Elemental Conversations with Victoria Boler: Recent Episodes
Victoria Boler
Find the show notes here: https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/national-core-arts-standards-nyssa-brown
01:52 - Nyssa’s role in the 2014 standards, and what the National Standards are
07:38 - What is Literacy?
10:55 - What is a Concept?
15:33 - Enduring Understandings
24:22 - Concepts and Skills
33:25 - Sequencing Understanding
36:48 - What do I do with these standards?
46:10 - Should we teach the standards sequentially?
52:12 - How to connect with Nyssa
01:44 - Nesting Concepts in Elementary General Music
10:10 - Areas of Balance through Tension
12:16 - Emphasizing Music
12:18 - Emphasizing the Child Over the Curriculum Document
15:07 - Emphasizing a Functional Classroom
17:51 - Possible Applications
18:59 - Transferrable Understanding 1: Ensemble
27:05 - Transferrable Understanding 2: Complement
34:07 - Where to Read More
Full Show notes:
https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
In this Conversation….
00:00 - Intro
01:27 - About Aileen
04:05 - Benefits of centers
08:33 - Should we do one concept or more than one concept in our centers?
12:38 - Aileen’s “formula” for center categories
20:11 - Setting up for success
26:45 - Choices, classroom management, and assessment : What to think about and options for structuring
32:45 - Centers for student choice: keeping it manageable and giving students ownership
41:53 - Scaffolding centers throughout grade levels
44:33 - Centers for band and choir
48:30 - Final thoughts and advice from Aileen: Giving grace
50:43 - Aileen’s centers course
52:00 - Where to connect with Aileen
Find the full show notes: victoriaboler.com/podcast/starting-from-scratch-in-2nd-and-3rd-grade-music
Today we’re thinking through what it can look like to start at the beginning of the music sequence with our 2nd and 3rd grade musicians.
It can sometimes feel like these students are overlooked with teaching materials intended for both Kindergarten / 1st grade, and older beginners.
Let’s take a look at a possible roadmap for the first several months of the 2nd and 3rd grade school year when these musicians are starting “from scratch” at the beginning of the sequence.
In this Episode:
00:00 - Intro, framing the conversation
03:40 - Elemental Questions
04:19 - Skip to the end - a quick roadmap
08:31 - What’s the point of a sequence?
14:27 - What makes something a 2nd or 3rd grade song?
20:30 - What are 2nd and 3rd grade students like?
28:26 - A possible roadmap for 2nd and 3rd grade beginners
If your year is just starting and your voice is already feeling tired, I know you'll appreciate all the wisdom Dr. Caitlin Moore has to share about vocal health for music teachers!
Over the summer Dr. Moore took time out of her day at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp to talk about vocal care, vocal fatigue, vocal mechanisms, and much more.
Read about Dr. Moore and get in touch with her here:
victoriaboler.com/podcast/2023/9/12/vocal-health-for-music-teachers-dr-caitlin-moore
In this episdoe….
00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Dr. Moore’s work and story
09:30 - Soprano vs Alto Distinctions
11:20 - Tessitura and Passaggio
14:00 - What is “mixed” voice?
17:46 - Speaking and Singing with Tension in the Classroom
19:40 - Value of a Laryngologist
21:36 - Body Awareness, Amplification, and Tension
29:52 - Habit Stacking
32:38 - The Tongue, Tongue Tension, and Tongue Release Exercises
43:48 - When Your Voice Feels Fatigued…
51:25 - Where to Find Dr. Moore
Metric counting…. notation-based…. beat based…. What is the deal with these counting systems? Where did they come from?
And why takadimi?
As we look into some elemental questions around takadimi, we see that most of us are starting from the same set of core values. The differences in our choices come down to how we answer a few elemental questions:
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What is the role of the symbol in a sound-before-symbol approach?
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What do we want to emphasize?
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What is the best communication system for the ensemble we’re working with?
