About Beyond The Stand: Exploring the evolving voices, values, and practices in music education.
What does it mean to teach music in a way that truly reflects today’s students? Beyond the Stand explores this question through real conversations with music educators, leaders, and students across the country. Hosted by high school popular music educator Jeremy Bryant. This podcast began as a capstone project, and quickly grew into a platform for rethinking what music education can be. Each episode dives into the why and how of integrating popular music into school programs, building inclusive ensembles, and empowering students as creators, not just performers.
Belonging, Voice, and Agency: A Conversation with Dr. David Dockan
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. David Dockan of LSU to explore how music classrooms can become spaces where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered. David brings deep insight into the role of Democratic Music Education (DME), Popular Music Education, and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in helping students take ownership of their musical journey.
Together, we dig into:
What belonging really means in a music classroom
How DME and student voice can transform the learning environment
Ways popular and culturally relevant approaches create space for students to express who they are
How teachers can reclaim their agency by staying curious, understanding their community, and adapting their practice
Practical starting points for educators who want to build more inclusive and responsive music programs
This conversation is full of encouragement and actionable ideas for any teacher who wants to cultivate musical spaces that truly reflect the students in front of them.
If you’d like to support the continued growth of the podcast, you can contribute here: https://gofund.me/05130db2 (https://gofund.me/05130db2)
30 Sept 2025
Season 2 Premiere: Empowering Students with Dr. Shane Colquhoun: Rethinking Music Education from the Ground Up
Shane brings nearly two decades of teaching experience and deep insights into the challenges of making popular music education work in real classrooms. In this conversation, we talk about:
The “schoolification” of popular music and how to keep it authentic
Shifting from being a director to a facilitator of learning
Balancing student choice with the rigor administrators expect
Practical steps like documenting progress, goal-setting, and embracing mistakes
This is an inspiring and practical conversation for educators who want to create programs where student voice drives learning without losing structure.
Support the podcast and future seasons here: https://gofund.me/05130db2 (https://gofund.me/05130db2)
26 Aug 2025
Season 1 Finale: What I Have Learned
In this special episode of Beyond The Stand, I wrap up Season 1 by sharing major announcements and key takeaways from my capstone project journey.
Announcements:
My Master’s degree is officially complete – thank you for all your support!
This episode marks the end of Season 1, which is also the completion of my capstone project.
Planning for Season 2 is already underway (and one interview is recorded!).
I’ll be taking a short break to settle into the school year before launching Season 2.
I’ve launched a GoFundMe to help with production costs, technology, site management, and marketing for Season 2. You can support here: https://gofund.me/05130db2 (https://gofund.me/05130db2)
What I’ve Learned:
I’m not alone – There’s a growing network of educators teaching popular and commercial music.
It’s both/and – We can grow traditional programs by adding popular music education, not replacing them.
Student voice matters – Involving students from the start is the first, practical step to building a successful PME program.
Season 2 will focus more on practical strategies and tools educators can use right away. Please share this podcast so more teachers can join the conversation and find the confidence to teach popular music in their own programs.
19 Aug 2025
Becoming Themselves: Music, Identity, and Growth Through PME
In Part 2 of my conversation with students Brody Watson and Audrey Priddy, we move beyond what happens in the classroom and into the deeper impact of Popular Music Education on their lives.
We talk about:
How music helped them find identity, confidence, and creative freedom
The overlap between music, theater, and visual art
What they think school music programs often miss—and how to make space for more students
Why this kind of learning might just be the future of music education
This episode is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do and what students are capable of when we listen, trust, and give them room to lead.
12 Aug 2025
More Than Just Music: Students Reflect on Popular Music Education
What does Popular Music Education actually feel like for the students living it every day?
In this episode, I’m joined by two of my students: Brody Watson, a guitarist and drummer who’s been with the program all four years, and Audrey Priddy, a pianist and artist who joined more recently with a strong background in visual art and theater.
Together, we talk about:
Why PME felt different from other classes and why it clicked
How creativity, collaboration, and freedom have shaped their growth
What makes a class “rigorous” from a student’s perspective
How music became a space of belonging, identity, and discovery
If you’ve ever wondered what students really think about this model of music education, Brody and Audrey bring honest, thoughtful insight into how popular music can change a classroom...and maybe a life.
