“Pod Save My Sanity”: Top Music-Ed-Themed Podcasts to Get Teachers through the Day
So, you’ve devoured all the true crime podcasts, and you need something new to occupy your downtime.
Just kidding. (Sorta.)
But whether you’re a casual listener or a podcast junkie (like us), you’ve probably thought more than once about turning to a music education podcast for advice, comfort, commiseration…or just plain fun. (Remember fun?)
And yet there are JUST. SO. MANY. PODCASTS.
These days, seemingly everyone and their aunt has a podcast in every conceivable field, and sifting through all that endless content can become quite a slog.
Which is why we’ve done the sifting for you.
Here are our top choices—in no particular order––for standout music- and music-ed-themed podcasts worthy of your regular rotation. (We’ve also included four honorable mentions for good measure.)
Headphones on? Oh, sorry… Earbuds in? Great.
Let’s get binging.
The TopCast
Host: Tim Topham
Elevator pitch: Australian-based music teacher chats with fellow musicians, educators, and creators with an eye toward “maximizing” lessons for optimal personal and professional reward.
Listen when: You want an in-depth look at a music ed topic, from marketing your music business to pedagogical techniques, digital tools, music history, studio building, and beyond.
Australian educator Tim Topham’s “online learning community” TopMusic.co has all the hallmarks of a music ed juggernaut (think proprietary certification, course libraries, and a near 25k following on YouTube). But as far as we can tell, the organization is equal parts substance and style. Through his TopCast podcast, Topham aims to forward the company’s mission of applying, “innovative,” “integrated,” and “holistic” methods to help enhance music studios across the globe. Want pointers on finding new students? TopCast has a podcast for that. Hoping to turn classical-phobic pupils into more expressive instrumentalists? TopCast has a podcast for that, too. Whatever the issue or interest, odds are TopCast has at least one episode that’ll offer constructive guidance.
Things we love:
- TopCast’s commitment to serving vocal as well as instrumental instructors. (Is it just us, or does that seem rare?)
- The crossover episodes, featuring musical luminaries who host their very own pods. (Nicola Cantan of The Vibrant Music Teaching Podcast is a regular contributor, while Dr. Noa Kageyama of Bulletproof Musician was a guest in 2023.)
- The back catalogue. With just about ten years’ and 400 episodes’ worth of TopCasts available, you can nerd out on music ed discourse to your heart’s content.
Things to think about:
- Some installments focus squarely on the TopMusic business itself. Examples include announcements regarding new TopMusic events and a “sneak peek” into Topham’s latest book. All fair game, but the scheduling sometimes means you have to wait an extra week for a new interview with an industry influencer.
The Elementary Music Teacher Podcast
Host: Jessica Peresta
Elevator pitch: US elementary school teacher tackles the ins and outs of a career in music education alongside industry experts and colleagues.
Listen when: You want pedagogical or life-balance advice from a sympathetic voice.
Just one listen is enough to tell you that educator, business owner, and host Jessica Peresta has chosen a hugely appropriate name for her brand. Billed as “The Domestic Musician,” Peresta offers a plethora of resources to elementary-level music teachers, including blog posts, curriculum courses, and an immersive membership group featuring workshops, online coaching, and pre-packaged video lessons. But beneath her impressively enterprising spirit, Peresta comes across as eminently approachable, employing a no-nonsense, “down-home” sensibility. (“Domestic,” you might even say.) All this is particularly evident in her podcast: a breezy, conversational series designed with elementary classroom educators in mind, but suitable for all listeners.
Things we love:
- Peresta’s lilting Southern accent and user-friendly interview style. (She’ll often ask visitors to explain the nuts and bolts of their area of expertise before delving fully into a topic.)
- The up-to-the-minute subjects. (A recent ep covered generative AI and its potential use in lesson planning.)
- The upbeat, positive tone. (One interviewee came out with: “Trust yourself. Trust your creativity and your musicianship,” and we nearly cried.)
Things to watch out for:
- Classroom terms like “differentiate” and “IEP” that might not apply to studio teaching.
The Bulletproof Musician Podcast
Host: Dr. Noa Kageyama
Elevator pitch: Suzuki-and-Juilliard-trained violinist-turned-psychologist examines the proverbial head game of performance.
Listen when: You or your students need help moving from “nailed it in the practice room” to “rocked it on the auditorium stage.”
Host Dr. Noa Kageyama has the sort of multi-talented resume most people can only dream about. A musician and psychologist, Kageyama studied with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki (yes, that Dr. Suzuki) as a youngster and Dr. Don Greene (yes, that Dr. Greene) while at Juilliard. Now a PhD in counseling psychology and a Juilliard and Cleveland Institute of Music faculty member, Kageyama heads a comprehensive learning headquarters housed at BulletproofMusician.com, from which his podcast gets its name.
A free and complementary resource, The Bulletproof Musician Podcast exists at the intersection of musicianship and sports psychology, providing listeners with actionable and/or conceptual tips in areas like positive self-talk, making failures work to your advantage, and setting personal goals. (There’s also an extensive interview on the pros and cons of competitions that we explore here.)
Things we love:
- The scientific, practical, and methodical thinking applied to problems we tend to write off as purely emotional, such as being unable to deploy your best technique during an audition.
