http://www.victorianopera.com.au/www/html/589-teacher-training-program.asp?intSiteID=1#anchor591

10% off PD course fee if booked this term (term 1, 2011)

Katie Wardrobe has put together 15 websites to help teach “Carnival of the Animals”

http://midnightmusic.com.au/index.php/2011/06/15-fantastic-free-carnival-of-the-animals-resources/

For Sorry Day (26 May 2011) or for Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June 2011) listen to Black Arm Band’s music on YouTube (www.youtube.com) and discuss the band’s motivation for performing (read on). Listen to Gurrumul Yunupingu’s soulful music (eg. Wiyathul) while doing written work (www.grooveshark.com lets you listen for free).

Black Arm Band has just been asked to perform at the London Olympics in 2012

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/25/3226432.htm

The aim of Black Arm Band (www.blackarmband.com.au) is: “It is a creative meeting place for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists and producers to develop, perform, promote and celebrate contemporary Australian Indigenous music as a symbol of resilience and hope in the spirit and action of reconciliation.”

3MBS education program

Saturday morning 8am

Australia/Melbourne 103.5 FM

3MBS FM – Program Highlights 3MBS FM is Australia’s leading Community radio station for Fine Music – Classical, Folk and Jazz.

3MBS FM can be streamed live over the internet, making it easy to tune into their “Classically Kids” program from all over the world: Saturday mornings 8-9am (AEST).

3MBS FM 103.5 if you are in Melbourne!

Step 1. Just get your school, music class, choir or even just one person from your group  to choose a piece of classical or jazz music.
Step 2. Send your request to  -   3mbskids@gmail.com
Step 3. We’ll e-mail you back to let you know when we’ll be playing your request.
Step 4. Tune in and listen! Easy as that. You can listen on the radio (in/around Melbourne) and stream the show online (all over the world).

Classically Kids EVERY Saturday from 8am – 9am on 3MBS 103.5 FM, with Jacqui and Adam

www.3mbs.org.au

“A Great Landscape” was a 2008 DVD created by www.vea.com.au and is available via Click View. It discusses Indigenous self-expression through music, focussing on a Hip Hop band.

If you want to show this 36 min video to your class for Reconciliation Week (or any other week), here are some possible questions:

Name a famous Indigenous Australian band – “Yothu   __________________________ ”
Name a famous Indigenous Australian Hip Hop band?    ________________ and the Young ___________________________
Do Indigenous people own their land? If not, then what is the relationship between Indigenous people and the land?
How does music support Indigenous identity?
What do lyrics describe in Indigenous music?
What is empowerment?
Music and song allow indigenous people to share _________________ with a wider community and audience.
Clapping and click sticks are ___________ - phones
Didgeridoos are ____________ - phones
In the past, who was NOT allowed to play didgeridoo, according to sacred law?
Is Indigenous Australian history always written down?
What political issues do contemporary Indigenous artists address?
How can music be used as a means of protest?
What type of band was “No Fixed Address”? Reggae, Folk, Pop or Hip Hop?
When did Archie Roach come to fame, with the song “Took the Children Away”?
During the Sydney 2000 Olympics, what did “Midnight Oil” have written on their costumes? Why?
Who is Shane Howard? 
“Solid Rock” was the first Pop song to feature the didgeridoo. About what were the lyrics written?
What prevents some Indigenous artists from accessing mainstream venues (at times)?
What is CAAMA?

Go to resource: a3 Australian Arts Alive for schools is a program run by the Australian School of Performing Arts. Read more…

ABC Keys to Music – listen to a 4-part series of audio podcasts from May 2009. Richard Gill and Graham Abbott discuss the importance of quality school Music Education for all Australian children.

(Scroll down the webpage to the heading “Music Education Series”)

http://www.abc.net.au/learn/sing/

This is a listing of all songs printed in ABC "Sing" books from 1975 to
2006. It contains searchable database and links to the ABC shop.

Aboriginal stories about life and life-cycles revolve around 4 different natural elements.