5 Aug 2025
Better Together: Michael Parsons on Bridging Traditional and Popular Music
What if popular music didn’t compete with traditional band, it made it stronger?
In this episode, I speak with Michael Parsons, a high school band director who teaches both traditional ensemble and popular music. Far from replacing one with the other, Michael shares how Modern Band helped bring more students into his program, sparked creativity, and even strengthened his traditional groups.
We talk about:
How popular music education supports recruitment and retention
Why students benefit from learning both notation and ear-based skills
How teaching PME made him a more flexible and connected educator
What it looks like to build a unified program with space for multiple musical paths
Michael’s story offers a powerful reminder that music education isn’t either/or...it’s better when it’s both.
29 Jul 2025
Teaching Popular Music: What Educators Really Think
What does it really feel like to teach popular music today?
In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Parsons, Steven Potaczek, and Theo Metz, three educators who are actively shaping how popular music is taught in real classrooms. Together, we talk candidly about the day-to-day challenges, the professional shifts, and the unexpected moments of joy that come from teaching outside the traditional mold.
We discuss:
What it means to redefine your role as a music educator
Why student ownership and teacher humility go hand-in-hand
How popular music changes classroom dynamics—for better and for real
What advice they’d give to any teacher stepping into this space for the first time
This episode is a raw, encouraging, and reflective look at what it means to teach music today; one chord, one kid, and one honest conversation at a time.
22 Jul 2025
Building the Work: How to Teach Popular Music with Purpose
So you believe in popular music education, but how do you actually do it?
In this episode, I’m joined again by Dr. Steve Holley and Dr. Chris Burns to explore the practical side of PME: what it looks like in the classroom, what support teachers need, and how to build meaningful programs from the ground up.
We discuss:
Where to start if you're new to Modern Band
What a PME curriculum can include (beyond just playing pop songs)
How to assess creativity, collaboration, and musical growth
How to shift school culture and gain support for new ideas
Whether you're launching your first popular music class or refining a growing program, this episode offers encouragement, clarity, and actionable ideas from two of the field’s most thoughtful practitioners.
15 Jul 2025
Why Popular Music Belongs: Student Voice, Identity, and Access
Why does popular music belong in the classroom?
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Steve Holley (President of APME) and Dr. Chris Burns, two nationally respected voices in music education. Together, we explore the deeper reasons behind integrating popular music into school programs.
We discuss:
How PME creates access and equity for students often left out of traditional ensembles
The role of identity, self-expression, and musical relevance
Why student voice must be central to our teaching
How reframing rigor can open doors—not lower expectations
This episode is about more than music—it’s about who we teach, how we reach them, and why expanding our definition of music education matters now more than ever.
8 Jul 2025
Tradition Meets Innovation: From Belief to Practice
In Part 2 of my conversation with Alexis Yatuzis-Derryberry and Joel Denton, we shift from the philosophy behind popular music in the classroom to the real-world support teachers need to implement it well.
We talk about:
The professional development gap for teachers new to Modern Band
What school leaders can do to support innovation
How to expand your program without losing your roots
Encouragement for teachers feeling uncertain about the shift
Whether you're just beginning to explore popular music education or leading a full-fledged program, this episode offers insight, empathy, and next steps from two experienced voices in the field.
1 Jul 2025
Tradition Meets Innovation: A New Chapter in Music Education
In this premiere episode of Beyond the Stand, host Jeremy Bryant speaks with Alexis Yatuzis-Derryberry and Joel Denton, two past and current leaders of the Tennessee Music Education Association, about the evolving role of popular music in today’s classrooms.
Together, they explore: Why popular music deserves a seat at the table, how it can complement, not replace, traditional programs, what challenges and opportunities emerge when teachers try something new. If you’re a music educator wondering how to expand your curriculum without abandoning your roots, this episode offers a thoughtful, balanced starting point.
24 Jun 2025
Welcome to Beyond The Stand
In this short introduction, host Jeremy Bryant shares the heart behind Beyond the Stand. A traditional band director turned commercial music educator, Jeremy explains how this podcast began as his capstone project and evolved into a search for how to deliver excellent, student-centered music education through popular music. This is a journey of learning, questioning, and conversation with voices from across the field.
If you’ve ever wondered how to start, how to grow, or whether popular music belongs in the classroom, this show is for you.
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