Social Media for Music Teachers

Social Media for Music Teachers

The way that social media is used has changed tremendously over the last few years. In the past, I used social media as a way to simply catch up on the lives of friends, follow celebrities, or look at pretty pictures. Although I still do those things, I'm now using social media as a form of professional development. In this blog post, I'll detail how to use social media to learn from other music teachers, gather ideas, and even learn new songs!

Pinterest

When I first happened upon Pinterest, I found tons of pins about home decor and women's fashion, and I wasn't all that interested. But then I discovered pins about education, and specifically music education, and I was hooked!

To search for music education pins, simply start a Pinterest account, then in the search bar, type "music education," "Kodaly," "Orff," etc. for lots of great pins with great ideas! When I typed "music education" into Pinterest today, I saw these pins:

See those words along the top? These are interests, which allow you to get even more specific! When I clicked "lessons," these pins came up:

When you click a pin, it takes you to that blog post, article, etc.

To see a sample of other great pins I've discovered over the years, check out these "Favorite Pins of the Month" posts. To follow me on Pinterest, click here.

For more information about how to use Pinterest, see this post. Lindsay Jervis also has a great post about music education pinners to follow here.

Facebook

I used to only use Facebook to scan the news feed, but now I spend the majority of my time on Facebook in groups! Here are my favorite music education groups that I've joined:

Kodaly Educators group

OAKE group

AOSA group

I'm a general music teacher

I also recently started the group "Mrs. Miracle's Chat Room," in which we discuss different topics every day, like technology tips on Tuesday and stories, or picture books, on Saturday!

There are also lots of great music education pages on Facebook. If you haven't checked out mine, I often post helpful blog posts and articles, as well as inspiration and funny quotes! Other music education Facebook pages that I follow include:

Music a la Abbott

Midnight Music Technology Training

Lindsay's Kodaly-inspired Classroom

Band Directors Talk Shop.com

David Row at Make Moments Matter

Twitter

Twitter used to be a bit of a mystery to me. I just didn't get it. But after playing around with the platform a bit, I started to finally figure it out...and it can be a great way to share articles and blog posts....and with the #elmused chat every Tuesday evening at 9 pm eastern, it can be a wonderful way to gather ideas!

To follow me on Twitter, click here. For tips on getting started with Twitter, see this post. Here is a list of music educators to follow on Twitter, who frequently tweet:

@makemomentsmatt

@tracyking

@musicattrace

@msmusiced

@canmaestro

To join the #elmused chat, go to Twitter Tuesday evenings at 9 pm eastern, and search #elmused, then click "all tweets." If you're not completely comfortable with Twitter, you could just watch the chat to see how it works. If you want to join, just make sure to answer questions with A1 for the answer to the first question, A2 for the second question, etc., and add #elmused to the end of each tweet!

Instagram

Instagram is such a fun way to scroll through beautiful pictures, but recently, I've seen so many more music teachers post pictures of their classrooms, their activities, etc.!

To find pictures like this, simply search for music education hashtags, such as #kodaly, #orffposse, #iamamusicteacher, or #musiceteacherproblems. David Row at Make Moments Matter recently started the hashtag #instamusiced for instant music education tips, which are really helpful! Here is a screenshot of all the pictures that came up for the hashtag #elementarymusic:

To follow me on Instagram, click here. To find out more music education hashtags, click here for a comprehensive list by Melody Payne. And here are some Instagram accounts I love to follow:

@makemomentsmattermusiced

@thebulletinboardlady

@singtokids

@anacrusic

@pluckypianista

YouTube

YouTube can be such a great tool for the music classroom! I've been frustrated in the past, though, by the commercials on YouTube, as sometimes they are NOT appropriate for students'  eyes. I have found a great extension to help with this, though! On Chrome, install AdBlock for YouTube, and then make sure to open up YouTube with Chrome....and NO MORE ADS! So exciting!

YouTube can be a wonderful way to share performances with your students. Instead of just listening to a recording, you could have students watch a performance by searching for a piece of music on YouTube, and then finding an orchestral performance.

Looking for new folk songs? Check out Robert Amchin's YouTube channel, which is FULL of folk songs, as well as teaching strategies!

