After Hours: Conversations for Music Educators
After Hours: Conversations for Music Educators is a music education podcast from Amro Music Stores, Inc. Our After Hours podcast host, Nick Averwater, facilitates engaging conversations each week with band directors, private music teachers, general music educators, orchestra directors, and other music industry professionals just like you. Each podcast guest shares practical advice on things like classroom management in your band program, placing beginners on instruments, band and orchestra recruitment strategies, band boosters, fundraising, and more. The goal of After Hours is to provide a podcast for band directors, orchestra directors, and music educators with strategies for both "on-podium" and “off-podium” skills that can help create a school music program that you can be proud of. If you can't find what you're looking for in our current episodes, we'd love to hear from you! Send us an email with questions or topics you'd like to see addressed in the podcast.
Episodes
168 episodes
There Was No Band Program For 20 Years. Then This Educator Restarted It.
This week Nick Averwater talks with Jacob Abbott, Performing Arts Director at Dresden High School in Dresden, TN, which is a town of around 3,000 people in Northwest Tennessee, a...
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Season 7
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Episode 4
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41:35
Creating a Successful Band Experience for Students With Differences And Disabilities
This week Nick Averwater talks with Dr. Alice Hammel, a music educator who has dedicated her 40-year career to making music programs more supportive, productive, and enjoyable for students with differences ...
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Season 7
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Episode 3
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43:06
When Two Marching Bands In The Same Small City Compete At The State-Champion Level
This week Nick Averwater continues his conversation with Kim Webb, High School Band Director at Greene County Tech in Paragould, Arkansas. Paragould is a city of around 30,000 people l...
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Season 7
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Episode 2
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32:22
Winning A State Championship With The Motto, "Belong, Believe, Become"
This week Nick Averwater talks with Kim Webb, High School Band Director at Greene County Tech in Paragould, Arkansas. Paragould is a city of around 30,000 people located 65 miles north...
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Season 7
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Episode 1
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32:02
More Ideas For A Successful Instrument Rental Meeting
In this episode Nick Averwater continues his conversation with John Easley, Middle Tennessee Educational Representative for Amro Music, and ...
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Season 6
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Episode 24
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26:54
A Successful Instrument Rental Meeting Makes Things Easy For Students, And Parents
This week we're talking about how to make the most of the instrument rental meeting as Nick Averwater talks with John Easley, Middle Tennessee Educational Representative for Amro Music, and
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Season 6
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Episode 23
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27:53
Creating Excitement During The Instrument Placement Process
We're posting this on Thursday, July 17, 2025, and it's the fourth in a series of six episodes designed to help you get ready for the new school year. We'll also have new episodes in this back to school series next Monday and Thursday, July 21s...
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Season 6
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Episode 22
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28:15
Determining Which Instrument Works Best For Each Student
We're posting this on Monday, July 14, 2025. It's the third in a series of six episodes designed to help you get ready for the new school year. We'll have new episodes in this back to school series this Thursday, July 17th, as well as next Mond...
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Season 6
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Episode 21
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30:43
The Instrument Rental Meeting Is Almost Here. Here's How To Prepare For It.
We're posting this on Thursday, July 10, 2025, and it's the second of six episodes designed to help you get ready for the new school year. We'll have new episodes Monday and Thursday for the next two weeks, so we hope you'll keep an eye out for...
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Season 6
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Episode 20
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26:46
Keeping Beginning Band Students Engaged Before They Get Their Instruments
This week we kick off a series of six episodes designed to get you ready for the upcoming school year. We're posting this episode on Monday, July 7, 2025, and we'll have new episodes this Thursday, July 10th, as well as on Monday an...
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Season 6
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Episode 19
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39:56
Maintaining A Healthy Work-Life Balance While Running A University Band Program
This week Nick Averwater continues his conversation with Dr. John Zastoupil, Director of Bands at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.In this episode we'll learn more about th...
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Season 6
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Episode 18
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22:08
Running A Large University Band Program With A Growth-Conscious Mindset
This week Nick Averwater talks with Dr. John Zastoupil, Director of Bands at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.In this episode we'll learn about the musical path that brough...
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Season 6
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Episode 17
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29:02
Achieving Success When Your First Job Is In A Small School District
This week Nick Averwater continues his conversation with Faith Serna, Assistant Band Director and Color Guard Coordinator at Highland High School in Highland, Ar...
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Season 6
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Episode 16
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27:00
Ideas For Starting (Or Improving) Your Band's Color Guard
This week Nick Averwater talks with Faith Serna, Assistant Band Director and Color Guard Coordinator at Highland High School in Highland, AR. The Highland School...
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Season 6
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Episode 15
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31:17
Setting Schedules Early And Communicating With Everyone In The School Makes Recruiting Easier.
This week we wrap up our six-part series looking at recruiting students for your band program as Nick Averwater continues his conversation with Brent Hopper,
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Season 6
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Episode 14
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37:08
Recruiting Begins On The First Day Of School And Goes All Year
This week we continue with episode five of our six-part series looking at recruiting students for your band program as Nick Averwater talks with Brent Hopper, Nathan Anderson, and Brandan Bakkala. Brent is Middle School Band Director at
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Season 6
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Episode 13
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22:23
Strong Relationships With Colleagues and Administrators Can Improve Recruiting Efforts
This week we continue with episode four of our six-part series looking at recruiting students for your band program as Nick Averwater continues his conversation with
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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34:09
Three Different Schools, Three Different Recruiting Strategies
This week we continue with episode three of our six-part series looking at recruiting students for your band program as Nick Averwater talks with Joe Quinnelly, Reggie Coleman, and Daniel Ritch. Joe Quinnelly is
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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33:42
Effectively Communicating With Parents To Maximize Recruiting Efforts
This week we continue our series taking a closer look at recruiting students for your band program, and we'll hear the second part of a conversation Nick Averwater had with Brittany Jerrell and Emma Lang. Brittany is Co-Director of Bands at
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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32:46
Welcoming New Students Into The Band Family
This week we're kicking off a series taking a closer look at recruiting students for your band program, a topic that seems to come up in nearly every episode of the podcast, and one that you have asked us to address even further. In the next si...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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39:33
More Ideas For Using Pop Music Groups To Recruit Students For All Music Ensembles
This week Nick Averwater continues his conversation with Michael Parsons, Director of Instrumental and Popular Music at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, TN. Michael is also...
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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26:07
Using Pop/Commercial Music Studies To Strengthen Traditional Music Ensembles
This week Nick Averwater talks with Michael Parsons, Director of Instrumental and Popular Music at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, TN. Michael is also Director of
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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30:59
Adapting To The Different Ways Students Learn Music
This week Nick Averwater continues his conversation with Gillian Desmarais, who teaches Music Production and Engineering at Harmony Learning Center in Maplewood, MN. Gillian is the founder of Sound Tech Ed<...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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26:51
More Ideas To Easily Bring Music Technology Into Your Classroom
This week Nick Averwater continues his conversation with Gillian Desmarais, who teaches Music Production and Engineering at Harmony Learning Center in Maplewood, MN. Gillian is the founder of Sound Tech Ed<...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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26:55
Using Digital Audio Workstations and Web Apps To Teach Music
This week we continue our look at using technology in music education, as Nick Averwater talks with Gillian Desmarais, who teaches Music Production and Engineering at Harmony Learning Center in Maplewood, MN. Gillian is the founder of
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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23:38