teaching
From group piano, guitar, or ukulele to full ensemble performance, my experience teaching all ages and abilities ranges from the highly trained music student to the novice adult looking for a hobby. My adaptive teaching methods allow students to “discover” concepts for themselves from a hands-on and personalized perspective, and my professional development workshops are similarly structured.
HIGHER ED
In addition to adjunct professorship and teaching assistantship positions grading online courses, conducting ensembles and leading combos, I’ve had the opportunity to lecture in graduate and undergraduate courses explaining the links between music and tangential subjects like education psychology, business & industry, advocacy for public policy, and the effect of musicians’ lifestyles on their careers. This has led to my presenting new ideas to the community like “The Holistic Musician” to students in Music Business courses, graduate lesson plans on Classroom Management and on Charter School policy rhetoric, and a music production workshop for adults: “Post-Retro,” an interactive workshop for composers and producers exploring and analyzing the progression of video game music.
Secondary School
As an itinerant music director and private lessons instructor, I taught middle- and high-school band, ensemble, and general music students across multiple districts along the East Coast — often rotating between schools with varying structures, resources, and populations.
These diverse settings gave me critical insight into the recurring challenges and systemic inequities shaping secondary music education today — from scheduling and retention to program design and access.
This broad exposure sharpened my adaptive pedagogy and deepened my commitment to supporting students in under-resourced or transitional programs. I continue to expand my practice through ongoing professional development; my NFHS coaching and music education certificates can be found here.
Primary School
During my years teaching PreK–8 general music, ensembles, and summer programs across varied school systems, I noticed a recurring cycle: families would invest in a specific instrument too early, only for students to become frustrated, lose interest, or switch preferences a few months into the school year.
To address this, I developed the Instrument Explorer curriculum — an accessible, budget-friendly program that gives students a chance to explore all five instrument families through guided activities, listening, and physical engagement with low-cost “primer” instruments.
The course has been successfully adapted into one-week intensives, 8-week programs, and full semesters. It supports instrument choice, parent engagement, and recruitment for later ensembles.
→ See the full curriculum, budget estimates, and teaching resources: Instrument Explorer: A Flexible, Hands-On Curriculum for Young Musicians
Teaching Resources
Below are examples of teaching resources I’ve created for Pre-K through higher education. Included are instrumental lesson aides, ear training worksheets, diversity and inclusion tools and more. Feel free to use these resources in your own practices, or email me at saxamassima@gmail.com for more info.