Looking for tutorials about long-range planning? Check out my channel, which has tutorials about creating year plans, song lists, and more!

One of my favorite ways to use YouTube is to research and learn folk dances. To search for new dances, you could search for something like "Italian folk dance" and see what you find. I like to use the app SoundHound to discover the titles of unknown songs, especially if they aren't listed in the video description.

Here is a post with a few YouTube videos, containing folk dances/ singing games. 

Whether you dive further into Pinterest or check out videos on YouTube, I hope this post has been helpful to you. Are there any other platforms or ideas that I didn't mention? Feel free to comment below, and have fun on social media!

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Melodic Intervention 101

Melodic Intervention 101

This past week, with my second graders, I have been doing centers to practice sol, la, mi, and do. Typically when I do centers (which you can read more about here), I choose the groups and tell students when to rotate. Last week, though, I've let the students choose which group to go to and when to switch, and I have LOVED the results. It feels so student-centered, and the students take so much ownership in their learning and their choices!

Today, I'm blogging about the set-up, the six centers, and how I provided intervention for those struggling melodically. Keep reading until the end of the post, so you can download several of the materials for free!

At the start of the lesson, after we played a singing game which included sol, la, mi, and do (I used "King's Land"), I explained each of the six centers. They were as follows:

#1: "Snow the Solfa" game by Amy Abbott

This is a great game to help students really look carefully at patterns on the staff. They choose a snowman, then choose which note/ solfa is not correct. I had this projected on my SMART board, but if you don't have a SMART board, you could have students at that center choose notes with a mouse, on your computer. (Keep reading to download this game for free!)

#2: Handbell patterns

I just bought these handbells this year, which I've loved for practicing solfa! I created patterns for this center, and students each grabbed a handball, another student held up the patterns, and they played through each pattern.  The handbells are pretty inexpensive, and are a great purchase if you don't get much money each year in your budget. (Keep reading to download the patterns for free!)

#3: QR codes with melodic patterns, with iPads

I have eight iPad minis, so I had students at this center take a sheet, open up a QR app like this one,  and then scan each QR code to hear the pattern notated. If you have access to Chromebooks instead of iPads, you could use an app like this one to have students scan and listen. (Keep reading to download these sheets for free!)

#4: Worksheets

I used a worksheet from this centers set, in which students trace the rhythms and noteheads for "Apple Tree" and then figure out which song it is. If you don't have this set, though, you can download this worksheet set by Jamie Parker for free, and have students fill out the "do" worksheet.

A note about this center: I have flexible seating in my music room, so I had the wobble stools set up at this center to make it more enticing for students to come to. And lo and behold, this center was always full, because kids could sit on wobble stools as they filled out the worksheets!

#5: Instruments for "Apple Tree"

At this center, I had barred instruments and mallets set out, as well as music stands with the stick notation for "Apple Tree." I told students that G was sol, and then they had to figure out how to play the song by using their knowledge of solfa and steps and skips! To minimize the noise in the room, I had students play in "practice mode" on the instruments, with their mallets turned over (since I have rubber mallets and it doesn't hurt the instruments.) Here is a picture of the students working:

The stick notation is in my 2nd grade centers set, but you could also write out the stick notation to another song with sol, la, mi, and do. To differentiate, if you have a student who gets it right away, you can have them figure out how to play it starting on a different note (like starting on C, for example.) If you have students are struggling, you could remove the bars they don't need (so only C, E, G, and A are up.)

#6: Flip books for do, mi, sol, and la

At this last center, students got a sheet and a flip book. Then, they worked with the flip books to write patterns by folding each flap down or lifting it up! Here is a picture of the flip books, which you can download below!

After I explained each of the centers, I did a quick review again, and then told students they could go to whichever they wanted. I played my wind chimes twice during the lesson, to remind students that if they hadn't switched yet, they should. (Disclaimer: I do have 50 minute classes, so this was very doable in that amount of time. If you have a shorter class, you might split this up over 2 lessons.)

