Music Teaching during COVID-19

Despite all the challenges that come with COVID-19, I’ve been amazed with the outpouring of help and support from our music education community. And as part of that community, I want to do as much as possible to help music teachers who suddenly find themselves teaching music from home.

Below is my list of favorite resources to help you get started in this new journey. I’ve organized the links by content, so you can quickly scroll to find what you need.

School Closure Music Teacher Resource Center (Digital & Paper Resources)

This Google Doc is a growing list compiled from The MusicEd Blogs Site, of which I’m an admin and member. It houses blog posts specifically for music teachers who are experiencing school closures. Within these posts you’ll find loads of free downloadable resources, free paper packets, links to music ed sites, lesson ideas, and more. You can expect to see even more blog posts curated here as the days go on. You can view the document HERE.

For Teacher Parents

My friend Elizabeth, from Organized Chaos, is a single mom to two girls and an organizing genius. In this post, she lays out how she’s scheduled days with her children now that they’re temporarily schooling at home. You can read the full post HERE.

Free Digital & Paper Resources

I’m a member of The TpT Music Crew, and we’ve been scrambling to curate free resources that you can use during this time. Our plan is to continue to create and label free resources for you to use during the weeks ahead. If you scroll through the offerings, you’ll see both digital and paper resources. To find the free resources we have so far, click HERE.

Youtube with Unlimited Data

I’m adding several Youtube channels in my list of resources. Because while many students won’t have access to wifi, they may be able to watch Youtube via their parent’s cell phone (if they have unlimited data). They might also have access to Chromecast or a Roku Streaming Stick, which would allow them to watch Youtube on their TV without requiring wifi. You can read some more ideas for this HERE.

Playalongs with Found Objects (Youtube)

Have students select some found objects (spoon, pot lid, pencil, etc.) and play along with Musication’s percussion videos. You can find the playlist HERE.

Rhythm Reading Practice (Youtube)

These rhythm reading videos are from Visual Musical Minds. Nathan Walby, creator of the channel, originally started it as a flipped classroom project for his elementary music classes. You can view the entire playlist HERE.

Singalongs for Younger Students (Youtube)

Here’s another playlist from Visual Musical Minds. What can I say, I’m a fan! This playlist is perfect for your younger grades, and will hopefully have them singing along with their families in no time. You can view the entire playlist HERE.

Ukulele Playalongs and Exercises (Youtube)

Bernadette Teaches Music is an awesome Youtube Channel for ukulele students at any level. You can browse her numerous playlists HERE.

Singing Exercises and Vocal Warm-ups (Youtube)

If you have a choir, this channel is a great way to keep their voices and musical minds energized with warm-ups, sight-singing, and voice lessons. You can view their playlists HERE.

Recorder Practice (Youtube)

Oh how I wished this would’ve existed when I was teaching! This is an amazing list of videos for recorder practice, complete with visuals for notes and fingering. You can view the playlist HERE.