Sun, Moon, Water, Land

Divide your class into 4 groups, each labelled Sun, Moon, Water or Land. In 15 minutes they will choose classroom instruments and/or sound sources to depict their label … Each group performs to the rest of the class … Discuss and decide upon a logical order for the soundscape sections … Perform all 4 sections in their order.

www.muurrbay.org.au/muurrbay-resources/

The Muurrbay Language Centre sells resources to support Indigenous language learning, which include a Song Book in Gumbaynggirr language. Gumbaynggirr land covers a large section of NSW Mid-North coast. Also for sale is Barriyala – a 3 part language work book, which includes songs from the Gumbaynggirr Song Book.

Barriyala: Let’s Work

ACCET Choral Conductor Summer School
Monday 16 – Thursday 19 January 2012 @ Xavier College, Kew VIC

Whether of advanced, intermediate or beginner standard conductors will have hands-on conducting tuition every day. In 4 stimulating days there will be opportunity for participants to increase knowledge of training the voice, of warm-ups, diction and rehearsal techniques, building musicality through body movement, and expressing emotion through singing. There will be repertoire sessions especially for primary/children’s choir; for secondary/youth choir; and for community and church choir. All full attendance participants will get a donated package of some 50 choral pieces.

Australian Choral Conductors Education and Training    www.choralconductors.org.au

Deadline extended until Friday 9th September 2o11

Categories for Primary and Secondary song-writers

acmf.com.au

Read about the ACO Schools’ Program for 2012

Go to resource: Brass Instruments and Pitch, Percussion Instruments and Pitch, String Instruments and Pitch, & Woodwind Instruments and Pitch are four lessons that cover how to make basic musical instruments. Read more…

Go to resource: Acting Up, A Melodrama, published by the Kennedy Center, US, and written by Mary Beth Bauernschub, is a unit based on the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Read more…

Go to resource: The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a professional orchestra, resident in South Australia.

Read more…

Go to resource: Adventures in Music with the Recorder was developed in 1997 by Ubisoft. Read more…

A special workshop on African drumming will be held on Thursday 5 May at Watsonia North Primary School in North East Melbourne. If you would like to join this workshop, please email me on perry.david.j@edumail.vic.gov.au.

Go to resource: Ambient Orchestras (Vic) offer a disability program, consisting of creating and performing music, for those with an intellectual disability.

Read more…

Sample Units from Australian Music Educators Assoc (Vic) – under the heading “aMuse VELS Support Documents”

Amy Burns blog – a blog of ideas and links from Amy Burns – an American Primary Music teacher

Go to resource: An Integrated Expressive Arts Program: drama, dance, art, music was written by Wendy Schiller and Ann Veale. Published by the Australian Early Childhood Association, 1989.

Read more…

ANCA Victoria is pleased to invite you to the State Choral Festival

‘SING IN THE CITY’ on 16 – 18 September 2011. Registration is now

open for this exciting choral event.

SING IN THE CITY is a unique opportunity for the Choral Community to come

together and do what they do best – SING!

Join us as three of Australia’s legendary choral conductors and two of

our country’s most successful singing teachers share their insights and

talents. This Festival has something for every stage of development of the

choral musician: singers from age 10 to 100, choral conductors, singing

teachers, educators, music students and everyone who enjoys the beauty of

voices raised in song!

You can choose to come as an individual or get your choir to come along;

if you’re a conductor, come and sing or observe rehearsals with a chance

to learn about singing issues from leading teachers. Our three streams will

feature Australian music for Primary students, the best of current

repertoire for Secondary Schools and a complete performance of the Mozart

Requiem in the Community Stream. Repertoire is listed in the brochure.

The Professional Development Stream will offer workshops in breathing,

posture for choirs, a Q&A session with our conductors and a chance to

observe them in action.

• Primary Choir Stream

Conductor: Mark O’Leary (Founder and Director of the Young Voices of

Melbourne)

Venue: VCA School of Music

Cost: $300 per choir or $50 per individual

• Secondary Choir Stream

Conductor: George Torbay (Hailed by The Sydney Morning Herald as ‘one of

Australia’s leading musical lights’)

Venue: St John’s Southgate

Cost: $300 per choir or $50 per individual

• Community Choir Stream

Conductor: Margaret Pride (Music Director for Collegium Symphonic Chorus

Perth WA)

Venue: BMW Edge @ Fed Square

Cost: $300 per choir or $75 per individual

• Professional Development Stream

Presenters: Ron Morris (Speech Pathologist, Audiologist and Counter

Tenor), and Anna Connolly (Senior Lecturer in Voice at the Melbourne Conservatorium of

Music)

Venue: To be advised

Cost: $150 per participant (includes BOTH days)

REGISTRATION & MORE INFORMATION

To download a brochure go to

http://anca.org.au/vic-news-view/sing-in-the-city-209

Online registrations can be made via the link http://tinyurl.com/5szumhe

Registration closes 1 August 2011.