During the centers work, I pulled students aside who had been struggling, and worked with them one-on-one. During this time, I asked them questions like, "Which solfa is the lowest we know?" "Which is the highest?" Then I sang two patterns for them: one in which the three notes were all the same (do do do) and one in which they went lower (sol mi do) and asked students to identify for each pattern whether they stayed the same, went higher, or went lower.

Then, I showed students a quarter note on the staff, even with the do clef on the second line, and asked them which note it was (do.)

Then, I showed students the pattern "do mi sol" on the staff, with the do clef in the first space, and asked them which solfa they saw.

This is a great time to clear up any misunderstandings and see where their breakdown of knowledge is! If students don't understand the function of the do clef, now's a good time to explain that!

To figure out which students were struggling, I used the game "Could it be smd?" in a previous lesson, which can be found in this set. There are other games you could use, though, such as these:

Melody Time by Linda McPherson

Where's the Firefly by Linda McPherson 

Crack the Melody by Amy Abbott

This was a really fun lesson: it gave students ownership while allowing me to work one on one with students who needed intervention! To download the free bundle which includes Amy Abbott's "Snow the Solfa" game, my QR code sheets for do, my handbell cards for sol, la, mi, and do, and my flip books for sol, la, mi, and do, sign up for my email list below (and you'll also be added to Amy Abbott's list):

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Hope you enjoy trying this out in your classroom! Let me know if you have any questions, and happy teaching!

Helping all students feel welcome, part 2

Helping all students feel welcome, part 2

In my last blog post, I discussed how there will always be students who, for one reason or another, might not feel welcome in our classrooms, but that we as music educators can ensure that students feel more welcome and accepted.

In today's post, I'm discussing more ways that students can be made to feel welcome: through songs with a message, and through children's literature.

Singing songs with a great message

If you can find a song that truly has a great message, go for it! Students will really connect to meaningful lyrics, especially students who are feeling fearful and uncertain. My friend Lessia Bonn at I am Bullyproof Music has a beautiful song called "Same Love," with a great message for these times. Here is a video of the song:

After listening to the song, you could have students discuss what the song is about, asking questions like "What does 'same love' mean?" "What does 'light up the dark' mean?" "What are the different 'whys'?" You could get into a pretty deep conversation here! Granted, this could get tricky, but I think as long as you listen to students, and show no preference for one party or one religion, students could really dig deep into the lyrics.

Click here to purchase the mp3. The kids really love her music, and the more I hear it, the more I want to listen!

Reading stories about other cultures

Cello f Mr. O

This is such a touching story. In this book, Mr. O seems like a grumpy old man in war-torn Sarajevo, but through the story, the children begin to understand Mr. O better. Every Wednesday, when the relief truck visits, Mr. O takes a chair and his cello out to the middle of the town to play his cello. This story could be paired with a cello piece like any of Bach's unaccompanied cello suites, and can teach students much about the refugees, acceptance, and the power of music.

The Harmonica

This is a heartbreaking story, about a Jewish boy in Poland, during World War II, whose parents buy him a harmonica. The harmonica offers he and the other people at the camp solace, but it also entertains the Nazis. This is certainly a complex tale, which touches upon kindness and cruelty in a very confusing time in history. This could definitely lead to a very thoughtful discussion with your upper elementary students, and could bring acceptance of other cultures to the forefront in your classroom.I hope these ideas, as well as the folk song and decor offered in the last blog post, have been helpful as you try to make all students feel welcome in your music room. Have any more suggestions? Please feel free to comment below. Happy teaching!

Helping all students feel welcome, part 1

Helping all students feel welcome, part 1

There will always be students who, for one reason or another, might not feel welcome in our classrooms, perhaps because of something happening at home, or because of some of the students in the class, or because of something we as teachers are or are not doing.

In our current world, though, there are more reasons for students to not feel welcome. Some students in our classrooms may be worrying about their families, their friends, and their futures.

Regardless of political affiliation, it is really important as educators that we make ALL students feel welcome in our classroom. As music teachers, we have the distinct advantage of bringing children together through song, of linking cultures and experiences in a way that is completely different than any other subject.