Find the show notes and references here: https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/why-takadimi
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00:00 - Takadimi
03:47 - Elemental Questions
04:32 - Why Takadimi? TL;DR
10:20 - Beat-based system vs notation-based
11:36 - What is sound before symbol?
14:43 - What do we want to emphasize?
16:40 - History of rhythm syllables in Western music education
17:02 - French Time Names
19:09 - Branches of off of French Time Names
21:22 - Kodaly syllables
22:07 - North American Kodaly syllables
24:12 - Gordon
25:22 - Takadimi
27:31 - Arguments for and against beat-based systems
28:41 - “We want to prioritize sound to symbol”
29:56 - “Too many names makes everything confusing”
32:39 - “We use moveable do, so it only makes sense to use ____”
35:23 - What works best for the ensemble?
36:43 - Wrapping up, moving forward
This is such a great conversation with my friend, Matthew Stensrud!
We talk about structuring the first elementary general music experiences of the year through the lens of Responsive Classroom.
Find Matthew’s bio and connect with him here: https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/responsive-classroom-for-the-beginning-of-the-music-year-matthew-stensrud
In This Episode:
00:00 - Intro
01:35 - What is Responsive Classroom?
04:45 - “Misbehavior” through a Responsive Classroom Lens
07:00 - Holding Boundaries During Inappropriate Behavior (3 Steps)
10:16 - Following up with Positive Interactions
12:16 - Responsive Classroom at the Beginning of the Year
15:07 - Opening Routine
18:31 - Teacher Language
27:35 - First Day Activities
31:11 - Structured Choices
34:51 - Closing Routine & Reminding Language
39:50 - Beyond the First Day
41:37 - Procedures to Have in Place
44:11 - How to Connect with Matthew
Let’s think through some ways to set the tone for learning - both at the beginning of the lesson and at the beginning of the year.
Additional Podcast Episodes:
Opening the First Day of Music - An Elemental Conversation with Anne Mileski
Classroom Management for Elementary General Music (Before the Sticker Charts)
Lower Elementary Songs
Engine Engine
Feeling Fine, It’s Music Time
Hey Betty Martin
Caballito Blanco
All Around the Buttercup
Upper Elementary Songs
To Stop the Train
Bonjour, Mes Amis
Welcome Welcome
Yonder Come Day
Pop Songs: Sunday Best, I’m Good, Best Day of My Life
Today I’m sharing an elemental conversation with the fabulous LeslieAnne Bird, all about setting up music room routines.
We talk about how to know it’s time to think or rethink routines, and we go over some very specific pain points a lot of us experience in class - things like getting students into the learning space and starting class, lining up at the end, and other things during the actual lesson like passing out instruments.
Read LeslieAnne’s bio here
The Efficient Music Classroom: https://teachingwithorff.mykajabi.com/webinar-efficient-music-classroom
After the getting-to-know-you activities, after the name games, after the routines….. what’s next?
How do we know where to start the year from a musical content perspective? How will we know what students remember? How can we review and make sure kids aren’t bored? What if we’re at a new campus and we don’t know what students have done? How do we take information from singing games in a way that’s usable?
We probably all have at least a few of these questions, so let’s look at some possible ways to answer them.
This episode is a continuation of two other conversations:
This podcast episode with my friend Anne Milseki
This post on the review and assessment process
Today we’ll emphasize the data-collection piece of the process.
Join in on this conversation with my friend, Dr. Amanda Hoke! We talk about starting music at a new campus, where to begin instruction, her favorite games for older beginners, and the interwoven tie between curricular sequences and student relationships.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Hoke maintains that building connection with students is a higher priority than any musical achievement we could reach. Specifically at the beginning of the year, Dr. Hoke encourages us to get to know students - their interests, their strengths, and their backgrounds. Her parting advice of “breathe and feel your feet” is a mindful invitation that will serve us all well, regardless of where we teach this Fall.
