Carnegie Hall Releases New “Great Music Teaching” Podcast Series in Partnership with PRX
Hosted by Sean Jones, the series explores the communities, careers, and personal histories of dynamic music educators and the difference they’ve made in people’s lives
Carnegie Hall announced the release of Great Music Teaching, a six-episode music education podcast series brought to audiences in partnership with public media organization PRX — one of the world’s top podcast publishers.
Great Music Teaching features enlightening conversations with extraordinary music educators from across the U.S. as they share their compelling personal stories. Hosted by celebrated jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer and internationally recognized educator Sean Jones, this inspiring series offers invaluable answers and insights into what makes a music teacher “great.”
Great Music Teaching explores the unique approaches, personal histories, and distinct experiences of masterful music teachers, including what drives them to teach, showing the power that educators have to make a difference in people’s lives. The podcast debuts on September 21, 2023 and will be available on Carnegie Hall’s website and free on-demand across all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Spotify. New episodes will be released weekly on Thursdays through October 26:
Hosted by Baltimore-based Sean Jones, each episode explores different themes highlighting the work and approach of a specific music teacher while reflecting a fundamental aspect of teaching. A stellar group of special guests include Chicago native Bishop Chantel Wright, choral director and founder of the ensemble “Songs of Solomon,” who went on to create the Songs of Solomon Academy for the Arts that serves students in New York City; composer and teaching artist Thomas Cabaniss from Charleston, South Carolina who also teaches at The Juilliard School; Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, composer, and teaching artist Emily Eagen; Madison, Wisconsin-based K–12 music educator Margaret Jenks; and PUBLIQuartet — the innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to playing new string works and supporting emerging composers.
“Ask anyone about their favorite music teacher, and you’re bound to hear a great story. From the lessons they teach, to the confidence, creativity, and curiosity they nurture, these educators make a lasting impact on so many people,” said Sean Jones, who holds the Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair in Jazz Studies at The Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute. “Great Music Teaching explores the careers, communities, and personal histories of different kinds of music teachers and provides a glimpse of the difference they’ve made in their students’ lives.”
“We are thrilled to introduce our brand-new Great Music Teaching podcast to listeners across the country,” said Sarah Johnson, Chief Education Officer and Director of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. “This new series highlights the life-changing work of some of our country’s most remarkable music educators with personal stories that all of us can relate to, no matter our own vocation. Each episode includes valuable perspectives and insights that will not only inspire educators, but people from all walks of life. The series complements WMI’s extensive work collaborating with teachers in New York City and throughout the US, as they share their love of music with hundreds of thousands of students each year.”
Great Music Teaching is the first-ever podcast released by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI), the education and social impact arm of the Hall. Over the past decade, the expansion of WMI’s programs across the country has created a national community of teachers dedicated to providing the best music education to their students. These programs are underpinned by webinars, program convenings, and digital resources made available to teachers and partner organizations for free, as well as the Music Educators Workshop, in which teachers share best practices, develop new skills, learn from arts practitioners, and create a professional learning community — investing in the people across the country who will teach students for years to come. The Hall serves educators in all 50 states, as well as in 27 countries around the world.
Visit Carnegie Hall’s Great Music Teaching podcast page to access full-length episodes and learn more about topics, host, guests, inspiring stories, and more. Further information––including a list of upcoming episodes––is available here.
About Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute:
Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI) creates visionary programs that embody Carnegie Hall’s commitment to music education, playing a central role in fulfilling the Hall’s mission of making great music accessible to as many people as possible. With unparalleled access to the world’s greatest artists, WMI’s programs are designed to inspire audiences of all ages, nurture tomorrow’s musical talent, and harness the power of music to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. An integral part of Carnegie Hall’s concert season, these programs facilitate creative expression, develop musical skills and capacities at all levels, and encourage participants to make lifelong personal connections to music.
More than 800,000 people each year engage in WMI’s programs through national and international partnerships, in New York City schools and community settings, and at Carnegie Hall. This includes more than 155 orchestras, music presenters, and education organizations in 40 states as well as internationally in 27 countries on 6 continents. WMI’s hands-on programs tap into the creativity of audiences of all ages, inviting them to make their own music in all genres, express their viewpoints, and raise their voices. In the 2023–2024 season, WMI celebrates the 10th anniversary of Music Educators Workshop which brings together music educators from New York City and across the US to strengthen their skills through community building, professional development, and musical activities. WMI also shares an extensive range of online music education resources and program materials for free with teachers, families, orchestras, arts organizations, and music lovers worldwide. As a leader in music education, WMI generates new knowledge through original research, which inform Carnegie Hall’s own programs and are also available as a resource to artists, organizations, and peers.
For more information, please visit: carnegiehall.org/education. Great Music Teaching is produced by SOUND MADE PUBLIC. Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute is generously supported by a wide range of corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individual donors. Click here for a complete list of funders.
About PRX:
Celebrating its 20th year as a nonprofit public media company, PRX works in partnership with leading independent creators, organizations, and stations to bring meaningful audio storytelling into millions of listeners’ lives. PRX is one of the world’s top podcast publishers, public radio distributors, and audio producers, serving as an engine of innovation for public media and podcasting to help shape a vibrant future for creative and journalistic audio. Shows across PRX’s portfolio of broadcast productions, podcast partners, and its Radiotopia podcast network have received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the Tribeca Festival, the International Documentary Association, and more, including in 2022 when Futuro Media and PRX won a Pulitzer Prize. Visit PRX.org for more.
