Music Teacher Coffee Talk

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 #125: Resetting the Year with Realistic Expectations Main Theme In this episode, Carrie and Tanya have a conversation with friend and fellow Kodály-inspired music educator Becca Dellinger. Becca has been teaching for 15 years and currently teachers elementary music in Frederick County, Virginia. We discuss ideas for planning, both short-term and long-term, and resource organization ideas as we reset and manage our expectations for the second half of this school year. Thanks to Becca for an open and honest conversation! Know Better, Do Better Carrie mentions the importance of how spirituals are programmed into a choral concert and the importance of not falling into the routine of putting spirituals at the end of the concert. If you would like more inspiration on programming and just the importance of culturally responsive and relevant teaching, be sure to follow Jasmine Fripp, aka The Passionate Black Educator. Here are some great resources from her: J...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · Episode #124: Check-In: Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain Main Theme In this episode, Carrie and Tanya revisit some thoughts regarding our 2022 Summer Book Club selection Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain  by Zaretta Hammond. Things we mention in this episode: YouTube videos: " Culturally Responsive Teaching" lecture by Zaretta Hammond " Culturally Responsive Teaching 101" interview with Zaretta Hammond Note Knacks Know Better, Do Better Tanya recommends following the work of Ashley Cuthbertson . Ashley is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to culturally responsive music education. She offers workshops, online PD, a blog, and has an active social media presence with lots of live videos. Work Smarter, Not Harder Carrie recommends investing in a mailbox system (like a choir folder organizer) where students can store Chromebooks or iPads when they are not in use. Coda Tanya is enjoying the audio book Inside Voice: My...

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,  ...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #122: PPP: All About Practice   Upcoming Events! Come see Carrie and Tanya at these upcoming workshops and events! November 5: Northwest Kodály Educators Carrie will be presenting "Keep them singing! Keep them playing!" in Seattle, WA November 12: Regional Organization of Colorado Kodály Educators Carrie and Tanya will be presenting "Kodály 101 for the 21st Century Teacher" in Fort Collins, CO Main Theme: PPP: All About Presentation We are continuing our series where we'll be focusing on the 3 stages of learning commonly found in a Kodály-inspired class: Prepare, Present, Practice. This episode is all about Practice. Carrie and Tanya share specific ideas for songs and activities to practice a melodic or rhythmic concept. What is practice? Once students know the name, symbol, and function of a new rhythmic melodic or rhythmic element we can go deeper with our understanding to make sure this element is now part of our musical voc...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #121: PPP: All About Presentation Upcoming Events! Come see Carrie and Tanya at these upcoming workshops and events! November 5: Northwest Kodály Educators Carrie will be presenting "Keep them singing! Keep them playing!" in Seattle, WA November 12: Regional Organization of Colorado Kodály Educators Carrie and Tanya will be presenting "Kodály 101 for the 21st Century Teacher" in Fort Collins, CO Main Theme: PPP: All About Presentation We are continuing our series where we'll be focusing on the 3 stages of learning commonly found in a Kodály-inspired class: Prepare, Present, Practice. This episode is all about Presentation. Carrie and Tanya share specific ideas for songs and activities to present a melodic or rhythmic concept. What is presentation? This is the moment when the teacher presents a new concept or element to the students. We name it, show its musical symbol, and highlight how this new element is different and/or rela...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #120: PPP All About Preparation Upcoming Events! Come see Carrie and Tanya at these upcoming workshops and events! October 6-8: Alaska Orff Carrie and Tanya will be presenting "Building Relationships and Community in the Music Classroom with Songs, Games, and Activities to Kick-Start the Year" in Anchorage, AK November 5: Northwest Kodály Educators Carrie will be presenting "Keep them singing! Keep them playing!" in Seattle, WA November 12: Regional Organization of Colorado Kodály Educators Carrie and Tanya will be presenting "Kodály 101 for the 21st Century Teacher" in Fort Collins, CO Main Theme: PPP: All About Preparation We are starting a new series where we'll be focusing on the 3 stages of learning commonly found in a Kodály-inspired class: Prepare, Present, Practice. This episode is all about Preparation. Carrie and Tanya share specific ideas for songs and activities to prepare a melodic or rhythmic concept. Wha...