From Band Camp to Beat Making: How One Teacher Uses Soundtrap to Reach Every Student

July 28, 2025

When COVID-19 hit, music teacher Joe Reynolds found himself staring at a problem many educators faced: how do you teach music when students can't be together? His solution started simple… get Soundtrap for virtual ensembles. Three years later, that emergency purchase has transformed his entire program. "We started with Covid. That was horrible. And we got Soundtrap for that... and I just keep buying it," Joe reflects. What began as a crisis response became the foundation for reaching students he'd never been able to serve before.

The Challenge Every Music Teacher Knows

After 20+ years in education, Joe understood a hard truth about music programs. Traditional ensembles serve students well—but they’re not for everyone. In his district with seven music teachers, each educator needs five full sections to maintain their position. That means finding ways to connect with students beyond the typical band and choir participants.

Joe calls them the “other 80%”—students who love music but don’t fit the traditional mold. The gamers creating soundtracks in their bedrooms. The students who can play complex pieces by ear but freeze when they see notation. The ones labeled as troublemakers in other classes who just need a different way to express themselves.

The math was simple: reach more students or risk losing teaching positions. But the solution required rethinking what music education could look like.

Building a Program That Works for Everyone

Joe’s current setup spans multiple classes, each serving different student needs while using the same core platform:

Electronic Music: From Beginner to Producer

In his Level 1 classes, Joe uses Shed The Music’s Elements curriculum to introduce complete beginners to music creation. Students who’ve never touched an instrument discover they can make professional-sounding tracks within their first few sessions. The structured approach removes barriers while building confidence.

For Level 2, he transitions to more advanced production techniques. Students learn to move beyond loops and create original compositions. “They realize that it’s not as hard as it might seem,” Joe notes, watching students progress from hesitant beginners to confident creators.

Guitar: Meeting Students Where They Are

Joe’s guitar program deliberately avoids traditional notation in the first semester. Instead, students dive straight into playing, using fretboard fundamentals and chord progressions. When they’re ready for transcription exercises, they work with familiar songs and backing tracks that prepare them for real-world music discovery. Joe utilizes Shed the Music’s free guitar course, which helps him reduce the time spent on planning and preparation, to effectively guide his students forward.

This approach attracts students who might otherwise avoid music class entirely. They’re not being asked to decode mysterious symbols—they’re making music from day one.

Music Theory: Making the Abstract Tangible

Even music theory gets a creative makeover by using the Rewire Theory curriculum from Shed the Music. Joe uses custom dice for key signature exercises, turning a potentially dry subject into something engaging. Students record audio examples instead of writing traditional assignments, allowing them to demonstrate understanding through sound rather than symbols.

Half of his theory students go on to excel in AP Music Theory, proving that accessible doesn’t mean academically weak.

Special Education: Universal Access to Music

Perhaps most remarkably, Joe’s approach works for students across all ability levels. This summer, he worked with nonverbal students who communicate through iPads. One student in his regular music production class has found his perfect creative outlet: “He’ll download MIDI files, and he’ll be arranging all day. I don’t have to tell him anything to do.”

When the student’s course options ran out, Joe advocated for him to repeat classes. Why? Because he was making music and loving every minute of it.

The Curriculum That Changed Everything

The partnership between Soundtrap and Shed The Music’s structured curriculum solved Joe’s biggest implementation challenge. Before, he could envision the possibilities but struggled with the day-to-day logistics of sequential, scaffolded learning.

Now, lessons flow logically from basic concepts to advanced techniques. Students can work at their own pace, with enrichment activities for quick finishers and multiple entry points for different skill levels. The chronological structure means Joe can focus on individual student needs rather than constantly creating new materials.

Most importantly, students can continue learning at home. Unlike expensive desktop software that required school lab time, Soundtrap works on their Chromebooks anywhere they have internet access.

When Students Find Their Voice

The transformation Joe witnesses goes beyond technical skill development. Students who struggle in traditional academic settings often thrive in his classes. Some arrive with reputations as troublemakers, but Joe sees different possibilities.

These students aren’t acting out in his room—they’re creating. They put on headphones, open their Chromebooks, and dive into music production. For many, it’s the highlight of their school day.

Joe’s philosophy is simple: “If your child [says] electronics music or guitar… [is] the most stressful time of your day, we need to go talk to your counselor because these need to be fun.”

But “fun” doesn’t mean easy or unfocused. Students develop genuine skills—ear training, technical proficiency, creative problem-solving, and collaboration. They just happen to enjoy the process.

Beyond Music: Building Life Skills

While Joe’s focus remains musical education, the skills students develop transfer across subjects. They learn research techniques through music history projects, develop technical competencies through audio production, and build confidence through creative expression.

Students who never spoke up in other classes find their voice through audio creation. Advanced musicians discover new ways to collaborate. Complete beginners realize they have musical abilities they never knew existed.

Making It Work: The Practical Side

One concern Joe often hears from colleagues is cost. His response is pragmatic: the investment in Soundtrap and curriculum pays for itself through increased enrollment and program sustainability. Districts spend more money on initiatives that have far less impact on student engagement.

For teachers worried about their technical abilities, Joe offers encouragement rooted in experience. Music educators already possess the foundational knowledge they need. The technology learning curve is manageable, especially with structured curriculum support.

“You already have the music skills. You’re a music teacher, you’re good,” he tells hesitant colleagues. “You just have to be a couple days ahead of the kids, and it’s really not that hard.”

The key is starting small and building confidence through success—exactly what his students experience.

The Bigger Picture: Program Survival and Growth

Joe’s approach addresses a reality many music educators face but don’t always discuss openly: program sustainability. In his district, non-traditional music classes aren’t just enriching student experiences—they’re maintaining teaching positions.

When programs serve more students across diverse interests, they become harder to cut. They demonstrate music education’s relevance to 21st-century skills. They create multiple pathways for student engagement while supporting the traditional ensembles that remain vital to comprehensive programs.

Getting Started: A Teacher’s Perspective

For educators considering a similar transformation, Joe’s advice is refreshingly practical. Start by exploring the platform yourself. Sign up for trials, browse curriculum options, and get comfortable with the basics.

Then begin small—try one lesson with an existing class. Focus on student response rather than technical perfection. Pay attention to which students engage differently than they do in traditional formats.

Most importantly, embrace flexibility. “Be flexible… It’s okay to have fun, relax… go have fun with your kids, make some music, be cool.”

Joe’s program didn’t transform overnight. It evolved through experimentation, adaptation, and a commitment to serving all students—not just the ones who fit traditional molds.

The Results Speak for Themselves

After years of implementation, Joe can walk into any of his technology-integrated classes without a lesson plan and deliver an engaging experience. That confidence comes from understanding his students, having reliable tools, and maintaining focus on what matters most: helping young people discover their musical potential.

His students aren’t just learning software—they’re developing creativity, technical skills, and confidence that will serve them long after they graduate. Some will pursue music professionally. Others will simply carry forward an appreciation for creative expression and the knowledge that they can make something beautiful.

Ready to see what’s possible when you give every student a way to make music? Explore how Soundtrap For Education and Shed the Music’s structured curriculum can transform your program. Because sometimes the best innovations come from simply meeting students where they are and giving them the tools to surprise you.

Discover how Soundtrap For Education can amplify student voice in your classroom. Start your free trial and explore curriculum resources designed to make music technology accessible for every teacher and engaging for every student.