Arrangements

Fall Music Lessons on Pitch and Ostinato

I wanted to share two new Lesson Plans/Units I have on TpT. Yes, these are paid, because it took me many hours to develop, test, and produce them. But I think that you will find them to be fun, educational, and engaging lessons you can implement in your classroom with little to no extra planningContinue reading “Fall Music Lessons on Pitch and Ostinato”

Friday Fave: "Sit With Me Maybe" from Listen & Learn Music

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite musicians/music therapist/composers I follow in the blogosphere. Rachel Rambach is a super talented song-writer and music therapist and I have followed her blog for more than 3 years now. If you have never visited her sites, start at Listen & Learn Music and start clicking! SheContinue reading “Friday Fave: "Sit With Me Maybe" from Listen & Learn Music”

Boomwhackers Resources Courtesy of Music Therapist Kat Fulton

I follow a lot of music therapists in the blog world, since I regularly teach self-contained autism classes at my current school. Music therapists have amazing ideas for working with all kinds of people, not just people with special needs or who need “music therapy.” I think all music educators can benefit from a goodContinue reading “Boomwhackers Resources Courtesy of Music Therapist Kat Fulton”

Valentine’s Day Project in Real Life!

Valentine’s Day Recorder Composition Project So last week I posted a composition lesson for Valentine’s Day. Last Friday was the beginning of my new rotation and I tried the lesson out on my 3rd and 4th grade recorder students. It was a big hit and a huge success! We read the poem, clapped the rhythms,Continue reading “Valentine’s Day Project in Real Life!”

Beginning Recorder Method Book: "Recorders Rock"

Presenting my original Recorder Method book, “Recorders Rock” (enter trumpet fanfare)! Just kidding. But seriously, I have finally completed my recorder method, “Recorders Rock.” The title reflects me and my students’ sentiments about playing recorder. It’s fun, awesome, and it “rocks!”This project started small and has over time taken on a life of its own.Continue reading “Beginning Recorder Method Book: "Recorders Rock"”

"Walking in the Air"

My Friday Flashback last week was a review of Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, a truly classic holiday short musical film for all ages. It was nominated for Best Short Film Oscar award back in 1982. What makes this film so enchanting, I believe, is the music. The score was composed by Howard Blake and his piece,Continue reading “"Walking in the Air"”

Thanksgiving Song: Ten Days of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Song – Ten Days of Thanksgiving Day 1 Looking for a Thanksgiving song to use for fun in your classes? Look no further than one of my go-to blogs and websites, ListenLearnMusic.com. Rachel Rambach, a music therapist, produces a huge range of original music for all settings, themes, and holidays to use in herContinue reading “Thanksgiving Song: Ten Days of Thanksgiving”

Halloween Song for Recorder: Minor Tonality and Composing Original Lyrics

Simple Halloween Song for Soprano Recorder – in Em Not sure if anyone else has discovered this, but there exist very few Halloween-themed or even minor tonality songs for soprano recorder. In my quest to find a simple Halloween song for soprano recorder, I ended up writing my own simple melody. As you can seeContinue reading “Halloween Song for Recorder: Minor Tonality and Composing Original Lyrics”

April is Jazz Appreciation Month!

Each April, my students and I explore a Jazz appreciation unit. We listen to different jazz recordings, study the history of jazz, play jazz chord progressions, and even improvise some solos. I always enjoy the unit and my students seem to as well! Today I will share some online jazz resources. Stay tuned forContinue reading “April is Jazz Appreciation Month!”

St. Patrick’s Day Boomwhackers Activity

If you subscribe to MusicK8, then I know you are as big a fan as I am. What a great resource for all things music, kindergarten through 8th grade. My school has subscribed for years; we have volumes 6-18, with a few years skipped here and there. We no longer subscribe, as the cuts inContinue reading “St. Patrick’s Day Boomwhackers Activity”