“We had something that I call the cup of doom, where we put all the kids names on the popsicle stick. I would alternate the test one week we would go Alphabetically you know by last name A to Z and then the next, it was random. But the kids they would start chanting ‘Cup of Doom! Cup of Doom!’, like they couldn’t wait to take the playing tests!”
Tag: ensembles
Teaching Love, One Note at a Time
Today, in my classes, we will be playing music and sending love, as we always do. But today, we will be directing our love to the families and victims in Orlando. I urge you today to do what you can in your own lives to send love, to show your support to those who need it, and to fill the world with music, love, and pride.
The Power of Even a Drop of Critical Pedagogy
Ever since learning about Critical Pedagogy, I have done everything I could do put it into practice. Let me tell you… The results have been out of this world…
My Best Concert Ever!!! A Positive Shift in Culture
And it’s not really that we have perfected all of the notes and rhythms… Because there are definitely still some rough passages… But, there has been a culture shift in my program and it is really coming to light as we prepare for our concert.
Assessment: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly PART II
The third school that really struck me was the most frustrating. It was a group of students from a poor school. So many of their issues had to do with crummy instruments, an unfortunate lacking of a bass player, and just poor circumstances. This was really ugly and frustrating. And so… I decided to write about it…
The Honor of Honors Orchestras (or Lack Thereof…)
He would definitely have a private teacher if his parents would let him, but they can’t afford it. So he watches every youtube video he can find of the audition excerpt. If he made it, he might be the first kid in his entire school to make this orchestra. Just a few minutes ago, he was sitting on a metrobus. Watching the minutes on his phone go by as slow as snail mail….
5 Surefire Ways to Save Rehearsal Time
students are in music classes to make music, not to listen to your life story (well, sometimes they are way too interested in your life story…), but in general, they want to play more. So make way for more music!
Ingredients for the BEST LESSON EVA!
imagine this huge churning cauldron (think of this ever-changing environment with which we have great responsibility). With each new ingredient, the color may change, or the consistency and that may give you a hint as to where to go next for an optimal potion
Is This You? Building Perceptual Awareness in Listening
Listen to the clip once more and this time, point out the times that sounds came into the scene. Ask students to guess what those sounds were. Stop and start the clip as often as you like so that students are refining their observations each time. They may discuss with their team and with the class (10 minutes)
Now, show them the clip with sound. Write down any sounds that they may have missed.
“I Don’t Even Recruit…” (spoken in the snootiest voice ever)
Why not reach out to your feeders? Isn’t it better to let them know that they are wanted than not? Wouldn’t it ease the transition just a bit more if the students knew for certain that the new music teacher had a place for them?
MusicEdLove 