17th Biennial ANCOS Conference - “Voices of the Swan” 8-13 January 2012
Hosted by WAOSA.

Creative Music & Movement education (Orff)

waosa.org.au/voices/Home.aspx

THIS website offers free samples of music to be used for ANZAC Day. Perhaps teach a lesson on what each piece represents and why they are played on ANZAC Day. Background info HERE. Sheet music HERE.

Go to resource: Approaches to Learning and Teaching – The Arts (Music) Level 3 (Vic) outlines music standards and activities that could be incorporated in lesson planning.

Read more…

Go to resource: Approaches to Learning and Teaching – The Arts (Music) Level 4 (Vic) outlines music standards and activities that could be incorporated in lesson planning.

Read more…

Go to resource: Approaches to Learning and Teaching – The Arts (Music) Level 5 (Vic) outlines music standards and activities that could be incorporated in lesson planning.

Read more…

Go to resource: The Artists in Residence program, is run by Arts Queensland and Education Queensland and funded by the Australia Council. Read more…

Go to resource: Artists in Schools (AiS) NT is a program run by Arts NT and the Department of Education and Training, NT.   Read more…

http://www.artmusfair.eu/education/

A European Network Conference on Education of Contemporary Music – from Kindergarten to Generation 50+ in the frame of the “Weimar Spring Festival of Contemporary Music”

That is the artmusfair.EDUCATION from 28 April until 01 May 2011 in Weimar

New Music for New Audiences, under this motto the European Composers’ Forum initiates the first special issue of the ARTMUSFAIR network conferences, named artmusfair.EDUCATION 2011, as part of the XII. Weimar Spring Festival of Contemporary Music. German and European actors and experts from the music scene (composers, musicians, etc.) and music education (teachers, university lecturers, audience developers, etc.) are invited to join together in the three-day networking conference from 28 April until 01 May 2011 in Weimar to take part in round tables, workshops, project presentations and concerts, to update each other on their skills, experiences and different backgrounds to consequently forward the important field of teaching contemporary music in a modern education context.

ArtPlay is an arts centre in Melbourne that provides school and holiday programs for children and youth. Read more…

Go to resource: arts action, published by the Department of Education and Training (NSW) is a CD-rom created to supplement the NSW K-6 Creative Arts Syllabus.  Read more…

Go to resource: Arts in Education is published by the Australia Council 2004. This document outlines arts curricula in each state, and provides links to the bodies who develop and monitor these.

Go to resource: Arts in Education provides links for information on arts education organisations and collaborations. The site is run by Arts Victoria, and includes information about artists placement in schools.

Go to resource: The Arts Learning Area (NT Curriculum Framework) provides the framework for teaching arts in Northern Territory schools. Read more…

Go to resource: The Arts Learning Framework outlines ideas and outcomes for the teaching of the Arts at all stages of learning according to the South Australian curriculum. Read more…

Go to resource: Arts Queensland is the governmental agency for arts in Queensland. Read more…

Go to resource: Arts Victoria is the government agency that supports arts in Victoria. Read more…

Cultural infusion together with Reservoir Views Primary School will work in partnership on a one year arts project that explores and celebrates the cultural diversity of the school community thanks to Arts Victoria.

A series of artists and artistic personnel from Cultural Infusion will work collaboratively throughout the year with students, teachers and parents at Reservoir Views Primary School in various art-forms (including physical theatre, dancing, song writing/singing, visual art, puppetry and multimedia) with the end result being a performing arts production that will feature at the school’s end of Term 3 Concert.

Components of the production will also feature alongside the work of professional artists at the 2012 Australia Day Concert that is viewed by an audience of over 10,000 people. We will keep you posted as this exciting project progresses.

