Cultural Context Curriculum in Music Programs and General Settings

Connecting Worlds: Fostering Curiosity through a Cultural Context Curriculum by Julia Edwards

Cultural Context Lens (PK-12) RSU 16 Conference 1/27/25 by Julia Edwards

In conversations with colleagues across disciplines, it became clear that the work I've been doing with this curriculum framework in my chorus classes could be beneficial to other domains. This was my first attempt at finding ways the curriculum could be applied to different subjects.
Presented at:

• 2025 RSU 16 District Professional Learning Conference
• 2026 NHMEA Spring Conference 

Access through the Arts: A case for arts integration & programming in our schools

Access Through the Arts by Julia Edwards

This presentation seeks to introduce the audience to a variety of frameworks that are not arts-based but allow room for the arts in their implementation. 
Presented at:

• 2026 Maine Department of Education Annual Summit

Intent vs. Impact: Programming and Teaching Multicultural Music

​Explore my Cultural Context curriculum with me and see why I teach it, how it works with my students, and take away loads of resources for your own programming and teaching. This curriculum has had a major impact on how my students interact with their music and the world around them, and represents the bulk of work I have done in research and curriculum development. The presentation has been refined over the course of three years and I keep adding resources as new information becomes available.
​Presented at:

• 2020 Maine Music Educators Association's All State Conference 
• 2021 National Association for Music Education's Eastern Division Conference

Time Well Spent!
Using Inquiry-Based Learning and Group Work to Maximize Rehearsal Time and Student Authorship

Time Well Spent by Julia Edwards

With concert preparation and rehearsal time at a premium, it has been tricky to find time for other important concepts and skill-building. This presentation is for anyone who is looking to find ways to support SEL, student collaboration, heightened understanding of concepts, and student authorship and engagement with material. My goal with this presentation is that we turn our focus to the opportunity we have to teach our students how to learn beyond our classrooms.
Presented at:

• 2022 Maine Music Educators Association's All State Conference

Neuroscience-based mindfulness
Using the science of the brain and the power of the body to serve our learners and ourselves

NHMEA Neuroscience-based Mindfulness by Julia Edwards

Neuroscience-based Mindfulness by Julia Edwards

After the height of pandemic and lockdowns, teachers all over the world have put more emphasis on the importance of Social-Emotional Learning. After having implemented intentionally scheduled mindfulness warm-ups in my classes, I witnessed the immensely beneficial effects of the activities on my students' focus during class and their reports of using these new tools to self-regulate outside of class.
Presented at:

• 2025 RSU 16 District Professional Learning Conference
• 2026 NHMEA Spring Conference

Building Relationships: Parts 1 & 2

Building Relationships pt. 1 - Foundations of Student & School Relationships by Julia Edwards

Building Relationships pt. 2 - Recruitment, Advocacy, & Community by Julia Edwards

As part of the Music Education Symposium day at UMaine, I was asked to present on how I build and maintain relationships in my music program. I broke it into two parts: the foundation of building these relationships, and how I build them in terms of recruitment, advocacy, and community.
Presented at:

• UMaine Music Education Symposium (2026)

All In!: Accessibility, Equity, and Engagement in the Music Program

All In! Accessibility, Equity, and Engagement in the Music Program by Julia Edwards

The Maine Adaptive Music Summit seeks to bring together music teachers of all levels and special education professionals to build upon resources, share strategies, and celebrate the powerful relationship between the arts and meaningful interventions. In this presentation, I share some of the strategies and frameworks I use in my classroom and give an overview of some special experiences that taught me how to better serve my students' needs.
Presented at:

• 2026 Maine Adaptive Music Summit

What do I put in my gradebook? 
rubric design and assessment strategies for the music classroom

When I began teaching music, I felt pretty lost in the pursuit to accurately, fairly, and practically assess my students and their progress. Given the subjective nature of music, it is easy to run into traps while grading our students. Thanks to a brilliant administration, excellent colleagues, and helpful resources, I've developed and gathered some practices that seem to keep a good balance with my students. I share those practices in this presentation, while exploring other options that are successful among my music education colleagues.
Presented at:

• 2020 Maine Music Educators Association's All State Conference

Research Projects

coming soon!