Music In Our Schools Month!

To music teachers, March means one thing….

It’s Music In Our Schools Month!

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) proudly created and celebrates this month the 40th annual Music In Our Schools Month.  This year’s theme, “United Through Music,” highlights how music brings people together, fostering connection and shared experiences in school communities.

Here’s a project I’ve used to help our school community recognize that we are more alike than different.  We call it Mystery Musician.

Almost everyone has had some kind of musical experience, whether in childhood or later in life.  I wanted students to discover the hidden musical backgrounds of their teachers and realize that music connects us all in some of the most unexpected ways.

I have found that it works best with 4th and 5th-grade students.  This project takes between 3 to 4 class periods.  I have divided it in the following way:

Day 1: Introduction to the project, have guided discussion generating interview questions

Day 2: Pair students (prepare & organize this yourself), assign pairs their mystery teacher, students conduct interview, begin to turn their answers from the interview into statements for their script, PRINT photo of teacher interviewed.

Day 3: Students finish creating their scripts and begin recording themselves using Mote or Vocaroo, which generates the QR code.

Day 4: Test QR code and assemble:  cut out QR code and teacher photo, velcro dots

Students will need:

• • • iPad
    • clipboard/pencil
    • Mystery Musician Interview Questions
    • Mystery Musician Script.
    • Cardstock Template (or card stock), scissors, glue stick, velcro dots

Faculty Musical Mystery Bulletin Board – Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Create A Questionnaire

• • • Collaborate with students to design a questionnaire about teachers’ musical experiences.  (Or use this one.)
    • Ensure questions are engaging and easy to turn into statements later (like this one)

Step 2: Conduct Teacher Interviews

• • • Assign faculty members to student pairs.
    • Students use the questionnaire to interview their assigned teacher.
    • Students photograph the faculty member after the interview using an iPad. (They could also record themselves conducting the interview, but encourage them to write first and then use the recording to follow up for reinforcement.)

Step 3: Transform Answers into Statements

• • • Guide students in turning the interview responses into clear, engaging statements.
    • Use a provided template like this to help flip questions into statements.

Step 4: Record Voice Memos or use Mote/Vocaroo

• • • A school IT coach visits the class to teach students how to convert voice memos into scannable QR codes OR how to use Mote or Vocaroo.
    • Students record themselves reading their statements.
    • Each student generates a unique QR code for their recorded clues.

• Step 5: Print & Prepare Materials

  • • • Students print their faculty member’s photo and their generated QR code.
      • Gather materials: colored paper (8.5” x 11”), scissors, glue sticks, and velcro dots (both fuzzy and scratchy sides).

  Step 6: Assemble the Mystery Cards

  • • • Fold the colored paper in half.
      • Glue the teacher’s photo inside the folded paper.
      • Attach one side of the velcro dot to the inside where the photo is placed.Place the cut-out QR code on the outside of the folded paper.

Step 7: Set Up the Bulletin Board

• • • Display the finished cards on a bulletin board outside the music room.
    • Arrange them so the QR codes are visible, enticing passersby to participate.

Step 8: Engage the School Community

• • • Students and staff scan the QR code to listen to the mystery clues.
    • After guessing which faculty member the clues describe, they lift the flap (undoing the velcro) to reveal the teacher’s identity.

Step 9: Celebrate & Reflect

• • • Enjoy the excitement and buzz around the school!
    • Encourage students to observe how their project engaged the community.
    • Discuss what they learned about their teachers and music’s role in people’s lives.

This interactive bulletin board was a huge hit, sparking curiosity, engagement, and school-wide participation, showing us all that through music, we are more alike than different!