Professional Development That Your Band Directors Will Value

Professional Development is how we as music educators improve teaching, increase student achievement, and retain teachers. However, music teachers often receive nonmusical professional development that does not help us strengthen curriculum, improve music assessment, or learn ways to better support students’ music learning. What is effective professional development for music teachers? Researchers have identified seven essential elements of effective PD experiences. Effective Music Teacher professional development:

  1. differentiates between needs of beginning and experienced teachers

  2. is musical

  3. places teachers within a supportive community of learners

  4. is voluntary, featuring elements of autonomy and choice

  5. provides opportunity for reflection in a cycle of innovation, feedback, and reconsideration

  6. is sustained, with ample site-specific support for classroom implementation

  7. results in improved musical achievement for students

When we create professional development opportunities using these characteristics, music teachers experience powerful learning, and as a result our students do, too.Dr. Miller can provide the structure and know-how to provide these types of experiences for the band directors in your district.

Literature Reading Bands

A popular choice with band directors, this day-long activity is a wonderful way for directors to spend time together as they play their instruments. Your music educators will play alongside their selected students as they read through new literature that they have submitted for the upcoming concert season. Dr. Miller will conduct, making note of technical and performance considerations in the work, and highlighting conducting techniques and challenges useful in executing the selections.

Conducting Workshops

Band directors at all levels of education can get more satisfying rehearsal and performance experiences with the use of effective conducting techniques. Dr. Miller provides an encouraging, open environment where band directors can explore new and different gestures and patterns that will elicit great response from their ensembles. The focus is on practical rehearsal and performance technique, not on changing one's entire conducting pattern and philosophy.

Music Notation Software Workshops

Dr. Miller can deliver intensive courses in developing a quick, in-depth, and powerful workflow in Finale notation software (MAC and Windows versions 2010, 2012, and 2014).

Social Media Integration and Automation

Dr. Miller can help you connect your students through post-once, set-it-and-forget-it systems that allow you to communicate instantaneously with large groups of students and parents.

SmartMusic Workshops

Dr. Miller can help your educators set up the most powerful computerized practice assessment tool on the market: SmartMusic. Your students will reach a whole new level of performance with these online classes.

Pyware 3D Drillwriting Workshops

The most powerful and recognized leader in drill charting software, Pyware 3D can provide the ultimate clarity in envisioning and executing your halftime productions. Dr. Miller can help you develop your own skills with Pyware, or give group training sessions.

Price

Prices are fair and negotiable to fit into your district's budget. An honorarium and standard federal travel rates apply. To schedule Dr. Miller to work with your group or event, please contact him.