Music Teacher Coffee Talk

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #195: Work Smarter - Right Now! Main Theme: Work Smarter - Right Now! In this episode, we encourage you to complete some tasks in real time while listening. Each task will hopefully take 5 minutes or less and we give you some tips on how to think about completing those tasks in your own classroom. This episode is inspired by the Clear the Decks! episode from the Happier podcast. Tasks to complete: Clean up your school related playlists. Jot down five ideas for future programs/performances/concerts. Check out MTCT episode #152  or #119 for some ideas. Answer a tricky email. Choose 1 desk drawer to de-clutter. Make a list of instrument repairs and find out how to start the repair process Add a fun activity to your calendar to look forward to (personal). Make a short list of PD you want to attend this Spring and Summer. Tanya's recommendation: Joan Litman: Shadows in the Moonlight: Songs of the Middle East, A virtual book study February 5, 19, 26, 2...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #194: Deinfluencing Your Classroom Main Theme: Deinfluencing Your Classroom Carrie and Tanya discuss strategies for deinfluencing your music classroom by thinking carefully about the resources and materials you are bringing to your students and the things you are consuming as an educator. Things we mention in this podcast: American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA)  - check out their resource library for high-quality materials! Organization of American Kodály Educators  - look for online workshops or chapter workshops in your area Kodály Center - American Folk Song Collection  - great searchable database of folk songs for your classroom Katia Chesnok on Instagram Coda Carrie recommends the movie A Clüsterfünke Christmas Tanya recommends the book The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick   Did you enjoy this episode?  Consider buying us a coffee to thank us for our work.  Monthly Memberships are also available! Click the button bel...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #185: Music as a Vehicle, with Ashley Cuthbertson Main Theme: Music as a Vehicle with Ashley Cuthbertson In this episode, Carrie and Tanya chat with Ashley Cuthbertson, the author of Music as a Vehicle: A Practice Guide to Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching in Today's Music Classrooms . We read Ashley's book for our 2025 summer book club, and it was so great to be able to ask her some follow-up questions in response to our reading. You can learn more about Ashley and her work at AshleyCuthbertson.com . Coda Ashley is enjoying Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album and was able to see her concert in Chicago Tanya is enjoying the movie Sinners Carrie is enjoying the album What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow by Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson Did you enjoy this episode?  Consider buying us a coffee to thank us for our work.  Monthly Memberships are also available! Click the button below!

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #184: Desert Island Music Room Essentials   Main Theme: Desert Island Music Room Essentials It's back to school time! In this episode, Tanya and Carrie share some of their essential materials in the music room, both tried and true stuff and things that are new to us that we are planning to incorporate this year. Materials and Manipulatives: Popsicle sticks and beat charts Puppets, preferably with moveable mouths or a "pop-out" feature Recorder stands: both soprano stand and consort stand Whiteboards, staff boards, and noteheads (mini erasers, bingo chips, etc) Parachute and stretchy band Related resource: Parachutes and Ribbons and Scarves, Oh My! Storybooks and picture books Curriculum Materials: Susan Brumfield's First We Sing series , including pedagogy books and songbooks Our own folk song collection and curriculum materials as developed in Kodály certification courses, workshops, and conferences World music song collections: Fi...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #183: 2025 Summer Book Club, Part 4 Main Theme: 2025 Summer Book Club, Music as a Vehicle, Part 4 This summer we are reading Music As a Vehicle: A Practical Guide to Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching in Today's Music Classrooms. In this episode, Carrie and Tanya discuss our thoughts about Part 4: Designing Real-World Curriculum and Instruction for Variability. We invite you to  purchase the book  and read along with us! Coda Tanya recommends  Shadows in the Moonlight by Joan Litman and Wassim Ibrahim Carrie recommends music by Shelby Means Did you enjoy this episode?  Consider buying us a coffee to thank us for our work.  Monthly Memberships are also available! Click the button below!

