Band, Empowered Music Students, Technology

Top Five Blog Posts of 2019

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It’s hard to believe we are almost two weeks into 2020! The past year has been a whirlwind. There were several awesome professional opportunities, including a new job, my experience at the Google Innovator Academy and two exciting projects that will be released in 2020. There were also some challenging personal events that led to the recent blogging inconsistency, but I am hopeful to get that back on track in the new year. There are … Continue reading “Top Five Blog Posts of 2019” →

Band, Empowered Music Students, Technology

The Concerts are Over…Now What?

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It’s that time of year where many band directors are gearing up for winter or holiday concerts. We have a single track focus, making sure that everything is *just right* before putting it in front of an audience. But then the concert is over and the panic of, “what do I do now?!?” often sets in! While obviously we want to continue making music, there needs to be some kind of change to the daily … Continue reading “The Concerts are Over…Now What?” →

Band, Empowered Music Students

Listening With Purpose

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I read an interesting article recently about listening. It wasn’t intended for music teachers, but it resonated with me for a lot of reasons. The author, A.J. Juliani, talked about how even though we may listen to something with a purpose, we often still miss things. What one person hears, another may miss. We all have limitations and we all have blind spots. You can check out A.J.’s article here: The Surprising Research About Our … Continue reading “Listening With Purpose” →

Band, Empowered Music Students

Empowering Music Students at the Beginning of the Year

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This blog post has been a few weeks in the making – back-to-school this year was an exciting yet exhausting experience. Whether you are a few weeks into your school year or a few months, hopefully this post will provide you with simple ways to empower music students. It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you can only empower music students later in the school year. That you must wait until X, … Continue reading “Empowering Music Students at the Beginning of the Year” →

Band, Orchestra

Conversational Solfege – But Can They Read Music?

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This post is a few month overdue, but as the sayings go, “better late than never” and “better published than perfect!” Previously I wrote about a new (to me) method I was incorporating with my beginning band and orchestra students, Conversational Solfege. The Conversational Solfege method is based on the concept, sound before sight. Students are taught to be musical from day one, but reading music is not the primary focus right away. If you … Continue reading “Conversational Solfege – But Can They Read Music?” →

Band, Orchestra

The Snowball Fight – A Music Composition Strategy

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A few weeks ago I mentioned a composition technique I tried with my beginning instrumental music students called a “snowball fight.” It’s commonly used in more academic classes, but was the perfect fit for music writing as well! Yes, I realize it’s the end of May and almost summer vacation, but this is a great time to try it! If you’re interested, here’s what Discovery Education says about it – SOS: Snowball Fight. The basic … Continue reading “The Snowball Fight – A Music Composition Strategy” →

Band, Empowered Music Students, Orchestra

Five More Ideas to Try After a Concert

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Last year around this time I shared five ideas to try after a concert. That post was one of the top-read in 2018, inspiring me to add five more fun activities. While the title says “after a concert,” in reality, you do not have to wait. They would be great for anytime you need something different to do – before a break, during testing time, you name it. Here are five more ideas to try … Continue reading “Five More Ideas to Try After a Concert” →

Band, Empowered Music Students, Orchestra

Student-Centered Performances

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In a performance-based class it may seem challenging to empower students and create a learner-centered environment. Musical ensembles are director-let by nature. Shifting focus to the students is not impossible, but it requires an open mind and careful planning to make it happen! Here are four ways you can create student-centered ensembles and performances. Student Choice in Repertoire I don’t know if others are like this, but one of my favorite things is programming repertoire! I love … Continue reading “Student-Centered Performances” →

Band, Empowered Music Students, Orchestra

Connected Music Students: Skype With a Composer

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I’ve written before about how I believe empowered music students should be connected. The word connect, as opposed to collaborate, is intentional. I agree that it’s important for students to collaborate; it is a skill necessary for the 21st-century. But too often people hear the word collaborate and assume that means just with peers. Students working with other students. While this is something I advocate for, I don’t think it can be the end. Students … Continue reading “Connected Music Students: Skype With a Composer” →

Band, Orchestra, Personalized Learning

Personalized Learning Tidbits

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Last week I attended the Mid-Atlantic Conference on Personalized Learning (MACPL). As a member of the Personalized Learning Design Team in Arlington County, this was very exciting! Last year I wrote about my work with Personalized Learning in music a few times. While I haven’t written about it in a while, it’s still something I work to incorporate in my classes. For those new to Personalized Learning, iNACOL defines it as: “Tailoring learning for each … Continue reading “Personalized Learning Tidbits” →