Directors' Toolbox

20+ Surefire Ways to Warm Up Your Choir

Jennifer Moorhatch

What types of warm-up exercises do you use for your choir rehearsals? The answer to this question can take on myriad forms...

Directors' Toolbox

Preparing for Black History Month: Lesson Ideas for Music Teachers

Tom Dean

If you are looking for some fresh and interesting ways to explore the achievements of African Americans with your band, choir, or orchestra during...

Directors' Toolbox

Overcoming Challenges as a New Music Teacher

Mary Rogelstad

The first year of teaching didn’t go entirely well for award-winning music educator Victor de los Santos. He was assistant band director...

Directors' Toolbox

Back to School: Setting Up and Decorating Your Music Room

Mary Rogelstad

Music teacher David Fernandes says he faced unexpected challenges when he had to set up his music room during his first year...

Directors' Toolbox

Belting 101: How to Help Your Students Use Their Full Voice

Erin Guinup

When I was an undergrad, I was told that belting would ruin my voice. I shunned the music I loved and focused...

Directors' Toolbox

8 Tips for Teaching Orchestra for the Non-String Player

Kathryn Griesinger

Perhaps you're a long-time band director asked to start a string program at your school. Or you're a first-year teacher looking at limited job...

Directors' Toolbox

Summer Resources for Young Pianists

Brendan Lyons

Believe it or not, summer vacation is not far off. Students are undoubtedly excited about that, and for piano teachers and the parents of...

Directors' Toolbox

How to Plan Visuals for Your Marching Band

Mary Rogelstad

The pressure to create visually spectacular marching band shows can be high in the age of short attention spans, reality TV competition shows, and...

Directors' Toolbox

Helping Students Select a Summer Music Program

Dr. Jenny Neff and Brendan Lyons

It may not feel like it, but the academic year is coming to an end. When the doors to the school building close for...

Directors' Toolbox

Avoiding a Sheet Music Emergency

Ian McLoughlin

To those of us in the sheet music biz, contest and festival season is also known as "score season." Contests and festivals are great...

Directors' Toolbox

How to Help Students with Special Needs in Music Class

Mary Rogelstad

Dr. Alice Hammel remembers when Vinnie started school. He had frequent outbursts and struggled throughout most of his elementary school years; eventually, he was...

Directors' Toolbox

Preparing Students for Auditions

Tom Sabatino

It never failed. Late November into December, when my performing groups were approaching the final stages of concert preparation, one or more students would...