comprehensive musicianship through performance


Talking to Music Teachers About Deep Planning Janet Revell Barrett, CMP Committee Member


Planning is an as- pect of teachers’ lives that draws lots of attention – from early exercises in lesson planning dur- ing methods cours- es to professional development work- shops introducing


common templates to school requirements for submitting written plans on a regular ba- sis. I have often been interested, however, in talking to teachers about matters that sit below the surface of these commonplace tasks, a stance I might call deep planning, or the way teachers’ philosophical stances and curricular orientations influence their work. Music teachers provide rich experi- ences for the students in their charge; deep planning calls for asking questions, weigh- ing alternatives, practicing artistry, and grappling with purposes. Conversations with CMP teachers often center on these


influential matters. For this article, I was fortunate to interview three choral music teachers who are members of the CMP community to gain a better understanding of their approaches to deep planning.


Grace Greene teaches choir and music technology classes at Madison’s Akira Toki Middle School. She stepped into this position in January 2024; when we spoke, she had just passed her one-year teaching anniversary. A colleague suggested that she seek out CMP workshops and sit in on rehearsals of the Madison Youth Choirs to observe and gather up valuable strategies for meeting the needs of her sixth- and seventh-grade students.


Grace describes her preferred mode of preparation as “sitting in a dark room pick- ing out music, listening to music, writing about music, and thinking about music.” She told me these moments feel “positively self-indulgent.” Setting aside time for this


thoughtful work outside of her daily prep periods – often likely to be interrupted, especially since the school’s laundry room is adjacent to her classroom – enables her to concentrate on what matters. For Grace, creating meaningful outcomes makes “what matters” more likely. Even when she experiences inevitable bumpy patches that come with being a new teacher, her emerging understanding of the CMP pro- cess feels comforting. As she tries out new strategies and reflects on her practices, she is reassured that her own growth and her students’ growth will continue to develop.


Grace recently identified an affective outcome for a concert cycle developing the idea that “when we go through times of struggle, we reach out to one another.” She explained that she enjoys gradually building these themes through her classes and rehearsals as the breadth and depth of the theme takes shape. She also said that students sometimes press her to reveal her theme early on, but she advises them to “stay curious,” confident that when the various threads of the teaching plan come together, they may find making their own connections and interpretations more satisfying than if she just told her own im- pressions. Grace offered, “this is a human experience that we get to have, and we are having good conversations along the way that I really appreciate.”


shell lake arts center master teachers magic setting


802 First St., Shell Lake, WI 715-468-2414


www.shelllakeartscenter.org Check our website for more information!


26


Grace acknowledges that teaching is a “high speed sport,” requiring quick deci- sions pulled from her available playbook of moves, which often leaves little time for contemplation. She finds the CMP pro- cess prompts her to investigate repertoire, composers, settings and texts more fully. Pursuing her questions and encouraging her students to do so, too, fuels continual learning. She also finds participating in CMP workshops makes her feel good about what she is doing, and that the workshops also foster care, empathy, and


April 2025


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57