Presentations
In addition to his performing, teaching and administrative work, Jon Michael Iverson has given dozens of presentations throughout the Twin Cities. Topics run the gamut from music pedagogy, audition preparation and now to the intersection of leadership and teaching. A select number of presentations are described here, with new presentations in the works.
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Transformational Leadership, Transformational Teachership: Understanding the Leadership of Pedagogy
There’s an adage in the teaching profession: we teach the way we’ve been taught. A similar saying could be said of leadership: we lead the way we’ve been led. Leadership, in general, is a skill set requiring vision, goals, commitment and dedication – all skills necessary for effective teaching. Whether our teachers were transformational or transactional, leaders or managers, inspiring or not, we as teachers need to step back and reflect on how we've been taught and led. This presentation by Jon Michael Iverson, a doctoral candidate in educational leadership, offers teachers an opportunity to reflect on transformational leadership, effective teaching, and what that means in the music studio and classroom.
Best Adjudication Practices
Student progress is influenced and guided by teacher feedback in each lesson. In an audition setting, students are especially tuned in to the written feedback provided by judges. For some auditionees, a judge’s written comments may leave a lasting impression. It is critical then that the judge write the best “lesson on paper” as possible. Providing constructive written feedback is a skill that warrants exploration and discussion. In this presentation, Jon Michael Iverson, MacPhail’s Student Performance Coordinator, will offer advice for giving positive – yet critical – feedback for students.
Fostering the Musician's Spirit:
Developing and Nurturing Musicality in Students
From time to time, we teachers come across a student either in lessons or at a performance that has a certain je ne sais quoi – an X-factor – that is genuinely musical. This “thing” makes us swoon, it touches our heart – it moves us. But what is that elusive quality, where does that expressiveness come from, and how can we develop that musicality in all of our students? Pianist and teaching artist Jon Michael Iverson has heard hundreds, if not thousands, of performances in his career. In this presentation, we will discuss a broad overview of musicality: what it is, where it comes from, and most pertinent to teachers, how to foster it in students.
From Preparation to Performance:
The Audition Experience
Every year students have unique performance opportunities that are by audition only. From concerti to master classes, from scholarships to auditions, students must demonstrate their musical abilities before a panel of judges. As MacPhail's Student Performance Coordinator, Jon Michael Iverson has heard countless student performers in live auditions. In this workshop for teachers, we will discuss auditions from three different perspectives: from the judges’, from the teachers’ and from the students’ perspective. This workshop will give a broad overview of the audition process and will give some strategies for more effective auditions on behalf of the students.