After more than fifty years as a music educator and conductor, the legendary Paula Crider has experienced it all - the lows and the highs, the messes and the magnificence of teaching music at all levels. With love, wit, and sincerity, she now shares her hard-earned wisdom in this must-read for anyone who teaches music. There is something here for educators on every leg of the teaching journey. Crider's conversational narrative begins with her unconventional student-teaching experience and moves through the essentials for music educators - everything from score study, rehearsal strategies, and conducting technique to classroom culture and teacher self-care. Not only does Crider touch on pedagogy, but she also discusses the often elusive "secret ingredients" that turn notes on the page into meaningful musical experiences. Beyond the Notes proves Crider to be a role model of skill, artistry, passion, and purpose whose insight and experience will have readers returning to this book over and over.