Shows / Chaotic Harmony
Chaotic Harmony
Led by Jonathan Seligman, Crystal Pridmore, Marc Keehmer, Sasha Stone, Jamie Jun, Genesis Santos, and Jasmine Mah. Conversations between those in music education, talking about the joys, struggles, and all things adjacent to elementary music.
Episodes
- Chaotic Harmony
103: More Conferences! CASMEC In Review - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Join us as we have another Conference in Review: CASMEC! Today, we're joined by our AROSA friends, Genesis Santos, Jamie Jun, and Jasmine Mah! This time we…
- Chaotic Harmony
102: AOSA 2024 Recap - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Come on and feel the Duh Mwahh! Crystal, Jonathan, and Rodnalyn chat about our experiences on the latest Orff Conference - at Des Moines, IA. We share our…
- Chaotic Harmony
101: Creating the Best List of Video Game Music for the Class pt 1 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Let's have some fun! Today, Jonathan and guests from AROSA bring what they think are the best soundtracks from video games that align with the 8 Laban Efforts…
- Chaotic Harmony
100: Backwards Planning & The Power Of Performance In Elementary Music - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
What is backward planning? How DO you get your students to have something presentable for an audience? And shows are a lot of work… why even put ourselves…
- Chaotic Harmony
99: Fall Break and Jon are Awesome - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we are BACK from fall break. Jon and Crystal recap our vacation adventures. We also celebrate Jon Seligman being named a Music Teacher of Excellence…
- Chaotic Harmony
What the TK? How Do We Approach Transitional Kindergarten - Ep 98 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Crystal and Jon are back! Today, we discuss TK. Transitional Kindergarten! We talk about what it is (because not all states have it universally), why it is…
- Chaotic Harmony
What Are The Barriers In Education? With Rachel Pac - Ep 97 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Today, Rachel Pac joins the chat! She talks about her deep perspective as a young educator, sharing what it was like taking undergrad online amidst COVID and…
- Chaotic Harmony
Importance of Connectedness with Pauline Crooks - Ep 96.5 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Oh hey! We have a bonus episode. Here, Jonathan talks with Pauline Crooks and her perspective as an admin. She shares about the annual Mega Arts Conference…
- Chaotic Harmony
Back To School 2024 - Ep 96 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Jon and Crystal are back in the classroom and back podcasting for season six! We talk about changes at our schools and our favorite back to school activities…
- Chaotic Harmony
Digging Deeper In Dalcroze & Orff With Olivia Ramirez - Ep 95 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Welcome back! Olivia Ramirez joins the chat, talking about her journey of being an educator and her life-long passion of becoming a better teacher. Her insight…
- Chaotic Harmony
Episode 94: Level UP with Joshua Block & Betsy Sebring - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Joshua Block & Betsy Sebring, the fabulous AOSA Teacher Educators leading this year’s Chula Vista Level 2 course, join us to share their own music education…
- Chaotic Harmony
Episode 93: Bye Marc!...Again? Season 5 Wrap Up - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
We're wrapping up our last school days of the 2023-2024 school year. We share our own traditions and routines for the final classes of the year. AND Marc is…
- Chaotic Harmony
Episode 92: Learning Intentions and Success Criteria - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Admin love them, teachers love to hate them. Do those “I can” statements hold any value? Our opinion has evolved over the last few years. Spiccato: bubble wrap…
- Chaotic Harmony
Episode 91: What We Wish We Knew as New Teachers - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Funny how most of the lessons we learn as teachers are learned in the School of Hard Knocks. This week we share what we wish we had known as new teachers…
- Chaotic Harmony
Reflections on NAMM from 8 Music Educators - Ep 90 - Chaotic Harmony Classroom
We've been sitting on it for a while, but here it is! Our thoughts on NAMM. Actually, 8 peoples' thoughts on NAMM. We interview Darlene Machacon, EJ…
- Chaotic Harmony
Episode 89: Upper Elementary Solutions (Centers!) Chaotic Harmony Podcast
We’ve said it before- our upper elementary students are COMPLETELY different than their lower grade counterparts. We almost have to become a completely…
- Chaotic Harmony
Holy Behavior Issues, Batman! - Ep 88 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Teaching is harder than ever with student behavior becoming more difficult, public school budgets on the decline, and nationwide teacher shortages. We talk…
- Chaotic Harmony
F-Flat Books's Sarah Gulish: Equity Through Elevation - Ep 87- Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Dr. Sarah Gulish from F-Flat Books joins Crystal and Jon this week! While at NAMM, we discuss her business, how she strives to uplift differing voices and…
- Chaotic Harmony
Student Ensembles and General Music: An Impossible Balance? - Episode 86 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
It’s a common story- one elementary music teacher is expected to teach general music, choir, and instrumental ensembles. This comes with many challenges, and…
- Chaotic Harmony
