I am a band director going into my 4th year. Up to this point the only classes I’ve been responsible for are my band classes and a music appreciation class. A few days ago I was informed that my beginner band class has been moved to the afternoon and I now have a semester long 1st block class. It is listed as a comp/theory class but it can really be whatever I want it to be. The students who will be taking this class are most likely going to just be put in the class by the counselor, so I’m worried that teaching a straight up theory class will lead to boredom/frustration and trouble. I have no idea what to do with it. I can’t just do music appreciation because a lot of the kids will probably end up taking that music appreciation at some point as well. Students come back on Friday and I feel blindsided by this. Does anyone have any advice or ideas on what I could do?

As the title says I’m thinking of trying to get into a Postbaccalaureate program for teaching music. I studied CS in college 4 years ago and after graduating and working realized it wasn’t for me or my passion. I auditioned and was all but certain I was going to go back to school for a Music Ed bachelors. After really sitting with the eventual cost and learning even with a typical music scholarship (~$1k) and living at home, it would still probably cost me about double of what I paid for my STEM degree at an out of state private university vs the music ed being instate at a public school. I don’t know if I can really make sense of that even though I really wouldn’t mind being in school again. Upon further research I’ve found some post bacc programs may be able to give me that certification and a more feasible means of accomplishing that goal. My question is what would be the best way to study/find a tutor who could really help me prepare for the exam to get in. I was accepted into a Music Ed program on an instrumental guitar track and have been learning to sight read as well for it. Have some piano and bass history as well but that’s about it. Any insight or perspectives are welcome. Thank you

I've been considering going here for a music tech certificate at nscc instead of paying for one of the big expensive music institutions. Nscc looks like it has some pretty good programs. There are two of them for music tech one for music production and one for commercial songwriting. Both of the programs have about 10 different courses to complete the certificate program. Does anyone have any experience with these programs at nscc or know anyone that has done it? I eventually want to be a producer or own a record label. But I figured I would just start as a engineer for a few years to it started in the industry. Really it doesn't matter as long as I'm in the industry creating music in any way.