In my own teaching, I've had some interesting conversations with students about other cultures. Once, after teaching the song "Ye Toop Daram" from Afghanistan (found in this blog post), I had a student exclaim, "But the people in that country are bad!" We then talked about how conflict is a complex thing, and that it doesn't make one side bad and the other side good, that while there are some bad people living in that country, there are also lots of good people. I asked them, "Do you think students in Afghanistan enjoy playing this game?"

They said, "Yes."

"Do you enjoy playing this game?"

They said, "Yes."

Sometimes, it's simply just pointing out that we are not all so different, that can open up students' minds and hearts.

I think one of the most important things we can do now as music educators is to sing songs from many cultures, so that students understand that other cultures and countries should be celebrated. I reached out to my former Kodaly Level III teacher, Joan Litman, and asked her for input about the topic of making all students feel welcome, and teaching music from diverse populations. She is a phenomenal music educator, and is brilliant about using music of many cultures responsively and respectfully. She sent me this song, from Egypt:

Notes from Joan, about this song:

I picked this song because it very accessible and fun for little kids to do--
on the "Ooooooooooooobba!" which is their hands simulating flying doves (or pigeons) Pigeons/doves are really popular in the Middle East (racing, etc.)

A quick note about sequence. Of course, many of our international songs (most of them) do not fit into our sequence-- so, if teachers can-- I ask them to look for what they can use sequentially....
Look at the titi titi ta tas-- over and over. What a thrill!

The last sung phrase ( mrdtl,) can be sung by the teacher alone. You know, teacher makes the "sh!" motion and ask the kids to listen. Eventually of course, they'll sing along, but I would not put any energy into tuning the line. It's beyond their spot in the sequence.

Joan was also so kind to include recordings! Here is a recording of the pronunciation:

And here is a recording of a Tunisian scholar/Arab musician, Yassine Ayari, playing the tune on the 'oud, which is tuned to a Middle Eastern tonality.

Here are some pictures of pigeon houses to help give context to the song with your students.

I'm very excited about using this song in my classroom, and hope you're able to as well!

In my conversation with Joan, she brought up how validating it is for people to see others like them in photographs. She says, "Middle Easterners (like everyone) really respond to seeing their cultures represented visually. It communicates, 'You are welcome here. We want to get to know you.'"

For this reason, I decided to find photographs of musicians from all over the world for a bulletin board display, a display on your wall, etc, along with the word "Music" in many different languages. Here's what I came up with; click the picture to download the display for free! (There are eight photographs total with the display, along with the "Music" sign.)

Thank you so much to Joan for your invaluable advice and resources. She has traveled often to the Middle East and is so thoughtful about her teaching of music from other cultures. If you are going to the OAKE conference in Philadelphia in March, make sure to register for the mini-conference with Joan! She will be sharing ideas about bridging the gap of music, religion, and culture, and I know she will be amazing!

I will be writing soon with more thoughts on making all students feel welcome.  Feel free to comment below with your suggestions or thoughts. Have a wonderful day!

Three favorite folk dances

Three favorite folk dances

With the start of the new year, many of us are thinking about being more healthy and getting more exercise. As music teachers, we are very lucky that we aren't sitting behind a desk all day and can get up and dance with our students! Below are three of my all-time favorite folk dances, as well as three of my favorite folk dance resources. These dances are GREAT for getting exercise, working with a partner, understanding dance formations, keeping in time with music, and so much more!

"Highway No. 1" by the Shenanigans

This is one of my absolute favorites! You can buy the track on iTunes here, and the directions are within the song itself. Students simply listen, pretend to drive a car around the room, and make stops on Highway No. 1 (which is a highway that goes around the perimeter of Australia.) At each stop, students do motions, like "walk, walk, run, run, run," or "step, together, wiggle." Students really love this dance! I've used it at informances, at performances, and in class. The album also has a backing track which has space for students to make up their own motions! Here is a picture of my first graders from two years ago doing the dance:

I Love a Rainy Night

I found this dance in Sanna Longden's "More Folk Dance Music for Kids and Teachers," which is now posted for free on her website. The dance is done with the song of the same name by Eddie Rabbitt. The first time I did this with my 5th graders, I was floored by how much they loved it! Many of them knew the song, even though it's from 1975, and they loved singing along as they danced!