Looking Back & Looking Ahead in 2024 - Episode 85 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week, Crystal and Jonathan talk about what went well during our winter concerts, what we want to focus on in 2024, and how we can find some joy in our…
- Chaotic Harmony
Our Thoughts On AOSA Conference 2023 - Episode 84 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week on Chaotic Harmony, Crystal and Jon catch us up on their teaching lives as well as AOSA Conference! There was a ton to experience and both brought…
- Chaotic Harmony
Episode 83 - Student Teachers How to Succeed if You are One or Have One - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
If you've ever hosted a student teacher, you know it's an exciting challenge to help someone launch into their new career. We talk about the lessons we've…
- Chaotic Harmony
Season Five Kickoff - Episode 82 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
It's a brand new school year! Jon and Crystal have been hard at work and are nearly finished with Quarter 1 in our year-round schools. We catch up on our…
- Chaotic Harmony
Summer Break 2023 - Episode 81 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Marc is back to talk with Jon and Crystal about how the 2022/2023 school year wrapped up. We talk about some of the challenges we faced individually and as a…
- Chaotic Harmony
Chaotic Harmony Road Trip: Crystal and Jon Present for AROSA Episode 80 Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we talk about our workshop with the American River Orff Schulwerk Association. Crystal and Jon have a Chula Vista flavored take on the Orff process…
- Chaotic Harmony
Make it Better: What We Want to See at NAMM & the CVESD VAPA Festival 79 Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This has been a busy week for us! Jon produced the CVESD VAPA Festival with a record 26 schools participating this year. We celebrated elementary bands…
- Chaotic Harmony
Let's Talk About 4th-6th Grade - Episode 78 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Our 4th, 5th, and 6th graders need different things emotionally and academically than Kindergarten-3rd graders. How have their needs changed in the last three…
- Chaotic Harmony
Speaking Our Value: Kirsten Oberoi On Rethinking Paradigms - Ep 77 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Kirsten Oberoi joins us today sharing... a lot. Kirsten has done a lot of work on creating organizations, such as the South Shore Children's Chorus. Today, we…
- Chaotic Harmony
Catch Up Episode 76 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Jon and Crystal are back to talk about how things are going in this new quarter. We’ve had new challenges with life and students. How have we changed as…
- Chaotic Harmony
Why Magnet Charts Suck and What Works Better - Episode 75 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
It is harder than ever to figure out how to get students to follow classroom rules and procedures, but we DO know what is not working well. This week, we talk…
- Chaotic Harmony
Bunker Babies: Why Are the Kids Losing It More Than Usual? Episode 74 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Student behaviors everywhere are escalating. Teachers have to deal with more challenges than ever before. This week, we talk about why that is and how we can…
Chaotic HarmonyAOSA Conference 2022 Recap Episode 73 Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we talk about AOSA Conference in Kansas City, and recap sessions from presenters Aaron DeWayne, BethAnn Hepburn, David Thaxton, Rob Amchin, Matthew…
- Chaotic Harmony
Pursuing Excellence with Josh Southard - Episode 72 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Crystal and Jon welcome Josh Southard, music teacher for Smoky Row Elementary in Carmel, Indiana, and President Elect of the American Orff Schulwerk…
- Chaotic Harmony
Engaging the Disengaged Kiddos Episode 71 Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Crystal and Jon talk about how to help reach students who don’t easily engage in the lessons offered in music class. How do we get students who give up easily…
- Chaotic Harmony
Catchin' Up on our Systems - Episode 70 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week Crystal and Jon talk about how they’ve processed the 2021/22 school year, and what their goals are for this one. This episode is all about systems…
- Chaotic Harmony
She Looks Like Family: Tiffany Barry On Supporting Teachers of Color -Ep 69- Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Tiffany Barry joins us today, talking about an article she wrote for the Orff Echo: "AOSA's Teachers of Color." Today, we talk about her story, teaching being…
- Chaotic Harmony
How 2021-22 Wrapped Up with Marc Keehmer - Episode 68 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Jon and Crystal welcome back Marc to talk about how the rest of the school year went, what our plans are for the summer, and what Marc wants to see happen in…
Chaotic HarmonyDarlene and Nora p2: What Really Is SEL and How Do We Use It? - Episode 67- Chaotic Harmony Podcast
We're back! All four of us! Darlene Machacon and Nora Hernandez from Coloring the Melody Podcast are back to chat about... what actually is SEL and how do we…
- Chaotic Harmony
Darlene and Nora p1: How to Be Advocates and Set Boundaries - Episode 66 Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Darlene Machacon and Nora Hernandez from Coloring the Melody Podcast join the table! We talk about their backstory, about communal music, about how to set…
- Chaotic Harmony
Therapist Michelle Chan on Relationships, Race, and Weird Noises - Episode 65 Chaotic Harmony
