Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute Celebrates 10 Years Of Music Educators Workshop

This season, Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute celebrates ten 10 years of Music Educators Workshop, a program that offers regular musical and professional training activities to K–12 teachers in New York City. Each month from September to June, music teachers at all stages of their careers participate in workshops and music-making sessions with visiting faculty, learn from professional artists, network with fellow educators, and attend Carnegie Hall concerts. Since Music Educators Workshop began in 2013, more than 1,800 teachers nationwide have taken part in the program, creating a dynamic community of educators. Click here to watch a video about the impact of Music Educators Workshop.

“The single most important element for high-quality music education to happen is a well-supported and well-trained music teacher,” said Sarah Johnson, Chief Education Officer and Director of Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute. “We believe that every child should have access to joyful, participatory musical experiences. Music Educators Workshop is an opportunity for teachers to meet with like-minded educators, reinvigorate their artistry, and invest in the tools to bring the best in music to their classrooms. We're excited to celebrate this meaningful program this season and continue our support of educators everywhere.”

During the 2023–2024 school year, 120 music teachers in the New York City area have been selected to participate in the free, yearlong program. After engaging in monthly workshops all year centered around classroom pedagogy, musical creativity, and artistic leadership, participants will make music with their colleagues in a culminating performance in Zankel Hall on Saturday, June 8.

“Carnegie Hall is an organization that is continually listening to teachers, providing them with what they ask for in a thoughtful, meaningful way,” said Margaret Jenks, a teacher at Velma B. Hamilton Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin. “Every time that music teachers gather in community and people talk, progress is made and deeper questions are asked. Having an institution like Carnegie Hall that is instrumental in linking all of these people together, keeps people remembering that I'm not alone in doing this. There are a lot of people who care about these things.”
 

Networking opportunities are available to bring Carnegie Hall into classrooms nationwide. Each July, Summer Music Educators Workshop invites teachers from across the country to convene and share best practices at Carnegie Hall. The upcoming four-day workshop, taking place from June 29–July 2, is focused on innovation in the music classroom. Participants will learn about small steps that can make a lasting impact with their students through daily workshops, music-making, performances, networking, and more. Summer Music Educators Workshop helps expand the community of great music teachers across the US.

Online resources are also available for educators around the country. Earlier this season, Carnegie Hall's released Great Music Teaching, a new podcast that explores what makes a music teacher “great” through a series of enlightening conversations with extraordinary educators. The six-part series is available to stream across podcast platforms. Carnegie Hall's Great Music Teaching Framework explores the seven values that reflect and support great teaching: artistry, intention, inquiry, inspiration, compassion, expression, and agency. Each impulse is explored through an accompanying video series. Other popular online resources include Music Educators Toolbox, a set of free lesson plans and activities organized by age range and topic and the Music Educators Facebook group, which sparks conversation and builds community within teachers online.