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February 23, 2021

The development of social emotional learning (SEL) skills is embedded and inherent in musical training. And yet there are many ways we as educators and parents can streamline this process through being intentional in how we integrate SEL and music. A global pandemic has made this integration exponentially vital, and has increased our awareness of social and emotional needs – and how they can affect other areas of our lives, whether we’re talking about mental health, immune function, or academic grades and performance. We discuss reasons music teachers are in a prime position to build students’ social and emotional skills; resources for parents and educators; and an exciting new venture that will launch in March 2021!

Scott Edgar, PhD

Guest

We’ve talked quite a bit about social emotional learning (SEL) on this show. In a recent episode about genius and music’s relationship to genius, Dr. Craig Wright pointed out the benefits of cross-training in the arts and sciences, and then combining things and connecting the dots.

My guest today is a leader in connecting the dots between SEL and music. Dr. Scott Edgar is the author of Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music. He teaches graduate courses on the topic and is an internationally sought-after clinician. Dr. Edgar is currently Associate Professor of Music, Music Education Chair, and Director of Bands at Lake Forest College in IL.

Notes

• Scott explains how he came to focus on and specialize in SEL and music.
• We discuss reasons music teachers are in a prime position to build students’ social and emotional skills; resources for parents and educators; and an exciting new venture that will launch in March 2021!

Connect/Other Resources

• Scott’s Lake Forest College profile page: https://www.lakeforest.edu/academics/faculty/edgar/
• Scott’s books:
  • Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music (2017). This pioneering book addresses how music educators can utilize SEL to maximize learning in the choral, instrumental, and general music classroom at all levels, and at the same time support a student’s social and emotional growth.
  • Music Education and Social Emotional Learning, Student Workbook (2018)
  • The ABCs of My Feelings and Music (2021) is one of the first resources to connect SEL and music to elementary students. Edgar co-wrote the book with Stephanie Edgar, his wife and Coordinator of the Center for Academic Success at the College.
  • Portraits of Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: Teaching Music with Heart (2021): Scott is the editor of this collection of essays, each written by a different superstar SEL educator. Download the table of contents and introduction for FREE! 
  • Scott’s books on GIA Publications’ website
• Video Podcast Series: Scott hosts an internationally syndicated video podcast series, “Teaching Social Emotional Learning Through Music,” created by the Music for All. It is now available as a traditional podcast as well.
• The Center for Arts Education and Social Emotional Learning is an exciting new venture that will launch March 2021 (with Scott as Director)!
• Scott created a Facebook page  highlighting the intersection between music education and SEL. The page has close to 3,000 followers – I became one of them as soon as I found out about it!
• We reference Ep. 82: What is the relationship between musicianship, mental disorders, and genius? What is the difference between prodigy and genius? With Dr. Craig Wright
• Check out these episodes for more info on SEL:
  1. Ep. 60: How does music training affect children’s Social-Emotional Learning, and how is SEL affected by a pandemic? With Dr. Assal Habibi
  2. Ep. 64: Does Practice Make Perfect? With Ed Varner, EdD
  3. Ep. 70: What you don’t know about 1 in 6 people you encounter, and why it matters; with David Knott
• The second annual International SEL Day is March 26, 2021

In-Episode Promo

If you’re a regular listener of this show, you’ve probably heard me talk about my Rolflex Pro. It played a significant role in healing my repetitive use injuries; and I have continued to use it every day for years, both to prevent injuries – and because it feels so good! The Rolflex Pro is a foam roller tool with clam-shaped arms that provide leverage to adjust the pressure to whatever you like or can tolerate. I use it mainly on my arms and neck/shoulder area; but it can be used on any body part because of how it’s designed. I highly recommend it. As I mentioned, I’ve been using the Rolflex daily for years, and recently signed up as an affiliate; so you can help support the show – at no extra cost to you – by purchasing through this link. The Rolflex is eligible for reimbursement from Flexible Spending Accounts and HSAs; it’s also eligible for medical insurance reimbursement in certain situations. More information is on the Rolflex website. (Visit Ep. 80 show notes for a photo of my Rolflex Pro in my workout area in my basement.)

Coda

Scott shares a memorable moment of experiencing SEL learning through music when he was in high school!

Closing Words

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