In this Conversation:
(01:25) - Amanda’s Current and Previous Teaching Situations
(09:20) - Feeling “Behind” with Older Students
(14:27) - Starting Instruction with Upper Elementary
(17:32) - Activities for Upper Elementary
(24:55) - Listening with Your Eyes, Ears, and Body
(27:13) - Where to Begin Musically
(33:09) - “Middle” Elementary, 2nd and 3rd Grades
(36:14) - Changing Sequence Directions
(39:40) - Macro Concepts as the Actual Goal
(41:33) - Doing things Differently From the Previous Teacher
(46:46) - Advice from Dr. Hoke on Starting a New Campus
If you find that you sit down to plan and suddenly feel the urge to do the laundry and organize your cabinets instead of working on a scope and sequence…. if you spend more time scrolling for ideas and inspiration than working on lessons… if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of resources you have for planning… or if you feel stuck and unable to make decisions because you’re waiting for inspiration… I think this is the episode for you.
Show Notes: www.victoriaboler.com/podcast/i-get-distracted-when-i-sit-down-to-plan
TIMESTAMPS
(01:47) - What it’s Like to Plan the Year
(04:40) - Too Much Noise in Planning
(07:58) - Planning Strategies Overview
(09:18) - Sticky Note Savior
(12:12) - Come Back to This Comment
(12:29) - Reframe: The First Six Minutes
(16:15) - Just Keep Typing
(19:09) - Reframe: There’s No Such Thing as Writer’s Block
(21:13) - Summary
(22:26) - Overwhelmed by Overwhelm
We know we “should” plan over the summer, but where do we start? Let’s consider some elemental questions to help us navigate the “should” of summer planning. This will be a unique approach for all of us, so starting with curious questions can serve us well.
In this episode:
02:53 - How are you doing?
06:04 - Where are we coming from?
6:16 - Review last year
11:05 - Hopes and dreams for this year
13:56 - What do we want?
17:50 - Long-range plans
19:48 - Scope and Sequence
26:17 - Concepts and Songs List
31:45 - First Day of School Plans
34:30 - Feeling Overwhelmed or Feeling Overwhelmed by Overwhelm
Links mentioned in this episode:
Curriculum Outlines Blog Post
A Scope and Sequence for Elementary Music Blog Post
Long-Range Planning for Elementary General Music
Lesson Planning When You Have Too Many Resources
Review and Reset: Wrapping up the School Year
How might we approach a difficult conversation with a colleague?
Let’s start by remembering that we are on the same team, and we’re both looking for ways to reach a student who is having a hard time. For our part, we can lead with empathy and imagination. When it’s time to talk we can actually start by listening. And then we can communicate directly and without apologizing. Here are the first few steps we can consider taking.
00:00 - Intro
02:47 - Sitting on the Same Side of the Table
05:01 - I See Where You’re Coming From
07:00 - I’ve Done the Same Thing
08:45 - Two Ears, One Mouth
12:31 - Recruiting Cooperation
14:51 - The Ask
17:10 - How Can I Approach the Conversation Without…
19:22 - Resources
Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management
Episode 21: Classroom Management
Set Boundaries, Find Peace
Dr. Becky Kennedy
Episode 58 with Jessica Grant
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
When students can play by ear, so many musical doors open up! It gives them freedom to play songs from other people just by hearing melodies in their heads, and equally important, it allows them to take the songs they have created in their heads and actualize them on an instrument.
Today we’ll talk about what’s really happening when we play by ear, which is that we’re actually just listening and creating meaning out of the melody. We’ll talk about a step-by-step process we can use to play by ear. We’ll back up in case we need to brush up on some prerequisite experiences. And we’ll dive into a few logistics that will help things go a little more smoothly.
00:00 - Introduction
01:25 - When I was learning to play by ear
05:20 - Making Sense by Ear (How to Listen)
Dowling, W. J. (1986). Context effects on melody recognition: Scale-step versus interval representations. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 3(3), 281–296.
Rogers, M. R. (1983). Beyond intervals: The teaching of tonal hearing. Indiana Theory Review, 6(3), 18–34.
