The Case for Musical Expression (Music Education Basics)

Music Education Basics is a free online workshop for music educators in all types of settings.

This is Day 3 of our 5-day video and audio series.

If you’d like to watch the videos, you can sign up for free at learn.ashleydanyew.com. I’m sharing the audio version right here on the podcast so you can tune into the content here each day if that’s easier for you.

Today’s lesson is all about musical expression.

But first, if you haven’t watched or listened to the lessons from Day 1 and Day 2, go back and do that first. I designed this workshop so that each day builds on the next and I think you’ll find the content from the past two days provides a lot of helpful context for the conversation we’ll have today.

Listen to the introduction here >>

Listen to Day 1 here >>

Listen to Day 2 here >>

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In this episode:

Today, we’re talking about musical phrasing, dynamics, and movement and why it’s important to incorporate these elements of musical expression into the teaching and learning process from the very beginning.

Visuals and active experiences are a huge part of the learning process. In some cases, they are more important in our teaching than spoken directions and letting people read things for themselves. How can we be intentional about structuring our teaching in a way that supports visual learning and active, hands-on experiences?

We’ll explore a few useful strategies, ways to create opportunities for active experience, and meaningful analogies you can use to support music learning and the development of musical understanding in your students.

Looking for the workbook? You’ll find it inside the learning platform, ready to download. Sign up for free access >>

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Looking for more?

If this leaves you curious and ready to dive deeper into the study and practice of music teaching and learning, I’d love to invite you to join me in my signature program, The Art of Music Teaching & Learning.

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Designed for music educators in all types of settings, this 8-week course will help you refine and cultivate your teaching skills by developing a deeper understanding of teaching and learning processes, learning goals and assessment, and creative curriculum design.

Inside, you’ll find a creative, practical approach to music teaching and learning, plus plenty of templates, worksheets, and related resources to prepare and equip you for the year ahead. Plus, two live group calls with me to ask questions and get more personalized coaching.

Enrollment opens on May 27! Learn more + get all the details.


I'd love to hear from you.

What questions do you have? Leave a comment below and let me know how I can help! 👇