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #173: Simple Sub Plans Announcement! We are starting up a new Membership site on Buy Me a Coffee. We have two membership options: Solo Single Shot ($5/month) and Duet Double Shot ($15). Check out our  Buy Me a Coffee membership site  for all the details including the perks you get with each level of membership. We appreciate you supporting our work! Main Theme: Simple Sub Plans In this episode, Carrie and Tanya share some ideas and tips for when you need to leave sub plans in the music room. Here are some things we mention in the episode: Musication YouTube videos Lomax the Hound of Music YouTube videos Remarkable Farkle McBride  YouTube video Ready Go Music  YouTube videos Elementary GrooveTracks  YouTube videos Mr. Henry's Music World YouTube videos Tanya's Rhythm Tent Cards including directions to the "King of the Mountain" game Cheryl Lavender's Instrument Bingo Musicplay Online Edpuzzle : create interactive lessons Blo...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #172: Brewing Up Fresh Ideas with Music Teacher Coffee Talk   Main Theme: Brewing Up Fresh Ideas This episode is a replay from live a Facebook/Instagram video with Carrie and Tanya. We share some of our favorite Valentine's Day songs and activities, answer a few listener questions, and give some updates on what's new with Music Teacher Coffee Talk. Announcements! We are starting up a new Membership site on Buy Me a Coffee. We have two membership options: Solo Single Shot ($5/month) and Duet Double Shot ($15). Check out our  Buy Me a Coffee membership site  for all the details including the perks you get with each level of membership. We appreciate you supporting our work! Are you tired of spending HOURS writing lesson plans for your upper elementary students…only to have them roll their eyes at you? That’s why we're super excited to participate in the Music Room Meet-Up! This is a free 3-day summit with 18 sessions all about the upper e...

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 #169: Mid Year Check In   Main Theme: Mid Year Check In In this episode, Carrie and Tanya have a mid year check in conversation reflecting on goals and plans for the second half of the school year. We talk about big goals, curricular goals, and performances. Things we mention in this episode: David Row's video about creating a concert with the book What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada Coda Carrie is enjoying the album Diving Deep Live by Tori Amos Tanya is enjoying the movie A Complete Unknown Did you enjoy this episode?  Consider buying us a coffee to thank us for our work. Click the button below!

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #168: Peek at Our Week: 4th Grade Main Theme: Peek at our Week: 4th Grade Carrie : These are the songs and activities I'm using to practice low la, prepare low so, and present and practice the ti-ta-ti rhythm pattern (8th-quarter-8th note) Big Fat Biscuit: great for low la and low so and playing recorder! Songs for ti-ta-ti: Alabama Gal Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree Check out the New England Dancing Masters Folk Dance for Alabama Gal here! Practice activities with ti-ta-ti:  Read rhythms off of a beach ball with rhythms written on each color section Write rhythms with Note Knacks Play King of the Mountain with rhythm tent cards ( here are Tanya's cards in TPT ) King of the Mountain Students sit in a circle with a rhythm card in front of them. The student with “ta ta ta ta” is the King and starts each round. The King says their rhythm, and then another student’s rhythm. That student then says their rhythm, and then another rhythm. The gam...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #166: Peek at our Week: 3rd Grade Main Theme: Peek at our Week: 3rd Grade Tanya:  These are the songs and activities I am using to practice low la and also just focus on joyful music making during a busy time with a challenging group of students. This Land is Your Land with picture book for an opening song Hi, Lo, Chickalo : Turkey Turkey Gobbler : read more about ways to use this song here! Chimes of Dunkirk dance from the New England Dancing Masters book of the same name. Here's a video of the dance. Carrie : These are the songs and activities I'm using to practice re and prepare/present tika-tika (16th notes). Pumpkin Pumpkin : change the lyrics to "turn in to a pumpkin pie just like that!" Tideo : Paw Paw Patch Know Better, Do Better Check out Ashley Cuthbertson's new book Music as a Vehicle : A Practical Guide to Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching In Today's Music Classrooms. Work Smarter, Not Harder Tanya r...