Welcome to the APME Memphis 2025 conference. Here, you’ll be able to register for the conference and update your Sched profile. The conference schedule will be available in late spring 2025. At that time, you can view the schedule and select the presentations you’d like to attend. If you have any questions, please visit our conference website or contact us at conference@popularmusiceducation.org We look forward to coming together as a community June 4–7, 2025.
Does theory knowledge still play a vital role in the life and practice of a professional musician? Did it ever, really? In a world where the majority of Pop/Jazz/Commercial musicians are sent reference recordings and YouTube links to prepare for a show, is it necessary to have studied notation, technique, history, traditional nomenclature, etc.? This dilemma is dealt with on a daily basis by thousands of musicians across the country. Does theory help? Can it make a difference? Can you be a professional player and not know anything about music theory? As broad a topic as this is, this 20-minute session will confront this issue to the fullest extent possible. There will be a brief presentation, followed by a discussion, time allowing.
Musicians who master the art of being a side musician—those who back prominent artists in high-stakes settings—gain access to unique professional opportunities. At Record High at Prudential Center, we developed an innovative approach to prepare young musicians for such roles. This presentation will spotlight a case study featuring a quartet of high school string players who performed with a well-known country artist on The Today Show. Through targeted workshops, rehearsals, and professional mentorship, we equipped these students with the skills required to thrive in a live performance scenario on national television. Participants will gain insight into how we focused on ensemble cohesion, adaptability, communication with headlining artists, and the professionalism required for fast-paced production environments. A 2-3 minute video will provide a behind-the-scenes look at this journey, showcasing the students' preparation and the on-stage results. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to develop similar programs, engage industry professionals, and create meaningful performance opportunities for their students. Whether you're an educator or program director, this session will inspire you to empower the next generation of versatile, career-ready musicians.
Uncritical habits of mind, institutionalized cultural scripts, and the tools of whiteness contribute to an educational status quo of ‘educational niceness’ that marginalizes culturally and linguistically diverse students. The development of critical consciousness through critical reflection, discourse, inquiry, and action has the power to transform music classrooms by transforming the hearts, minds, and worldviews of the music educators within them. Enacting critical consciousness is characterized by critical reflection, inquiry, discourse, and action involving: (a) critical reflexive work on identity, (b) analysis of power and privilege in macro and micro contexts, and (c) the problematization of taken-for-granted assumptions. McDonough (2009) explained that critically conscious educators demonstrate, quote, “an overall ability to think critically about a variety of issues of power” and embrace “a critical edge in their work.” Kohli et al. (2019) found that “teacher development for critical consciousness must involve cultivating teachers with capacities to recognize, interrogate, and transform injustice.” This session will explore critical consciousness from both a practical and theoretical perspective, guided by the findings of the clinician's autoethnography on critical consciousness in music education. The autoethnographer found three major themes of ‘nice’ dysconsciousness: (a) uncritical habits of mind, (b) institutionalized cultural scripts, and (c) tools of whiteness for maintaining White comfort. Disinvestment from the ‘nice’ White lady identity was a rigorous critically reflexive process that involved: (a) an evolving worldview in which I learned to sit with my own discomfort in order to grow; (b) the deliberate and critically conscious disruption of institutionalized cultural scripts and; (c) resistance to the ideological, emotional, and performative tools of whiteness through enacted critical consciousness.
This session will explain and discuss the results from the first year of implementing The Record Company Game. Session participants will understand The Game Rules, The Rate Sheet, Timeline, Services Rendered Form, The Bank spreadsheet, and see student produced deliverables so they can implement The Game in their classrooms. Created by Barbara Freedman, the game is being played by students in the Greenwich High School Honors Electronic Music Composition & Studio Production classes. The purpose of the game is to give students real life experiences of what it is like to be an artist signed to a record company. Students play the role of the “artist” and be “hired” by the school Record Company for which they will receive a “Signing Bonus”. Students will produce professional level digital deliverables associated with the release of one musical recording (a “single”). Deliverables include the recording, social media posts, press releases, and other marketing tools. Students can earn “money” by doing work for other students the Record Company (Services Rendered). Bonuses and Late Fees may apply and are preset before the game begins according to the Rate Sheet. Prizes will be awarded for the student who engages the most number of students to work for them on their piece, the student who works for the most number of other students on their music, the composition itself, and other prizes that may be determined by the teachers along the course of the game.
