11 Bulletin Board Ideas for the Elementary Music Room
How I Started with Music Bulletin Board Ideas When I started at my new school, I walked into a building mid-renovation—not a single music bulletin board was up. I was also adjusting to life in a new country, learning unfamiliar systems, routines, and expectations, all...
Soundscapes
My concert is this week! The theme is “Landscapes.” We’ve taken a creative approach, shaping the music to reflect the ideas and sounds of different landscapes, making our performance into a bit of an immersive musical journey. Our process started with a simple...
Meaningful Movement: A Music Teacher’s Guide to Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Meaningful Movement: A Music Teacher’s Guide to Dalcroze Eurhythmics by Marla Butke and David Frego is a practical and easy-to-use resource for music educators who want to integrate Dalcroze-inspired movement into their teaching. With a clear structure and engaging...
Rythm Systems for the Elementary Music Room
In my classroom, I drew and cut out two objects that looked like toolboxes. One is called the rhythm toolbox, and the other is the melody toolbox. I often tell students that they have two toolboxes at their sides, one for rhythm and the other for melody, to help...
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,”...
Seesaw: Activities for the Music Romm
Being relatively new to my school, I’m still adjusting to a schedule where I see students only once a week—a major shift after 21 years of seeing them twice a week. This change has required me to recalibrate my expectations, activities, and overall approach. In the...
Learning Stations In The Music Room
For a long time, I watched my colleagues, who were homeroom teachers, regularly implement learning centers in their classrooms. I loved what I saw: students demonstrating independence, experiencing different opportunities for socialization, and receiving one-on-one...
Snowflakes: A Winter Lesson Plan Part2
Snowflakes Lesson Extension Create a “snowflake dance” Begin class with a “piano story” that explores the motions of floating, twirling, and whirling. Be sure to improvise in a compound meter. Show images of different patterned snowflakes making mention that no two...
Snowflakes: A winter Lesson Plan
“Snowflakes that stay on my nose and my nose and my lashes.” ~Oscar Hammerstein Ii / Richard Rodgers from The Sound of Music Waking up to a fresh snowfall is a beautiful site, delighting children and teachers alike! Ha-Ha! As we approach the winter solstice, enjoy...
It’s National Ukulele Day
February 2nd is National Ukulele Day! Yes, it’s true! A day made special for ukulele! Thinking about incorporating the ukulele into your curriculum? Ukuleles can be an excellent tool for teaching melody, rhythm, harmony, form, and style concepts. And simply...