One of my main goals as a music educator is to provide authentic music-making opportunities that live in the real world for my students. I want my kids to see themselves as part of a larger community of musicians and composers, because we know that when students feel a part of something beyond the classroom walls, they are motivated to make discoveries and go deeper into the world of music. Continue reading Community Music Making in the Classroom with Soundtrap and Noteflight
I’ve recently been thinking a lot about Tom Little’s new book Loving Learning: How Progressive Education Can Save America’s Schools. In it he highlights a number of progressive school values that prepare students for success. Continue reading Original Group Song Performances
Every music director has made the following exclamation either out loud or silently while lying awake at night: “Our ensemble needs to experience playing music together after all notes and rhythms have been mastered.” Why? This is when the magic of playing music together happens. We want our students to experience how the joy and art of collective music-making is taken to a heightened state when our minds no longer need to be concerned with “what note is that?” or “how does that rhythm go?” What’s more, when students can play their music effortlessly we can put our energy towards exploring and practicing the many nuances necessary for bringing the music to life. Too often directors and students spend their valuable class time going over things that should be tackled before or after a rehearsal. Continue reading Progressive Approach to Practicing: HS Wind Ensemble’s Peer Evaluations
Once upon a time, in my tenth year as a music specialist, I was teaching a class of 3rd and 4th graders. We were about to record a 10 minute piece based on what we learned about form, instrumentation, dynamics, and playing together as a group.
Because the piece would be created on the spot, I thought it was important to review the“frameworks for improvisation” I had developed. They were already being used with success by colleagues at other schools. I was eager to try it out on my students.
There was a particularly imaginative and impulsive child who was quite vocal during our preparation. After class he stayed behind to tell me, “Sheri, I really understand why we needed to go over the rules but sometimes I just need the noise.” Continue reading Framework for Improvisation
Am I able to check in with which each of my students with enough regularity that I know what their needs are? And more importantly, are my students able to reflect upon and articulate their needs themselves? Up until recently I’ve relied upon assessing their work at certain points in a project or class time check-ins whenever possible to keep each of my students’ needs on my radar. For the student who is more of a quiet learner and less comfortable interacting and expressing themselves it is often a bit of a puzzle for me to determine their needs. Continue reading Do We Know What Our Students’ Needs Are?