Teacher/Adjunct, Greenwich High School/Montclair State U
Named the 2012 TI:ME Music Technology Teacher of the Year, Barbara Freedman has been teaching Electronic Music & Audio Engineering at Greenwich High School in Connecticut since 2001. She is the author of the book “Teaching Music Through Composition: A Curriculum Using Technology... Read More →
Friday June 6, 2025 10:45am - 11:15am CDT Classroom 101 - Legacy Building3775 Central Avenue 129 Music Building Memphis, TN, 38111
This presentation, led by a K-12 music supervisor and a school administrator, will give an overview the practical steps involved in establishing a new music course within a school district. We will explore the critical initial phase of course conception, from identifying a curricular need to defining specific learning objectives. Next, we will discuss the process of course development, including curriculum design, lesson planning, and material selection. We will emphasize the importance of aligning the course with relevant state and national standards, ensuring that it meets the diverse needs of all students. The presentation will also address the logistical considerations necessary for course implementation. This includes securing necessary approvals from district administrators and acquiring adequate resources and funding. We will share effective strategies for communicating the value of the new course to stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and community members. Finally, we will examine strategies for assessing student learning and evaluating the overall effectiveness of the new course. We will share our own journey of integrating an enhanced music elective into the Computer Science initiative of the SmithTech Lab School.
Eli Yaroch spearheaded the creation of MusicReach Contemporary, a transformative program designed to provide underprivileged students with access to quality music education. Launched with a $25,000 grant, this initiative expanded the Shalala MusicReach program to include a dedicated contemporary music department. MusicReach Contemporary operates as a two-hour program tailored to foster musical growth and collaboration. In the first hour, students receive personalized lessons in a 2–5:1 student-to-teacher ratio, focusing on voice, guitar, bass, and drums. The teaching team, comprising four instructors, ensures each student receives focused, skill-based training. The second hour transitions into a band session, where students form two bands guided by the program’s administrator and teachers. This collaborative environment encourages creativity, teamwork, and real-world music-making experiences. Under Yaroch’s leadership, the program has grown from serving five students to over 50, providing invaluable musical opportunities to children from underprivileged backgrounds. MusicReach Contemporary not only develops technical and creative skills but also fosters confidence and a sense of belonging among participants. This innovative approach to contemporary music education exemplifies the power of focused, inclusive programming in bridging gaps in access to arts education. By integrating individualized lessons and ensemble-based collaboration, MusicReach Contemporary equips students with the skills and experiences necessary to thrive in music and beyond, setting a new standard for popular music pedagogy in community-based education programs.
In this interactive 45-minute workshop, participants will explore practical and engaging approaches to integrating songwriting into classroom settings. Designed for educators of all musical backgrounds, this session will simplify the process of songwriting, making it accessible, enjoyable, and effective for students of all skill levels. Participants will be guided through key principles of songwriting, including developing ideas, selecting song forms, crafting lyrics, and creating basic chord progressions. The workshop emphasizes collaboration, demonstrating how students can work together to generate creative content quickly and confidently. Attendees will participate in a hands-on experience, collaborating to write several original songs during the session. These activities are designed to reflect real classroom scenarios, providing strategies that attendees can adapt to their unique teaching environments. “Songwriting for Classrooms Simplified” aims to demystify the creative process and empower educators to foster creativity, self-expression, and student engagement in their classrooms. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use tools, step-by-step frameworks, and newfound confidence to introduce songwriting projects that align with curriculum goals and resonate with students’ interests. By the end of the session, participants will have gained practical insights into streamlining the songwriting process and experienced the transformative power of music-making in a collaborative setting. Whether teaching in traditional music programs, modern band settings, or general education classrooms, this workshop will provide strategies for bringing songwriting to life.
Anyone can be an arranger. Couple aural skills with general musical knowledge, and you can immediately become an arranger or composer. You can increase your value exponentially and go from making standard contractor pay to arranger pay with possible residuals. Arranging, though, is nearly impossible without some functional knowledge of modern harmony, traditional and modern notation, and understanding of musical instrument families. Broad and varied stylistic experience is also crucial. Basically, if you're a musician who can read and who listens a lot, you've got a head start. Let's talk about the other things necessary.
The concept of a co-constructed curriculum, a novel approach that involves collaboration between teachers and students in secondary schools, is gaining traction. This shift is a response to education policies influenced by neoliberal ideologies. Discussions on student voice, agency, equity, and personalised learning are key to fostering inclusive and dynamic learning environments. Our workshop delves into the advantages of amplifying student voices in the classroom and equips you with practical strategies to engage students as active participants in their learning journey.
