Meet Don Bryn, a musical renaissance man whose journey from globe-trotting performer to innovative educator reads like a composer's symphony—unexpected, layered, and beautifully orchestrated. Having graced stages across 130 countries, Don discovered that music truly is humanity's universal language, a revelation that now drives his mission to shatter what he calls "musical prejudices" in the classroom.

From the concert halls of Australia to the State College of Florida, Don weaves together his roles as composer, full-stack developer, and passionate educator with infectious enthusiasm. He challenges students to break free from the "three-minute pop song prison" that has homogenized our musical landscape, using everything from chocolate shop metaphors to ear training apps he's coded himself.

In this captivating conversation, Don reveals the physics behind musical composition, shares tales from his film scoring adventures, and delivers a stirring manifesto about reclaiming music's lost diversity. His unique blend of technical expertise, global perspective, and educational innovation offers a fresh take on why opening our ears—and minds—to the world's rich musical tapestry has never been more crucial.

Learn more about Don's digital textbook for music appreciation, Now Hear This: https://grl.pub/NowHearThis

Dr. Anne-Valerie Brittan-Leibundgut, a French-born composer, performer, and lecturer at the University of Oklahoma shares her remarkable journey from studying piano at the Conservatory of Cannes to finding her calling in the heart of the US - Oklahoma. There she's dedicated herself to making classical music accessible and engaging for non-music majors. Through her innovative storytelling approach, she connects musical masterpieces to their historical contexts, helping students understand that "music is a reflection of the society that creates it." With warmth, enthusiasm, and a passion for Western cultural heritage, she transforms reluctant students into appreciative listeners who can then discover the joy and relevance of classical music in their own lives.

Learn more about Dr. Brittan-Leibundgut's publication: https://grl.pub/noteworthy

In this episode, we chat with Keith Kropp from Great River Learning about how his company went from showing off a simple CD-ROM back in 2001 to becoming one of the go-to names in education tech. Keith shares some great stories, like how they got the company name from an actual road nearby and why they had to rebrand from "Great River Technologies" to "Great River Learning" after years of being mistakenly sent to IT departments. We also dive into how wildly things have changed in higher education. Keith remembers when professors weren't even sure their students owned computers, and now everything is digital-first. The numbers are pretty impressive too - they've grown from just three projects they inherited to over 3,000 titles today. What really comes through in our conversation is how Keith and his team focus on building real partnerships with educators instead of just pushing out generic content. Plus, if you're an instructor who's ever thought about writing your own materials, Keith has some really encouraging thoughts on that front.