I’m totally immersing myself in the philosophy that children need to experience music and internalize it, understanding it with the whole body, before we start “teaching” the elements. In addition, we need to present the learning to our students in
Forbidden Rhythm
Today’s post is just a quick game that I play with my students. It’s a fun way to practice rhythm, reinforce listening skills, and the kids love the competitive element. And it can be adapted for any level! I love
Composing with Body Percussion
It’s a frustrating thing the day you realize that your Grade 4 students are still confusing beat and rhythm, and that they don’t read rhythms quite as well as you imagined they should. I dare say—and feel free to challenge
Composing with Legos
Legos are great for so many reasons. But this year I discovered one more. The most basic LEGO Duplo bricks come in lengths of 2 and 4, which is perfect for all the work we do with 4/4. This wasn’t new
Solfège Stars
I have studied under some amazing Solfège teachers and seen how wonderfully it can help students to audiate and connect with the music, so I try to incorporate it wherever possible, particularly in my early years classes. Today I am sharing
Halloween Fun
Halloween as a fun, dress-up, skeleton-filled holiday is a pretty American phenomenon, but I’ve found that many international schools embrace the fun side of it as well. (Others, bear in mind, find Halloween to be a negative thing, so you’ll