Eric Jao Professional DJ | Founder of Mix Major | Co-Creator of the Electronic Music ELEMENTS Curriculum | K-8 Electronic Music Production Teacher In 2016, I had over two decades of DJ experience, but was just one year into teaching music production to K-12.  I was brought in to teach a semester-long class to 10 middle schoolers.  Minutes into that first class, I realized: teaching is just like DJing. Four kids on my right understand every word I’m saying.  They’re jus

For generations, the podium has symbolized authority, expertise, and leadership in the band room. It’s where we learned to conduct, where we were taught to stand, and where many of us still instinctively go when rehearsal begins. But in a modern classroom—one shaped by collaboration, student voice, and social-emotional awareness—it may be worth asking an important question: What does the podium communicate to our students today?

Bob Habersat Commercial Music Educator, Curriculum Developer, & Consultant | Co-Founder of Shedthemusic | Co-Creator of Electronic Music Elements Bob Habersat (middle) receiving the 2026 Mike Kovins TI:ME Teacher of the Year Award, presented by Walt Straiton (R.), KORG SoundTree Director of Education (L. Michael McCready, TI:ME) I’m a high school choir, music production, and guitar teacher from Illinois. The last week of January marks the pilgrimage that Illinois music educat

Irwin Kornfeld Publisher of In Tune Monthly I left my post as a Billboard  associate publisher 25 years ago and created the reading resource In Tune Monthly  shortly thereafter. These were the days of Napster and the beginning of the great digital disintermediation - the sea change that would upend the music business as we knew it, and when the next stylistic shift in music rolled into town (see: “boy bands” and “hip hop”). The mighty music moguls were shaken, and for good re

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