After a discussion about why we did the dance, my 5th graders decided we should try it with "Feliz Navidad." My favorite moment was when a kid yelled out, "It'll work if it's in 4/4!" (Yay for big ideas!) Although the tempo is a bit faster, it totally worked, so I had them perform it at our school-wide singalong!

'T Smidje

I learned this dance a few years back from my good friend Andrew Ellingsen. Andrew is a master at sequencing folk dances; if you ever get a chance to have him present for your district or chapter, you should! Here is a video of the dance; you can purchase the music here:

For detailed directions for the dance as well as the song's meaning, check out David Row's fabulous post here.

And now for my three favorite folk dance resources! I call "Teaching Movement and Dance" the "Folk Dance Bible." Click on it below to see it on West Music:

You can purchase the CD's for the dances separately. It's initially an expensive purchase, BUT then you have them for years to come! Totally worth it!

Chimes of Dunkirk is another excellent purchase (as well as any book in the New England Dancing Masters series). The set includes the book with directions for several dances, as well as the accompanying CD:

Sanna Longden's CD's and dances are great...and as stated above, she now has all of the directions for  her dances for free on her website! Click on "products" to purchase her CD's, and "teacher guides" to read the free directions.

Looking for more folk dance ideas? My Facebook group, Mrs. Miracle's Chat Room, discusses our folk dance favorites every Friday! For even more folk dance ideas, check out my Pinterest board below:



What are your favorite folk dances? Feel free to comment below, and happy dancing!
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Choosing repertoire for your choir

Choosing repertoire for your choir

This past week, I sat down to choose my choir's repertoire for the spring. I got to thinking about the variety I wanted for the program, and what makes a great selection, so I decided to write with some thoughts that might help you as you choose your choir's repertoire!

A little background: as I wrote about in this post, I have a choir of about 80 or so students in third, fourth, and fifth grade. I see them once a week, for 35 minutes, and we have two concerts at school each year, as well as community events as those arise.

I was a trumpet player all through school, and before my Kodaly training, I literally was in one semester of choir. Ever. So it has taken me quite a while to feel comfortable selecting repertoire, as well as directing the choir! I've gone to several choral sessions throughout the years at conferences, but am definitely not claiming to be a choral expert! Here are some thoughts as you choose choral repertoire:

Is it quality?

As Zoltan Kodaly once said, "Only the best is good enough for a child." I think about this a lot as I choose repertoire. I don't want to choose anything that's cute for the sake of cuteness; I want to choose music that is beautiful, that is timeless, that will touch a child's soul.

Is it accessible?

Because I only see my choir once a week for thirty-five minutes, I have to choose music that will be accessible in that amount of time. You won't see me choosing many pieces in parallel thirds for that reason! I love to select unison pieces (which can be more difficult than you'd think, as the students really have to have a unified sound), rounds and canons, partner songs, and 2- and 3-part pieces which have melodies and countermelodies that are easy to layer. For example, "Minka," which I mentioned in this post about Christmas selections, has a melody and a countermelody, and "Kookaburra" by Malvar-Keylock and Friedersdorf has three parts which are super easy to layer on top of each other.

Do I love the piano accompaniment?

I often will sit down at the piano and play through the piano part (as best as I can). If I love the piano part, chances are, it's a great selection for the choir!

Can students extend their musical learning through the song?

My third graders, at this point in the year, only know the do pentatonic scale. This doesn't mean that I only choose music that is in do pentatonic, as I do sometimes introduce my choir members to solfa and rhythms that their peers not in choir haven't learned yet. But I am mindful as I choose the pieces that there are extractable patterns that I could use to help extend their understanding of rhythmic and melodic concepts. Parts of "Old King Cole" by Perry and Perry, for example, could be used to teach/ practice low sol and the extended do pentatonic scale. "Shake the Papaya down," arranged by Dwyer and Waller, could be used to practice syncopa.

Can students read the song?

Along those lines, are there parts of the song that students could sight read? Because of the minimized time I have with my choir, I don't have them hold octavos for every single song, but I do like to have at least a couple songs where students have the music in their hands, to sight read, to practice melodic and rhythmic concepts, to learn musical terms such as crescendo and fermata, and to learn how to track their part.

