Empowering Educators: Harrison School District 2 Professional Development
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do, and there is no better way to support our schools than by investing in the teachers who inspire the next generation of musicians. Recently, the Center for Future Audiences and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic teamed up with the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale to host a specialized professional development workshop for music educators from Harrison School District 2.
Morning Mingling and Warm Welcomes
Roughly 12 middle and high school music teachers gathered early at the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale facilities. As they arrived, educators enjoyed a spread of breakfast snacks provided by Chorale Executive Director Marcia Hendricks and her staff, mingling and catching up with peers ahead of an exciting morning of learning.
At around 8:45 AM, Joye Levy, Director of the Center for Future Audiences, gathered the group to kick off the program. She was joined by Kourtnie Roberts, STEAM Director at HSD2, and Marcia, who offered a warm welcome to the educators. Following the opening remarks, the instrumental teachers transitioned into dedicated breakout spaces to work directly with our Philharmonic professionals.
Small-Group Mastery and Personalized Coaching
To maximize learning, the workshop utilized a rotation station format. Educators split into small groups of two to three, allowing for intimate, highly personalized coaching sessions with three of our finest Philharmonic musicians:
- Susan Townsend (Piccolo) guiding woodwind best practices.
- Jeremy Van Hoy (Bass Trombone) sharing brass insights.
Bob Jurkscheit (Principal Percussion) offering percussion techniques.
These 35-minute rotations flew by. Teachers and musicians alike utilized every last second, diving deep into technical nuances, asking targeted questions, and refining their craft. As one participating teacher enthusiastically noted:
“Sometimes great players are not the best educators. Today’s presenters were great!”
After roughly two hours of immersive instruction and collaborative problem-solving, the educators emerged with fresh strategies, advanced techniques, and renewed inspiration to take back to their classrooms as the new school year begins.
Looking Ahead to a Harmonic Year
We are immensely excited to see how the HSD2 music teachers apply these strategies and can’t wait to hear their student musicians perform throughout the coming year. Will we have another talented HSD2 band performing in the Pikes Peak Center lobby this season?
You’ll just have to join us at our upcoming Masterworks concerts to find out! Thank you to Harrison School District 2, the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale, and our dedicated Philharmonic musicians for making this professional development day an absolute success.