The workshop is an interactive session grounded in the principles of participatory education and democratic engagement. It provides a framework for understanding student voice initiatives and, importantly, offers a platform to share your experiences and research strategies. This collaborative approach supports the creation of platforms for student expression, involvement, and a sense of belonging.
Key elements of the workshop include:
- Foundations: Understanding the varying roles of student voice within education policy and practice. - Implementation: Strategies for creating platforms for student expression and participatory decision-making processes. - Discussion: Analysing successful models from diverse educational settings that effectively integrate student voices and discuss challenges and solutions.
The aims of this workshop are to: - Understand the theoretical and practical aspects of student voice in education. - Have discussed practical tools and strategies to utilise student voice within their context. - Have networked with other educators and researchers, sharing insights and experiences that can inform future practice.
This workshop is designed for researchers and educators committed to creating responsive, student-centred educational systems.
Empower your students to take the reins of their musical journey with student-led bands! In this engaging presentation, Stephen T. Cox shares real-world strategies for guiding students to organize, rehearse, and perform as independent ensembles. Drawing from his experience facilitating student-centered programs, Cox will outline practical steps for creating a secondary program around this concept, fostering leadership, collaboration, and creativity in young musicians. The session will explore actionable strategies for setting up rehearsal spaces, helping students organize their bands, and creating meaningful performance and feedback opportunities. Additionally, attendees will learn methods to address common challenges such as managing student conflicts and promoting the program within the school and community. This presentation provides a roadmap for cultivating ownership, accountability, and teamwork, equipping educators to inspire the next generation of musicians to lead with confidence.
Discover how Modern Band programs can engage "the other 80%" of students and elevate music education. Learn tools, strategies, and pedagogy for live performance, contemporary music theory, studio production, and career-readiness. This session empowers you to implement Modern Band classes that enhance enrollment.
Incorporating students with disabilities is critical for the authenticity of the learning environments for both disabled and non-disabled students. There are two keys an educator needs for unlocking true inclusion in the classroom: First, a deep understanding that inclusion is not a place; simply being in the room does not make a musician nor satisfy the requirements of inclusion. A safe environment to cultivate belonging, creative expression, and authentic contribution must be prioritized and created by the educator. Second, The educator must have or learn the skills and possess the physical materials to create such an environment. Many music educators, especially in the popular music space, inherently hold the first of these keys. They’re spending their careers working to create musical spaces that welcome and reflect every child. Unfortunately, preservice training rarely prepares its future educators to actually teach students with moderate to severe disabilities. This session will dive deep into the “how” with real life examples of modified instrumental curriculum and a peer mentoring structure that shares the work of teaching with the other musicians in the room, creating a transformative musical and social experience for everyone involved. The pedagogy will focus primarily on guitar and percussion, with discussion about the application of the form for any instrument, vocal, or general music setting.
Ever since the Civil Rights Act of the 1960s, many schools have become increasingly diverse. However, the majority of educators in the United States are white and attended primarily white institutions. Therefore, many of these educators approach instruction with a Eurocentric (classical music) approach. This would include a passive receptive approach to teaching like sitting and listening to a Beethoven Symphony. However, other cultures, such as African American, are more accustomed to a call and response (the Blues) approach in which they are engaged. Students of color are used to music such as the Blues, Soul, Funk, and Hip Hop that utilize polyrhythm, improvisation, and active participation. The lack of understanding of these musical concepts in genres like the Blues creates classrooms that are not culturally inclusive. In this engaging and participatory workshop, we will examine these musical elements and how they can be actively used in the classroom in any content area to create culturally relevant lessons and a welcoming environment for all students.
Vincent Sneed has been a music educator in public schools in Georgia for the past 21 years. He has taught both high and middle school which included teaching band, chorus, music history, music theory, music appreciation, and piano. Sneed also has provided music for churches across... Read More →
Saturday June 7, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT SPAC - Hodges Choral Room3800 Central Ave, Memphis, TN 38117
Middle school and young high school students love forming their own bands, and if students and teachers aren’t careful, all the energy and enthusiasm can be sucked out of the project before it even gets off the ground. In this session educators Scott Prescott and Eric Songer, along with their students, will discuss and demonstrate how to make these bands shine. Topics will include philosophy, scheduling, collaboration, problem solving, song selection, and booking gigs. These points will include a variety of ideas and specific examples of what has worked for us including how we schedule and specific song titles. This will also include a short discussion on how popular music ensembles can co-exist and actually thrive in a traditional music program. We will demonstrate rehearsal techniques, teamwork, student leadership, and stage presence. These demonstrations will include examples of both teacher-led models and student-led models. Attendees will get an authentic demonstration of what works and where the common pitfalls are in popular music ensembles at this age. The young rock stars will also give a short performance. Time will be allowed for attendees to ask the students questions and for us to learn from each other.
