PERPICH SUMMER MUSIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS – AUGUST 4, 2026 “MUSIC FOR EVERYBODY: ADAPTIVE INSTRUMENTS, APPS, AND INCLUSIVE BAND STRATEGIES”
Perpich is excited to offer a series of five (5) summer Professional Development sessions for music teachers. All workshops will be in person at Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley in August, 2026. Each workshop will be filled with teaching resources, strategies, and experiences you can use in your teaching this fall. Come to one or all five! Workshops will run 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., followed by an optional lunch at a nearby restaurant. Register for each session separately and earn 4 clock hours for each session, plus an additional hour if you attend lunch. There is no cost to participate.
Tuesday, August 4 – Music for Every Body: Adaptive Instruments, Apps, and Inclusive Band Strategies
DATE: Tuesday, August 4, 2026
TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., plus optional off-campus lunch
LOCATION (in-person):
Perpich Center for Arts Education
Gaia Building – Glass Box
6125 Olson Memorial Hwy, Golden Valley, MN 55422
*Gaia is the white building label 6105 on the east side of Perpich campus by the soccer fields
DESCRIPTION: Music for Every Body: Adaptive Instruments, Apps, and Inclusive Band Strategies is a hands-on workshop designed for elementary, middle school, and classroom/general music teachers, as well as music educators interested in inclusive practices. Drawing on approaches developed through the UNI Spectrum Project, this session explores practical ways to make music participation accessible for students with diverse learning, physical, and communication needs. Participants will experiment with adaptive instruments such as Orba, Chorda, and Oddball electronic percussion, interactive tools like motion-based drumsticks, and iPad music apps that support accessible music-making. The workshop will also demonstrate ways to adapt modern band equipment so students with disabilities can participate in rock bands alongside their peers. Teachers will rotate through hands-on activity stations and discuss strategies for adapting these ideas for their own classrooms. Participants should bring a smartphone or tablet (if available) for trying music apps; all other instruments and materials will be provided.
TARGET AUDIENCE: This workshop is designed for K-12 music teachers.
DETAILS:
- Each workshop will take place 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- There is no cost to participate but a separate registration is required for each day.
- Water and snacks will be provided.
- An optional networking lunch will follow each workshop. The cost of lunch is on your own.
- Four clock hours will be earned each day (+ 1 additional clock hour when attending the networking lunch).
Questions? Email Dr. Michael Buck, Music Education Specialist at michael.buck@pcae.k12.mn.us
