Bryson Tarbet, M.M.Ed. ’22, Kodály pedagogy emphasis, has redefined elementary music education and the content-specific professional development provided to elementary music teachers. As an instructional coach and elementary music specialist based in Columbus, Ohio, Tarbet has dedicated his career to supporting and inspiring educators globally through his company, That Music Teacher, and the groundbreaking Elementary Music Summit.
Tarbet’s journey is rooted both in his academic and personal experiences. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Ohio Wesleyan University and went on to complete his master’s with a Kodály Pedagogy emphasis from Capital. While this educational background gave him a strong foundation, it was his time working in the classroom that truly shaped his vision of how he could make an impact in the community.
“I ended up spending the majority of my first year out of college outside of the music classroom working as a special education assistant. At the time I knew very little about that world or how to make sure that students who receive special education services are truly included in an actual way. That really influenced me in the music classroom,” said Tarbet. “When I started my master’s, my research was largely focused on inclusion. I myself am neurodivergent. I think a lot about my own experience as a student and realize there was definitely some room to grow there.”
That Music Teacher started with Tarbet sharing his experiences as a teacher. After the community started to grow, he realized that there was a need for content-specific professional development for elementary music educators.
“We serve elementary music teachers from all over the world, which is super cool to say. Primarily, our audience is United States and Canada; we do have a growing audience in Australia. Most of the services we offer are asynchronous and they’re able to be enjoyed and viewed and applied to classrooms all over the world,” said Tarbet. “I ran my company for many years in the evenings and on the weekends. At the end of the school year, this past school year, I did leave the classroom and started running That Music Teacher full time. It’s super exciting and scary at the same time, but it’s been great so far. I love seeing what we can do for educators around the world who are really looking for that content-specific elementary professional development.”
His dedication to the broader music education community has only deepened since. That Music Teacher offers a range of resources, from online courses to podcasts, all aimed at empowering music educators to create more inclusive, engaging classrooms. Tarbet also hosts That Music Podcast, where he and his guests discuss everything from lesson planning to the challenges of teaching music in today’s world.
“The biggest thing that I see people enjoy is the differentiation piece. In our schools and districts, they tell us to differentiate but no one really talks about what that means. Especially in a music setting. It’s one of those buzzwords we love to float around. Being able to dive into what the research says but also looking at what it practically looks like in a classroom, especially a Kodály-influenced classroom, has been really exciting,” said Tarbet. “The reality is as elementary music teachers we are asked to serve all these students. Just being asked to serve them doesn’t mean we’re actually serving them. We need to make sure that we are creating a classroom that really is for everyone.”
The Elementary Music Summit has been wildly successful, with the 2024 event breaking attendance records. Through his work, Tarbet is proving that teaching music isn’t just about notes and rhythms – it’s about connection, inclusion, and joy.
“This past Elementary Music Summit in July we had over 6,600 elementary music teachers join us from around the world, which is crazy to say. When teachers get together, there’s just so much magic that happens. There are so many good ideas that get shared,” said Tarbet. “My favorite part of anything I do or that we facilitate as a company is it’s not just one person sharing. It’s everyone coming together and realizing we all have strengths in certain areas, we all have areas of growth, and when we’re allowed to actually talk to each other magic happens.”
For more information about Capital’s Kodály Emphasis program, visit http://i6vf.tamilfolksongs.com/academics/majors-and-minors/kodaly-emphasis/.