M&M

ABOUT US

We are a group of undergraduate students from the Johns Hopkins University. This podcast is the final project for the class Introduction to Music Cognition, taught by professor Monica Lopez-Gonzalez, in the fall of 2020.
We are a passionate about music and we believe in the power of education to change society.
Want to know about our work? Scroll down!

Elizabeth Daramola

Elizabeth is a lover of music, the kind that serenades her impenetrable soul ... be it R&B, jazz, soul, or afrobeat.

Giovanna Lemos

Listening to Hamilton on a loop since 2015

Jakob Pollack

Jakob is addicted to the feeling of chills down his spine when he listens to good music and now he’s trying to rope you in too...

Sheridan Carty

Sheridan's favorite pastime is dancing and singing to all types of music and wishes that everyone can get the chance to learn and love music as much as she does

THE PODCAST

In this podcast, we will talk about the current state of music education in the US, focusing on middle school education, and discuss how it could be improved. For that, we will dive into the history of US education policies that impacted the teaching of music, and interview different middle school teachers to understand how those policies translate to real life.
Lastly, as a culmination of our artistic vision, we will use what we have learned to propose a new class - aimed at middle schoolers - that incorporates the teaching of music. For that, we will give an example of a lecture in the last episode of the podcast.
Throughout the podcast episodes, we include specific musical clips to both help our listeners connect with the material, and provide a dynamic listening experience. We used background songs to give examples of the type of music we were talking about or just communicating specific emotions.
We hope to reach out not only to everyday people - both an adult audience with the first episodes and people of all ages with the final mock lesson - to teach them a little about our chosen subject. Moreover, we also to aim at reaching those who will be impassioned to help implement these changes, such as current (and future) policy-makers.
Please join us in this 4-episodes series of M&M: Music & Mind

	EPISODE 1: Introduction to Music Education in the US This is the first episode of M&M. In this episode, we will talk about the current policies in music education in the US. We will explore how those policies evolved to become what they are today, and what are the challenges that arise from them. Want to find out about our references and script? Download the episode plan: ~ EPISODE SCRIPT/CREDITS ~
	EPISODE 2: Interview with Music Educator In this episode, we interview Fatima Petersen, a music teacher. The goal of this episode is to provide us with a better understanding of how the education policies translate to the reality inside the classrooms. Want to find out more? Download the episode plan: ~ EPISODE SCRIPT/CREDITS ~
	EPISODE 3: Interview with History Educator In this episode, we interview Abigail Yann, a middle school history teacher. Mrs. Yann also has a music background and provides some interesting insight on the role of music for academic development. Want to find out more? Download the episode plan: ~ EPISODE SCRIPT/CREDITS ~
	EPISODE 4: A New Style of Class This is the last episode of the M&M Podcast series. In this episode, we give a lecture to serve as an example of what kind of classes we could incorporate into our middle school curriculum in the US. For this lecture, we talk about the history of music, showing how much music can tell us about the economy, society, and technological advancements of an era. Want to find out about our references and script? Download the episode plan: ~ EPISODE SCRIPT/CREDITS ~