Music Workshop’s professional development courses and in-person workshops are research-based and trauma-informed, empowering educators and administrators at every level to harness the power of music as a tool for healing and growth. By bringing music into our classrooms, we create spaces where students feel supported, resilient, and ready to thrive.
Do you want to support your students more holistically, freshen up your curriculum and instruction, and increase student engagement? Or do you need more work-life balance and self-care strategies? Recent years have brought many challenges for students and teachers, but schools remain vibrant centers of resilience, growth, and community. Our professional development supports these goals and many more, helping you cultivate well-being for yourself and your students throughout the school year.
We offer courses for:
Music Workshop’s online professional development includes courses built specifically for music teachers—flexible, self-paced, and grounded in the realities of today’s classrooms.
Each course is research-informed and designed to help you teach music in a way that cultivates well-being, especially through the use of music as a powerful tool for fostering student connection, emotional well-being, and deeper engagement in learning.
Use code CHILES to access these courses for free.
Music Workshop’s online professional development includes courses designed specifically for classroom teachers—flexible, self-paced, and grounded in the realities of today’s schools.
Each course is research-informed and shows how music can be a powerful, accessible tool for fostering student connection, emotional well-being, and deeper engagement in learning in every classroom – no music background required.
Use code CHILES to access these courses for free.
As you prepare to enter the classroom, Music Workshop’s online professional development offers flexible, self-paced courses designed to help you build confidence and create a positive learning environment from day one.
Each course is research-informed and explores how music can be used as a simple, effective tool to build student connection, support emotional well-being, and foster engagement—no music background required.
Music Workshop’s professional development program helps entire school communities use music as a powerful tool for student connection, emotional well-being, and engagement. While each course is designed for individual educators, the impact grows exponentially when applied schoolwide.
Our training supports educators across all disciplines—helping teachers integrate music into their part of the school day in simple, effective ways. When schools work together with a shared focus on well-being, it can make a lasting difference in students’ lives and learning.
Ask us about bringing Music for Well-Being to your school or district—whether as an in-person workshop or through group access to our flexible, self-paced online course.
While our PD courses are free to teachers through December, Music Workshop offers comprehensive options for schools and districts to allow teachers communities of practice as they move through the material together, additional online training and support, as well as in-person options for workshops and trainings.
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Each of our advisors are education research and practice trailblazers. Their guidance has been instrumental in our mission to empower K-12 educators with practical, evidence-based training to improve their student well-being through music.
Associate Professor of Music Education Northwestern University
Dr. Sarah J. Bartolome is a children’s music specialist with an interest in world music for the classroom. She earned degrees in music education from Ithaca College (BM), Northwestern University (’02 MMus), and the University of Washington (PhD). She is also a fully certified Kodaly educator, having received all three levels of certification from the New England Conservatory’s Kodaly Music Institute and serving on the faculty of the Kodaly Levels Program of Seattle.
Associate Dean of Research University of Miami
Carlos R. Abril is Professor of Music Education and Associate Dean of Research at the Frost School of Music, where he teaches courses in philosophy of music, general music methods, and equity, access, and diversity in music education. Dr. Abril has served on the Research Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts and is Chair of the Society of Research in Music Education. He has also served on over ten editorial boards in North America, South America, and Europe. Prior to joining the University of Miami, Dr. Abril was an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at Northwestern University. He received his Ph.D. in music education at The Ohio State University, an M.M. in performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a B.M. in music education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He is also a former general music and choral educator in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he was named the Region V Teacher of the Year and awarded the Cervantes Outstanding Educator Award.
Chair of Music Teaching & Learning University of Southern California
Beatriz Ilari (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Music Teaching & Learning at the USC Thornton School of Music, where she teaches graduate courses in music psychology, the sociology of music, cultural diversity in music teaching and learning, and research methods. She has conducted extensive research with babies, preschoolers, and school-aged children from the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Japan, and Mexico. In her work, she uses a variety of approaches to study different aspects of musical development and growth of infants, children, and adolescents. Her research is interdisciplinary in nature. Beatriz Ilari collaborates regularly with researchers from USC’s Brain & Creativity Institute and Bionic Ear Lab, and with scholars from different research centers and universities across the globe.
