Tuesday, June 5, 2012

End of the Year with SmartMusic

Boy the natives are restless.  We are down to the last day of class and tomorrow's the all school field trip.

We want the kids to have their instruments home, for the summer.  This can take a couple of days to accomplish.  So we started sending them home with their instruments at the end of last week.  The office staff loves us, because they don't have to unlock music room doors for anyone this summer.  But that leaves us with the problem of what to do in class that is fun and educational.  You also want them to play this summer.

There are some ways to have some fun in SmartMusic where instruments are optional!  This is also an opportunity to show them some things they may not have used during the year and ideas for summer practice.

Follow the "Find Music" link on your SmartMusic home page.  There you can find what looks like a book called "Exercises" and another one called "Sight Reading."  If you can't figure out a way to turn these into games for the whole class, you MUST have slept through your teaching methods class.  In Exercises, the "Rhythms" work especially well for clap-off challenge games.  In the same book was "Play By Ear" have them listen and sing (instead of play for you band/orchestra people) through those.  "Sight Reading" is fun as a sight singing unit as well.

Offer kids ideas for summer playing:

  • Be sure to point out that musicians who can sight read get work and it gets easier with sitting down and reading things.  Do some sight reading this summer.
  • Point out the other methods.  It is a great way to review what you know, yet get a fresh look at the ideas.
  • "Find Music" your favorite songs!  Try this on the IWB and point to the green check-marked "music on screen."
  • "Find Music" a favorite song and show them how SmartMusic gives them info on what to order if it isn't "music on screen."
To my friends who are in the Northern Hemisphere and in a country where schools have lots of time off this time of year, I hope you have a great summer break!


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