Bucket Drumming- Dr. Robert Damm
Bucket drumming is a style of music that involves drumming on plastic buckets and other found objects including glass bottles, pots, and pans. Bucket drumming, popularized by Larry Wright (a drummer from the Bronx), first took hold in New York City in the 1980s. It is interesting to recognize that some of the richest music in the world (e.g., blues, jazz, samba, reggae, hip-hop, etc.) originated with people living in economic poverty. Bucket drums are a great introduction to rhythm and percussion and have become increasingly popular among music teachers because of their affordability, portability, and accessibility.

Let It Go: Giving in to “Bad” Behaviors- Christine Hughes
Neurodivergent students often exhibit behaviors that are "against the rules" of social learning. Various forms of stimming such as rocking, flapping, fidgeting with items, and getting out of one's seat can look like defiance. In reality, these attempts to regulate the body can do wonders to prepare the mind for the acceptance of new information. I will share anecdotes from my own experiences working with students on the autism spectrum and what I discovered by "giving in" to their sensory-seeking actions. My goal is to empower fine arts educators to have meaningful conversations with SPED professionals that may lead to de-prioritizing behavior training while improving learning outcomes.

How Steel Drums Can Impact Your District’s Music Program- Liz Plenk and Collierville students
In this session, you will learn how to start a steel drum band for beginners of any age and the many benefits of these instruments in your community. Topics include financial costs, upkeep of instruments, and the history of these beautiful drums. Volunteers will have the opportunity to try playing steel drums with assistance from students involved in Collierville Schools’ steel drum programs.

It’s All in the Breath: Yoga, Mindfulness, and Breathing Strategies for Choirs- Dr. Colleen McNickle
In a time when students and teachers are subject to unprecedented amounts of stress and anxiety, choir classrooms often become the hub of release and resilience. This session will explore the ways in which a practice of movement, mindfulness, and mindful breathing techniques can engage and energize choral students and teachers. Inspired by the connection of breath in yoga and meditation to the breath of choir and ensemble, participants will explore traditional choral and yogic breathing strategies, experience moments of mindfulness, and learn several short stretch and breath sequences appropriate for any music classroom.

Kickstarting Your Program- Naomi Burns
You have just taken on a new job as a director. There has been a lot of change within the program over the past couple of years, and the administration is looking for stability and consistency. Your job is to build and grow the program. How do you do that? This session will provide procedures I found to be successful in building and growing a struggling program.

How Steel Drums Can Impact Your District’s Music Program- Liz Plenk and Collierville students
(Note: This is a repeat of the 10:15 am steel drum session.)
In this session, you will learn how to start a steel drum band for beginners of any age and the many benefits of these instruments in your community. Topics include financial costs, upkeep of instruments, and the history of these beautiful drums. Volunteers will have the opportunity to try playing steel drums with assistance from students involved in Collierville Schools’ steel drum programs.

How Does Music Move You? Creative Movement in the Music Classroom- Linzie Mullins
Participants will explore different creative movement techniques individually and in small groups. We will take our movement ideas and create something wonderful together.

Popular Music Education and Modern Band- Dr. Scott Burstein (via videoconferencing)
While popular music can be a powerful tool for generating interest in music, many teachers steeped in formal learning struggle to apply informal techniques to unfamiliar music. This workshop is centered on the belief that all people are musical, demonstrated quickly and in an enjoyable manner for all ages by leveraging the musical choices of the individual. This is achieved through the performance of modern band– culturally-relevant music of students taught through approximation, music acquisition theory, and social equity.

Music Education: Moving Forward with Inspiration and Information- Dr. Brad Foust
The challenges of the past two and a half years have caused us to reconsider the meaning and purpose behind our music programs. As we prepare to move forward, we should look to the past to remember valuable lessons that may inform our journey and learn from current thought on the future of the discipline. This session will provide inspiration and information as we seek to find our way to a more inclusive, thoughtful place to educate the next generation of music artists, teachers, and consumers.

Developing Musicianship in Young Learners- Janel Long
Our youngest learners can have big musical ideas. In this session, I will present ways to develop learners’ musicianship in order to increase the level of rigor in their musical thinking. Participants will leave with a variety of classroom activities to support developmental foundational musicianship and an understanding of how to sequence and scaffold these activities to support developmentally-appropriate creative musicianship practices. 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Create developmentally-appropriate classroom activities that enhance student rhythmic learning;
• Create developmentally-appropriate classroom activities that enhance student tonal learning;
• Create developmentally-appropriate classroom activities that facilitate students’ creative musicianship skills.

Mastering Music Teacher TikTok: Techniques, Tools, & Tips- Dr. Colleen McNickle
This interactive session will explore the unexpected and beneficial pairing of music education and the social media app TikTok. By utilizing TikTok as a teaching, learning, recruitment, coping, and advertising tool, music teachers have the opportunity to connect to students and communities and eliminate barriers to music learning and making in an innovative way. Participants will leave the session with practical teaching resources, TikTok how-to’s, and an understanding of the many benefits of utilizing social media. They will be empowered to claim their space on the social media app and to utilize its many videos and teaching tools with their students.

Interactive Drum Circles- Dr. Robert Damm
Participants will experience the unique enjoyment of in-the-moment music and the many extra-musical outcomes emphasized in recreational drum circles. In the drum circle, there is no audience; everyone is part of the music. Everyone in the circle plays together, creating his or her own personal rhythmic patterns that fit into the music created by the whole group. The ensemble itself provides an invaluable social experience because the players depend on each other for the ensemble to succeed. Everyone who participates has something to offer the circle and all are welcome.