The Note Doctors: Dialogue on the latest Theory Pedagogy Trends

Benjamin Graf, University of North Texas
Paul Thomas, Texas Woman's University
Jennifer Weaver, Dallas Baptist University

Note Doctors Podcast began in the summer of 2020 as a way to stay connected during the pandemic and share ideas during a time of disruption to normal classroom routines. Ben Graf, Paul Thomas, and Jennifer Weaver, the creators of Note Doctors, are colleagues from graduate school who all remained in the DFW metroplex for faculty positions. Sharing teaching strategies has always been important to our preparation for new semesters as well as our more casual social interactions. Our online discussions about pedagogy sparked the notion to share these ideas more broadly, create a space for dialogue within the theory community, and expand our collective knowledge through the podcast format. Since that time, we have produced 23 episodes with plans for a similar amount in season two. We have welcomed 14 guests, including Elizabeth West Marvin, Gary Karpinski, Jennifer Snodgrass, as well as some Texas colleagues--Blaise Ferrandino, Jennifer Beavers, and Rachel Mann. Since our first release in September of 2020, the podcast has been downloaded 8700 times. This presentation will discuss the formation of the Note Doctors Podcast and the logistics of collaborating to create an audio publication of this nature. We will discuss the trends in Music Theory Pedagogy that we have seen emerge across two seasons of podcasting. This format creates a unique opportunity for shared knowledge and amplifies diverse perspectives and approaches to teaching music theory. Finally, we will share future directions for the podcast and how technology can impact the dissemination of scholarship.