The baton has dropped on a brand-new school year — and a brand-new season of Take a Cue! In this lively kickoff to Season 4, Jen, Erik, and CJ catch up after the summer and dive into what it really feels like to launch into September as a music educator.

🎙️ Episode Synopsis

CJ shares the excitement (and nerves!) of starting their very first year of teaching in South Brunswick, with a full plate of general music, choir, band, and even jazz band. Jen celebrates the long-awaited victory of finally having her own classroom and navigates the bittersweet balance of sending her child off to kindergarten while managing a busy teaching life. Erik recaps family adventures from California to Maui and reflects on the juggle of band camp, family time, and gearing up for another school year.

From bulletin board hacks to first-day jitters, baton choices to scheduling chaos, this episode blends humor, honest reflection, and practical insights for every music educator facing a September restart. Whether you’re a veteran teacher or stepping into the classroom for the first time, this is your pep talk for making the year a success.

📒 Show Notes

In this episode:

CJ’s big leap: landing a first-year teaching job in South Brunswick 🎶

Jen’s summer adventures and the joy of finally having her own music room 🥳

Erik’s family travels from redwoods to ukuleles in Hawaii 🌴

Balancing parenthood with rehearsal schedules 🚸

First-day activities (and why “Bop or Flop” might be your new go-to icebreaker) 🎧

Bulletin board inspo and making your classroom space welcoming 🎨

The importance of community, colleagues, and a little bit of humor to keep you sane 😅

Resources & Mentions:

Stack the States app (great for kids learning geography)

Newland Custom Batons (for when your wand… I mean baton… finally chooses you)

Uncle Ron’s Ukulele Lessons (Maui-based, follow him on Instagram!)

Responsive Classroom strategies for music educators

Find Take A Cue

Home: ⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/takeacue⁠⁠

Support: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/takeacue/support⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/TakeACuePodcast/

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/TakeACuePodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits

Hosts: Erik Donough (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@edonough, ⁠erik@donough.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠), Jen Wise (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jenwisemusic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠jenwisemusic@gmail.com⁠), CJ Margolis (carley.margolis6@gmail.com)

Edited by: Erik Donough

Theme music by Music_Unlimited: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Artwork by Arooj: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fiverr.com/em_arooj⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