Finally! The Taxonomy of my Music is complete! While I’m working on my Digital Art assignments I enjoy watching my favorite TV shows. I bring this up to help you get a sense for how long it t…
The world of mics is quite complex. The best way to approach it is to dip your toes into the microphone basics with simple language so you can build...
Ever heard of music therapy? It can have an amazing effect on learning and the body. Find out more in this infographic.
The 6th graders have just finished up a unit project on Musical Styles. The goal of this project was to get the students to explore music outside of the country/pop/rock bubble that we tend to be in in our small town. I also wanted them to listen to music more closely to analyze things like the meaning of the lyrics, why & how music is used in different situations, and where they hear music. I gave the students 4 projects to choose from. The project was to be done mostly at home, but after starting the project, I realized that I could do the project in school next year using the classroom tablets each student has a putting music into a Dropbox (something new I'm just learning how to use). After starting the project, I realized there were a lot of things I wanted to change for next year or just make more specific. I have listed those things in red. Overall, I really enjoyed the project and for my first year trying it, I think it went pretty well. The projects options were: Soundtrack of My Life (lesson from TeachersPayTeachers-my document is a slightly modified version of the download): Students created a soundtrack of songs that had lyrics that related to their lives. They had to explore the meaning behind the lyrics and label what style of music each song was. After doing this project, I realized that it didn't really expose students to any new styles of music, so it didn't really fit the theme of my project. However, it was still fun to see their answers! Musical Interests Survey Students created a 10 question survey about musical styles and had to survey 10 people from at least 3 different age groups. When they were finished, they graphed their findings. Most students created very simple graphs on notebook paper (I realized we needed to have a discussion about using a ruler!) and had questions that were open ended so they were hard to graph. Next year, I'll tell them to make their questions multiple choice or keep their answers to one word so they are easier to graph. One of the most creative graphs I received! Music Journal For one week, students kept a journal of all of the music they heard each day. They were supposed to record music in stores, businesses, on commercials, or in classrooms. I encouraged them to record at least 3 per day (the problem with saying that was every single student turned in ONLY 3 examples for each day). At the end of the week, they had to write a one-page reflection on what they noticed. Some students were very observant, and noticed that the dynamics of the music being played differed by the size of the store. They also noticed that the style of music was generally selected to fit the overall likes of their desired customers (ex: a punk clothing store in the mall played loud, punk music. Not country or jazz!) Although a few good recordings were made, several of the students just recorded the music they heard on Pandora or the radio, not music they heard by chance. Something to make more specific next time! Explore 3 New Styles This was probably the best project for accomplishing my main goal: exposing students to new music. Each student had to pick 3 styles of music they don't normally listen to and then find 3 songs from those styles that they liked. They then researched the song and presented it to the class. This is where I used the Dropbox and had several different examples of music on there for them to listen to if they couldn't find new music on their own. The songs presented were very original and it was fun to hear what they had picked. The only change I would make to this project is teaching the kids how to better articulate "why" they liked a piece of music. Most of them could only come up with answers like, "it had a good beat" or "I liked the way he sang it". I realized I haven't really taught them the vocabulary words to explain what they wanted to say. As I said, overall I felt it was a fun project, it just needs a bit of tweaking before next year. I tried to create a rubric that met all 4 projects. Here is the one I used and I just made some modifications as I was grading. I will post a copy of the rubric so you get a general idea, but just know that it is not a perfect rubric and definitely needs some changes.
Next time you’re preparing for a work presentation or studying for something, listen to a little Vivaldi or Bach
Using the free web tool, Incredibox, in the classroom for technology projects. Great way to incorporate music into your curriculum! Will work on Chromebooks, laptops and computers. There is also an iPad app available for $3.99
Ever heard of music therapy? It can have an amazing effect on learning and the body. Find out more in this infographic.
Let's Make Session Planning A Breeze
How does your brain behave on music? Why does playing a musical instrument or listening to your favorite song stimulate brain function? It's all because...
Here are 5 activities that you can use in your group music lessons. The activities work for multi-age group levels. Read how each activitiy can be used with students of various levels.
Movement lessons your fourth and fifth grade music students will want to do. These are simple & easy lessons for elementary music class.
Alles wat maar enigszins grappig is
The benefits of music education for children include brain development, academic achievement and personal enrichment. Learn more!
That song stuck in your head is your brain doing its work.
Use our free printable music activity as a boredom buster with kids stuck at home or as a fun part of music education in a classroom.
Hi Everyone, I come from a musical family; my Dad is a cellist, my brother plays jazz violin, two of my cousins are professional musicians, and my uber talented daughter is a worship leader and songwriter. For me, music and prayer are inexorably intertwined and I often incorporate musical themes into my work. This is … Continue reading Rhythm, Rhyme, Scripture & Song
Speakers (also called loudspeakers) push and pull surrounding air molecules in waves that the human ear interprets as sound. You could even say that hearing is movement detection. So what makes a speaker travel back and forth at just the right rate and distance, and how does that make sound?
corseque: “tehlibrarylife: “I wouldn’t have known what this was if diebrarian hadn’t tagged it. ” This is how you wave your hand/conductor’s baton to lead the song if you’re a music conductor. You...
Did you know that music therapy can be beneficial to both your mental and physical health? Learn all about it in this article!
Music education ideas, activities, games, and songs | Technology tips for the music classroom | Resources for the elementary music room.
Flipgrid (now Flip) is a video response platform that gives every student a voice. Here are some ways to use Flipgrid in music classes.
A list of ascending and descending intervals to use with your students in the music classroom. I do!
Music is a great way to unite large groups and gatherings and is the source of great activities that are suitable for both able and non-able clients.
“The brain that engages in music is changed by engaging in music.” ~ Michael Thaut, Professor of Music and Professor of Neuroscience at Colorado State University We all know, on some level, how ess…
Fifteen school themed ad lib worksheets great for homework assignments, extra credit, and language arts skills practice.
Provide a handy visual guide to colleagues, clients, and friends with this music therapy infographic from Heart and Harmony Music Therapy.
Diagrams and easy to follow text that will help musicians learn to read music whether as a singer or instrumentalist.
Looking for something fun to do with your students? The “escape room” concept has become very popular in recent years […]
Teaching elementary music with no touch singing games? That is a tall order, but here are 6 fun suggestions for general music classes!
Shares Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail
Teaching elementary music with no touch singing games? That is a tall order, but here are 6 fun suggestions for general music classes!
As any professional musician will tell you, a career in music is more than just artistry and performance; the business side of music is a crucial component of a successful career in the arts.The business side of things may include managing gig contracts, paying estimated taxes, sending studio invoices, setting rates, sending emails, professional networking, and attending conferences.Many professional musicians do more than one thing - performing, teaching, gigging, writing, etc. You are your own small business and tending to the things that keep your business running is an important part of building a successful career. You don't need a degree in business to manage everything I outlined above, but you should take steps to be informed.There are lots of helpful books, articles, and blogs out there to help get you started. Here are a few of my recent favorites:
These are 5 of the best TED Talks for anxiety, each featuring someone with a fascinating, inspirational story to tell and a unique perspective on anxiety.
Truth or Dare Music Jenga. Organized Chaos. Fun and engaging game for elementary and middle school to review concepts. Could be used for sub plans, centers, or a full class game.
