Presentations

Supporting Trauma-Informed Practices Through Music the Arts
2022 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) National Conference
National Harbor, Maryland
Presentation Slides

Trauma has long-lasting negative effects on individuals’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being (van der Kolk, 2014). Educators must understand the impacts of trauma to develop a safe and supportive learning environment for students as well as learn how to address the trauma they are facing themselves. In this session, I present a summary of research relating to trauma-informed pedagogy and the arts. Participants will move, dance, create, and collaborate while engaging with music and the arts. Attendees will experience these activities and discuss how trauma-informed practices impacted their design. 

Developing 21st Century Skills Through STEAM, Project-Based Learning and Popular Music Education
​2022 Association for Popular Music Education Conference
Detroit, Michigan

STEAM education underscores the connectivity of multiple disciplines through arts integration. 21st skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity are also present in STEAM education. Within Project-Based Learning (PBL), student voices are elevated through creation and public presentation of their work. Merging STEAM, Project-Based Learning, and popular music provides a space for student-centered and innovative music making. This presentation highlights elementary and secondary general music students’ work in the areas of STEAM and Project-Based Learning. The presentation discusses the benefits, challenges, and next steps needed to enact this approach to learning in their music classroom.

The Intersectionality of Trauma-Informed Pedagogy and the Orff Schulwerk
2021 American Orff Schulwerk National Conference
Charleston, South Carolina
Presentation Slides

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of trauma-informed pedagogy has increased in K–12 schools (Harper & Neubauer, 2021). Guided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) framework, I provide an overview of research on trauma-informed pedagogy and intersections with the Schulwerk. I argue that the Schulwerk is ideally suited for supporting trauma-informed pedagogy and provide further recommendations for K–12 teachers.

Three Elementary General Music Teachers' Perspectives of Their Mental Health During COVID-19
2021 Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE)
Virtual

The purpose of this collective case study was to examine three elementary general music educators’ perspectives of their mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data included semi-structured interviews and informal observations. Employing Creswell’s (2013) data analysis spiral, three themes emerged relating to mental health and well-being — devaluation, personal loss, and fear. Through an advocacy lens (Creswell, 2013), implications for K–12 and collegiate education are addressed, providing insight into how to better support music teacher mental health.

Embracing Innovation in the Public Schools
2017 Mountain Lake Colloquium for Teachers of General Music Methods
Pembroke, Virginia

In 2015, the Superintendent of the San Antonio Independent School District provided a challenge to the educators of his learning community--- use innovative learning practices to reach the learners in struggling public schools. In 2016, the Advanced Learning Academy was formed in response to this charge. Using multi-age classroom, Project-Based Learning, student voice, and community partnerships, the ALA set out to change education.

What's Going on in That Classroom? Student-Centered Ensembles
2015 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Conference
​San Antonio, Texas
Presentation Handout & Resource List

What can happen when students choose their own rep? What possibilities arise when students are involved in class or concert planning? What do students learn from helping us plan what goes on in class? What do experiences/concerts look and feel like to students, teachers, and parents when students are invested in every step of the process?

The Hybrid Ensemble: Blending Performance Ensembles & Project-Based Learning
2014 Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) Conference
Phoenix, Arizona

What happened when a  middle school chorus transforms into a “hybrid” performing ensemble? The musical skills encompassed in the hybrid choral ensemble are moving beyond the expectations of a traditional performance-based course. By incorporating project-based learning and opportunities for creative collaboration, students are experiencing standards presented in both the choral and general music curriculum.

Energizing Your Music Classroom Through Project-Based Learning
2014 National Association for Music Education  (NAfME) Webinar
Click here to watch archived webinar

An experienced choral and general music educator  shares how project-based learning, creativity, and student-directe​d learning created a whole new learning environment for her students. Sample projects, real-life classroom experiences, and clear explanations of the pedagogical approaches behind this type of classroom will be discussed.

Please Don't Stop the Music!
2013 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Webinar 
Click here to watch archived webinar

Often music educators incorporate popular music in their classroom as a motivator or as a teaching tool leading to concepts in Western Classical music.  However, popular music is a genre that can facilitate new approaches to the areas of critical listening, performance and musical creation.  This session will present instructional strategies and pedagogical ideas that will connect State (AZ) and National Standard to popular music.  Middle school general music educators will be able to use popular music to make learning purposeful and relevant in their classrooms.

Sample Publications

Van Klompenberg, A. (2022). Trauma-informed practices in the music classroom. National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Music in a Minuet Blog. www.nafme.org/trauma-informed-practices-in-the-music-classroom/