08:40 - Listening Experiences
10:22 - Physical
13:36 - Aural
18:10 - Visual
25:31 - First Instrumental Experiences
26:27 - Barred Instrument Exploration
29:43 - Logistics
30:54 - Everyone has a Job
Episode 34: Strategies for Sharing Instruments
32:13 - Practice Sharing
35:09 - Managing Noise
36:55 - Getting Started: Just One Phrase
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
How might we take one short, simple children’s folk song and extend it across multiple lessons?
Let’s talk about some core questions that can frame some of these decisions, because the beauty of this topic is that we can all arrive at different correct answers, depending on how we answer these questions. We’ll look at some strategies for extending a song once we’ve answered our core questions, and then we’ll explore an example or two.
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
00:00 - Introduction
01:13 - Two core questions
01:45 - Musical concepts
05:02 - Musical Skills
05:45 - Musical dispositions
06:59 - Lesson Planning Tools
07:31 - Long-Range Planning
10:37 - Activity Map
15:45 - Length of lesson segments
16:59 - Song Extension Example (Pito Pito Colorito)
35:03 - Pacing across lessons
37:15 - Will students get bored with the song?
39:02 - Wrapping up
Today we’re talking about one of the most common daily frustrations music teachers experience…… Students won’t stop talking! What can we do?
The answer might not be the one we want to hear, but taking ownership for our own leadership of the classroom is actually the best place to start the conversation.
00:00 - Introduction
00:58 - Elemental Questions
01:23 - Two core truths about students talking
02:00 - When do students talk?
02:22 - Developmentally-appropriate and situationally-appropriate expectations
06:19 - Who is actually doing the talking? (Episode 33)
08:24 - What can we do?
09:53 - Classroom Transitions (Transitions video)
15:56 - Students talk when they’re bored
16:31 - Pacing (Episode 37)
20:41 - Processing
24:39 : Student Interest (Multiple Means of Engagement)
25:48 - Students talk when they’re engaged
32:37 - Quick wins to try
34:18 - Where to read more (How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Teaching with Love and Logic)
34:55 - How do we want to spend our energy?
Today I’m thrilled to be sharing this conversation with my friend, Danielle Larrick about teaching middle school and upper elementary general music.
These grades can sometimes feel challenging to teach - our approach will look, feel, and sound very different from other grades we work with on a weekly basis. Students’ interests have shifted from their younger years, their social worlds are changing, and finding activities that match their motivation level can feel like a discouraging search.
Simultaneously, this age group is enthusiastic about ensemble collaboration, and their growing collection of musical skills and consciously-known concepts opens exciting music curriculum doors.
In this conversation Danielle skillfully walks us through ways to approach upper elementary and middle school general music. We talk about how to establish trust, what types of activities work well, and we even explore a drag-and-drop idea you can try right away to refresh your teaching.
01:58 - It’s Danielle!
02:30 - Danielle’s journey to middle school
05:47 - What do middle schoolers need?
09:01 - Establishing trust
16:12 - Keeping it simple - Activities that work
22:48 - Giving Options for Musical Challenges
26:30 - Everyone is a Musician
28:56 - Student Motivation & Activities
35:09 - Danielle’s Teaching Situation
36:08 - Music Workshops: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony
40:45 - Structures for Classroom Management During Projects
46:00 - Structuring the Chaos
48:38 - A Rhythm Activity to Try Tomorrow!
58:53 - Engagement and Independence
02:01:29 - The Confident Music Educator
02:06:10 - Quick Questions: What was a recent win in your classroom?
02:07:21 - Quick Questions: What is the next teaching project you’re excited about?
02:08:01 - Quick Questions: What makes you such a good middle school teacher?
Let’s take a deep breath and make a plan.
How might we approach a semester that has gone off the rails? What are some ways we might get back on track - and what does “on track” look like anyway?
Find the full show notes here.
