We recently celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. In delving into his legacy and the history of the Civil Rights Movement, the impact and role of music is undeniable. Music was integral to the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King…
There’s no doubt kids love to learn through games. There are so many resources now that provide teachers with valuable feedback while making the learning experience engaging for students. Tools like Kahoot, Nearpod, Gimkit, Socrative, and so many more combine formative…
I’m sure most school orchestras and music directors are in the midst of preparing music for a winter concert. Undoubtedly, we push and put so much energy and work into that winter performance. Following the performance, we might have a…
In last week’s post, we explored 6 simple tips for effective practice. In this week’s post, we will continue to talk about practice and share some helpful practice tips. These are in no particular order, but are some thoughts on…
In the past on the blog, I’ve written about how to develop an effective practice routine (more on that later in the post). In this post, we will cover 6 easy practice tips you can share with your students or…
This past summer I pursued an idea I have been ruminating about for a long time – a jazz string camp. I called it the String Improv Workshop. You can read more about it here. I had a small, but…
Musicians know the value of a warm up routine. I will admit, my students often just want to skip the warm ups and go straight to the music. I can’t blame them! However, I try to help them see the…
Recently I have been reviewing some rhythm fundamentals with my youngest students. Therefore, we have been working on the basics of rhythm – whole notes, half notes, quarters, and 8ths. We’ve also been working on performing together, feeling the pulse…
For the past two years I’ve led an after school string ensemble at my school focused on jazz and improvisation. I called it the Jazz String Orchestra. Unfortunately, this year I was not able to hold that ensemble, but I…
Here is another very simple activity to engage students in the remote setting. This is a follow up to my last post where I discussed creating note identification slides in PowerPoint. Similarly, I have started to create slides with different…