In this blog post, I will be sharing my favorite tips on "how to set up your music classroom for maximum effectiveness." How do you set up your classroom?
An introduction to the basic dynamic (volume) terms and definitions. Plus a great picture to remember it all! Download the free PDF to test yourself and write all the terms on. Or stick on your wal…
Scared of singing in a choir because you can't read music? This tutorial demystifies the sight-reading process taking the fear our of choir singing.
Data is useful, especially when you know how to use it.
Music education is one area that I feel like we have really slacked in over the years. It was always hard for me to stay consistent, even though I knew in my head how important it was. It was just …
Fruit Canon (Mango Mango Mango)
Well, we have been back for over a week. I'm starting to get back into the swing of things. I've been so busy that I haven't posted pictures of my classroom. So, here they are :) You'll see lots of "Pinteresty" things such as the poofs, cans for sharp (#) and flat pencils, the bubblegum machine full of pencil top erasers which I have to add my students think is SUPER cool. :D These are the cabinets on the east side of my room. You'll notice a sink which is great for cleaning recorders. There's also a closet on the far end that you can't see in the picture. On the middle of the shelf is my stick storage. My awesome stick storage. I use one of those long wood candle holders that you can pick up at a craft store. It's perfect for mallets and sticks. :) Here are my Recorder Dudes. Norm Sands came up with them. You can get a template and many great ideas in the Recorder Classroom curriculum. I have one for every note, but I'm only displaying these three for a few weeks. While my 4th graders review from last year and my third graders begin their recorder studies. My SMARTboard area. Here are my computer key chairs. I found them on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $20 each. Thank you PTO! Did I mention we have the BEST PTO ever? They have been so much help as I establish the music program. This is only the third year that our school has been open. You may notice that my carpet is in squares. They come up! Great for stains and such. Though in all honesty I haven't had to replace any. Yet. :) Here is my area other side of the SMARTboard. The shelf behind the drums has become my workstation. I keep my Ipad, Ipod, Bose, cd player, extra pencils, sharpies, goodies and story books for those times when I have an extra few minutes. Basically, anything that I may need at a moments notice. Next to that I have my rhythm instrument area. We are a new school, so I'm still working up to Remo Tubanos and Orff instruments. We do have 19 glockenspiels that I recieved through Donors Choose. If you haven't been to that website check it out. Also, Adopt A Classroom. :) Here is my library. My dad make these bifold shutter doors for my sister's law office and when she moved she didn't know what to do with them. I of course grabbed them I needed something to break up that ugly yellow and blue stripe that goes around my ENTIRE classroom. YUCK! Initially, I wasn't sure what to do with them. Then I came up with the idea to us them as a book display. Since this picture was taken I attached the braces. There are eight which makes it very safe for my students. I hope that you have enjoyed a look into my classroom. I also have built in 3 step risers. I'll try to get a picture of those as well as my desk area which is next to my library.
Song Index
Singing games are a great way to teach musical concepts, incorporate movement, and give children an opportunity to sing alone and with others. They're perfect as gathering activities, ice-breakers, or a quick change-of-pace in the middle of rehearsal. A few months ago, I shared seven fun
"Who Am I?" Instrument ID Game I recently shared a few of my favorite resources for teaching instruments of the orchestra. Here is a instru...
Song Index
Remember those clapping games we used to play as kids? Between the silly (or nonsense) lyrics and the fast-paced sequence of claps, taps, snaps, and crosses, clapping games provided hours of entertainment. It might seem like just fun and games, but there's actually more to it than that. Clapping games can be beneficial to children's development.Dr. Idit Sulkin has conducted research on the topic of children's hand-clapping games, noting:"These activities serve as a developmental platform to enhance children’s needs — emotional, sociological, physiological, and cognitive. It’s a transition stage that leads them to the next phases of growing up.” (source) Clapping games are a great way to incorporate rhythm and movement into your choir rehearsals while reinforcing gross motor skills, rhythmic concepts (such as steady beat and subdivision), coordination skills, and the concept of sequencing (source). If you're working with a younger group, try modifying the clapping sequence to fit their ability level (scroll down to the bottom of this article for a few helpful tips).
Looking for a fun activity that your student can do while you’re teaching online? How about running your own Musical […]
Choosing songs to teach from in the music room can be tricky business. For one thing, there are an infinite number of songs from which to choose. You can easily put your head down to think of one song to use in a lesson only to look up hours later with stacks of books and binders next to
Lean Forward Lean Backward - a song with actions and activities ready-made for your music class. Great to practice music aural & music theory.
Know the best way to respond when a student disrespectfully poses a question meant to trip you up and get the class to turn against you.
I am one of those people who cannot work in silence. I have always incorporated music into my classroom whether it be just for background noise, or to enhance our lesson plan. A few years ago I sub…
Teaching music with fun, tried & tested lessons, DIY classroom projects & ideas your students will love with Tracy King, the Bulletin Board Lady.
