901-323-8888 Contact

Podcast

After Hours Podcast

After Hours: Conversations for Music Educators is a music education podcast from Amro Music Stores, Inc. Our After Hours podcast host, Nick Averwater, facilitates engaging conversations each week with band directors, private music teachers, general music educators, orchestra directors, and other music industry professionals just like you. Each podcast guest shares practical advice on classroom management, placing beginners on instruments, band and orchestra recruitment strategies, band boosters, fundraising, and more. The goal of After Hours is to provide a podcast for band directors, orchestra directors, and music educators with strategies for both "on-podium" and “off-podium” skills that can help create a school music program that you can be proud of.

Category: Band Directors

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Welcoming Musicians With Physical Exceptionalities To The Marching Band

Cody Newman, Director of Bands at Forney High School, shares the challenges of teaching two talented musicians in the school's marching band with physical exceptionalities and how his team worked together to make sure they were prosperous members of the band. We'll also find out about his approach to marching band competitions and why the most important part of competing is the time after the performance is over. This is part two of a conversation recorded July ... Read More
at Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Band Directors marching band

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Encouragement, Selflessness And Positivity Are Keys To This Band Program's Success

2022 Yamaha 40 Under 40 honoree Cody Newman shares stories of his early days as a music educator and how his band's unique and effective leadership program focuses on encouragement, selflessness, and positivity. This is the first part of a conversation recorded July 1, 2022.    Read More
at Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Band Directors marching band

Monday, October 24, 2022

Providing After School Opportunities For Musicians At All Skill Levels

Anastasia Homes, Director of Bands at San Elijo Middle School, explores the school's various after-school musical opportunities for musicians at all levels. You'll also learn about how Anastasia and her students adapted to the pandemic and how strongly the music program has bounced back. This is part two of our conversation on recorded July 8, 2022.    Read More
at Monday, October 24, 2022
Band Directors Women Band Directors

Monday, September 26, 2022

Great Mentors Are Essential To A Band Director's Early Success

In this episode, Nick Averwater talks with Mikaela Littleton, Director of Bands at Mill Creek Middle School in Nolensville, TN. It's part of the Williamson County School System, which is just south of Nashville. This week we'll learn more about Mikaela's early influences that encouraged her to become a music educator, some of the lessons she has learned as she begins her fourth year of teaching, and more. Our conversation was recorded July 29, 2022. It's broken ... Read More
at Monday, September 26, 2022
Band Directors Director Spotlight mentorship Women Band Directors Young Directors

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Tips For Retaining Most (Or Even All) Of Your Band Students

In this episode, Nick Averwater continues his conversation with Benjamin Easley, Director of Bands at Nolensville High School in Nolensville, TN. We'll learn more about Benjamin's approach to maintaining high retention rates in the band program at Nolensville, how his approach to teaching has changed as a result of Covid, and more. Our conversation was recorded July 1, 2022. It's broken up in to two episodes and this is part two. Podcast Resources In this conversation... Read More
at Sunday, September 18, 2022
Band Directors covid-19 Director Spotlight Professional Development retention

Monday, September 12, 2022

Directing A Successful Non-Competitive Marching Band in Middle Tennessee

In this episode of the After Hours Director Spotlight, Nick Averwater talks with Benjamin Easley, Director of Bands at Nolensville High School in Nolensville, TN, a town of around 16,000 located a half hour south of Nashville. Benjamin comes from a family of music educators (his father, John Easley, is featured on After Hours episodes from December 31, 2021 and January 7, 2022), so we'll learn more about his early influences, and also learn more about Nolensville's non-... Read More
at Monday, September 12, 2022
Band Directors Director Spotlight marching band

Saturday, September 3, 2022

How Covid Has Affected The Way Students Learn, And How Educators Teach

In this episode we'll be listening to a webinar hosted by Amro Music on August 6, 2022 looking at how Covid has affected the way students learn, and how educators teach. We were joined by Brittany Jerrell from Stewarts Creek Middle School in Smyrna, Tennessee, Kim Webb from Greene County Tech High School in Paragould, Arkansas, and Ben McLemore from Lewisburg Middle School in Hernando, Mississippi. The discussion was moderated by Nick Averwater.   Read More
at Saturday, September 3, 2022
Band Directors covid-19 Professional Development Women Band Directors

Saturday, August 27, 2022

A Conversation with Grammy Music Educator Award Recipient Mickey Smith Jr.

In this episode, Nick Averwater talks with Mickey Smith Jr., the 2020 recipient of the Grammy Music Educator Award. He is originally from Mossville, LA, a small town in the southwest corner of the state, and currently teaches at The Greene School in West Palm Beach, FL. He also travels extensively as a guest educator and motivational speaker. This conversation was recorded June 30, 2022. Read More
at Saturday, August 27, 2022
Band Directors Classroom Management Professional Development