University of Wyoming Laboratory School Curriculum Developer at Smithsonian Folkways
Jennifer Mellizo has been the K-8th grade music teacher at the University of Wyoming Laboratory School in Laramie, WY since 2002. She is also an independent researcher and a curriculum developer for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. She has been recognized as a Wyoming Arch Coal Teacher of the Year in 2014, the Albany County School District Teacher of the Year in 2016, and a 2021 Fulbright U.S. Scholar (Spain).
Assistant Professor of Music Education Oakland University
Dr. Cat Bennett is an assistant professor of music education at Oakland University, where she teaches undergraduate introductory and capstone music education courses, choral methods, student teaching seminar, and supervises choral education student teachers in their internships. Over the past 15 years, Cat has taught and studied vocal music in many countries around the world, teaching K – 12 general and choral music in Japan and Thailand, and working as a volunteer music teacher in Honduras and South Africa. Prior to completing her PhD at the University of Miami, she studied vocal jazz and Creative American Music. Cat also has a BME from Ithaca College and a MME from Indiana University.
Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education & Social Justice Portland State University
Coty Raven Morris is a proud alumnus of Texas State University-San Marcos where she studied with Drs. Lynn Brinckmeyer, Jonathan Bacock, and Joey Martin. She received her Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University in the Spring of 2020. She is currently the Hinckley Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education and Social Justice at Portland State University. She has presented at educational conferences and professional developments across the country including the American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and the National Association for Music Education.
Senior Science Educator Exploratorium
Michelle is a senior science educator who has both a teaching and research background in elementary education. Her research interests focus on supporting diverse instructional shifts to cultivate child-led knowledge building communities in science. Within her research, she specializes in elementary scientific modeling, equitable classroom discussions, and supporting others to build relationships with the natural world and with the discipline of science. She focuses on co-designing equitable learning environments with teachers and which include family engagement with science concepts to support and elevate a diversity of student participation. She is a current National Board Certified Teacher and has taught elementary school for close to a decade. She has also worked as science curriculum developer, professional development provider, and embedded instructional coach.
Learning Designer and Researcher
Dr. Erin Riesland is a PhD graduate in Learning Sciences and Human Development from the University of Washington’s College of Education, a Fullbright scholar, and partner with All Circles of Learning. With degrees in both visual design and education technology, her research and practice aims to produce inspirational and equitable postdigital learning environments. Prior to her PhD journey, she worked as a learning designer for more than fifteen years in both K-12 and higher education settings including Seattle University, McGraw-Hill Education, and the University of Southern California. Her research interests focus on understanding and addressing the challenges that face our increasingly visual and digital world by considering the agency of the learning environment and its integral role in equitable STEM education.
Professor of Music & Music Education at University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Daniel Johnson is Professor of Music and Music Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where he coordinates the Graduate Certificate Program. His main teaching specialization is music teacher-education, with a focus on classroom music instruction and Orff-Schulwerk. A Fulbright and Medici Scholar, Dr. Johnson regularly presents teacher-education courses and workshops across the country and abroad. His research interests include classroom music instruction, professional development, rural music teaching, interdisciplinary education, and music-supported health and wellness. As a multi-instrumentalist, he also has experience leading instrumental ensembles and performs professionally on tuba and euphonium.
Assistant Professor of Music Teacheing and Learning at Eastman School of Music
Mara E. Culp is an assistant professor of music teaching and learning at Eastman School of Music, and she earned a Ph.D. in music education from The Pennsylvania State University. She has taught elementary-, middle- and high school-aged children in general, choral and instrumental music settings and has provided music for pre-kindergarten children. Diversity, access, equity and inclusion are at the heart of her scholarly interests, where she investigates topics related to music for students with special education needs, music and communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, intersectionality and music for young learners. She serves on the editorial committee for Music Educators Journal and collaborates with professionals in and outside of music education regularly. She has presented her work at state, national and international conferences.
Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Wyoming
Tiger Robison, Ph.D., is associate professor of music education at the University of Wyoming where he teaches courses in elementary general music methods, aural theory, world music, popular music pedagogy, and supervises student teachers. In research, Tiger is comfortable in the quantitative, qualitative, and philosophical realms equally. He has diverse interests related to gender, music teacher career paths, music in early childhood, and modern music-making with prisoners.
Tiger’s research is published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music in Early Childhood, Journal of Music Teacher Education, The Journal of General Music Education, and Update: Applications of Research in Music Education among other outlets. He has presented his work at most major music education research conferences in the United States and the United Kingdom.
