Episode 48: Comfortable in Your Own Skin with Dr. Erin Colwitz

What does it take to feel truly comfortable in your own skin as a music educator?

Dr. Erin Colwitz, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Northern Michigan University, joins Megan for a candid conversation about the lessons that shaped her, from growing up in the choir room of her mother, a middle school choir director and union advocate, to nearly two decades of mentoring future music teachers. Erin shares how she helps students move past perfectionism and build resilience, why structure is what makes a choir room safe enough for real vulnerability, and how she found the courage to call out sexism and predatory behavior in our field. She also opens up about therapy, documenting everything, and the practice of holding two truths at once: a performance can fall short, and you can still be a good musician and a good person.

An honest, generous conversation for anyone who wants to grow as a teacher, an artist, and a human.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of a student’s death by suicide following online sexual extortion (around the 22-minute mark). If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.