( ENSPIRE Music ) Tarbet Provides Professional Development Through Elementary Music Summit® and Middle School Music Summit™
When it comes to music, it should be experienced and shared with everyone. Bryson Tarbet is making that happen through his advocacy of inclusive education. Tarbet is the founder of That Music Teacher LLC. He helps create inclusive classrooms catering to all students, including those with neurodiverse needs. He has ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and was a former PreK-6 general music teacher. While on an intervention team, he grew a deep passion for working with students with disabilities. Tarbet discovered a way to have students of all intricacies fully participate and engage in the classroom, primarily where music was being taught. Through his development resources, he now has the tools to help music educators nationwide.
Tarbet constructed the Elementary Music Summit® and Middle School Music Summit™ to provide content-specific professional development tailored to the needs of general music teachers. He focused on how to build inclusive, engaging learning environments. Besides spreading more awareness in developing inclusive classrooms, Tarbet hosts “That Music Podcast,” where he regularly shares strategies for supporting students with neurodiverse needs. To achieve his goal, he developed Five Domains of Accessibility: Sensory, Language, Physical, Cognitive, and Social/Emotional. This includes creating sensory-friendly spaces, offering visual supports, and using noise-canceling headphones or fidget tools to support students’ needs.
Tarbet shares his music expertise and transition to advocacy for inclusive education. He explains that the focus is on sensory processing disorder and ADHD, and he shares the Five Domains of Accessibility and how they help music teachers. In addition, he discusses Elementary Music Summit® and “That Music Podcast” and their importance. He discusses the challenges many teachers face in creating inclusive spaces where all children can flourish, and he describes ways to quickly adapt a classroom to meet all students’ sensory needs. Lastly, Tarbet explains his future goals for “That Music Teacher LLC.”
You’re a former music teacher who transitioned to become an advocate for inclusive education, particularly with a focus on sensory processing disorder (SPD) and ADHD. What specifically sparked your passion for this area?
I’ve been interested in music for as long as I can remember. I also come from a long line of public school teachers. When it came to choosing what to pursue in college, it was an easy choice because I wanted to share my love of music with others. As I entered the classroom and began my graduate studies, I became very interested in differentiation, sensory needs, and ensuring that all students succeed in the music classroom. My experience as a neurodiverse individual may have started my interest in this area, but what kept me going was seeing how small changes could have a fantastic impact on a student’s ability to succeed in my classroom.
Can you elaborate on your “Five Domains of Accessibility” and how they help music teachers create truly inclusive learning environments?
The Domains of Accessibility is something I came up with after working with many teachers on creating more inclusive and differentiated classrooms. The more I coached teachers through the idea of implementing and viewing their classrooms through a lens of Universal Design for Learning, the more I began to notice that teachers struggled to identify the barriers to accessing the classroom, which led me to develop the five domains:
Sensory Accessibility involves creating a classroom environment that considers students’ sensory needs so they can participate comfortably. For example, students with auditory sensitivities can use noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. Offering fidget toys or stress balls can help students self-regulate. A sensory-friendly classroom might include adjustable lighting, quiet areas, and varied seating options.
Language Accessibility is essential for supporting English language learners (ELLs) and students with speech and language processing disorders. These students may struggle to understand or respond to instructions. To improve language accessibility, teachers can use visual aids, images, and written supports alongside spoken language. Using consistent language, giving extra processing time, and providing bilingual materials or sign language where appropriate can also help.
Physical Accessibility addresses the needs of students with physical disabilities. This includes designing a space that allows free movement and easy access to instruments and materials. Some students may need adaptive instruments or modified movement activities. Physical accessibility also includes structural changes like ramps and modifying game rules to include all students.
Cognitive Accessibility is about supporting students with mental or learning disorders such as ADHD, dyslexia, and more. Teachers can help these students by having consistent routines, breaking tasks into smaller steps, giving clear instructions, and using visual aids. Hands-on techniques and kinesthetic activities can also help learning in this domain.
Social/Emotional Accessibility is about creating a positive classroom environment where all students feel safe, valued, and respected. This includes establishing intense routines, building community, and allowing students to express themselves through music. Strategies like peer buddy systems, social stories, and positive reinforcement can help create a supportive environment.
You’ve developed resources like the Elementary Music Summit® and That Music Podcast. Can you share some specific strategies these resources offer to help music educators support students with ADHD and SPD?
One of the biggest struggles music teachers, mainly elementary music teachers, face is a lack of content-specific professional development. We are often the only music teacher in our building and sometimes even the only one in the district. School districts tend to offer more vague professional development or topics unrelated to our content area.
By creating these opportunities for elementary music experts to share what is working in their classrooms, we can help teachers grow in many areas, especially regarding differentiation and inclusion. We always ensure we have session topics related to creating more inclusive classrooms, and many of my trainings focus on my passion for making music classrooms that allow neurodiverse individuals to thrive.
In your experience, what are some common challenges music teachers face when trying to create inclusive classrooms for neurodiverse students?
One of the biggest challenges in the music classroom is the amount of sensory input students receive. By the nature of the content area, music lessons tend to be loud and can contain many atypical timbres that a student may not be used to experiencing. Because of being in a new environment, many things can fight for the student’s attention.
Can you offer concrete examples of how music teachers can quickly adapt their classrooms to be more sensory-friendly?
I will never stop sharing how helpful noise-canceling headphones and fidgets can be for all students, especially neurodiverse students. These relatively inexpensive and straightforward accommodations can distinguish students’ success or struggle in our classrooms. Beyond that, ensuring our lessons have opportunities for movement can be incredibly beneficial for the students we serve.
You believe that making classrooms accessible benefits all students, not just those with specific needs. Can you discuss this concept and how inclusivity improves the learning experience?
The best way to describe this is to think about the noise-canceling headphones. I always made these available to all students. Eventually, the novelty would wear off for those students who weren’t benefiting from it. Still, those students receiving benefits could use this accommodation without feeling othered. In addition, maybe a student is having a headache on a particular day, and even though she typically doesn’t find a benefit in using headphones, she can use that accommodation when she needs it.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for That Music Teacher, LLC, and its impact on accessibility in music education for students with diverse needs?
My team and I have big plans for That Music Teacher. Our core values are Inclusion Matters, Community Empowerment Matters, and Advocacy Matters. We will continue to advocate for inclusive classrooms, empower our teachers through collaboration and community, and, as always, advocate for the importance of a high-quality music education for all students.
“By recognizing the sensory and emotional needs of students with ADHD and SPD, teachers can create environments where every student can succeed,” Tarbet emphasizes. “It’s not just about meeting a diagnosis—it’s about making learning accessible for everyone.”
Tarbet’s mission is to ensure that no student feels left behind due to barriers in the classroom. He believes that improving accessibility for students with ADHD, SPD, and other neurodiverse needs not only benefits those students, but also enhances learning for everyone. For more information about Bryson Tarbet’s “Elementary Music Summit®” and “Middle School Music Summit™” and “That Music Podcast” professional development offerings or to book him for a workshop or podcast interview, visit www.thatmusicteacher.com.
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