December 1, 2019
Most of the world has somewhat of an idea about how difficult teaching is, but middle school teachers are proven to have it rougher than most other educators. The feeling of just getting used to teaching a certain group of middle schoolers only to start over with an unfamiliar group of kids is unavoidable in […]
November 1, 2019
Saying that technology has completely transformed music in recent years is an understatement. Everything from how composers work to how the world consumes music from their favorite artists is unrecognizable from what the musical climate looked like at the turn of the century. Music education is no exception. Bringing MIDI into choral music education spaces […]
October 1, 2019
Music educators sometimes forget that they have a powerful teaching tool all around them at their disposal: Catchy popular music. From chart-topping hits to folk music traditions, well-known music is informing the musical world surrounding your students in a big way . One feature that makes popular music so infectious and memorable is the ostinato. […]
September 1, 2019
Helping to solidify a student’s grasp of music theory and notation is no easy task. The specific rules and boundaries used to govern music that typically feel like second nature to educators often feel alien and intimidating to a classroom of students. A powerful tool in every music educator’s teaching arsenal is solfege. If you’ve […]
August 1, 2019
Something that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough in music education is the challenge of relating to a constantly evolving cast of students. Even educators still young enough to be in their 20’s and 30’s are often decades removed from their students. This, of course, is just a part of teaching, but zoom in closer […]
June 16, 2019
Scott Johnson is the director of percussion for the Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. He first joined the Blue Devils in 1976 and became the organization’s Director of Percussion and Percussion Arranger in 1994. As part of the Promark “Built to Compete” campaign and for the 2019-2020 master educator catalog, Director of Marketing […]
June 1, 2019
Depending on how long you’ve been a music educator, it’s probably been years or maybe even decades since you first learned how to read rhythm notation. Something like clapping a measure of 8th notes probably feels as natural as breathing does to you at this point, but to a child learning music for the first […]
April 1, 2019
Music has remained one of humanity’s most important and impactful artforms for thousands of years because of its ability to evolve and adapt to the cultures that surround it. But sadly, many traditional music educators hold firm to the belief that music tech like MIDI-generated sounds and composition software distracts their students and provides no […]
March 24, 2019
Do you have a rhythm band in your classroom? Rhythm bands have been a part of the music classroom experience for over 80 years. The rhythm band was created to prepare children for later instrumental work and for the enjoyment of music in all its forms. American composer and music teacher J. Lilian Vandevere said […]
The mouthpiece and reed combination in clarinets and saxophones is critical to the success or failure of your students. Having the right ones means barely tolerating or not liking to play to absolutely loving playing and joining band. I see it happen all the time and it’s a beautiful thing. After all, mouthpiece and the reed […]
