concert

Songs with Sign Language

I love incorporating American sign language (ASL) into my lessons and programs! Slow songs, especially, lend themselves to adding sign language because of the expressive nature of the signs. Check out some of the American sign language websites, which are ...

Music Program: Mother Goose

I used this program with 1st graders. Songs Betty Botter (chant)  Cock a Doodle Doo Hush Little Baby Over in the Meadow Pop Goes the Weasel There’s a Neat Little Clock (chant) Three Little Kittens See also Subject: nursery rhymes ...

Music Program: Great American Puzzle

I have used this program with 3rd graders, but it could be used with several different grade levels. Songs Erie Canal Goin’ to Boston I’m Going to Georgia Git Along, Little Dogies Sandy Land Dust of the Red Wagon Pleasure Dance ...

Chorus – Starting from Scratch & Rehearsal Tips

Why Chorus? More chances to sing than in general music class. More chances to rehearse and perfect a song. More chances to perform. More chances for pride, sense of belonging. Practicalities I have parents and students sign a contract before ...

Concert Etiquette for Performers

Don’t only teach your performers the lyrics and motions. Teach them performance etiquette. Here’s the rubric I have used. Performance Rubric for Concerts (See download at bottom of page.) Concert Etiquette Rubric 4 = Student consistently stood still on stage, ...

Concert Etiquette for the Audience

“A painter paints his pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. We provide the music, and you provide the silence.” – Leopold Stokowski, reprimanding a talkative audience OK, let’s face it: people (adults and children) don’t know ...

Please don’t pick these songs!

Did I grab your attention? Well, I’m not sure how to write this post without offending anyone. So, I guess I will just run that risk. My other post about how to pick great repertoire is a good place to ...

Pick good repertoire

Great music brings out the artistry in you and the children. Children deserve the best! I have found that music teachers often pick music that is trite and not well-written. This is why I usually choose folk songs. I wrote ...

Chorus Sign Up Sheets

My 4th & 5th grade Chorus meets once a week during mid-day recess. We have two sessions: Sept – Dec and Jan – Apr. We just started our second session, and these are the sign up sheets I use. Handouts (See ...

Preparing an Elementary Concert / Program

When you start a new music teaching job, you might get very little direction about what to do about your concerts, except what the dates are. Here are some things to consider: 1. First things first. Check if date has ...
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