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!
Tag: 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
“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?
Inspiration – The Cycle of Awe
Their dedication to his practices is a testament to the relationship between student and mentor and to the quality and depth of his contribution to string teaching. So, I have been thinking about what I need to do to honor those who have inspired me, and to begin compiling my own life’s work. Here are a few of the many people who have inspired me and how I try to honor their role in my life as I progress in daily teaching, researching, and thinking.
Humor – There is a Place for it During Rehearsals!
Basically, encourage your students to have fun with music and with your class. When I surveyed my students, the vast majority said that their favorite thing about my class was my crazy stories. And I actually don’t tell them all that often, but students remember them. This brings them back day after day for another taste of our favorite thing in the world: music!
My 2015 Role Model – Julia Ettie Crane
Recognizing the need for an authentic classroom setting, Crane created a model classroom in which all of her students practiced music teaching.[7] This classroom gave students the balance between musicianship and educational pedagogy which she sought. Crane’s beliefs on Music Education are still prevalent today.
Carrots & Cupcakes & Concerts, Oh My!
anyone was welcome to sit anywhere from the floor, to the monument, to the steps leading down to the monument. So there were people EVERYWHERE! Children dancing, people walking past taking photos as they headed home from work, and the best part was seeing people unplug for a minute or so as they listened to the live music on their way home from work. I LOVE this aspect of this concert & the audience did too.
The Big Fish Little Pond Effect
I had a student once who was an enormous fish in this teeny tiny pond of little musicians who all looked up to him as if he were Heaven-sent to play cello with them. He was beloved in my program and really was a good cellist with great potential. But his arrogance was a huge issue for him as he began to compete for chairs in All-State and eventual college acceptance as a cello performance major. I remember thinking “Such a big fish may struggle in a sea of sharks once he gets to college”
MusicEdLove 