SoundEd: Professional Development Grow All Students!
– Inform, Influence & Inspire.
After leading various professional development sessions and moderating panel discussions, the need arose for a more formal organization to bring teachers, leaders and innovators together. Through SoundEd, Peter Briggs teaches students, coaches teachers and shares his years of research and experience locally and nationally to utilize TRUST PSYCHOLOGY and GROWTH PEDAGOGY. This approach develops an awareness of equity, builds culturally responsiveness and enables social-emotional learning. When student belong in the learning spaces and trust their learning communities, they will achieve and succeed.
Peter Briggs, SoundEd Founder
Peter Briggs has been teaching music of all types for 18 years, including band, choir, drumline, piano and music theory. He got his start at Central Washington University with a Bachelors Degree in Broad Area Music Education in 2004. He continued his education by getting his National Board Certification in 2010. He earned a Master’s Degree in Band Conducting from the American Band College in 2013.
For the past 14 years, Peter has taught in an inner-city school in Tacoma, Washington. Here he honed his philosophy of teaching, including an emphasis on Trust Psychology, Growth Pedagogy and a Differentiated Portfolio Project. He regularly engages with students, teacher and universities to prioritize awareness and advocacy surrounding equity, access and diversity within music education, and currently serves on the WMEA Equity Committee. Peter founded SoundEd in 2019 to support the professional development of teachers. He presents sessions at schools and conferences across the country.
Peter’s drumline students have won numerous awards and been featured across the state in such notable performances as an NFL Half-time show. He is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus award from Central Washington University’s School of Education in 2017 and Washington Music Educators Association’s Educator of the Year for the Commencement Bay Region in 2019 and was a national finalist for Music Teacher of the Year in 2019. He is the 2022 WMEA High School Teacher of the Year, and the WMEA/WIAA Washington State Music Teacher of the Year. He currently lives in the tiny hamlet of Bonney Lake, Washington with his wife and two children. He is a passionate baker and enjoys spending time outdoors with his family.
What other cool/neat/awesome stuff has happened? So glad you asked!
- His drumline has been featured across the state at universities, conferences and have performed for Bshp Desomond Tutu, President Xi and multiple Governors of Washington State. Legit!
- He studied voice as his primary instrument in college.
- Voted “Best Cookie Baker” by both of his children, ten years running!
- Voted “Cutest Guy in Tacoma” by his wife, who definitely did NOT write this bio!
SoundEd 