Audience

K – 12 Music Teachers and Special Education Teachers

Presenter Name(s)

Jen Kass, Music Therapist, (MA, MT-BC) 

Jessica Corwin, Adaptive Music Program Director of the Community Music School of Springfield

Presenter Bio(s)

Jennifer Kass graduated from Clark University with a B.A. in Music and earned a M.A. in Music Therapy at Lesley University. She is certified by the Board of Music Therapists. Jen is a teaching artist in CMSS’ Adaptive Music Program. In addition to her work as a music therapist, Jen is also a visual artist and photographer.

Jessica Corwin is a Pioneer Valley-based music educator and performer. After fifteen years of teaching in Massachusetts public schools, she joined CMSS as the Director of the Adaptive Music Program in 2021. As a multi-instrumentalist, Jessica’s varied resume includes work as Strings Director, Assistant Conductor of the Brookline Chorus, Kodaly educator, and infant and toddler music teacher. In 2016, she was a recipient of the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Jessica holds a Graduate Certificate in Music Education and Autism from Berklee School of Music as well as degrees from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Boston Conservatory. She also serves as the Chair of the Sunderland School Committee and is an active member of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. Jessica plays viola professionally and was a founding member of the mission-based chamber ensembles Larcom Strings and the Quark Quartet.

Description

This one-day, in-person course is for in-service general music teachers who are looking for philosophy, language, tools, and activities to support their work with students with disabilities including autism. Music Therapist Jen Kass (MA, MT-BC) and Adaptive Music Program Director Jessica Corwin of the Community Music School of Springfield will give participants tools to bring to their classrooms for accommodation, meaningful inclusion, joyful music-making, and social connection. Topics will include anti-ableist language, neurodivergence-affirming practices, current research on autism, learning differences and corresponding teaching strategies, and the imperative of listening to neurodivergent voices. Participants will engage in a variety of sample classroom activities that can be replicated in their own classrooms.

This course is a pre-requisite for the Adaptive Music Extension course. Participants who partake in this course will have opportunities to register for the additional extension course which will provide a total of (15) PDPs or (1) optional credit.

Synchronous / Asynchronous

Live, Synchronous

Location

ACCEPT Collaborative, 4 Tech Circle, Natick, MA

Dates & Times

Friday, August 15, 2025;  9:00am – 3:00pm

PDPs

6

Credits

N/A

Cost

$150 ACCEPT members / $180 non-members

Registration Deadline

August 1, 2025