Darla Hanley's Music Room

Creative Teaching for Students of Today (& Tomorrow) PK-8

Photo by Dingzeyu Li on Unsplash

Hi! I’m Darla, an experienced PK-12 music educator, college professor, and former Berklee College of Music Dean looking to connect with teachers, parents/caregivers, and others seeking to advance creative music making for today’s students—and their teachers. In Darla Hanley’s Music Room you will find teaching strategies, advice and teaching tips, playlists, and more.

Since I Fell For You

Today’s post is all about reflection for music teachers.

Life is filled with choices. Every day we make decisions—large and small, and if you’re like me, we often do so without deep reflection. I know, we’re all busy (lol), but it kinda cool to take a minute to explore reminders; especially reminders of why we love music so much, and why we became music teachers in the first place. So, what am I talking about? And what do you have to do? Try these 3 things:

1. Think about your earliest musical memories

If we’re lucky, we grow up in places filled with music. I have fond childhood memories of my mother singing in the kitchen, records blaring from a stereo, and our family singing with the radio in the car. As a youngster I really thought everyone lived this way (lol)… so not true.

My mother didn’t have a trained voice, but she could sing! Just about every day, she belted out tunes by Rodgers and Hart, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, and the list goes on. These musical theatre selections and jazz standards became a soundtrack in our home—and unbeknownst to me at the time, shaped my musical tastes and preferences. Additionally, the joy of singing pop songs as a family with the car radio dialed up to 11 (lol) also influenced my love for bringing people together to make and share music. For us, the car wasn’t simply a mode of transportation… it was music time!

And oh man, the stereo in our living room! It was a very large piece of furniture that created magic—and inspired lots of running around and around a braided rug, and dancing! This stereo played mostly jazz, country, easy listening, pop, and rock and I still listen to some of those artists today.

So, what did music sound like in your childhood? Was there music in your home? And if not, where do you remember first hearing it… and falling in love with it?

2. Make a list of your all-time favorite songs to sing or play

As part of our journey as musicians, we get to sing or play a lot of repertoire over time. Some of this music helps us develop technical and expressive skills and abilities on an instrument—but other times the music reaches deep inside us and resonates personally and prophetically.

For fun, I started making a list of some of my all-time favs to play. My list included tunes for all sorts of reasons. Apparently, I love playing ballads on my alto sax (lol). My list was filled with ballads like Thelonious Monk’s “‘Round Midnight” for its haunting melody and Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” because it makes me stretch the phrase. I also love to play R&B classics like Gamble and Huff’s “Me and Mrs. Jones” for the way it requires me to sing through the horn, or Bossa Nova standards like “Desafinado” by Antônio Carlos Jobim because I learned it as a teenager and feel its familiarity in a big way.

So, what music do you enjoy singing or playing? And why? Identifying the tunes is one thing, but really reflecting on what it is that makes us enjoy them is another…

3. Identify a student success story from your teaching experience, and tell that story to someone

I believe that all music teachers have stories to tell about students who simply thrived because of the guidance, support, inspiration, and motivation offered to them in the classroom or music studio. These stories illustrate professional impact, a keen ability to “see” students and meet them where they are, compassion, empathy, and skill. And, they often fuel our dedication and passion for teaching—serving as real reminders of why we teach.

Here’s one! A freshman student in my vocal jazz ensemble was spontaneously invited to sing with the big band sharing the bill at our concert during an international performance tour. Without any rehearsal—and not knowing the arrangement—this fierce musician took the microphone and sang “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by Cole Porter in front of the live audience! After the performance, she told me she felt prepared to sing with this band, in part, because of her experience in my ensemble. She talked about song form and laughed as she commented that she could always scat if she forgot the words—something I apparently said more than once (lol). In that setting she trusted herself and the other musicians, and had a musical moment that she probably has never forgotten. I know I haven’t!

So, which student story would you tell me if we met today? I bet you have more than one!

“Since I Fell For You” is a 1940s blues ballad by Buddy Johnson, yes… but it’s also a way to frame all of this. Reflecting is an invitation to press the pause button, stop life’s distractions and listen to our own voice. It can be informative—and even transformational when we take it seriously. I encourage you to give it a try! You may be surprised by your answers… and of course you know I want you to step away from the device and go sing or play the favorite tunes you listed!

Thanks for checking this out. And be sure to leave a comment to tell me about your reflections.