Middle-Secondary Classroom Music

Redefining Middle-Secondary Classrooms

We know that ensembles are not the only model for meaningful music learning. “Mid-Sec Classroom” supports courses in which group music making may be a component, but it may not be the primary purpose of the class. Such courses may include Guitar, Keyboard, Theory, Songwriting, Music Technology, or historical or cultural focused music courses. These classrooms provide opportunities for music teachers trained through the ensemble lens to experiment with pedagogies and processes perhaps more common to visual art or media classrooms. With a greater focus on independent work, this model has great potential to reach each student’s unique musical identity.

This page will provide a landing page to both learn more about what teachers are doing in this category of teaching and to amplify ideas that are working.

Over the coming months, this site will offer articles from Minnesota teachers describing what “Mid-Sec Classroom” has looked like at their school, videos to meet teachers, and resource lists categorized by teaching area.

Call for Contributors

1. If you would like to submit an article related to Mid-Secondary Classroom, please send an email to Sarah Minette, Interval Editor Chair, at sminette@mmea.org. MMEA would love to learn about your work and your students. You can check out submission opportunities for The Interval at: https://mmea.org/interval/

2. Email Aaron Lohmeyer, Mid-Sec Classroom VP at alohmeyer@mmea.org to get looped into the scene!

3. If you would be willing to submit a short video essay on your work, these would powerfully demonstrate the power of the Mid-Sec Classroom. Videos should be between-3-6 minutes. Simply talk about your class and somehow demonstrate student work. Be sure that your students and their parents consent to being filmed as a part of this project. Submitting videos is certifying that you have obtained consent.

4. If you know of relevant training resources—online, print, or workshops—MMEA is building a list for each category of Mid-Sec Classroom teaching.

Resource List