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
I’m excited to share this conversation with Jessica Grant! Jessica brings wisdom and encouragement to educators as they face everyday challenges of teaching music.
So often, the challenges of music pedagogy are not the things that weigh on teachers at the end of the day. Communication with colleagues, feeling overwhelmed by the workload, managing difficult student behaviors, and initiating conversations with parents or guardians can feel more overwhelming.
Jessica’s perspective is grounded both in the reality of teaching, and in optimistic encouragement for music teachers.
In This Conversation:
03:03 - It’s Jessica Grant!
03:12 - Jessica’s teaching situation
04:54 - Teaching upper elementary and middle school general music
05:52 - Music is for everyone
08:33 - Self-care and teachers as people
16:58 - Asking for help
20:39 - Organizing volunteers
30:49 - Asking for help with a team mindset
36:59 - Initiating difficult conversations with parents
42:27 - Building bridges
47:24 - The first parent phone call
54:45 - The mindset before the call
01:00:06 - Information without interpretation
01:00:50 - Practice with the positive
01:03:08 - Start small. Start with understanding
01:04:30 - Quick Questions: Why should we write?
01:05:45 - Quick Questions: What was a recent win in your classroom?
01:07:00 - Quick Questions: What is the next teaching project you’re excited about?
01:08:58 - Where to learn more
01:13:19 - Where to find Jessica
Any ideas for teaching on a cart? I’m saddened by the lack of space to move and play instruments.
I’m teaching on a cart this year. Any suggestions for easy-to-transport activities?
Teaching on a cart with no space for movement - students are at desks
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Let’s look at some strategies for teaching music on a cart. We’ll focus primarily on strategies for finding the right activities…. and we’ll start by reconsidering the question itself.
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Episodes mentioned:
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Episode 13 - Teaching Music on a Cart
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Lazy Genius: How to pack a lunch for work
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Episode 34 - Strategies for Sharing Instruments
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Episode 28 - Teaching a Partwork Piece on Barred Instruments
Episode 12 - Lesson Planning When You’re Burnt Out
This conversation is about using percussion instruments, but it’s much more about the mindset to use when approaching these experiences.
Alicia spends a lot of time establishing the context in which these activities can take place, and creating the tone of the learning. One of the most valuable parts of the conversation to me was hearing Alicia talk about all the artistry and imagination that takes place before students even have the instruments in their hands. The instruments are the extension of the process - not the whole process in and of itself.
We also talked about classroom management with these instruments, and how conversations about classroom management are actually conversations about musical sequencing.
Alicia is someone who brings breathability to music education and I know you’ll enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
If you’d like to write Alicia a thank you note I know she’d appreciate it and she certainly deserves it. You can email her at aliciaknox303@gmail.com, and read her bio at the bottom of these show notes.
Keep Learning - Alicia Recommends:
American Orff-Schulwerk Association Website
Find Your Chapter
Play Sing & Dance
Purposeful Pathways
Keep Listening:
Episode 5 - What Are Some Ways to Efficiently Pass Out Classroom Instruments?
Episode 28 - Teaching a Partwork Piece on Barred Instruments
Episode 34 - Strategies for Sharing Instruments
Episode 9 - How Should I Use Percussion Instruments as a Vocalist?
Barred Instrument Exploration Video - It Fell from the Sky
In This Conversation:
03:28 - It’s Alicia Knox!
5:04 - Teaching middle school
09:27 - Alicia’s pathway to Orff Schulwerk
17:38 - What are percussion instruments?
21:06 - What do I do with these instruments?
25:40 - Sequencing with flexibility
35:09 - Musical steps and classroom management steps to play the instruments
40:50 - First Steps for Unpitched Percussion - “The Napping House”
49:11 - “My kids could never do this” Backing up and moving forward appropriately
57:32 - First Steps for Barred Instruments
1:04:36 - Where to Learn More
1:08:51 - Quick Questions - What’s the last fun activity you did?
