Session Proposals

Dr. Joshua Chism is an Associate Professor and the Director of Choral Activities at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK. There Joshua advises music students; teaches private voice, Diction, and Vocal Pedagogy courses; and conducts the OBU Chorale, Bisonette Glee Club, and Golden Bison Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Joshua is the Conductor and Artistic Director for Chorale Coeur d'Alene, a 140-voice regional choral arts society based in Idaho.

Joshua holds a PhD in Music Education with an emphasis in Conducting and Choral Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma in Norman (2022). He earned an MM in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri–Columbia, graduating in 2019. Joshua holds Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Bachelor of Music Composition degree from Missouri State University in Springfield (2010). Additionally, he holds Kodály Level I, II, and III certification.

His research interests include the impact of service-learning internships, music assessment, MUED curriculum content, and community music. Joshua has recently presented research at the Collegiate Musicological Society, NAfME, ACDA, and SMTE conferences. In his spare time, Joshua likes to compose, travel, garden, eat sushi, and play board games. Joshua, his wife Natalie, and their young children (Jacob and Hannah) reside in Shawnee, OK. For more information, visit www.joshuachism.com.

Music classrooms, often perceived as spaces of joy and expression, can inadvertently trigger students with trauma histories. Traditional pedagogical approaches, focused solely on performance and technical skill, may overlook the emotional and psychological needs of these learners. This session will equip educators with practical, research-based, trauma-informed strategies to create a safe and supportive musical environment.
We will explore the impact of trauma on learning and behavior specifically within the music context. Participants will learn to recognize the signs of trauma response and understand how to adapt their teaching practices accordingly.

This interactive session will provide specific pedagogical strategies around the following themes:
1. Creating a Safe and Predictable Environment: Establishing clear routines, offering choices, and fostering a sense of belonging.
2. Building Relational Safety: Prioritizing connection, empathy, and active listening.
3. Utilizing Sensory Awareness: Incorporating grounding techniques and mindful music-making to regulate the nervous system.
4. Promoting Self-Regulation: Teaching learners strategies to manage emotional responses through music and movement.
5 Cultivating Empowerment and Agency: Offering opportunities for creative expression and collaborative music-making.
6. Alleviating Performance Pressure/Anxiety: Shifting focus from product to process and personal growth.

Participants will engage in practical exercises, discuss real-world scenarios, and leave with a toolkit of actionable strategies to implement in their own classrooms—fostering a more inclusive and healthy musical experience for all students.

• Lower Elementary (Grades PreK-2)
• Upper Elementary/General Music (Grades 3-5)
• Band - Middle School
• Band - Secondary
• Choral - Middle School
• Choral - Secondary
• Orchestra - Middle School
• Orchestra - Secondary