There was a tweet that really inspired this blog post in the first place. And it went something like this: I've heard people say, "Classical music was the pop music of its time" before and unfortunately that cannot be further from the truth. One of the main reasons folks are led to believe this is … Continue reading Was Classical Music the Popular Music of its Time?
This is an adapted draft of a chapter section that has been accepted for publication by Oxford University Press in the forthcoming book Technology for Unleashing Creativity by Steve Giddings due for publication in 2022. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, or STEAM, is an approach to education that prioritizes cross-curricular learning with the five … Continue reading STEAM in Music Class with Coding
I’ve discovered a few things along the way that have helped me immensely in overcoming my fear of improvising to help me to “let go” and just play. These are either ideas for when you are improvising, soloing, or composing or just some really good things to know. They will work with your learners, too:
Here are some simple actions you can take or phrases you can say or think to foster a safe place to explore and experiment with music in your general music classroom, band, orchestra, or choir classes: Things to Do If a learner has a song to play that they created and are enthusiastic about showing … Continue reading How to Create a Safe Place for Improvising and Composing
Learn to play the guitar - It's one of those instruments that is incredibly versatile and can be carried around the room, unlike the piano which creates an actual physical barrier between you and learners. It is used in many different genres, too. Learn how to play by ear and jam - Let's face it, … Continue reading 9 Pieces of Advice for Pre-service Music Educators