Music Educator, Eastern Carver County School District
27 years is a long time to teach middle school music, but I love it. I was hired to direct concert bands, but the program is much more than that. Students write songs, produce, form their own bands, learn non-band instruments, rap, beatbox and more. Our students perform in rock bands... Read More →
Pulitzer Prize winner and multi-platinum Hip Hop artist, Kendrick Lamar, is an exemplary pedagogical model for practicing music educators. As a master composer, Lamar is known for rich and deeply layered metaphors and compositional experimentation. Additionally, Lamar demonstrates a sustained commitment to his culture, through both celebration and critique. The purpose of this session is to explore the ways in which Kendrick Lamar: (a) employs the 21st Century skills of creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and connection in his musicking and; (b) models exemplary pedagogy and praxis for general music educators.
Recent critics of the culture of competition in music education argue that it promotes a capitalistic, neo-liberal approach, prioritizing products over educational processes (Powell, 2024). One example of competition is all-state ensembles, where students audition for elite groups at state music conferences. Although participation in these ensembles can boost self-efficacy (Hendricks, 2016), foster ambition (Barnes et al., 2002), and provide social benefits (Burland et al., 2021; Hewitt, 2013), they also raise concerns about favoritism toward larger schools and barriers related to distance and instrument (Lien & Humphrey, 2001). There has been limited research on students' perspectives, with most researchers investigating adult perceptions of all-state groups (e.g., teachers, administrators, parents). Further, most studies focus on traditional bands, choirs, and orchestras rather than modern band. The Kentucky All-State Elementary Modern Band (KASEMB) offers a novel approach, diverging from traditional competitive structures (Music Will, 2024). Unlike conventional all-state ensembles, which follow a conservatory or competition-based model (Allsup, 2006; Powell, 2024), KASEMB auditions are equity-based, removing barriers like traveling for auditions and obscure repertoire; students submit video auditions with music of their choice. The selection of students is also equity-based, with round one adjudicated and then round two ensuring the final selection includes students from a diverse range of schools and backgrounds. Additionally, KASEMB rehearsals are organized and run democratically (Cremata, 2017; Dewey, 1916), with students selecting repertoire, establishing norms, and shaping the rehearsal process. This study explores how KASEMB functions as an all-state ensemble from the students' perspective. Data collection is ongoing and will be ready for presentation in Summer 2025.
Teaching the Pop classes at Toledo School For The Arts for the past 8 years has taught me a lot. In this presentation I'll run through what my year as a Pop Combo instructor looks like. We'll dive into the curriculum, end goals for students in the commercial music program, planning the our calendar, auditions, picking rep, and more. This is a brief look into how our program/classes run and hopefully helpful to anyone who may be teaching popular music already or looking to start their own program.
In today's polarized political climate, students are often exposed to a wide variety of political thought but are not often taught to engage with political expression responsibly, thoughtfully, and creatively. Further, how might we encourage students to bridge divides, engage in responsible creative output, become passionate about issues of activism and social justice, and engage in democratic practices through the study of popular music? This session teaches attendees how to use popular music education, modern band, and secondary general music courses as a means of teaching students to be engaged and active citizens in their local political scene. I focus on the history of pop music as a tool for resistance, the role of songwriting in expressing political sentiments, performance as art, activism, and protest, and how we can encourage students to be responsible and engaged citizens through the study and performance of popular music. Attendees will be led through a brief history of the role of popular music in America’s long political history, participate in a political songwriting activity that they will share with each other, and engage with a sample project that showcases the potential for using popular music education for activism and citizenship.
Music teacher educator and researcher with a passion for interdisciplinary approaches to music education, policy, and research! To see this in action, come to my session entitled "Pop Off Sis!: Teaching civic engagement and political action through popular music."
