Audience

K – 12 Music Teachers and Special Education Teachers who have previously taken Introduction to Adaptive Music

Presenter Name(s)

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

Jessica Corwin, Director, Medley Music Access & Inclusion

Presenter Bio(s)

Jessica Corwin, Director of Medley Music Access & Inclusion, has been a proud Massachusetts public school teacher since 2005, and has taught in rural, suburban and urban districts across the Commonwealth. She holds degrees in Music Education from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Boston Conservatory, Kodaly certification from Hartt School of Music, and a Graduate Certificate in Music Education and Autism from Berklee College of Music. Outside of classroom work, she also contributes to systemic public education change through her efforts as Sunderland School Committee Chair, Frontier Regional School Committee Clerk, and other political roles. The quality of her work in education has been recognized by awards from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.

Jen Kass (MA, MT-BC) has been a board certified music therapist since 2001. She holds degrees from Clark University and Lesley University and serves as the Music Therapy Liaison for the Community Music School of Springfield (Massachusetts). She is also an active visual artist.

Description

This course consists primarily of independent study work to help teachers reach 10- and 15-hour PDP requirements for their license renewal while deepening their understanding of adaptive music education pedagogy and meeting the needs of students who receive Special Education services. Completion of Intro to Adaptive Music Education for 5 or 6 professional hours is a prerequisite; those hours can be bundled with this independent study to apply to licensure requirements. 

Following a Universal Design for Learning model, participants will consider a menu of project options, pick one that suits their interests and needs, complete the project, and present their learning to classmates at a culminating online session. Possible projects include planning and reflecting on lessons for students with high support needs, reading and reflecting on a book about adaptive music education, reading/watching first person perspectives about disability in any of a variety of formats and reflecting on them, and planning curriculum for your classroom.

Participants will maintain a log of hours spent on this project. Time spent in the welcoming and concluding online meetings count toward the total hours. At the conclusion of this course, professional hours will be awarded according to each participant’s time log, and bundled with the professional hours from Intro to Adaptive Music Education to become 15 PDPs in Special Education.

Medley Music Access & Inclusion specializes in the true access and inclusion of disabled students with high support needs in school-based music classrooms. We welcome all learners into the essential human experience of creating and loving music with others through providing professional development, adaptive music instruction and teacher resources.

Synchronous / Asynchronous

Live, Synchronous

Location

ACCEPT Collaborative, 4 Tech Circle, Natick, MA

Dates & Times

September 21 – November 2, 2026

Live Zoom Sessions:

Start Up Session – Monday, 9/21;  4:00pm – 4:30pm

Final Session & Project Presentation – Monday, 11/2;  4:00pm – 6:00pm

PDPs

15 total when combined with Intro to Adaptive Music

Credits

One optional graduate credit for an additional fee  

Cost

$225 ACCEPT members / $270 non-members

Registration Deadline

September 14, 2026