August 2022: This blog post has gotten a much-needed update! Whether you are about to start the school year or a few weeks in, hopefully it will provide you with simple ways to empower your music students. It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you can only empower music students later in…
This article was originally published in The Woman Conductor Journal, June 2022 issue. Prior to the year 2000, a digital audio workstation, known as a DAW, was only found in professional music studios. The DAW was complex and primarily used by those in the music industry. However, in 2004 Apple introduced GarageBand on all of their devices,…
Updated July 2022 They’ve done it again! I first wrote about using Flipgrid in music classes in January 2018. Since that time, the tool has gone through several amazing updates and this most recent round is no exception. The biggest change is a new name: Flipgrid is now Flip! There’s a new name, a new…
June 2022 – This post has gotten a much-deserved update! This blog post has been updated, just like the awesome tool it features! Flat.io, the creators of the well-known Google Add-on, Flat for Docs, has recently announced some changes to this tool, including a name change! Flat for Docs has re-branded, and is now known…
One thing we can always count on with Google for Education – updates and improvements! Google listens to users, working to make their products functional and efficient. This was especially evident when schools shifted to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the Google updates keep coming, I’ve worked to put together a list of…
We’ve reached the time of year when the questions appear on social media daily: “we just had our concert and there are three weeks left, what do I do?!?” Honestly, when I was in the classroom this was some of my favorite time! The concert is over, the performance pressures are gone, and now the…
As musicians, we’ve all been there. It’s the week before a performance and we wonder, am I really ready for this? Ready to get in front of an audience? Do I know the music well enough? Did I prepare everything thoroughly? We add a whole other layer to this when we ask the same questions…
One of my favorite ways to use technology with students is to have them create music. Lucky for us, there are so many great options available. Today I’m going to share a tool I’ve been using for several years in my music classes. It’s free, accessible from any device, and fun! Groove Pizza Groove Pizza,…
March 2022 – This post has gotten a much-deserved update! It’s no secret that I love all things Google. There are so many fabulous tools within Google Workspace for Education, and they seem to get better every day. One of the most versatile tools is Google Slides. I’ve called Slides my “island tool” – if…
In 2011, Google launched their project, “Google Arts & Culture” as a partnership with 71 prominent museums around the world. Since then, it’s grown to include over 1,500 museums and cultural institutions – including several of interest to music educators! Throughout the Google Arts & Culture website, there are many components that music educators will…