258: Sound Seeds: Nurturing Musicianship in the Elementary Classroom with Dr. Micheal Houlahan

The Elementary Music Teacher Podcast: Music Education

In this episode, the topic of nurturing musicianship in the elementary classroom is explored. Dr. Houlahan, an expert in music education, discusses the importance of developing musicianship in both teachers and students. Drawing from his experience in different parts of the world, he highlights the value of integrating music theory and performance skills. He emphasizes that teachers should approach music education as both musicians and educators, enabling them to engage students effectively. Dr. Houlahan also introduces the concept of "Sound Thinking Interactive," a comprehensive program designed to support music teachers by providing curriculum resources, lesson plans, assessment tools, and professional development. The program aims to bridge the gap between technical instruction and artistic expression, fostering a passion for music and a strong foundation in music literacy skills among students. Micheál Houlahan is a Professor of Music Theory and Aural Skills and currently serves as the Chair of the Tell School of Music at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He received an Irish Arts Council Scholarship for graduate studies at the Liszt Academy in Hungary and a Fulbright Research Scholarship for doctoral studies in Music Theory at the Catholic University of America in the United States after graduating from St. Patrick’s College, Ireland. His research has also received support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dr. Houlahan has obtained Licentiate diplomas and Fellowships in Piano Performance from Trinity College and London College of Music, London. He has lectured extensively on music theory and Kodály studies in Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Estonia, Netherlands, England, and China. In 2016, he was awarded the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, the Hungarian Government invited him to present a lecture on his research and teaching at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He was also a featured clinician for the 2017 Texas Music Educators Conference. Dr. Houlahan is currently a member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) accreditation commission and serves as an Accreditation Team Leader and Visiting Evaluator for NASM. He was a guest speaker at the Forum Among Leaders of Higher Music Institutions, China Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China, in 2017 and served as an Honorary Professor (2017-2020) at the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Chinese National School of Music and China Conservatory of Music. Dr. Houlahan collaborates with Dr. Tacka; they have authored numerous books, chapters in books, and articles. Check out their works at: https://soundthinkinginteractive.com https://www.youtube.com/@kodalytoday2289/playlists https://www.facebook.com/groups/1469799603314646/ Enroll in the ⁠Sound Thinking Interactive Subscription Sign up for⁠⁠⁠⁠ teacher coaching ⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠business coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Jessica. Find out more about the HARMONY membership ⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about the Curriculum Design Roadmap course ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠ Get your copy of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Make A Note: What You Really Need to Know About Teaching Elementary Music⁠⁠