Umoja by Valerie Coleman is a fantastic piece for introducing, practicing, or reviewing rhythms. My favorite recording of this piece is the one by Imani Winds, featured below. Rhythm One of the things I looked for when choosing symphonic works for the general music...
Western Art Music is a fantastic genre for teaching the elements of music. I’ve written about how you can teach tempo using music from Florence Price, Johannes Brahms, and Alton Adams. You can read that post HERE. I’ve also written about how to use Astor...
As my nephews slowly inch their way into middle school, I’ve been thinking more about the kind of music projects they would enjoy. Like all students, they love choice and autonomy. More than that, learning needs to be relevant to their life. With that in mind,...
Sounds of the Forest by Sofia Gubaidulina is the musical embodiment of the birds chirping, rushing water, and rustling leaves. If you’re looking for a piece to teach several concepts that could be adapted to multiple grade levels, this is it. Sofia Gubaidulina...
It can seem overwhelming to incorporate western art music into the elementary music classroom. The attention span of students is equal to that of a goldfish or me when I’m attempting to do math. The 27-minute symphony that makes you break down into happy tears...
The Maple Leaf Rag is a fantastic piece to teach students about steady beat, syncopation, and the genius of Scott Joplin. The concern I hear from most teachers, is that they just don’t know where to begin when it comes to incorporating Western art music into...
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