1:10:20 - Quick Questions - What’s the next teaching project you’re excited about?
1:11:38 - Quick Questions - What makes you so good at what you do?
1:12:48 - Where to find Alicia
As we wrap up the year, rhythmic building blocks can be a beautiful way too reinforce musical knowledge and skills, while offering lots of options for student choice. Whether rhythmic building blocks are a well-loved mechanism in your classroom already, or if you’ve never used them at all… I think you’ll enjoy this look into their (seemingly) infinite possibilities.
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
The short answer: As often as we want, and as often as we see it serving students.
But there’s a lot more to dive into! Here are some things to consider thinking about in answer to this important question.
It’s concert season. Let’s look at some options for taking a short piece and extended it for a concert setting. When it’s time to put on a program of short recorder pieces, how can we keep the presentation manageable, while filling out a program?
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
We’ve all been there. What’s the balance between preparing for a concert, and “regular” teaching? What’s the connection between the two? And how can we structure next year so it’s breathable, joyful, and intentional?
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
What might early experiences with melodic pedagogy look like? Before the expansive melodic vocabulary in upper elementary, how do young musical learners explore and actualize melodic ideas? What does it look like at the beginning of the learning process? And is there a way to make early melodic experiences intentional, musical, pedagogically sound, and joyful?
That’s what we’ll explore today.
Episode 37 - Organizing the Music Lesson Plan - Concepts vs Activities
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | Youtube | Website | Planning Binder
When we move in music, we actually need practice not bumping into each other! Physical awareness of our surroundings is one of those things that may seem obvious to us, but it’s actually a learned skill.
Here are some concrete ways we can practice moving in open space, so that music class stays safe and fun for everyone.
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | Youtube | Website | Planning Binder
What’s the relationship between recorders, barred instruments, the voice, and movement? How might we approach recorders as another tool in our melodic toolbelt?
There are assessments we learn about in teacher training…… and then there are actual assessment challenges we face in the real world.
Let’s look at four teacher questions about assessment. We’ll talk about grading young musicians, the relationship between assessment and student motivation, how to assess active musical doings, and why we might rethink grading on effort.
Let’s go!
When we have a distance between instructional times, we may notice that students don’t always retain information from class to class.
What are some strategies we can use to help students reference back to their previous musical experiences so we can build skills sequentially?
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
When students are out of class, it can be tricky to know exactly how to plan lessons. How can we serve the students in the classroom while leaving space for the musicians who are absent?
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Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Let’s Connect:
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Planning Binder
How can we use instruments to teach melody in a way that is integrated, not isolated? What does the process look like if we don’t have access to barred instruments?
Today we’ll talk about the process of teaching melodic elements. We’ll look at what the learning progression looks like with and without instruments, and what to do if you sense students need to back up and review before moving forward.
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Instagram link
Youtube link
Website link
Planning Binder link
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
We can do a lot in a short amount of class time! Here are some ways to maximize the music experiences, even in 25 minutes.
The best composers in the world have never met your students! You and your choir members may be the most capable arrangers of your own choral music. Here are some simple ways to get started.
Find the full show notes at victoriaboler.com/podcast/arranging-repertoire-for-elementary-choir
Here are some ways to review and refresh your semester.
We’ll talk about the importance of looking backwards to go forward with our review project.
We’ll talk about the importance of knowledge transfer when we review, and the role that creative processes (improvisation / arranging) play.
We’ll think about ways we can move students’ creative work outside the walls of the music classroom.
Last, we’ll discuss how students can take charge of reviewing, self-assessing, and planning for next semester.
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You can find the complete review projects inside The Planning Binder, or purchase them as stand-alone projects.
Use the code, REVIEW to get 50% off these projects (offer valid through December 1st).
Find the full show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Here’s one example of how we might organize resources for teaching 1st grade rhythm.
We’ll use a concept plan, or a place we can document our goals, repertoire, and learning activities. When we have these resources in one place, lesson planning is more intentional and streamlined.
