Month: December 2015
An Antidote To Boredom
With the new year nearly upon us, many will make resolutions to do better in some area of their life. Many of these fade within a few weeks as our human tendency to settle back into the familiar and comfortable takes over. This is, I think, at least partly due to focusing on the action … Continue reading An Antidote To Boredom
Passing Along Your Musical Roots
Psychologists will tell you that you are a blend of "nature and nurture--" that you are what you are partly because of inherited traits, and partly because of what your interactions with your environment have been. Today, I am interested in the musical aspect of the environment in which we all matured from early childhood … Continue reading Passing Along Your Musical Roots
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Wesley's original verse for this beloved Christmas hymn is rich with poetry and theology. Many of these lines are all but unknown today, pushed aside in favor slightly lighter though no less excellent poetry. Conspicuous by its absence is the familiar refrain from which we derive the very title of the hymn. The refrain was … Continue reading Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Some Thought on Teaching Rhythm
For those of us who received most of our musical training within the context of classical music, we sometimes forget that music is not primarily a written art, like the literary masterworks of Shakespeare or Milton, but an auditory art. While this may seem obvious, it is not so obvious to those who observe or … Continue reading Some Thought on Teaching Rhythm
We Just Gave Our Concert, Now What?
There is always anticipation and excitement leading up to a concert, and then the high energy level of the concert itself. So many hours have gone into preparing a school concert, the performance is given and then there is the inevitable release when it is over. There may be a school assembly performance, but the … Continue reading We Just Gave Our Concert, Now What?
Where Do I Begin?
For most music teachers, organizing instruction into units makes a lot of sense. Typically, we see see students once or twice a week, or every day for a few weeks out of the school year. Teaching a series of lessons all grounded in a single topic helps reinforce important points from week to week, and … Continue reading Where Do I Begin?
A Fable from the Land of Music Notes
Children love stories. Sometimes stories can be used to teach difficult concepts. I remember a story that a music teacher used to tell to explain dotted quarter notes, and some 58 years later, I still remember it. Here's is another story about note values. I hope you enjoy it. There once was a land where … Continue reading A Fable from the Land of Music Notes
The Nuts & Bolts of Running a Classroom
A school classroom is a complex environment. There are many students in a room together and within that group of students their are varying interests, abilities, attitudes, and life circumstances, all of which impact what and how students learn. Imposed on these classrooms of students are expectations that every student can succeed, and every student … Continue reading The Nuts & Bolts of Running a Classroom
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