Classes can be crazy this time of year, especially when you are preparing for a concert! If you find yourself with a bit of time that needs to be filled, here is a fun game to play! It takes “Hot and Cold” to a whole new level!! When one is far from the object, one sings […]
The Macy’s parade interactive website offers a variety of facts and photos from its long history, but I pulled out those that I thought were musical noteworthy! (Some are direct quotes, while others are a summary) Here they are: 1920’s The inaugural Macy’s Day Parade took place on Christmas, 1924 with performers, jazz bands and animals from the […]
It is quite a big deal to be a part of this event! If you would like your marching band to participate, you need to apply by March 1st, 2017 to be considered for the 2018 parade! Talk about planning!!! (You can apply HERE!) It is said that approximately 300 bands apply and only 12 […]
The musical performers for this year are quite a diverse crew, however, my 2 favorites have to be Tony Bennett and of course, the Muppets!! Here is they are: Brett Eldredge Chloe and Halle Daya De La Soul Easton Corbin Fitz And The Tantrums Jacob Whitesides Kelsea Ballerini Maddie & Tae Aloe Blacc Ben Rector […]
I just came back from the NAFME convention in Grapevine, TX. It was fantastic! I enjoy going to conferences around the country because I learn so much. There are always so many cool presenters and materials that bring a whole new prospective to what is going on in the world of music education. As I […]
This past weekend our choir participated in a concert dedicated to St. Cecelia, the patron saint of musicians. The adult choir participated, as well and sang my very favorite piece Ave Verum Corpus by W.A. Mozart. As I sat and listened to this beautiful music, I was reminded of why I do what I do. […]
In our final installment of the STEM to STEAM series, I wanted to highlight the connections between disciplines, although, in an education world where math is from ~ let’s say 9-10 and language arts is from 10-11 etc…,is it really worth the trouble and is it even possible? (I do think that schools will be […]
It is no surprise that non-musicians get freaked out at the very thought of singing or playing an instrument in front of others…even classroom teachers! (although it always surprises me how often we ask our students to take risks and to “try hard” even if they are scared, and yet we, ourselves, will rarely do […]
This week’s lesson is an example of what a STEAM lesson looks like in the music classroom, but the truth is, classroom teachers could easily do this as well ~ using a basket of small percussion instruments, a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. My goal is to not only to give you a […]
A couple of years ago I decided I was going to keep a journal while I taught that year. I wanted to chronicle what went on in my classes and use it to help further lesson planning. Well, as you can imagine, time became an issue. Like many of us, the required tasks of the year got […]