Am I choosing a variety of songs?

Have you ever sat in a choir concert in which students sang beautifully, but everything sounded the same? I have, a few times! For this reason, I try to be very mindful that I'm choosing music with a lot of variety: at different tempi, in different languages, and in different styles. Recently, I sat down and created a template to use whenever I'm choosing repertoire, which you can download for free here:

The idea is that you can put a "X" under the corresponding columns, and then make sure that there X's in many different boxes across the template. As I was filling mine out, I realized that I had a LOT of folk songs...which is great, but it's also good for students to sing composed songs, so I was able to choose a couple of composed pieces to balance out my program list.

This past spring, I posted in the Kodaly Educators Facebook group, asking people to list their favorite octavos. I typed the information into a Google Doc and then asked them for more input; here it is in case you need some ideas! Thanks so much to the group for the ideas; make sure to join the group, if you haven't already, as it is a very helpful group!

What are your guidelines for choosing repertoire? Feel free to comment below. Happy singing, and happy teaching!

Choir Songs for Christmas

Choir Songs for Christmas

This past week, my choir performed their holiday concert, and it got me thinking about my favorite songs for this time of year, as well as songs I'd like to perform next year. Today, I'm teaming up with my friend Amy Abbott at Music a la Abbott to blog about our favorite Christmas choir songs as well as ones we'd like to do for next year!

A couple notes:

My choir consists of third, fourth, and fifth graders. Many of these pieces could also work for middle school.

Many of the titles are linked to the octavos on JW Pepper or other sites; simply click to view!

#1: Christmas is coming

This is one of my favorites for this time of year. It's an English folk song that works well as a round. I've heard a few different versions of it, but this is the one I use:

You could also have one part of the choir sing "God bless you" on mi-re-do as an ostinato.

#2: "Minka" arr. by Jill Ann Jones

This is one of my all-time favorites for Christmas! It's a 2-part song that is pretty accessible, as you teach the first part, then you teach the second part, and then you have one half of the choir sing one part as the other half of the choir sings the second part! The piano part is also really fun to play. It's a wonderful addition to any holiday concert.

#3: "Christmas Time is Here" by Mendelson and Guaraldi, arr. by Pugh

I just LOVE this song from "A Charlie Brown Christmas"! I used this arrangement on last year's concert, but simplified it so it was in unison. Here is a video of my students singing it:

This was definitely a crowd pleaser. I mean, who doesn't love Charlie Brown?

#4: "Al Shlosha D'Varim" by Naplan

Although this is not specifically a Christmas or Hanukkah song, I think the text is perfect for this time of year. It translates to: "The world is sustained by three things: by truth, by justice, and by peace." The melody is gorgeous, and just like Minka, students can learn two different parts, then sing the parts together.

#5: "Christmas Canon" by O'Neill, Kinkel, and Pachelbel

You've likely heard this song by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Here is a video:

The piano part is Pachelbel's Canon, and then three parts are layered on top of each other. Again, it is accessible, and so many people are familiar with it, it's another crowd pleaser!

I realized after my choir concert, as I was listening to Christmas music on the way home, that I should plan NOW for what I want my next year's choir to perform, since I have holiday music on the brain!

Here are a few I'd like to program for next year:

"Pat a Pan" by Gilpin

I just realized that I ordered a full set of this octavo this summer...but then didn't use it on this year's concert! I absolutely LOVE this song, and am so excited to use it next year. Such a beautiful arrangement, and I love how suited it is for children's voices.

"Winter Fantasy" by Gallina

This is a fun octavo that has a partner song with "Jingle Bells." I'm excited to do this next year, as I'll have my choir perform it on their concert, but then I will also have it performed on my singalong. The audience will sing Jingle Bells, and then my choir will sing the partner song, and then we'll sing them together! (For more information about putting together a singalong, see this blog post.)

"Man with the Bag" by Emerson

I love this song! I'm hoping to be able to explore the genre of vocal jazz through teaching it, and I know students will love it as much as I do!

