Soundscapes

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...
Music In Our Schools Month!

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

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...
Snowflakes: A Winter Lesson Plan Part2

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: 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

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...
Crooked River Choral Project: Part 2

Crooked River Choral Project: Part 2

Crooked River Choral Project: FOCUS on the poetry of Robert LouisStevenson Roger Sams has put together three joyous songs for young choirs based on the poetryof Robert Louis Stevenson. They can be performed separately or combined as a suite. Robert Louis Stevenson...
Crooked River Choral Project: Part 2

Crooked River Choral Project: Part 1

Crooked River Choral Project: FOCUS on American History through Folk SongAuthor: Georgia Newlin Cyndee Giebler has arranged an easy to sing, crowd-pleasing American folksong, The Erie Canal Song. The Crooked River Choral Project is a collection of artful choral music...
Troika! A Fun Winter Folk Dance

Troika! A Fun Winter Folk Dance

The Troika is a get-your-heart-pumpin’-super fun folk dance perfect for any winter celebration, not just the holidays! Inspired by a horse-drawn sleigh, everything about this dance (except the meter) revolves around the number three. “Troika” means...
Beginning Recorder and Millions of Cats

Beginning Recorder and Millions of Cats

Beginning Recorder and Millions of Cats! Admit it; the combination of words for this article’s title caught your curiosity!  And no, I’m not referring to the sound of a beginning recorder player, ha-ha! Curiosity is not killing the cat,,.. But what role does the...
The Magic of Puppets

The Magic of Puppets

I am consistently surprised by the magic that puppets bring to the music classroom!  What I mean is that the connection kids make, including separating my voice from the puppet’s character, always pleasantly shocks me!  The puppet can request just about...
Proactive Advocacy

Proactive Advocacy

Proactive advocacy No matter your situation, building a foundation of support that underscores the value of your program is an important priority.  We know music programs often face scrutiny during budget cuts, shifts in curricular philosophy, leadership, or a...
Exploration in the Early Years

Exploration in the Early Years

Exploration in the Early Years   I’ve received a handful of questions about how I structure the early years music classes I teach.  Each school’s expectations have been different, but the one thing I have come to learn is that students thrive on...
List of Grants for Music Educators

List of Grants for Music Educators

I’m certain there are more grant possibilities out there, but here is a start!  And hey, just try.  Be your authentic self and try.  What’s the worst that can happen? They say no and you move on to the next application.  You got this, good luck! Found on the American...
Tips for Grant Writing

Tips for Grant Writing

Tips for Grant Writing There are institutions, organizations, and companies that really want to support music teachers through grants. It could be yours for the taking, but most often, to ask means writing a grant. Begin by creating a sentence or two (but keep it...
Writing Grants

Writing Grants

Writing Grants I had a little side-chapter in my career that included starting a nonprofit concert series called, Underground Classical. Its focus was to highlight classically trained musicians who performed completely out-of-the-box repertoire.  Beat-boxing flutists,...
Making It Work: Family Folk Dance Night

Making It Work: Family Folk Dance Night

Folk dancing is one the most popular components in our lower school music curriculum.  Through controlled chaos the dance consistently brings a sense of joy and a feeling of community to its participants. In a subtle way folk dancing encourages risk taking, exercises...
Teacher Talk: Perspective

Teacher Talk: Perspective

Teacher Talk This is such a Roger Sams phrase!  It makes so much sense!  Of course, you know what teacher talk means…all those thoughts, good ideas, insecurities, doubts, and small gems of victory we carry around with us that in many ways might only make sense to us...
One Other Thing….

One Other Thing….

Something has been on my mind that is important to share with you! Collaborating with MIE is exciting for me in a couple of different ways.  About 2 years ago, I reached out to Beth Ann Hepburn to answer a call put out by AOSA about mentoring teachers. I’ve always had...
Concerts Part I

Concerts Part I

Concerts! How many of you are already thinking about concerts for this year?  You might be, especially if it’s been scheduled in December or sooner! Concert performances are exciting, especially for the kids, and they can demonstrate all the great things you do in the...
Concerts Part II

Concerts Part II

Concerts!  Part II Ah concerts….sometimes a double-edged sword.  Process over product or product over process, getting a framework in place is a good starting point.   I am committed to having our concerts reflect much of what we do in the classroom.  I will...
Mallet Technique

Mallet Technique

Mallet Technique I am certain that you discussed mallet technique in your Level’s courses, so as you already know, how we hold a pair of mallets to strike barred instruments really affects the quality of sound!   Here are a few tips for correct mallet grip: Use a...
Folk Dancing

Folk Dancing

I am a BIG fan of folk dancing!  I’ve chosen to weave it throughout my overall curriculum, K-5.  Simply put, folk dancing joyfully brings people together. It’s community building at its best!  I’ve used it in the classroom to break the ice at the beginning of a school...
Breaking the Ice

Breaking the Ice

You’re back!  How are you feeling? You gonna make it?  I know, the weather still feels like summer, your circadian rhythm is out of whack, your schedule is still being tweaked, AND you know it’s just going to take a little time to get in your groove.  Hopefully,...