By Dasia Hood

Before becoming a teacher, Crystal Briley had a career in opera performance.

But she’s always been around education and music, as her mom, aunts and grandmothers were all music teachers. Inevitably, while auditioning and singing opera, she taught in Nashville and enjoyed seeing the lightbulb moments in her students that her family encouraged her to experience for herself.

“Turns out my mother was right!” she said. She enjoyed being in the classroom more than being on the stage.

An elementary music teacher now for 10 years, Briley was recognized this spring as an ASC Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient for her creativity in building resilience through music education at University Park Creative Arts Elementary School. The recognition came with a $1,500 award and original artwork.

Briley’s favorite part about teaching elementary students is seeing their journey from kindergarten to fifth grade, developing through different stages of life. Being a teacher introduced her to being an active listener – hearing what is said and unsaid – to understand these “little humans” and how she can meet their needs.

“Gone are the days of sit-and-get instruction,” she said. “Students need that interactive and student-driven choice to get that impact in what they are learning.” This approach allows them to demonstrate their knowledge in a way that’s comfortable for them, she said.

A typical day in Briley’s class involves saying, singing, moving, playing and creating. The goal is to ensure the day sings with meaningful and musical moments.

Her approach to student-centered and arts-integrated focus in her classroom sets her apart. She pulls students’ math and literacy classroom content into what they are doing in her classroom. So, it’s not just learning music but consistently teaching content “to make connections on both sides of the hallway.” Her efforts pay off, as she’s seen her students’ literacy scores improve while enriching their learning experiences.

Briley has a passion for excellence but believes “the idea that ‘practice makes perfect’ is false. It should be ‘practice makes progress.’” She teaches her developing students about embracing the process and learning how to progress, not perform.

Her desire to understand the mindsets of her students is never-ending. She logged over 210 professional hours to get certified in the Orff-Schulwerk music-and-movement approach.

The method has helped her understand how her students feel and enabled her to be mindful in teaching moments – being aware of what’s happening in the world around them and the real-life content that matters beyond the standard. Additionally, she’s taking a masterclass to learn how to write pop music for her kids to align with their musical interests.

“It’s about teaching babies to be better humans,” she said. “I’m in the business of changing hearts and minds through music. It changed my life, and I know it can do the same for them.”