The Music and Dance

Step-By-Step Songbook:  Connecting Students’ Home and School Musical Experiences By NAfME Member Christa Jones Christa Jones presented on “Student Voices: Celebrating Your School’s Music and Culture” during the NAfME 2021 PreK–12 Learning Collaborative in February...

Beyond the School Year Why Music Camp Makes a Difference  By NAfME Member Amy K. Miller, sponsored by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis As the current, unprecedented school year winds down, parents may be asking you about ways in which their child can remain active and...

We finished out our final group piano class this week with a fun game of Music Spelling Bee! Each of the students received a magnetic dry erase board (I really like these from Really Good Stuff and have used them for years!) with magnets and a transparency sheet with...

Music Educators Make a Difference Let the Music Begin By Tim Lautzenheiser, sponsored by Conn-Selmer At a time when everyone is looking for stability in the educational journey, let’s take a closer look at the landscape of music learning and music making. Simply put,...

As a music teacher, teaching violin requires a good amount of planning, preparation, organization, goals and objectives. But more than that, there has to be a few different approaches depending on the student. When it comes to violin, a student’s age can vary from a 6...

Every year about this time of year, piano teacher Facebook groups are flooded with the same question… how do you handle your summer scheduling? And the question is a good one because none of us like to lose income over the summer. I get it and 100% agree! Yet, this is...

After my recent post about sites with free piano flashcards, Music Matters Blog reader Ann sent me an email with a link to another fabulous page full of free piano flashcards! It had been a long time since I’d been to Jennifer’s Pianimation website, so I was thrilled...

Technology has been able to offer teachers tools and apps that make their work a lot easier or even explore new ways to teach. Some of these tools come in the form of mobile apps, which offer a wide range of possibilities depending on what you are looking for. There...

Every music student will eventually face one of the most exciting and scary moments…the live performance. As teachers, it’s important to prepare students to be ready when it comes to playing in front of an audience. There are a few things you will need to address....

Ever since Tim Topham took the online music education world by storm a number of years ago, he’s been building a massive hub of resources for music teachers around the world. Tomorrow he is offering a free music business webinar for teachers who are looking for ways...

This Is How Music Can Change Your Brain   There’s little doubt that learning to play a musical instrument is great for developing brains. Science has shown that when children learn to play music, their brains begin to hear and process sounds that they couldn’t...

Music Enrichment for children 0-18 months  -  Foundations of Musical Learning: Why music is important in the early years.   Young children are in a “receptive” mode of development and as they grow, they move toward a more “expressive” mode of development. Changes...

WHY WE LEARN MUSIC   MUSIC   shapes attitudes towards a lifetime appreciation of the arts MUSIC   is a precursor to future formal music instruction by providing experiences in singing, playing instruments, movement and listening MUSIC   is a link to understanding...

FROM A MUSIC PARENT: One of my friends asked, "Why do you pay so much money and spend so much time running around for your daughter to take music lessons?" Well I have a confession to make: I don't pay for my daughter's music lessons. Or her instrument or books... So,...

"I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning." - Plato Music Matters Babies and toddlers newborn to age 2 are primarily in a receptive mode of learning....