Hi! I’m a lifelong musician, former music educator, and the creator of The Measured Melody.
Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. For more than two decades, I’ve worked in music education in various roles, including teaching elementary general music, directing choirs, and providing private music instruction.
One of my favorite parts of teaching was creating lessons and activities that made learning music exciting, accessible, and fun. I loved finding creative ways to help students experience music rather than simply learn about it.
But as any teacher knows, there are never enough hours in the day!
Between lesson planning, teaching, performances, assessments, and everything else that comes with the profession, I rarely had the time to develop all the creative ideas I had in mind.
In 2023, I made the difficult decision to leave classroom teaching and pursue a completely different career.
From the Classroom to Telecom Sales
My career took an unexpected turn into the world of telecommunications sales. What initially felt like a leap into unfamiliar territory turned out to be a surprisingly natural transition.
I discovered that many of the skills I’d developed as a teacher—communication, relationship-building, creativity, organization, and problem-solving—translated beautifully into sales.
After all, teachers are selling ideas every single day! If you’ve ever stood in front of a classroom full of sixth graders and convinced them that what you’re teaching is worth learning, you already know a thing or two about sales!
I genuinely enjoy my new career, but leaving the classroom didn’t mean leaving music behind.
I continue to perform as a singer, including singing at weddings and funerals, and music remains an important part of my life.
And with some distance from the demands of classroom teaching, something wonderful happened: I rediscovered how much I missed creating educational materials.
Why I Created The Measured Melody
During my years in music education, I often found myself searching for resources that were engaging, standards-based, and easy to assess.
There were plenty of fun music activities available, but finding resources that combined creativity with meaningful, measurable student learning wasn’t always easy.
I wanted activities that students would genuinely enjoy while also helping teachers understand what their students knew, what they could do, and where they needed additional support.
That idea became the inspiration behind The Measured Melody.
My philosophy is simple: Music learning should be joyful, creative, and measurable.
Every resource I create is designed with student engagement in mind, but it also includes opportunities for formative assessment, summative assessment, or student self-assessment.
Assessment doesn’t have to mean another test or worksheet. It can be a performance, a creative challenge, a partner activity, or a moment of student reflection.
When thoughtfully incorporated into music instruction, assessment can become a natural and meaningful part of the learning experience.
What You’ll Find Here
Through The Measured Melody, I hope to share practical teaching ideas, creative classroom activities, meaningful assessment strategies, and standards-based music resources that help busy teachers save time without sacrificing creativity.
You’ll also find reflections on my own journey beyond the classroom, including the unexpected connections between teaching and sales, career transitions, and finding new ways to pursue the things we love.
My goal is to help music teachers bring a little more creativity, confidence, and fun into their classrooms while making student learning easier to see and celebrate.
Whether you’re a new music teacher, a seasoned educator looking for fresh inspiration, or someone navigating a career transition of your own, I hope you’ll find something here that speaks to you.
The Measured Melody: Where Standards-Based Music Assessment Meets Classroom Fun.
I’m so glad you’re here!
Allison G. Cherry
Creator of The Measured Melody