Saturday June 7, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT Classroom 105 - Legacy Building3775 Central Avenue 129 Music Building Memphis, TN, 38111
Students come to school already musical with their own identities shaped by what they listen to and years of musical experiences. Tapping into students' musical familiarity and taste is not only a great teaching strategy for validating their sense of self and broadening their musical knowledge, but also a formidable technique that supports their holistic well-being. This workshop will focus on the research behind how popular music and well-being are connected, alongside hands-on activities participants can immediately apply in their teaching. Worksheets and tools will be offered to accompany the workshop activities centered around making musical decisions with students, learning about each other through playlists, and being able to identify signs of or barriers to well-being in music education contexts.
Social Justice in Popular Music Education requires more than learning to play songs from diverse genres of music, and developing this movement into a staple of the institution of Music Education. Social Justice requires honoring the ancestors and culture bearers from which Popular Music, the music of the people, came. Social justice is understanding and choosing to respect the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation, and to invest in culture bearers. To be an agent of Social Justice is, at the minimum, a dual effort: 1) facilitating the learning of the artist’s stories and the history of popular music tied to socio-political history; and 2) empowering our students’ voices to use music to interpret and express their lived experiences. Many issues inherent to a postcolonial society working towards Social Justice—a society wrought with mass shootings, suicides, drug abuse, racism, divisive politics, and enslavement thinly vailed as a criminal justice system— complexify our students’ access to actively engaging in a musical life. Everyone deserves access to a music education embedded with social justice, and there needs to be a concerted effort to increase access in underserved and historically marginalized communities from which this music came.
There are longstanding assumptions of artificial intelligence being a technology resource that promotes societal objectivity and neutrality. Formalized education is the instrument utilized by the socioeconomically dominant to socialize curriculum and pedagogy to their benefit. Generative AI in education could be creating predictive outcomes that are exacerbating racial disparities when using historical data to create new algorithms. Wealthier schools tend to benefit substantially from more advanced AI tools. Digital access varies by socioeconomic status, because underserved populations tend to have less than reliable internet connectivity, and are more than likely having to complete larger tasks on a cell phone instead of a desktop or laptop computer. Even if learners gain access to a laptop, research indicates that Black and Brown student learners are still underserved in advanced curriculum resources and qualified teacher instruction, which leads to greater opportunity gaps in the workforce where AI is an important tool for work competency. The purpose of this study is to identify racially discriminatory behaviors and practices associated with generative AI in music education. This study also considers next steps in eliminating racial biases, and providing more equitable opportunities for underrepresented populations to be situated in the leadership and creation of AI resources in music education.
School music educators are often seen as occupying one of two distinct “camps”. This dichotomy has been characterized as “preservation vs. progress” or “tradition vs. change”. On one side are those concerned with the maintenance of traditional ensembles and the curricular foundations of Western music history and notation. On the other side are those driven toward curricular reform that nurtures students’ agency and imagination. Popular music educators usually identify with the latter side and employ distinct curricula and pedagogy to pursue its goals. However, this empirical study of 22 high school music students in Toronto found that using popular music pedagogies (PMPs) can enhance, rather than take away from, students’ ability to achieve traditional curricular goals such as performing Western European Art Music (WEAM) in large ensembles. More specifically, students’ experience with PMPs helped them to proactively identify and correct their own mistakes, better understand the stylistic characteristics of the music, and develop a greater sense of responsibility to master their parts. One implication of this finding is that popular music educators can more easily justify using PMPs in the classroom, as doing so can contribute to the achievement of traditional learning goals. Another implication is that traditional music educators can feel more confident to explore PMPs, as doing so won’t necessarily detract from their pursuit of teaching excellence in WEAM.
This study examines the experience of building a network of songwriting classroom educators from around the United States. In many parts of the country, songwriting is not a common curricular offering in K-12 education. In some cases, there may be only one songwriting teacher in an area. Because music teacher preparation programs and professional development in popular music education can be difficult to find, the author set out to build a network of songwriting educators. The purpose of this network evolved to support each other’s classroom and personal songwriting work, share ideas and challenges, and discuss contemporary issues in songwriting, music education, and the music industry. The insights from this community are used to redesign the author’s songwriting curriculum. Some areas of redesign include student choice, scaffolding, and personal vulnerability. This session will discuss the question: How might a community of songwriting teachers, who are also classroom teachers, develop ways to support each other and ways of teaching that might support the development of songwriting pedagogy among American music educators? Topics to be discussed include the process of recruiting members of the group, meeting formats, themes that emerged from the conversations, and how this can move forward to further influence the field of songwriting education.