You can find the full show notes here: victoriaboler.com/podcast/organizing-resources-to-teach-1st-grade-rhythm
“One thing that I struggle with is the availability of too many resources! Any tips? I wind up feeling so guilty when I don’t get to a particular song or activity, but I can’t do it all…”
The internet is a big place! That can make it overwhelming when we look for lesson ideas - how will we choose the most intentional lesson ideas, while keeping track of all the things we find interesting?
Find the full show notes here: https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Here are some examples of how musical experiences can be threaded together across lessons. We’ll look at specific teaching activities for syncopa from The Planning Binder’s November monthly plan.
_______
This is a quick “espresso shot” episode. My hope is that it’s an actionable teaching idea that applies some larger principles, and gives you some inspiration on your drive to work.
________
Find the show notes at victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
In the last episode we talked about structuring the lesson around musical concepts, instead of activities. Let’s think about some ways to apply concept-based teaching with upper elementary and the rhythmic pattern, “synco-pa,” or ta-di—di.
Syncopa (ta-di-di) songs:
Bump Up Tomato
Weevily Wheat
Surfin’ U.S.A - Beach Boys
Alabama Gal (or) Count On Me - Bruno Mars
Find the show notes at victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
________
This is a quick “espresso shot” episode. My hope is that it’s an actionable teaching idea that applies some larger principles, and gives you some inspiration on your drive to work.
Should we organize our lessons around activities or around musical concepts? There are pros and cons to both! Find the full show notes here: https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
Songs:
Bell Horses
Frosty Weather
Passing Out Instruments:
Students sit in a circle. As they sing the song and pat a steady beat, the teacher walks around the outside of the circle and places an instrument behind students’ backs.
Collecting Instruments:
Students stand and walk around in a circle while singing the song. As students move, the teacher walks around the circle and collects the instruments.
Zapatitos Blancos
Speak the rhyme and play the game
Add an ostinato - students come up with any combination of shoe / little
When you’re out, choose if you’ll play the steady beat on a tubano or play the rhythm of the ostinato on rhythm sticks or other unpitched percussion
Continue playing until the available instrument slots are taken
Find the full show notes here.
Strategies for Sharing Instruments:
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Choosing, elimination, guessing, or chasing games
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Doubling up on instruments
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Using instrument stations
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“Pass it down”
Find the show notes here.
Reports mentioned:
Comparison of the National Standards for Music Education and Elementary Music Specialists' Use of Class Time (Orman, 2002)
Self-Reported versus Observed Classroom Activities in Elementary General Music (Wang & Sogin, 1997)
Perceptions of Time Spent in Teacher Talk: A Comparison Among Self-Estimates, Peer Estimates, and Actual Time (Nápoles & Vázquez-Ramos, 2013)
Time Use in Instrumental Rehearsals: A Comparison of Experienced, Novice, and Student Teachers (Goolsby, 1996)
This is a quick “espresso shot” episode. My hope is that it’s an actionable teaching idea that applies some larger principles, and gives you some inspiration on your drive to work. For my part, it keeps me thinking through many ideas and connections so I stay energized as well.
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Main Rhyme:
Engine engine number nine going down Chicago line
See it sparkle, see it shine, engine engine number nine
Ostinato 1: Clack clack clickity clack
Ostinato 2: Cling clang
Ostinato 3: track ___ ___ down the
Potential Pedagogical Use: Rhythm vs Beat, Quarter rest, partwork
Find the show notes at victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations
________
This is a quick “espresso shot” episode. My hope is that it’s an actionable teaching idea that applies some larger principles, and gives you some inspiration on your drive to work. For my part, it keeps me thinking through many ideas and connections so I stay energized as well.
_________
Rhyme: Engine Engine Number Nine
Process:
Students choose if they’ll perform the rhythm or the beat
Students are now seated at the “train station”
The teacher is the conductor and moves a train of four students around the room, stepping to a steady beat while students at the train station clap the rhythm.
