This article was originally published in The Woman Conductor Journal, February 2022 issue. If there’s one thing every band director has too much of, it’s paper! Going paperless is not only better for the environment, it also saves time and space, and can help you be more efficient. While you may not need, or want, to go…
We are lucky to be teaching in a time where there is no shortage of digital music creation tools! From the most basic to the very complex, there is a tool available for every situation. When looking for something that is accessible for all students, the Chrome Music Lab is a great place to start….
I’ve heard many people lamenting recently about students musicians who are weak players, behind, or not performing up to expectations. I’m sure this is true in the eyes of the educator, but there are several things we must put into perspective. The last two years have been something else. No one teaching has ever experienced…
Have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in a day teaching music? How many plans do you make and options do you choose from regularly? One study found that teachers, on average, make 1,500 decisions every day. That works out to four decisions every minute! It’s no surprise educators are exhausted. (Check…
And with that, another year down! It’s amazing to think about all the different things that took place this year. While I’ll spare you reading about the good, the bad, and the ugly from 2021, I want to share the top five blog posts. This year I had two focuses: updating popular posts to be…
This article was originally published in The Woman Conductor Journal, October 2021 issue. If there was ever a time to go paperless in the band room, this is it! Between forms, flyers, and sheet music, the amount of paper in any band room is impressive. While eliminating all paper might not be possible or even necessary, moving…
December 2021 – This post has gotten a much-deserved update! Several links were added to make the ideas even more actionable. Good luck, and have fun! We’re seeing a lot of posts on social media about what to do after a concert, what to do during testing, and even, what to do when your students…
November 2021 – this post has been updated! Check out some new ideas on how to complete this project. I started doing the Thanksgiving Concert project a few years ago with my band and orchestra students. While I don’t believe in giving “homework” over long breaks, it is great when students can still play their…
It’s almost that time of year: concert season! For some music teachers, this could be the first live performance in two years. There might be safety measures in place, or maybe there isn’t an audience in-person. For other teachers, this could be an opportunity to try something new, or a return to a much loved…
October 2021 – this post has gotten an update! Check out these Jamboard updates and some new ideas for how to use it in music classes. I see the irony that my last post was about understanding your WHY in the classroom prior to determining your WHAT, and today I am starting another series on…