- Kageyama’s soothing, ASMR-style speech patterns, which make you believe you’re in kind, competent, knowledgeable hands. (And you are.)
- The “Hey, I’ve been there,” attitude from the expert guests, who admit to experiencing stage fright, rejection, and self-doubt.
Things to look out for:
- Episodes are heavily performance oriented, so you might have to hunt for topics surrounding music education (though there are some).
- Three out of four episodes come in at under 10 minutes. Short as they may be, they’re still jam-packed with intel, though Kageyama sometimes directs listeners to paid Bulletproof courses that provide even more information.
Field Notes Podcast & Vibrant Music Teaching Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Ashley Danyew and Nicola Cantan (respectively)
Elevator pitch: Two separate podcasts offer “from-the-field” advice on honing and expanding your music ed skills.
Listen when: You’re hungry for bite-sized tips with loads of nutritional value, delivered in a gentle, encouraging tone.
We’re giving you two podcasts for the price of one here, but we have good reason: Both shows were born from female-owned businesses bent on building better, more enjoyable music ed pathways for teachers and students. And though hosts Danyew and Cantan might go about their goals differently, their dual piano backgrounds and equally compact-yet-still-packs-a-punch content output make them the ideal podcast duo for your daily coffee run.
Both shows serve more or less as thoughtful companion pieces to Danyew and Cantan’s respective educational enterprises, providing impactful answers to recurring music teacher questions such as “Can my students do something besides a recital this season?” (see Vibrant Music Teaching, Ep. 294) or “What do I do when I meet a prospective student?” (see Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning, Ep. 73). With most eps clocking in at 20 minutes or under, you can queue these ladies up back to back and take in as much friendly insight as possible on your next lunch break or dishwashing spree.
Things we love:
- The welcoming vibes. Both Danyew and Cantan ooze calm and poise, doling out their wisdom in an open, earnest way that’s free of judgement.
- The near real-time observations from the field. Danyew and Cantan are both active teachers, and episodes sometimes reflect findings they’ve uncovered in recent lessons––which underscores the collegial, empathetic throughline that permeates each pod.
- The attention to detail. Neither host skimps on tangible takeaways. Titles such as “5 Ways to Make Memorising Music Fun” (Vibrant Music Teaching, Ep. 265) and “7 Things to Carry into the New School Year” (Field Notes, Ep. 76) abound, and listeners can always expect genuine, easily applicable tidbits to emerge with each play.
Things to think about:
- Vibrant Music Teaching has a few years on Field Notes, so there’ll be more episodes of Cantan and her Irish brogue to choose from.
- Our listening suggests Danyew is more apt to write her podcast scripts ahead of time, while Cantan sounds slightly more off the cuff. Both feel effortlessly accessible to us, but some listeners may prefer one method over the other.
- Episode lists indicate there’s some piano favoritism going on. (Not that we blame the hosts at all! They’re more than allowed to go where their expertise and interests take them.) This is no biggie since the advice—even when it’s obviously piano-centric––is frequently transferable across instruments and voices. But teachers hoping for a string- or percussion-focused library of eps might be a little disappointed.
Honorable Mentions
Music Saved Me
Top-rated on Apple Podcasts as of this posting, Music Saved Me with Lynn Hoffmann gets working musicians talking about how music became their saving grace. Fans of the interviewees also weigh in on the ways music inspires them.
Listen when: You want to be reminded why you chose music in the first place.
Disgraceland
Another top-rated Apple Podcasts entry, the long-running pod Disgraceland is a dishy, extremely not-safe-for-work dive into the music and entertainment industry’s most headline-generating crimes. WARNING: Do not listen when young students are around! Four-letter words and R-rated imagery come standard.
Listen when: You need a musical dose of true-ish crime. (Disgraceland’s website notes some content has been dramatized for effect.)
The Music Education Podcast
Now in its fifth year, The Music Education Podcast is hosted by UK guitar virtuoso Chris Woods (The Chris Woods Groove Orchestra) and boasts a wide listenership of global educators. Topics range from the functional (“Andy Guitar: YouTube and Teaching to Camera,” Ep. 12) to the cerebral and cutting edge (“Musical Vulnerability – The Risky Business of Music Education” with Dr. Elizabeth MacGregor, Ep. 79).
Listen when: You’re in the mood for informal, stimulating discussions on outside-the-box music ed concepts.
Duet Partner Podcast
Hard not to be biased about this one, but we do genuinely think it’s worth a listen. Duet Partner’s small but mighty podcast stopped broadcasting in 2022, but luckily all 18 episodes are still available for binging anytime. And they’re each a masterclass in quality over quantity, if we may say so ourselves. Created for hardworking go-getters like you, the podcast follows Duet Partner CEO and host Neylan McBaine in conversation with music and business thought leaders who serve up real-world recommendations for making the most of your musical life.
Listen when: You’re seeking highly informed, heartfelt support from like-minded musicians who just “get it.”
Happy listening, all!
We hope you enjoy at least a few of our selections.
Got a favorite podcast we didn’t mention? Feel free to get in touch via email or socials and tell us about it. (We’re always up for a new listen. We told you we’re podcast junkies, remember?)
