If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I recently moved this summer. Let’s hear a collective groan for the bittersweet pain of moving. Our to-do list for the new house is stamped with an infinity sign, so I thought it might be nice to make a different list. A happier list. A list of my favorite things this summer.
FOOD
Food will always make the top of my list when it comes to favorites, and this summer is no different.
- Local Ice Cream Shops
- I was sad to leave behind my favorite ice cream shop when we moved, but it didn’t take me long to find my new favorite. Like all good ice cream shops it has loads of flavors of hard ice cream. Hard ice cream is the kind you want, because it contains more milk fat and less air than soft serve. It also won’t turn into a liquid during your drive home.
- Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop
- I was lucky to have this shop in both places I lived, though they had different options (which is great). Some of my favorite things to get here are Ramune and Milka Strawberry Yogurt Milk Chocolate Bar. Honestly, I love all candy, so you really can’t go wrong no matter what you choose…unless it’s Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.
ENTERTAINMENT
Now more than ever, I’ve been in need of comfort shows. Here are some of my favorites:
- Non Non Biyori
- This is an incredibly relaxed slice-of-life anime about several school-aged children as they go about their daily lives in a small countryside town in Japan. Bonus, one of the main characters plays the recorder! Flutes also make an appearance in later seasons.
- Glow Up
- Think Great British Bake Off, but for makeup. It’s a friendly competition with some amazing and inspiring artists.
- The Great British Baking Show
- I think I’ve started on my third or fourth re-watch of this show. It has great food and great people, what more could you want? Sidenote: if you want to know sunshine personified, be sure to follow former contestant (and winner) Dr. Rahul Mandal on Instagram.
MUSIC ED
If I was given a grade for how often or well I advertise my own business, I’d fail the entire class, probably even the semester. Lucky for me, there’s plenty of room for growth. So here are some of my favorite (and latest) resources:
- Moving with Florence Price
- This resource is similar to my Moving with Beethoven series. It’s a presentation that guides students through the feelings and sounds of the changing dynamics in Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E Minor. Students will practice moving to the steady beat, identifying loud and soft sounds, and will compose their own dynamic sound story.
- Music Instruments of the West
- This resource is an interactive PowerPoint Slideshow that guides students through the sounds and parts of each instrument family; including strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, and keyboard. Students can click on each instrument to hear how it sounds and see videos of musicians playing the instrument. They’ll learn about famous instrumentalists, such as Esperanza Spalding, Yo Yo Ma, Rhiannon Gidden, James Galway, and more. They’ll also learn about instrument groupings; including solos, duets, trios, quartets, and quintets.
- Digital Assessments for Elementary Music
- These are editable Google Forms™. Students watch music videos and answer questions to fill out the Google Form™, which is automatically graded based on your specifications. You can edit the questions, answers, point values, and more to make it fit your needs. Music concepts covered in the assessments are dynamics, form, harmony, pitch, rhythm, tempo, texture, and timbre.
I am lucky to have incredibly wise and creative friends, several of whom I want to highlight in my music ed favorites. Here are just a few:
- General Music Concept Index
- In this Instagram post, Elizabeth from Organized Chaos shares why she teaches music by concept and how it helps her as she continues to edit and revise her repertoire. I also taught by concept (as opposed to teaching by repertoire), so I can definitely relate to its benefits. She also plans on continuing to add to this index in the future, so you’ll definitely want to read and bookmark her blog post!
- Ask Me Cards to Take Home
- Jane from SillyOMusic created these beautiful cards, and I can’t emphasize enough how much I wish I’d had them when I was teaching. They’re incredibly versatile and go with the First Steps in Music curriculum. You can grab them HERE.
- DIY Golden Dino Trophies
- Rachel from Music with Mrs. Tanenblatt came up with this awesome idea with instrument-playing dinos as a class incentive. Learn how easy it is to replicate HERE.
- DIY Singing Phones
- Jennifer from The Yellow Brick Road (yes, I’m my own friend) shows how to create your own singing phones. They’re super handy, easy to clean, and are nearly unbreakable. You can learn how to make them via my Instagram post HERE.
I’m sure I’ll think of more favorites the moment I publish this post, but for now, that’s it! I’d love to hear about your favorites in the comments section. You can also comment on my Instagram with your favorites HERE.