"Sleigh Ride" by Cristi Cary Miller

I just found out about this octavo through Amy Abbott's Facebook page. I listened and love the song, so plan on programming it for next year! She'll be including the video of her choir singing the song in her post, so make sure to check it out!

Even though it's December 19 as I write this, and you've likely already had all of your concerts, I hope you're able to bookmark this list as well as Amy's list so you can plan for next year. Feel free to comment below with your favorites for this time of year, as well as any other arrangements of the songs above that you love.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

Holiday gift guide for music teachers

Holiday gift guide for music teachers

Are you looking for gift ideas for a loved one who is a music teacher? Or are you a music teacher trying to find gift ideas to give your family? I'm teaming up with my friend Amy Abbott, to blog about great gift ideas for any music teacher!

Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links.

Echo Dot

I was super excited when my husband bought me the Echo for my birthday in late November. I hadn't asked for it and didn't even know what it was, but now, I'm hooked!
The idea of the Echo is that you can play music wirelessly just by asking. It will play genres of music ("Alexa, play classical music," or "Alexa, play holiday classics") and it will play specific songs. For some songs, you do need a monthly membership to Amazon music, which is $3.99, but there are lots of songs that it will play without that membership. You can also ask Alexa to add things to your to do list, ask her for the weather, ask for the items on your calendar for that day, and more!
It hadn't even occurred to me to use one in my classroom until I saw this post in the Feierabend Fundamentals Facebook group. And then I realized...you could simply say, "Alexa, play 'Chimes of Dunkirk'" and it will play! How awesome is that? You can also connect it to your computer or iPad though Bluetooth. I just ordered one for my classroom; as I write this, it's on sale for $39.99, so I couldn't resist!

PBuzz

This was also a really fun birthday gift from my husband, but could totally work as a gift for your favorite music teacher (or for yourself!) The PBuzz is like a plastic trombone. The slide positions/ letters are marked, and you can slide to whichever you want. It has a small range--only a fifth--but is really fun (and my four year old can make a good sound on it!)

Here is a fun video for "Uptown Funk" played on pBuzz, pBones, and Bass Trombone.

 Click the link below to see the pBuzz on Amazon.

Singing Games and Rhymes for ages 9 to 99

Amy from Music a la Abbott sent me this awesome book as a birthday gift. There are SO many songs in here I had never seen, so it was such a fun gift! I just delved into it deeper today and found many great songs AND games! And even better? It comes with a DVD showing the singing games! (Click on the picture to see how to purchase it.)

Tuning fork on lanyard

I lose things ALL THE TIME, so I love having my tuning fork on a lanyard! The idea of using a tuning fork as a music teacher is that you can quickly check your pitch without having to run over to the piano...and when it's on a lanyard, around your neck, it's even easier! You can buy the one below on West Music; click the picture to see the listing.

Presentation remote

I first bought a presentation remote when I started presenting workshops, but once I realized it can work for Powerpoints, PDF's, SMART Notebook files, AND Prezi, I realized how useful it could be in the music classroom! Whether you are running a singalong or doing an assessment in SMART Notebook, this remote is super helpful, so that you can click without standing at your computer keyboard!

Kindergarten Centers {Bundled Set}

Here's one from my store that music teachers will find helpful! I put this together for teachers hoping to try centers with their Kindergarteners. It includes sets for fast/slow, loud/quiet, beat, high/low, and rhythm, including six centers for each concept!

Christmas morning bundle

This fun set by Amy Abbott is full of games and activities, and will be ready to download on Christmas morning! What's even better? The games can be used any time of the year! Amy's interactive games are always so fun, so I'm looking forward to downloading these games!

Make sure to hop on over to Amy's blog to read her holiday gift guide. Which gifts are on your wish list? Feel free to comment below. Happy shopping, and Happy Holidays!

Five easy (and free!) sub plans for the music classroom

Five easy (and free!) sub plans for the music classroom

We've all heard the adage, "It's easier to come to school sick than to write sub plans." Many of you, like me, have spent hours upon hours working just on one day of sub plans, so it IS often easier to come to school sick than worry about it.

