Some years ago, when I was leading a music rehearsal for our church worship team, often tried to stop the band from rushing tempos, while they for their part tried to stop me from dragging those same songs. I remember trying to teach them the groove I was feeling, but without consistent success. They naturally … Continue reading That Elusive Groove
General Music
One Size Fits One
If every student learned the same way, and that one way was the same way you learn, then teaching would be easy. But as we all know, everyone doesn't learn the same way, and we as teachers must be alert to how our students are trying to learn, and learn from them how to teach … Continue reading One Size Fits One
Preparing students to attend “The Nutcracker”
One of the delights of this time of year is the yearly field trip to see Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. While literally children of all ages attend performances of this holiday time favorite, I take the fifth grade at my school to a special morning performance our local ballet company puts on for students. Most of my … Continue reading Preparing students to attend “The Nutcracker”
Confidence Counts For More Than Talent
Talent, as I have written elsewhere, is highly overrated. I’ve seen it time and again: a student who is a hard worker out performs a student with much more natural talent. Talent has to be used and improved upon or it soon becomes worthless. Hard work always pays off, even when it doesn’t lead to … Continue reading Confidence Counts For More Than Talent
Engaged Learners In Action In The Music Classroom
Yesterday, I wrote about developing students as engaged learners. Today, as luck would have it, the benefit of engaged learners played out in my classroom. The plan was to review a two-part vocal arrangement of "Wade In The Water." I asked the class to begin by singing the bass ostinato, and then continue while I … Continue reading Engaged Learners In Action In The Music Classroom
Developing Engaged Learners in Music
There is much to recommend developing our students into independent and engaged students. The two are related: engaged students go beyond what is asked or required, and generate their own questions that drive their learning. By contrast, dependent students are often compliant, but not engaged. It is easy to settle for a compliant student, even … Continue reading Developing Engaged Learners in Music
Using New Learning to Focus and Structure Music Lessons
One of the risks of begin an arts teacher is that my lessons will be perceived as unplanned and lacking in structure. While I always have both plans and structure to every lesson I teach, the highly interactive nature of a music class sometimes gives the illusion that we are only responding to the moment … Continue reading Using New Learning to Focus and Structure Music Lessons
What Solfege Is, And What It Is Not
The use of solfege syllables in teaching singing and music reading is one of those things that music educators cannot seem to come to a consensus on. some use solfege, some do not. some prefer to use letter names, some numbers, some no note names at all, just a neutral syllable. Some try using solfege, … Continue reading What Solfege Is, And What It Is Not
Teaching Music To Special Needs Students
Billy Rueckert is 13 years old. And he likes to prove people wrong...Billy has cerebral palsy, and he was barely 10 when he peeked into the band room...and informed Miss Roggen he’d like to learn to play an instrument. Anything. He wasn’t picky.” I remember him coming through that door with his walker,” says Tammy … Continue reading Teaching Music To Special Needs Students
With An Eye To Differences in How Students Learn
Giving students meaningful choices can teach me quite a bit. Today, I was teaching hip-hop rhythms to a seventh grade class so that the students could perform a groove and improvise over it. One student was successfully playing the high-hat rhythm, while another student was attempting to play the back beats. Although I had introduced … Continue reading With An Eye To Differences in How Students Learn
mister a music place 
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