Teaching Concert Etiquette

I like the idea of having a lesson in which the whole class compares and contrasts appropriate behavior at a sporting event and at a classical music concert.  You could also three-way compare and contrast a sporting event, rock concert and classical music concert.  For the parents, you can insert a half page of concert etiquette guidelines.  The guidelines from this website could be used:

Classical Music Concert Etiquette

Memorizing Words to Songs

Some pieces for choir have so many words that it is difficult for students to memorize the various verses.  I liked the following discussion, especially the following ideas:

Write all the words on the board (or show typed on a projector).  After singing through it once, erase or delete some of the words.  Do this several times and delete more words each time.

Have each student handwrite all the words.  Have a due date to have the words memorized.  Make it into a quiz and have each student individually write all the words from memory and turn it in.

Memorizing Words

Keeping students from talking in rehearsals

I liked reading these ideas for minimizing talking during rehearsals.  I especially like these:

Have a "sh sh sh" sound that the students join in with the teacher whenever the teacher does it.
If someone is talking, have everyone breathe in for 5 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds and breathe out for 5 seconds.
If someone is talking, teacher has the whole class stand up or sit up on edge of chair.  When talking stops, the teacher says "sit down" or "sit back."
Have them get used to silence.  When they are quiet and ready to sing, wait for a few beats of silence before conducting them to sing.
Teacher sings "oo" on a reasonable pitch and every student joins in unison.  After everyone is joined in, teacher cuts off and continues with rehearsal.

Minimize Talking

Helping kids match pitch

I like these ideas for helping kids match pitch: Especially that you should have the student sing a pitch and then you match their pitch (rather than the other way around).  I like the apple-picking game in which the teacher sings a tone and a student picks an imaginary apple and simultaneously sings the teacher's pitch.  Then the student picks a different apple and starts singing a different pitch.  Then the teacher picks an apple and matches the student's pitch.  In this manner they trade back and forth.  I also have heard of playing a pitch on a piano and having a student sing it.  If the pitch is incorrect, the teacher sings the pitch the student is singing and then slides up or down to the pitch that the teacher is asking them to sing on the piano.  Then the student can slide to the correct pitch as well.

Help Kids Match Pitch

Teaching Part Singing

For beginning part singing, I like this idea of the part I students humming their part (the melody) while the part II (harmony) sings their part out loud.  It is also helpful to physically move the two parts further away from each other.

Part Singing Tips

10 ways to improvise your way to becoming a better teacher

I like that this article used improv acting ideas to help teaching, since I do some drama with my music students.  These were my favorite:

1. Help each other out: In improv, you set the other person up for success.  We should always be helping others!
2. Come into every situation with a basic outline: In improv, you need to know where you are trying to get to in your skit, even if you haven't figured out all the details.  We always need to have goals and a direction to focus on in each class period.
3. You won't get anything you don't ask for: If you want to change something about your music program, ask your administration, parents, other teachers, etc.  The worst that can happen is they say no!
4. Pay attention to your surroundings: In improv, you can make up a song or a skit about someone in the audience messing with their cell phone or doing something quirky.  Pay attention to the people in your classroom and be light-hearted and playful about it.  As long as you don't make fun, it will engage them!

10 ways to improvise your way to becoming a better teacher

20 classroom management strategies

It is important for us to remind ourselves of simple management strategies periodically.  I especially like these:
Be silent more (wait time is important for student comprehension and focus)
Don't ever argue with a child (you are the adult!)
Check for understanding a lot!
Move around the room
Say "We don't do that in here," about critical comments.
Don't spend too much time on a concept in one day (maybe have them play a section three times and then move on); you don't want to kill your pacing.
Encourage them! 

20 management strategies

February ideas

I like these ideas for general music lessons in February.  First of all, it is Black History Month.  The teacher who wrote this website teaches students to play spirituals on the recorder in February.  I think I will do the same thing this year as well as having a lesson about the Fisk Jubilee Singers who were mostly former slaves at Fisk University in 1871-1872.  I will have the students sing a spiritual, watch videos of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and write and perform a skit with a partner using names from the original list of singers.

