Elementary Music Improvisation Lesson: What Makes a Wildcat Wild?
What Makes a Wildcat Wild? from Purposeful Pathways 3 is one of those songs that gives you multiple options so you can meet your students where they are and use only what you need. Instead of a fixed sequence, you can choose what your students need and cherry-pick...
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...
Elementary Music Sub Plans: Framework Ideas & Ready-to-Use Activities
Whether it’s you or your sub, having a list of possibilities to use for your music class is reassuring and helpful to everyone. Create a framework to work within. Maybe begin with a video, followed by quiet background music while students color or do puzzles. Or...
Organizing Elementary Music Sub Plans: Sub Tub, Binders & Digital Tools for Success
There are times when I would rather go to school and push through feeling lousy than make sub-plans. Our subs are typically not musicians or music teachers. And on top of it all, our students need us to be there to pull out barred instruments and other classroom...
Music In Our Schools Month Bulletin Board Idea: Mystery Musician Community Project
Music teachers know that March means one thing: Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM). Created by the National Association for Music Education, this annual celebration highlights the importance of music education in schools. If you're looking for a Music In Our Schools...
Valentine’s Day Activity: “A Round My Heart” (3-Part Canon)
Looking for an easy, meaningful Valentine’s Day activity? A Round My Heart, by Roger Sams, is a sweet, accessible way to explore harmony, listening, and ensemble skills with your students. This 3-part canon layers beautifully and brings a little musical love into your...
Starting a Recorder Club: Top Recorder Consort Resources for Music Teachers
Starting a recorder club is a fantastic way to give upper elementary and middle school students a fresh, hands-on ensemble experience. A recorder ensemble helps students build independence on their parts, develop blending and balancing skills, and explore harmony in a...
Bringing Recorder Consorts to Life in Upper Elementary and Middle School
When we picture recorders in the music classroom, most of us imagine students playing in unison on soprano recorder. But the moment you introduce alto, tenor, or bass recorders, the entire room shifts—students sit up, gasp, and whisper a collective “WOW!” This is...
Creating Eerie Classroom Soundscapes
This season is the perfect time to explore soundscapes with your students! Soundscapes are musical environments that capture a mood, setting, or atmosphere. They’re not about structured rhythm or melody; instead, they use layered sounds to create an almost cinematic...
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...