A few years ago, though, I finally got my sub tub in order (read more about my sub tub here), and figuring out sub plans began taking 10 minutes instead of 2 hours! Since then, I've become passionate about figuring out ideas that would have students making music, have subs feel comfortable teaching, and allow me to not spend tons of time preparing!

Here are some ideas for quick and easy sub plans to leave for your sub. Make sure to scroll to the end of the post, to sign up for my email list and receive editable Word documents to edit and adapt the sub plans for your own music lessons (as well as a bonus file)!

#1: The rhythm trainer

This website is a wonderful way to practice dictation and audiation skills! On the first page, you'll see this:

You could have your sub choose A if students will dictate rhythm patterns (onto the SMART board, or on a computer projected onto a LCD projector) or B if students will choose from multiple choice patterns. Then, students or the sub can choose a tempo. Lastly, you can leave notes for your sub with which rhythms to choose from, which can be adapted depending on the grade level! So if your first graders only know ta and ti-ti, or quarter and eighth notes, then you can have the sub only choose the first two rhythms, like shown above.



Then, students can either listen to the one pattern (if choosing option A) or listen to four patterns (if choosing option B), and students come up to the computer or SMART board to dictate or choose the correct pattern. Several students can come up and choose...and even better, your sub doesn't have to be musical in order to have students play this game!

#2: Rhythm reading video

I created this video as a quick and easy way to practice quarter rest, and it's perfect for a sub plan! Students get non-pitched instruments (such as wood blocks, hand drums, rhythm sticks, etc.) The first time through the pattern, they simply say the pattern, using whichever rhythm syllables they know (i.e. ta and ti-ti, ta and ta-di, etc.) The second time through the pattern, they play the pattern on their instruments. You could even have them watch the video more than once, and switch instruments each time (or have them play the patterns all on the same note on recorder, or have them improvise a melody in C pentatonic on Orff instruments!)
Here is the video:

If you want more helpful videos for music teachers, make sure to check out my channel here.

#3: Roll and listen

This is one of my favorite freebies on TeachersPayTeachers, by Cori Bloom from Rhythm and Bloom. The idea is simple but brilliant: students roll a die, listen to a snippet of a piece of music, then  discuss either with the whole class or in small groups the answer to the prompt. This is a great way to discuss tempo, dynamics, instruments, and more, and can be used with ANY piece of music, which is great!
I use foam dice from Amazon, but you could also use big dice from a store like Five Below (like in this post), or a die on the SMART board, if you have SMART notebook.
Click the picture below to download the file on TpT:

#4: Students' choice

Having students choose what they'd like to do is a great time filler, especially if you're not sure the sub plan you're leaving will be long enough. For example, if you were doing "Rhythm trainer" listed above, and expect that it will only take 20 minutes, and you have 30 minute classes, you could leave a note to the sub that students can tell him/her their favorite singing games, he/she can make a list on the board, and then the class can vote on their favorite to play. There are several singing games my students know really well because we play them so often, so they can play it without really any help from the sub (who may or may not be musical!)

#5: Keep a beat

In Kindergarten, first, and second grade, once students know steady beat, you could leave a book for a sub that inherently has a steady beat, and have students keep a steady beat on their laps as the sub reads. If you're nervous that a sub may not be able to read to a steady beat, you could record a short snippet of you reading as you keep a steady beat on a drum, so the sub can hear what you mean. Here are some of my favorite picture books for steady beat (click each to be taken to that listing on Amazon; these are affiliate links, but you may be able to find them in your school library!):

                

Looking to save time by having these lessons in sub plan form? Sign up for my email list below and you'll get these plans for free! I've written the plans to include materials, standards, and process. (If you are already signed up for my email list, no worries, you can sign up again and I won't send you duplicate emails!)


Wondering how to put together a sub tub that saves time? I plan on doing a Facebook Live about my sub tub next Wednesday, December 14, at 9:15 p.m.! Make sure to follow my Facebook page to get the notification!

Looking for more sub plans? Here are two sets I've created:

            

Also make sure to check out ideas on this Pinterest board:

What are your favorite sub plans for the music classroom? Feel free to comment below, and happy teaching and planning!

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