FM Podcast Episode 5: Tips for Preparing Your Ensemble to Sight-Read at MPA

In this episode, Perry Ditch interviews Director of Athletic Bands at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC, Tim Heath! Tim and Perry take the time to talk about an interesting program called Shared Experience at Wake Forest. This program allows students at different 2 or 4 year colleges who do not offer a marching band program to continue to play their instruments. Listen as they dive into the specifics of this program and what rewards it entails for students in the surrounding area of Wake Forest University.

This is a wonderful episode in which Mr. Perry Ditch, our school music coordinator, conducts an interview with 5 arts coordinators from across the state of NC. Each of the guests discusses their goals, with expected challenges, that are geared towards a post-pandemic school year for arts programs in their respective areas. Hopefully this podcast will let educators know what is happening with the arts in different areas of NC.

This is a very special episode in which Mr. Perry Ditch, our school music coordinator, conducts an interview with 2 recently retired educators. Mr. Blair Smith and Mr. Don Peach, who were also recently inducted into the North Carolina Bandmasters hall of fame last year, will share their wealth of experience and insight into the profession of music education. Listen to them tell stories from their time teaching in years past as well as what they’ve seen happening in education since March of 2020. 

The second part in a series called "Advice for the first 3 years"! We gave ourselves the task of meeting in person and virtually with educators in our area. Our interviewees were given the title of the series as their prompt, some time to collect their thoughts, and then we hit the record button! Our hope is to continue this series to include teachers with backgrounds in orchestra, chorus, and general music. This is part two and includes a sampling of middle school band directors, as well as a college professor!

The first part in a series called "Advice for the first 3 years"! We gave ourselves the task of meeting in person and virtually with educators in our area. Our interviewees were given the title of the series as their prompt, some time to collect their thoughts, and then we hit the record button! Our hope is to continue this series to include teachers with backgrounds in orchestra, chorus, and general music. This is part one and includes a sampling of high school band directors.

In this episode, Music Education Coordinator, Perry Ditch, has a discussion via Zoom with Mark Klaich, the director of bands at North Pitt High School. 

Mark is a Pitt county native and attended East Carolina University as a percussion major. He put himself out there and gained experience in the field while he worked with high school percussionists. He and Perry discuss his time as a beginning teacher at North Pitt and form 4 areas of focus that every educator can relate to. 

In this episode, Music Education Coordinator, Perry Ditch, has a discussion via Zoom with an amazing educator from Red Oak Middle School in Battleboro, NC, Ms. Cristina Rekeibe. Cristina co-teaches with Mark Stauffer who has been the head director at Red Oak for more than 20 years. Cristina describes how planning and communication with administration, students, and parents have been the pillars of her success within her program. She also highlights some interesting ideas pertaining to the instructional strategies that kept her students engaged.

In this episode, Music Education Coordinator, Perry Ditch, has a discussion via Zoom with an amazing educator from Green Level High School in Cary, NC, Mr. Brian Myers. Brian and Perry discuss how the band program at Green Level HS is tackling online learning and how the band community is staying connected. They also discuss how to make relevant content for student learning which affects virtual attendance. This episode is packed with great content and we hope you enjoy!

In this episode, Music Education Coordinator, Perry Ditch, hosts a round table discussion with music educators from the Eastern District of North Carolina. The topic for this round table involves jazz and how it works for each director’s program. Listen in on this discussion involving 7 current educators  and how they make a jazz program relevant in their school.

In this episode, Music Education Coordinator, Perry Ditch, has a discussion via Zoom with an amazing educator from the North Carolina School of Science and Math, Mr. Scott Laird. During this time of uncertainty, many educators have found themselves teaching from home in a virtual environment. This episode covers some ideas and practices that you may find useful.