Most music teacher resources are written by specialists, and designed for other specialists to use. But if you’re not a trained music teacher, these programs are intimidating and difficult to understand.
It IS possible to teach a quality music program – even without any formal training. All you need are resources that break down the concepts in a way that both you – and your students! – can easily follow.
September can be a hopeful but also stressful month for teachers, as we try to make sure that we are starting out on the right foot with EVERYTHING. Often, subjects like music can get pushed to the backburner, especially if you are a non-specialist who is required to teach music to your own class, or […]
As an elementary music teacher, you know that rhythm is a fundamental element of music. It sets the foundation for melody and helps create the overall musical structure. One effective tool that can enhance your students’ rhythmic understanding is rhythm dictation. Rhythm dictation is when students listen to music and write down the rhythmic patterns […]
Music Lesson Plans Grade 2 The grade 2 music curriculum is all about setting up a strong foundation in basic concepts. Repetition is extremely important, especially with core concepts in beat, rhythm, and pitch. I strongly recommend teaching the concepts in the following order, as it is easy to build each skill on the back […]
I want to introduce Buffy simply by daring you to listen to this song without bopping your head along. Seriously – every class I have ever played this song for IMMEDIATELY asks me to play it again as soon as it finishes. The music itself is enough to grab you – but the fact that […]
Black History Month Music Lessons: Ella Fitzgerald Looking for some quick Black History Month music lessons for your classes? Here are some free resources for teaching a music lesson all about Ella Fitzgerald. Introduction to Ella Fitzgerald Teaching Points: Links: Introduction to Scatting Scatting Teaching Points: Scatting Links: Introduction to Scatting and Sampling How Ella […]
What is articulation in music? While musical elements such as rhythm and melody change the basic movement of the music, articulation refer to HOW the music is played or sung. The most common types of articulation are staccato and legato, which refer to how the notes are connected as they are played, and accents, which […]
Fall is such a fun time to teach music because there are so many great songs and activities that you can pull into a fall theme. Song Ideas for Your Fall Music Lessons Free Fall Music Printables from Prodigies Fall Music Lessons – Lesson Plans for Autumn These grade level specific lesson plans include a […]
First day of music class activities for elementary The first day of a new school year can be stressful for any teacher, but it can be even more nerve wracking when you are teaching a subject that is not in your wheelhouse. Many teachers are asked to teach music without any prior experience or training […]
Looking for Solfege Lesson Plans? Solfege is an important building block in elementary music, but if you’re not a specialist it may seem overwhelming. Luckily, solfege isn’t actually that hard to learn and it can make your music lesson plans more interactive and fun, as well as teaching important pitch concepts. What is solfege? Solfege […]
Music Lesson Plans Grade 1 The grade 1 music curriculum is all about setting up a strong foundation in basic concepts. Repetition is extremely important, especially with core concepts in beat, rhythm, and pitch. I strongly recommend teaching the concepts in the following order, as it is easy to build each skill on the back […]
Elementary students love learning about different instruments! Whether you’re teaching in person, hybrid, or online, here are some great resources for teaching timbre and the instruments families of the orchestra. If you’re planning a teaching unit on the instrument families, be sure to bookmark this page for quick access to all the links and ideas! […]
Black History Month Music Lessons: Louis Armstrong & Scatting Looking for some quick Black History Month music lessons for your classes? Here’s a quick jazz music lesson based on Louis Armstrong and scatting. Introduction to Louis Armstrong Teaching Points: Links: Introduction to Scatting Scatting Teaching Points: Scatting Links: Music Lesson Plans for Black History Month […]