February in general music

Bouncy Ball

I liked this question: "Does the bouncy ball feature in this technology help our students better learn how to read music?" 

There are two videos.  They both have a march playing and show an accompaniment that students are supposed to play with a tambourine and a triangle.  One video contains a bouncy ball that shows students when to play.  I like the video of the bouncy ball because it shows the steady quarter note beats and helps the students to not get lost.  In the video without the bouncy ball, the teacher would probably need to point in order to help some students not get lost. 

Bouncy Ball

Grand Staff for Beginners

I love this idea for teaching the grand staff to kids by drawing a sky, the ocean, and the sun on the horizon.  Draw some note heads in the ocean and in the sky.  You play some low notes on the piano that "sound like you're deep in the ocean" and high notes that "sound like you're high in the sky."  I love that Middle C is the horizon that separates sky and ocean.  I also love that the piano keyboard is the grand staff sideways.  I like his idea of superimposing your drawing on a grandstaff.  Draw birds and clouds in the treble clef, a boat on middle C and fish in the bass clef!  Then have the student draw their own picture on a grand staff.  So fun!

Grand Staff

Stuck in Your Head

I always talk with my students about a melody as being the "tune that gets stuck in your head."  It is true that some tunes seem to be more catchy than others, but scientists don't know why.  It must have something to do with memorable pitch intervals or rhythms.  I have always loved the song "I Wish I Was in Dixieland."  The melody outlines a triad upward, then steps down for a few notes, followed by a perfect fourth up and then two perfect fifths up (starting on the same pitch on which the perfect fourth began), while the singer sings, "Hooray!  Hooray!"  These are easy intervals, but positioned nicely and interestingly together.  So I enjoyed this website because I could relate.  :)

Stuck in Your Head

Bicycle Built for Two

This is a score created using NoteFlight.  I think this would be useful for music education because students could access scores that you notate in places other than your classroom!  For choir, if you have a part for them to practice, you could notate it on noteflight and create a link in a blog that students can access.  At home or the library, they could listen to it and practice the pitches to their part. 

Bicycle Built for Two

Eighth Note Subdivision

I like this way of teaching eighth note subdivision:  He writes the subdivision of numbers and and counts underneath the rhythm.  Then he simply circles the numbers and the ands which fall on the rhythmic counts.  Then, the student counts and claps the numbers or ands that are circled.  The next step is having students write out the subdivision for a rhythm and circle the counts and ands that they will clap.  The circles give a good visual of where to clap.

Eighth Note Subdivision

Dopamine Release!

I talk with my students about the fact that music and singing must release endorphins because it makes people feel better, even singing Requiems about death is enjoyable! I wholeheartedly agree with this article that there is a dopamine release in the response to music that is similar to tangible rewards.  Even more importantly, the anticipation of that reward causes a dopamine release.  I know I get excited when I think about making music!  :)

Dopamine Release!

Concert Motivation Ideas

These ideas for motivating kids for concerts are great.  I especially like walking around with a mirror to get them smiling, having the nurse or principal come in to listen to a song, asking them to "sing with their eyes" or complimenting a well liked kid on his or her motions, expressions, etc.

Concert Motivation Ideas

Beatboxing

This video shows how to teach a vocal skill that is fun and non-threatening to 10-12 year-olds: beatboxing.  Using a "b" for a bass drum sound, a "pff" for a snare drum sound and a "ts" for a hi-hat sound, students can come up with their own rhythms.

Beatboxing

All-School Sing-Alongs

There is nothing better than listening to a room full of people singing their hearts out.  Schools should definitely make a tradition of having all-school sing-alongs at assemblies.  I love how their song list included patriotic songs, songs from musicals, and pop songs.

All-School Sing-Alongs

5 Questions to Ask Before Teaching a Class

These five simple questions will help a teacher to be in the right mind-set.  I love how the questions are focused on positivity, modeling, highlighting student growth, and serving students rather than self.

5 Questions to Ask Before Teaching a Class