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…
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…