"Hip and Hop Don't Stop" Music Lesson Plan

After having this book sitting in my closet for a few years I finally used it in my Kindergarten music classes last month and I'm so happy I did! If you're looking for a fun way to practice fast and slow in elementary music, or update your "tortoise and the hare" lessons like I did, this is a super fun one that worked out beautifully and ended up being...

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Benefits of Daytime Concerts

I switched to doing all of my school concerts and performances in the morning about a decade ago, and I don't think I will ever go back to evening concerts- at least not in my current school community. After some online comments on the topic of evening vs daytime concerts made the rounds on social media last week I thought it was time to share my reasoning...

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3 Ways to Teach Fast and Slow

One of the main focuses in Kindergarten and preschool music is musical contrasts, including fast and slow. I have done so many fun lesson activities over the years to introduce and practice fast and slow, but here are some of my current favorites to use with Kindergarten!1. Little Red CabooseI'm pretty sure I've been using this since my first year...

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"Joy" Theme Elementary Choral Program

If there's one thing students and teachers could use more of right now, joy is definitely at the top of the list. I am so excited about my spring elementary choral program this year, and it has made our weekly chorus rehearsals even more of a highlight of the week because it brings (literal) joy to the day! If you're looking for a fun elementary choir...

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Preparing for a Student Teacher

I just finished hosting a student teacher, and it was such a great experience for both of us! When you're getting ready to host a student teacher, it's so helpful to have some basic information prepared to share with them to help them get started on the right foot. Today I'm sharing what I gave my student teacher before their first day and what I did...

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More Female Musicians for Women's History Month and Beyond

I honestly have never been intentional about doing anything to specifically recognize Women's History Month in my classroom because it falls at the same time as Music In Our Schools Month, but I have been making a conscious effort for years to make sure female musicians of all types are represented in the examples I share. Three years ago I shared...

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Musicians to Feature in Elementary Music

One of the easiest ways to help our elementary music students see themselves as musicians is to show them examples of musicians of all different types that they can identify with. Over the years I have collected a growing list of musicians with an ever-expanding breadth of intersectional identities and areas of music, including kid-friendly videos...

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Recorder Videos to Share with Students

I don't normally show a lot of videos in class but I actually have a bit of a collection of fun videos showcasing the recorder so I can keep students motivated and excited about the recorder, and show them how much they really can do with it! Today I'm sharing some of my favorites.I throw in a video here and there at the beginning of class as students...

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MIOSM® Activities 2025

I've been sharing my favorite ways to recognize Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) for over a decade now, and each year I do things a little differently. In today's post I'm sharing the full list of everything I have planned for MIOSM® 2025 in my school- everything from in-class activities to school-wide March Madness song brackets...

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Black Children's Musicians

In honor of Black History Month, in this post I'm compiling some of my favorite children's musicians who are Black. These artists have so much great music that's perfect for the preschool - Kindergarten age group and many of them have amazing educational videos on their channels that are great for the classroom as well!Divinity RoxxAaron Nigel SmithMiss...

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All of the Snowflakes: winter composition lesson

Today I've got a super fun lesson I've been using for years with 2nd grade to guide students through the task of creating a B section for an existing A section to compose in ABA form. Every year I do this there is tons of laughter, exuberant singing, and aha moments, and it has a snowy theme that is perfect for this time of year!The song is actually...

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Football Themed Elementary Music Lesson Activities

The Super Bowl is almost here and that means for many of our students, they have American football on the brain! Here are a few easy ways to tie in the theme of football in those days leading up to, or right after, the Super Bowl (or really any time during football season)!Rhythm Play-alongsThere are some really fun rhythm play-along videos with a...

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Who Has Seen the Wind?

There are some songs I use in my elementary music lessons that can be used for so many different music concepts that I end up using them in multiple lessons with multiple grade levels, and "Who Has Seen the Wind" is one of them! I can't say I use it in every grade every year- I think my older students' eyes would roll higher than the sky if I did that...

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Contemporary Palestinian Musicians

I'm always on the lookout for contemporary musicians from different cultures to share with my students, and I recently found myself down an online rabbit hole discovering several contemporary Palestinian musicians that are not only cool enough for my oldest students but have music videos and songs that are completely appropriate for elementary school...

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