Jill Pierce

Making music with children brings me great joy, and I bring great joy to my teaching. I have learned over the years to hold high standards so students can be impressed and inspired with what we can accomplish as a group. One of my teaching throughlines is "Music and Community" and the important connection between the two. In class I focus on "blend in" and "stand out" moments, and guide students to understand the difference, and the importance of being a part of something bigger than one's self. I search for opportunities in the broader community for students to connect and share music. My song repertoire, images of musicians, and book collection are diverse and include windows and mirrors for students. Another focus of my teaching is the power of music and musicians as changemakers in our world. Last, and perhaps most importantly, making music is really fun. “How else can we do this?” “How did we sound?” and “How do you feel?” are questions I ask my students when we create music together. After thirty years of teaching, I am more inspired than ever by their answers.

Professional Development:

Responsive Classroom levels 1 and 2
Responsive Classroom for Specialist Teachers

Responsive Classroom: Responding to Misbehavior
Two San Francisco Orff Workshops with Doug Goodkin

The Jazz Course with Doug Goodkin in New Orleans (2024)

The Blues Course with Doug Goodkin in Memphis (2025)
Drumming Orff Workshop with Jashima Lewis.
POCIS Roundtable: Decolonizing the Humanities
Harvard Graduate School of Education: Teaching For Understanding 2017