NAfME BLOG
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, expertise, and advocacy for music education. Check your NAfME Notes newsletter every other Thursday for the latest articles. Subscribe today.
NAfME members: Have an idea? Submit your proposal for a blog today.
Number 10: “Sing Democracy 250-50 States Program”
By Tina Sayers, Program Director for Sing Democracy 250’s 50 States Program
“July 4, 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,” writes Sayers. “We are inviting choirs in all 50 states to perform this program in 2026, to engage singers and citizens with a powerful message of hope for democracy through music that represents American history honestly, reflects America’s diversity, and calls all Americans to fulfill their obligations to America . . . to build together that more perfect union!” Read more
Number 9: “The ART-Official Framework for AI in Music Education”
By NAfME Member José Valentino Ruiz
“The ART-Official Framework is built around three core elements—body, soul, and spirit—that together provide a comprehensive guide for engaging with AI in music education and industry practice,” writes Ruiz. Read more
Number 8: “The Changeover Box: Ensuring Continuity during a Director Change”
By NAfME Member Christopher Brandt
“Remember that the nature of education is such that no two programs are alike, and, therefore, no listing could possibly account for every program’s situation,” writes Brandt. “I hope that the ideas presented here offer an outline and jump-off point for a comprehensive handoff packet appropriate for each program’s needs.” Read more
Photo: treety / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Number 7: “It’s Not Your Fault: Classroom Management to Curb Disruptions”
By NAfME Member Angela Ammerman
“In my work with musicians and music educators across the country and beyond,” writes Ammerman, “I have found these 14 issues and strategies to be the most impactful not only for our disruptive students, but for every musician in the program.” Read more
Photo: Powell Media Concepts
Number 6: “The Creative Imperative: Why Music Education Is Essential in the Age of AI”
By Anton Krutz, sponsored by NAfME Corporate Member Krutz Strings
“True creativity involves envisioning the nonexistent, connecting disparate ideas, and navigating dynamic environments using intuition and emotional intelligence,” writes Krutz. “In the age of AI, creativity will be the most valuable human asset.” Read more
Photo: Ralf Hiemisch / fStop Collection via Getty Images
Number 5: “Hip-Hop Education and Neurodivergent Learners”
By NAfME Members José Valentino Ruiz and Andrew Wang
“As a deeply rhythmic, expressive, and community-centered art form, hip-hop offers a pedagogical alternative that aligns with the cognitive and emotional needs of neurodivergent students,” the authors write. “From spoken word to beat-making, hip-hop’s inherent flexibility fosters engagement, emotional expression, and cognitive development in ways that traditional models often fail to achieve.” Read more
Photo: Caia Image / Collection Mix: Subjects via Getty Images
Number 4: “Consistency Is Key”
By NAfME Member Lori Schwartz Reichl
“Consistency can be incredibly helpful for building habits, achieving long-term goals, or creating systems that work in our living and working situations,” writes Reichl. “Consider these key changes you can make to be more consistent throughout the year with your desired goals.” Read more
Photo by Florian Berger on Unsplash
Number 3: “National Coalition for Arts Standards Announces Review of National Arts Standards”
Eleven years after the release of the National Arts Standards in 2014, the National Coalition for Arts Standards (NCAS) will launch a thorough survey to collect data on the National Standards for dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. Read more
Illustration: crowdesign / DigitalVision Vectors Collection via Getty Images
Number 2: “NFHS ‘Outstanding Music Educators’ of 2025 Include 18 NAfME Members”
On January 31, 2025, National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) announced the 2025 NFHS Performing Arts Educator Award recipients, including 25 Outstanding Music Educator Awards. Of the music educators honored, 18 are NAfME members. Congratulations to all the honorees—learn which recipients are NAfME members. Read more
iStockphoto.com | olegback
Number 1: “Music In Our Schools Month® 2025: ‘United Through Music’ Song Bracket”
By NAfME Member Elizabeth Caldwell
“I have been doing a ‘musical March madness’-style song bracket, where students listen to different songs each day and vote on their favorites, for several years now, and for the last several years I’ve tried to tie the songs into the annual theme NAfME chooses,” writes Caldwell. “To connect with this year’s theme, I’ve decided to choose songs that are a fusion of two or more genres or musical styles.” Read more
Of Special Note
We want to highlight one blog published at the end of 2024 that since then has garnered the second most views of any other article on the NAfME blog: “Music Listening for Student Well-Being” by Dr. Giuliana Conti and Amy Sloan, sponsored by NAfME Corporate Member Music Workshop has 12,000+ views to-date—give it a read to see what fellow educators are reading. (The most-read blog to-date is “Music Teacher Resources for School Closures” by NAfME member Elizabeth Caldwell, reprinted near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, which—understandably—had 57,000+ views that year alone.)
Photo: Maskot via Getty Images
Most-Read Music Education Advocacy Article
Read recent “Advocacy Bulletin” blog posts for the latest public policy news.
“President Trump’s Executive Order Regarding the U.S. Department of Education”
By Zachary Keita
In the early days of his administration, President Donald J. Trump has taken significant action to push forward his vision for the U.S. Department of Education and the federal role in education. . . . On January 20, the White House released an executive order (EO) titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” Read more
Photo: Aerial Footage / Moment Collection via Getty Images
Read “Top 10 Blogs” compilations from past years:
- Top 10 Most-Read Music Education blogs of 2024
- 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 NAfME Members who contributed to the past year’s blogs!
Did this blog spur new ideas for your music program? Share them on Connect! Interested in reprinting this article? Please review the reprint guidelines.
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) provides a number of forums for the sharing of information and opinion, including blogs and postings on our website, articles and columns in our magazines and journals, and postings to our Connect member portal. Unless specifically noted, the views expressed in these media do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Association, its officers, or its employees.