When the rhyme is over, drop off passengers and pick up new ones
Eventually transition to a student conductor and multiple trains moving around the room
Find episode notes here.
_______
This is a quick “espresso shot” episode. My hope is that it’s an actionable teaching idea that applies some larger principles, and gives you some inspiration on your drive to work. For my part, it keeps me thinking through many ideas and connections so I stay energized as well.
______
Process:
Sing the song and play the game (Recruiting interest / Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity)
In small groups, students create jumping motions that match the lower vocal part (Sustaining Effort & Persistence / Foster collaboration and community)
Students check to see if their motions match the length of the lower vocal part (Self Regulation / Develop self-assessment and reflection)
Find the show notes here: https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/teaching-a-partwork-piece-on-orff-instruments
Find the show notes here: https://victoriaboler.com/elemental-conversations/2021/9/6/kindergarten-music-informance-ideas-the-carrot-seed
Find the show notes here: victoriaboler.com/podcast/2021/8/11/the-first-weeks-of-kindergarten-music
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Find the show notes here: victoriaboler.com/podcast/2021/8/11/planning-a-music-curriculum
Find the show notes here: https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/2021/8/11/pre-assessments-at-the-beginning-of-the-2021-2022-school-year
Season 1 | Episode 20Show Notes
What is your process as you start planning programs for the year, and what tips do you have for those of use who are new to them altogether? Thanks for your input!! I look forward to hearing the podcast.
Questions: * How involved is this program? What is the scale of the production that I have the capacity to produce from a musical standpoint? * Programs take a lot of planning and logistics. What is my capacity to be a project manager in addition to a show producer at that scale? * What’s the point of the program? What do I want families, caretakers, colleagues, and the community to see from this program?
+ Doing the same thing at the same time in the same way I told them to do it?
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What is the expectation for the program? And what is the core value of that expectation?
- Spring musical / choir concert vs a time for the community to celebrate students
Backwards Plan: Content* What can students do in terms of musical skills? * Where are the opportunities for students to show what they’re learning at a conceptual level instead of what they’re memorizing?
+ Choose part of the repertoire
+ Write the program notes
+ Develop an ostinato for the arrangement
+ Decide the form
+ Create movements
+ Compose a countermelody
Backwards Plan: Repertoire* When is the concert? * What will we know by then? * How can I take out stress on the part of me and my students? * Concert is in April, we need to start preparing concert material in ______. * We need to have ___ songs ready by ____.
Backwards Plan: Communication and Logistics Many times , most of headache isn’t about the music. It’s about who shows up when and where and what they should be wearing and what spaces are available.
With an order of program logistics, write the date something needs to be complete, and then the date you need to start thinking about the task
- Where does this fall in the school calendar? Where does this fall in the school community culture? Talk to administration, sports leaders, other after-school colleagues, and middle school band directors.
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How do you reserve the space?
- Talk to administration, reserve the space, confirm that the space is reserved, then send an email to everyone involved as a follow-up
- What communication platforms already exist? Use them at the beginning of the year and periodically leading up to the event to communicate with staff and families (Friday folders, school newsletter, front desk, etc.)
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What support do you need?
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An adult to help with risers (family volunteer, colleague, or custodial staff)
- Someone to help move instruments
- An piano accompanist if students aren’t providing their own accompaniment
- Programs
Programs are an artistic and practical way to showcase musical learning. How we prepare them can make a big difference in our own peace of mind and our students’ experiences.
Find the show notes at https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/2021/8/4/opening-the-first-day-of-music-an-elemental-conversation-with-anne-mileski
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Get the show notes here:
http://victoriaboler.com/podcast/2021/5/14/how-do-you-explain-to-parents-what-an-informance-is
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https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/2021/5/12/how-do-you-create-a-program-based-on-a-book
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https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/concert-schedule-for-first-year-music-teacher
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https://victoriaboler.com/podcast/2021/5/12/what-is-elemental-music