Crystal and Jon travel to talk with Michelle Chan, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Here, they chat about relationships with the kid at the center…
- Chaotic Harmony
Beg, Borrow, and Steal Your Way to Great Teaching - Episode 64 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Crystal talks about a blog post she recently published on the ACEMM website in collaboration with Lisa Sempsey. Lisa recalled a conference session she attended…
- Chaotic Harmony
Elements of a Great Teacher - Episode 63 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Crystal talks about the article she co-wrote with Drue Bullington for the Winter 2022 Orff Echo. She and Jon unpack the content and discuss what makes a great…
- Chaotic Harmony
Jesse Rogers 2: Bringing Midi into the Classroom - Episode 62 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Jesse is back this week to share in detail his process for creating a collaborative all-school album with his students. How do they take part in the digital…
- Chaotic Harmony
Jesse Rogers 1: The Future Of Music Education Is NOT... - Episode 61 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Jesse Rogers talks about building his music program at a different site than he was working for when we last talked to him in 2019. He is passionate about…
- Chaotic Harmony
Stuff We Didn’t Learn In Our Undergrad Or Credential Programs - Episode 60 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Our undergrad and credential programs tried to prepare us to enter the classroom, but we both had plenty left to learn when we started teaching. In this…
- Chaotic Harmony
Absences and COVID Protocols and Sub Shortages Oh My! - Episode 59 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we talk about the pile of challenges educators are facing. From large numbers of student absences to staff absences to the sub shortage to changing…
- Chaotic Harmony
Jessandra and Leah p.2 - 1st Year Teaching in a Pandemic - Episode 58 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Jessandra and Leah are back to talk about the challenges they have faced this school year and the joys that keep them going. They also share words of wisdom…
- Chaotic Harmony
Jessandra And Leah p.1- When Your 1st Year Teaching Is Online - Episode 57 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
Jessandra and Leah join us this week to talk about starting their teaching careers in 2021 after experiencing student teaching during distance learning due to…
- Chaotic Harmony
The 3 Layers of Culture - Episode 56 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we talk about Zaretta Hammond's ideas about the 3 layers of culture and how to be a culturally responsive teacher when you teach hundreds of kids…
- Chaotic Harmony
Back to the Basics - Episode 55 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we answer a listener email about our daily classroom practices. We get into how they have changed, especially since coming back from distance…
- Chaotic Harmony
Processing Stress and Overwhelm - Episode 54 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we dig more into the root causes of burnout. We talk about Brene Brown's book Atlas of the Heart and her compilation of the research about Stress and…
- Chaotic Harmony
Winter Wrapup 2021 - Episode 53 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we talk about Jon and Crystal’s plan to put on a winter showcase. It’s not virtual, but it’s not entirely in person either. We also discuss what…
- Chaotic Harmony
Burnout Resistance and SEL - Episode 52 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we recap Crystal’s webinar through Teaching With Orff titled “Becoming a Burnout Resistant, Trauma Informed Music Teacher.” This school year has been…
- Chaotic Harmony
AOSA Conference 2021 - Episode 51 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This week we hear how 2021’s AOSA conference went for Jon. He loved the focus on cultural responsibility and social justice in the classroom--from Doug…
- Chaotic Harmony
Classroom Management During a Pandemic - Episode 50 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
In this episode, Crystal & Jon talk about what teachers need to really thrive in their workplace. From physical to emotional and everything in between, the…
- Chaotic Harmony
The One Where Marc Says Goodbye - Episode 49 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
It's August! It's a new school year! And this is Marc's last episode as he's taken the position of Chula Vista's Visual and Performing Arts coordinator. In…
- Chaotic Harmony
Anticipations for the Coming Year 2021 - Episode 48 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
This whole year, Chula Vista VAPA has been in distance learning. I'm sure many of you music teachers have been in the same. This week, we talk about what we…
- Chaotic Harmony
What do General Music Teachers Actually Do?- Episode 47 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
We get it. We’re music teachers. We understand what we do and we understand our value. But to outsiders, it’s hard to define what we do. After all, it just…
- Chaotic Harmony
Covid is Clearing, How We Doing?- Episode 46 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
It's May. At least in California, COVID is easing up. So let's check in! In this episode, Crystal, Jon, & Marc reflect on how we've been the past three months…
- Chaotic Harmony
What Support Do Teachers Need to Pull this off - Episode 45 - Chaotic Harmony Podcast
In this episode, Crystal, Jon, & Marc talk about what teachers need to really thrive in their workplace. From physical to emotional and everything in between…