Music does bring us joy. We listen to it, sing it, perform it, stand in awe of it. Whether we are musicians or not, there is a place in our hearts for music. The holidays are no different. I love using music in many ways during the holidays: as we decorate our...
What better way to teach students about Social Emotional Learning than through the ARTS? A colleague of mine said it best: “Art IS SEL!” And if music is an expression of humanity, then music is a way we can learn about our abilities to love and be...
In my last post, Music Sets the Tone, I described my intention of using music more in my classroom as a backdrop to all our activities. It’s been over a week that I have been faithfully soundtracking my classroom! I have committed to teaching while some sort of...
Not all musical pieces are meant to be heard as stories, but often they can be. Just the other day, my students did a quick write using Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture to create a short story. All this month, I love to do Beethoven-based lessons with my class. ...
Music can be seen as very complex (a Beethoven symphony or Bach variation), sometimes quite simplistic (a nursery rhyme or simple melody). Music can be heard as dark and ominous, joyful and exciting, or even angst-driven with longing. But what is it that makes music...
