For those new to tweeting, Twitter is known as "microblogging." You get about the same amount of characters as a text message to send out into the "twittersphere." You can choose to protect your tweets so that you approve exactly who sees your updates (a good idea for minors), or you can choose to leave your tweets public. You can use the search function to find people and topics to follow. You can follow as many or as few people as you like. Twitter is GREAT for following breaking news and live events (like #DCIMN last weekend, or #drumcorps all season long). Fun fact: tweets are archived by the Library of Congress (well, kind of)!
We use our Twitter account to follow what's going on in the world of music education, and to connect with music parents, music educators, and other like-minded people. I also live-tweet a number of our events, like webinars and regional roundtables. We also have personal conversations via Twitter. Think of it as an online cocktail party!
We also participate in Twitter chats from time to time, like the #musedchat (music education chat) on Monday nights at 8 pm Eastern. This symbol (#) is called a hashtag, and people use it to create a searchable stream of tweets. That way, anyone who is participating in #musedchat can type it into the search bar and see ONLY those tweets participating in the chat. It's a great way to cut through the chatter. Maybe one day we will host our own #AMPchat!
In the meantime, send us a tweet at @MusicParents! I'd love to chat about anything that's on your mind, and answer any questions you may have. And feel free to follow my personal account at @KathleenHeuer or to follow Scott McCormick at @AMParents_Scott.
Tweet you later!
