As teachers we are always working on the fundamentals of tone production and what goes into creating a beautiful bow sound. These concepts include bow weight, bow speed, and bow placement. Some years ago, I created a handy visual reference for…
It is the start of a new school year!If you are beginning your year, perhaps that means you are starting beginners on a new instrument or switching students from one instrument to another. This is definitely the case for me…
It is mid-August right now and the beginning of the school year is quickly approaching. We as music educators know how important it is to cultivate a positive community at the start of the year. This includes setting a positive and…
I wanted to share with everyone that I launched a new store on Etsy – Grace Notes Music Tools. Similar to my store on Teachers Pay Teachers, I will be sharing teaching resources and materials as well as original music inspired…
In 2001 the Smithsonian Museum of American History created Jazz Appreciation month to celebrate the deep history of jazz during the month of April. While many of the most influential jazz musicians were woodwind and brass players, pianists, or rhythm section…
Pentatonic scales are fun and can unlock so much creativity and expression for students. The sounds of pentatonic scales are so familiar and accessible to our ears. Every note sounds good!My goal is for my students to learn nine major…
The process of music making requires continued personal reflection in order to keep growing. As music teachers, we understand this process and so we work to help our students understand it too. Several years ago I began creating resources for my students…
Practice. It’s the only path to improving in music and really anything in life. The challenge is learning how to do it well so that we are making progress rather than spinning our wheels. We as teachers spend countless hours helping our…
For many music directors, the winter concert season has come to a close. While concert season may be done for some, it’s good to reflect on selections that went well and were enjoyed by students and audiences alike. In light…
It can be challenging choosing the right music for an ensemble. It’s a balancing act finding music that will suit a developing orchestra – music that will both develop their technique and musicianship as well as capture their interest and…