Music Tech Leader Podcast

Audio Version of Podcast

Transcript of Episode 1: Upcoming Published Article, "Becoming Your Students' Favorite Influencer"

Hello, music educators! Welcome to the first episode of the Music Tech Leader Podcast, the podcast where creativity meets classroom reality. My name is Joseph Fisher, and today I want to talk about something that’s transformed my teaching, engaged my students in music making, and, believe it or not, turned me into a classroom influencer.

Have you ever wished your students were as excited about your lessons as they are about their favorite YouTuber? What if I told you that you could be that person for them without needing a green screen, a professional studio, or a million subscribers?

In this first episode, I want to share how video creation, specifically play-along videos, can become a powerful tool in your music classroom. I’ve written an article to be published later this year that dives into this topic. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it here; instead, I want to give you a taste of what inspired me to share my experiences, what you can expect from the article, and why it might just be the spark you need to engage your students this school year.

Back in 2020, along with educators everywhere, I found myself navigating the world of remote teaching. My middle school choir was in their homes and scattered across screens, and I had to figure out how to bring them together for a virtual concert. That experience, a mixture of failure, success, and a little creativity, was the beginning of something I had not expected. Like many choral directors, I was inspired by Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir project, which blended hundreds of voices from around the world into one stunning performance (Whitacre, 2020).

I believed that if Eric and his team could fuse video and audio from around the world into a performance back in 2010, I could certainly do it myself ten years later.

Fast forward to the present, now use video not just as a tool to record student performances, but as a way to connect, inspire, and differentiate instruction for elementary students. The journey to get there inspired me to share my methods in the soon-to-be-released article.

If you’re thinking, “I’m not a tech person,” or “I don’t have time to make videos,” I want to encourage you otherwise. You don’t have to be a professional editor to make meaningful content. You just need a little curiosity, a willingness to experiment, and a desire to help your students succeed in music.

In the article, I share how I started small and built skills over time. I talk about how I use animation, music production tools, and student feedback to create videos that are not only fun but also aligned with curriculum goals.

The best part is that videos like this are not just for passive viewing; they are interactive. They invite music-making, call-and-response, movement, and even creativity. When I create videos, they are tailored to my classroom needs and the learning styles of my students.

I also explore how consistent branding, such as a logo or jingle, can help build routine and make your classroom feel like a familiar and safe space. It’s amazing how something as simple as a three-second intro can signal to students that it is time for fun and time for learning music.

So, if you’re curious about how to start making your own play-along videos, or if you’ve seen videos like these and want to know how to begin, this article is for you. It is not a how-to manual but a story of how to find a way to bring creativity into the classroom through content creation. A story about how necessity sparked creativity, and how that creativity reshaped my teaching.

I also highlight other educators and resources that may inspire you on your content creation journey. In a similar fashion, my friend Tyler Swick (2022), in Las Vegas, began making videos as preparation for paternity leave back in 2018. Brielle D’Souza’s work on brain breaks and movement-based play-alongs and Amy Burns’ step-by-step guide to using media to build active musicianship provide more examples of unique teacher-created videos in the classroom (Burns, 2025; Mihalchik, 2025). These resources may inspire you as you search to deepen your understanding of how video can support musical learning.

Whether you’re teaching basic rhythms, playing instruments, or making music with body percussion, video can free your classroom of uninterested students and the traditional, sometimes boring, curriculum. You can engage your students the way that you know best and empower them to take ownership of their learning.

So, here’s my invitation: reflect on your classroom challenges and consider how video might be part of the solution. Make sure you check out my article in the upcoming PMEA News publication, and don’t forget to check the show notes for examples of rhythm play-alongs to envision how this could transform your classroom.

Thank you for listening to the Music Tech Leader Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow music teacher, and don’t forget to visit www.musictechleader.com for resources, blog posts, and more content to help you on your music education journey.

Until next time, keep creating, keep inspiring, and remember, you’re already your students’ favorite influencer, you just need to put your ideas in motion.

Links / Resources