Music Teacher Coffee Talk

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #170: Peek At Our Week: 5th Grade Main Theme: Peek at our Week: 5th Grade Tanya:  These are the songs and activities I am using to as move move into the second semester. For the rest of this year, I will be focus on love and joy of music through active music making and also bridging between elementary music and middle school music for those who will be continuing on. I also want to focus more on multi-cultural music. We'll be doing a Tinikling unit that includes both traditional Filipino as well as moving to modern popular music. We'll also be doing a unit about the son clave rhythm pattern and its use in music throughout various cultures and genres. I'm also exploring a project where students will research one of their favorite musician's musical influences. We will also be doing ukulele and keyboard units this semester. Carrie : I am working with my 5th graders on preparing a musical performance based on the book "What Do You D...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #148: Elementary Choir Main Theme: Elementary Choir In this episode, Carrie and Tanya talk all about Elementary Choir. We talk about why you might have a choir at your school, why you might not, how to organize and recruit singers, how to plan your rehearsals, and some of our favorite repertoire and resources. Favorite repertoire for Elementary Choir: 150 Rounds for Teaching and Singing  by Edward Bolcovac and Judith Johnson Happy Winter by Jill Gallina How Can I Keep From Singing by Ginger Littleton Build Me a World by Ginger Littleton Path to the Moon by Eric Thiman Something Told the Wild Geese  by Sherri Porterfield The Clouds by Cynthia Gray Seagull, Seagull by Susan Brumfield Birch Tree  by Mary Goetze Helpful resources for Elementary Choir: Kate Klotz's Choir Planner (Freebie on TpT) Choir Builders by Rollo Dillworth One Accord by Georgia Newlin Reach out to local children's choral for professional development opportunities...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #141: Classroom Instruments   Upcoming Events: September 23, 2023: Carrie will be presenting "Keep Them Singing, Keep Them Playing" for the Arizona Kodály Teachers Society in Phoenix. Find more details and register here! Main Theme: Classroom Instruments In this episode Tanya and Carrie talk about classroom instruments, both pitched barred instruments and non-pitched percussion. We talk about our philosophy of using instruments within a Kodály-inspired classroom, our sequence for introducing instruments, our tips for storage and organization, and our favorite resources for using classroom instruments in the elementary general music room. Favorite resources for using classroom instruments: Orff Source books by Denise Gagne All Around the Buttercup by Ruth Boshkoff Strike It Rich by Kriske and DeLelles As American As Apple Pie by Kriske and DeLelles David Row Make Moments Matter blog, videos, and podcast Know Better, Do Better Tanya invites us...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #126: Cultivating a Positive Singing Culture   Upcoming Presentation: Tanya and Carrie will be presenting "Bright Ideas for New Performance Traditions" at the Organization of American Kodály Educators national conference in Jacksonville. The conference is March 16-19 and you can register here . Main Theme In this episode, Carrie and Tanya talk about how to cultivate a positive singing culture in your music room. Here are some suggestions and tips that might be helpful if you are looking to promote more singing in your classroom: Sing everyday Include singing in every lesson, even when focusing on other units such as recorder, instruments of the orchestra, folk dance, etc. Use singing in your warm-up routine (roll call solos, arioso, vocal exploration, choral warm-ups). Intentionally develop the singing voice Sing for the kids, not with them. Carefully choose keys, tone sets, and starting pitches to encourage students to sing in their head vo...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #123: Partwork   In this episode, Tanya and Carrie discuss ideas and strategies for partwork in the music classroom. Main Theme Sequence for building partwork skills: 1. Beat vs. Rhythm Put it in your body (pat beat on lap, tap rhythm in hands) Sing songs while patting beat or tapping rhythm: Bounce High Bounce Low Queen Queen Caroline 2. Rhythmic Ostinato Use a phrase from a song/chant as the ostinato Miss White 3. Melodic Ostinato Sing before putting on instruments Use a phrase from a song (ie: sing "ding ding dong" from Are You Sleeping) Ostinato song (sung to the tune of Are You Sleeping) - any phrase can become a melodic ostinato                    Ostinato, Ostinato,                    Who are you? Who are you?                    I'm a little pattern, I'm a little pattern,  ...