“You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat” and Other Lessons we can Learn from “Jaws” and Apply into Music and Arts Education

In 1975, Jaws hit theaters and changed how many of us view what’s lurking in the water forever. Fifty years later, it’s still thrilling audiences—not just for the suspense, but for the way it blends story, craft, and unforgettable music (thank you, John Williams). This year, in honor of it’s 50th anniversary, you’ve likely seen an endless tribute to Jaws on TV, in theatrical re-releases, and merchandise.

Now, as an adult watching Jaws through a music teacher educator lens, I see some surprising parallels and practical lessons many of us can take into our teaching.

Here are the top moments from the movie that particularly struck me as incredibly relatable to music and arts education:

1. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

When Chief Brody first sees the shark, he knows their current plan won’t cut it. I can’t think of a single music or arts educator who has not experienced this moment in the classroom or within the broader context of their school or district. What I love about this scene is that he states the most obvious problem, the problem that really needs to be solved before anything else can be tackled. He doesn’t think about five other things that are wrong, he focuses on one.

What teachers can do: I’ve participated in district wide meetings and collaborated with arts education teams and organizations as we try to solve the seemingly never-ending cycle of problems that are encountered in the daily work of teaching within the arts.

Too often, we get stuck in the weeds of teaching, doing the same things every day but never really feeling the positive impact that our strategies could be having on our work and students. Often, the first step of a solution really should be trying to address the greater context. Yes, you can adapt teaching to meet the needs of your students in the classroom. But you might be able to do this better if you had common planning time at different points throughout the year. That is the “bigger boat”. Yes, you can pay for a subscription to Quaver music. But if you are having difficulty applying the lessons to your students to address their needs and interests, you’ll need help learning how to do that. That’s the “bigger boat”. I’ve learned that when it comes to music and arts education, we can have a lot of resources, but are often lacking in the opportunity and support needed to apply and put things into action. We have too much content with not enough action and application.

So, continue teaching day-to-day and doing what you need to do. But also keep taking steps to get the “bigger boat” you need to make what you are doing even better, more efficient, and more impactful. This will take time and many people engaged in this work, but it will be worth it.

2. Calm waters can turn choppy fast

The opening scene in Jaws shifts from serene to chaos in seconds. This is particularly true for music and arts educators, who know first-hand that arts classrooms and the context in which we teach are dynamic. Unexpected disruptions happen daily. The teaching load you thought you had suddenly changes, or you unexpectedly find yourself without a classroom for the year due to renovations. Your ability to respond quickly sets the tone for how students react.

What teachers can do:

• Build a 3–5 minute “reset” activity (body percussion game, quick sketch, breathing exercise) you can use to redirect energy of students (and yourself) as you are encounter the unexpected.

• Practice staying calm under pressure; your composure is contagious. Students will feel your “vibe” and mirror that.

• Remind yourself that you are a professional and that you are capable. Try not to tie your self-worth to how you react to things under pressure. I see this a lot with the early career teachers I work with and have personally experienced this myself every time I “level-up” within my role as an educator. Keep going. Growth will happen if you choose to commit. You can do this.

3. Quint’s Indianapolis speech

One scene in the movie that particularly struck me was the story that Quint shared about the fate of his shipmates while on a mission during WWII. Quint, an unlikely character to have this monologue, demonstrated depth that I wasn’t expecting. This highlighted to me the importance of connecting with our students.

What teachers can do: While it is important to remember that we should not become too familiar with our students by oversharing, storytelling builds trust. Sharing your own experiences—successes and struggles—humanizes you and inspires students. This is a great way to establish rapport and foster a positive classroom community.

4. The theme music (two simple notes)

Ba-dum….Ba-dum….

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum….

Two notes. So powerful, so recognizable (I know you heard that in your head while you were reading it) and so simple.

As music and arts educators, when it comes to goal setting and creating a plan to get there, we often overcomplicate things. I’ve learned that the most simple, easy thing to do, regardless of your goals, is to be consistent. Consistency always wins.

I know this is over-simplifying it, but that really is the point.

Want your choral students to be better sight-readers? Build in consistent time every class meeting to practice this.

Trying a new lesson only to have it flop? Don’t toss it. Refine it. Try it again. Get to the root about why it wasn’t successful and make the necessary changes.

Trying to introduce more student agency into the classroom? Excellent! I love it! Chances are, your students might not be used to being given so much choice. They’ll need practice at it. A scaffolded approach. They’ll need consistency.

Consistency is simple. Consistency is effective. And I’ll say it again, consistency always wins.

Cheers to you and all the wonderful things you do!