I’ve been doing a music residency with a grade 1 and 3 class at Grandview Elementary in Red Deer for the past week. I’ve seen the children every day for 35-45 minutes, and have had an amazing time with them! One of the lessons that went really well was a lesson on ostinato using the singing game, […]
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This post is all about fun ways to teach children the letter names of the notes. When you play an instrument, it’s a very useful skill to know the name of the note on the staff so that you know which of the bars you should play! To be a good sight-reader, you need instant recall. […]
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Planning your Holiday Concert
Musicplay Holiday Newsletter – Dec. 2003 As many of you are finishing preparations for your holiday concert, it seems like a good time to give you some ideas for making that holiday concert FUN instead of just STRESS! Planning and Delegating Responsibility: At a staff meeting early in the fall, discuss how the holiday concert […]
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Preschool Music Classes
I’ve been working on a preschool curriculum this year, combining what I think are the strengths of John Feirabend’s First Steps, and the curriculums that use instruments more extensively – Lynn Kleiner, Music Together, Kindermusik. My hope is that Musicplay Preschool will be an easy to follow curriculum that will encourage students to enjoy singing, […]
Developing the Child’s Singing Voice I recently read this question on a music teachers facebook page: I’m teaching grade 1 and 2 music. I had 2 of my classes for the first time today and did some call and response tone-matching activities. I was shocked to find that 75% of the students could not […]
I saw Sister Lorna Zemke at TMEA and she had a really cute idea to get kids using high and low voices using a mouse and a bear puppet having conversations. Sometimes I got blank when I’m trying to make something up, so I decided to write a story that would use the high and […]
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Valentine’s Day Mad Minute
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Holiday Concert Scripts Wanted
Holiday concerts are just around the corner. What do you have planned for your Holiday concert? Do you put on a full musical or do you choose songs that you, the students and the parents love and perform them, maybe based around a theme. Some of the themes I’ve used have included: Holiday Lights Christmas Cards and Greetings Christmas […]