “there is no question that the piano can provide all of the following solutions and so much more.” Read more

Number 3: “203 NAfME Members Named 2025 GRAMMY Music Educator Award Quarterfinalists”

Thank you to GRAMMY Museum and Recording Academy for celebrating music educators! The popularity of number 3 in the Top 10 most-read NAfME blogs of 2024 shows how much it means to our members and all who support music education. (The blog sharing the semifinalists also received notable views.) Read more

Number 2: “Meet the 2024 Biennial NAfME Music Research and Teacher Education Conference Keynote Speaker: Omar Thomas”

From his biography: “Hailed by Herbie Hancock as showing ‘great promise as a new voice in the further development of jazz in the future,’ educator, arranger, and award-winning composer Omar Thomas has created music extensively in the contemporary jazz and symphonic idiom.” Read more

Number 1: “Kodály, Orff, and Dalcroze: A Who’s Who and What’s What”

By Meegan Hughes, sponsored by NAfME Corporate Member West Music

“Many of us already use activities from two or more of these methods daily to supplement our programs, perhaps with an inclination toward one in particular,” writes Hughes. “Read on for a breakdown of these pedagogies, and keep in mind that it is by no means a complete scope. The emerging and prolific music student will surely benefit from all three pedagogies.” Read more

Most-Read Music Education Advocacy Article

Read recent “Advocacy Bulletin” blog posts for the latest public policy news.

“A Look Back at NAfME Hill Day 2024”

By Zachary Keita, NAfME Advocacy and Public Policy Communications Manager

On June 12, music education advocates met in the heart of Washington, DC, for the National Association for Music Education’s annual Hill Day. As part of our National Leadership Assembly, this yearly event provides an opportunity for music education advocates to gather in the halls of Congress, highlighting their cause on the frontstage of federal policymaking, and developing relationships with key decision-makers in the legislative process. Read more

Read “Top 10 Blogs” compilations from past years:

• Top 10 Most-Read Music Education Blogs of 2023
• Top 10 Most-Read Music Education Blogs of 2022
• Top 10 Most-Read Music Education Blogs of 2021
• Top 10 Most-Read Music Education Blogs of 2020
• Top 10 Most-Read Music Education Blogs of 2019

Thank you to all of our NAfME Members who contributed to the past year’s blogs!