Over 50 FREE music theory worksheets! Fun, colorful & kids love 'em! Also includes tons of fun game ideas. Click here to print for free. Teachers welcome!
You can print out these music theory guides for free!
Free sheet music of traditional nursery rhymes and children's songs and free fun and easy music theory printable worksheets for kids.
Come listen to this collection of 25 pieces of classical music for kids. Classical music is not just for adults. Kids will love them!
Enjoy today's 15-Minute Music Lesson for Wintertime and study "Winter" by Vivaldi along with "Let it Go" from Frozen. Link to free printable, etc.
Ah, Fall... the leaves are changing colors, the air is getting cooler, the coffees are infused with pumpkin spice... It's a nice time of year. I'm linking up with my blog tribe to share some of my favorite fall lessons! I am lucky enough to teach in a school that is very pro-Halloween. We have a huge costume parade and every class throws a party. It's easily one of my favorite days of the school year. So I have lots of fun doing Halloween songs along with other seasonal songs this time of year. I'll share some great things I've found to do with each grade level... Pre-K Our Pre-K students just learned the letter "M" in their classroom, so I decided to reinforce that literacy component with a fun movement activity called, "Monsters Stomp Around the House." This is a piggyback song to the tune of, "The Ants Go Marching" which we are going to be learning later in the year. Now that they've heard the melody in this song, it should be more familiar to them when we get to it! Kindergarten I learned this song in college and love doing it with my primaries: To trace the melodic contour, I use foam leaves that I bought at a craft store a few years ago. You could also use scarves or paper cutouts for the same effect. 1st Grade Another favorite song that I learned in college is a piggyback song to the tune of "The Muffin Man." This one is called "The Pumpkin Child." Oh, do you know the pumpkin child? The pumpkin child, the pumpkin child! Do you know the pumpkin child Who goes to [ school name]? I start the lesson by telling my students a story of a day when a little pumpkin came to the school and he went to different teachers in the building and asked them if they knew the pumpkin child. Each time I mention a new teacher, we sing the song again. By the time I've finished the story, they've had at least six or seven repetitions of the song and can sing it independently. Then we play a beat passing game and pass a pumpkin around the circle. Whoever the pumpkin lands on is the pumpkin child! I let the pumpkin child pick a movement (pat, clap, snap, etc.) for us to use to keep the steady beat. 2nd Grade I LOVE the book "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything" But do you know what I love even more than the book? This great video that has the story set to a song! I had my students sing along and then act out each part. After singing the song, I bring out the book and we add instruments for each part as well. 3rd-5th Grade For my intermediate students, I've found a couple of fun activities on Pinterest that I use... The kids love reading the notation for Ghost of John in this shape! And we sing it in a two or three part round. I'm excited to try this cup passing game next week. I also do a contest with The Addams Family Song... since music class is a place where we practice performing and stage presence, I challenge them to sing the song like Wednesday Addams: with a frown the whole time and NO SMILING. There is nothing funnier than watching a bunch of kids try their hardest NOT to smile!!! I hope you enjoy these Falloween (as my second graders called it) activities. Don't forget to check out some of the other blogs in the linkup! An InLinkz Link-up
We love to celebrate in the music room! We celebrate holidays, birthdays, unbirthdays, silly days (Have you ever celebrated Talk Like a Pirate Day? FUN! ) and ordinary and extraordinary days. Last week 1st graders had to opportunity to sing all by themselves in front of their classes. This takes a lot of courage and every one who sang received a special "I Sang By Myself" certificate! The rest of the class listened quietly and displayed audience behavior (quiet, eyes on performer, hands on the lap) ending with applause at the end of each performance. Here are some pictures of these adorable certificates. I make quite a few copies and keep them in these library pockets. The pockets are taped to a cabinet at the front of the room. This makes them easy for me to access and it also serves as a reminder to reward my kiddos. Sometimes we get so busy making music that we forget to celebrate. There are several certificates that students can earn in music class including The Awesome Listener and the Super Singing awards! These tiny award certificates are incredible motivators even for my 5th and 6th graders! Although this batch was printed on white paper, I often print them on colored copy paper and sometimes even print them in full color. Students wear them as bracelets (with a paper clip or quick staple to hold them in place) or take them back to their classroom and tape them to their desk. I always encourage them to take them home so mom and dad can celebrate with them, but sometimes they have other ideas! You can grab an updated version of these tiny awards HERE.
Echo songs are a fantastic choice for when you're trying to save your voice. By choosing a few echo song recordings, your students can sing to their heart's content without you destroying your voice in the process. Here are just five of some of my favorite echo songs for the elementary music classroom.
Dear TED…I love you Like many of you I have been intrigued, fascinated, amused and enthralled by countless TED talks […]
I love games and so do my kiddos! During the month of June, I included this fun game in our primary centre rotation. BUSTED! What yo...
Introduction In today’s post, technology and performance combine in a lesson plan based on one of the most simple (yet […]