Go to resource: arts2GO programs for school students are run by Regional Arts Victoria. Read more…

ArtsAlive.ca – US website with lots of free lesson plans, recordings and interactive Music websites

Go to resource: ArtsEdge (Western Australia) is a collaboration between the education, arts, and cultural sectors in WA. Read more…

Go to resource: ArtsEdge Kennedy Centre Music Lesson Plans (USA) offers dozens of music lesson plans, many of which are integrated with other subjects such as science and maths. Read more…

ArtsMmad page – after signing in (free) you will have free access to bundles of free Music posters, song sheets and MP3 recordings

Go to resource: artsmmadd.com is a site developed by Associate Professor Deirdre Russell-Bowie (UWS) and Dr Christopher Klopper (CSU). Read more…

Go to resource: Assessment for Learning has been developed by the Curriculum Corporation, and is a site that provides support for designing assessment tasks. Read more…

Go to resource: Audacity is a free audio editor and recording software program, available for various operating systems.  Read more…

http://www.flashmusicgames.com/notepair.html

An audio version of the old-fashioned ‘memory card game’. Match the pairs of notes by using your ears …

Go to resource: Auralia is a comprehensive ear-training software package, published by Sibelius. Read more…

Register your school in Australia’s biggest music program

Our program song has been recorded and is now up on the website for your listening pleasure. There are already 500 schools registered to take part in this year’s program which will unite more than half a million students in the performance of ‘We’ve Got The Music’ on Thursday, 1^st September at 11.30am. Don’t forget participation in the program is FREE. The audio files, arrangements, lyric sheet and classroom activity kit: it’s all downloadable once you register your school.

So listen to the song, register now and get your school community on board!

Go to resource: The Australian Curriculum Corporation is a one-stop site that provides online links to all Australian curricula. Read more…

Go to resource: The Australian National Council of Orff Schulwerk Inc (ANCOS) is the Australian organisation for Schulwerk music education methodology, and is linked to the Orff Institute in Salzburg. Read more…

access free, award-winning lesson plan here

This lesson plan is for upper primary students – read a book (as a class), draw each chapter, choose music to accompany the mood of each chapter, create a class movie.

Nominations for the 2011 Awards for Excellence in School Music Education are due to close on Friday, 1st April, 2011. The awards aim to recognise music teachers and school leaders for their exceptional contribution to enhancing the status and quality of music education in their schools.

There will be up to eleven teacher Awards and up to two school leader Awards. Each recipient of an Award will receive a certificate and a cheque for $5,000, which is intended to be used to further their professional learning related to music education.

All details about the 2011 Awards, including Guidelines, and nomination forms are available on the website at:

http://musicawards.asme.edu.au/

HERE is a scene from Baraka called “Balinese monkey chant”. Baraka is a feature-length film without any script. Show this scene to a class, and discuss the role of music in eastern cultures, how a film can be created without any scripted text, the importance of music in films … Enjoy!

Ben Northey is the conductor clinician for a seminar, master class and video workshop for school band directors. We are proud to be able to celebrate Ben’s appointment as Associate Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. This special event is presented by The Grainger Wind Symphony in partnership with the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association (Victoria branch). Ben’s services is provided by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the event is assisted with sponsorship from Allans Music + Billy Hydes.

On Wednesday 8 June, at 5.30pm the public Seminar has Ben talking and answering questions about Exploring the Art of Conducting. At 6.30pm, the full participants have a public Conducting Master Class with Ben as clinician but without piano or any instrumentalists. At 7.30pm finger food is provides free. From 8.30pm each full participant in turn conducts The Grainger Wind Symphony in a public Video Workshop with maestro Northey as clinician.

All three sessions are open to the public. You are all encouraged to come to congratulate Ben for his appointment and learn from his experiences in music and conducting from his youth in Ballarat to his studies at University of Melbourne with John Hopkins and at the Sibelius Academy in Finland.  Entry fee includes membership of the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association (Victoria). Apply to come by the due date so catering can be arranged for you

Full participants will conduct in the one hour Master Class a concert band work of their choice, and conduct the same in front of The Grainger Wind Symphony with about 12 minutes of podium time. There is a strict limit of 8 full participants. The first eight places will go to the suitable applicants who pay their fee first. Applications for full participants will close on Friday 1 June.

The venue is the De Young Performing Arts Centre at Carey Baptist Grammar School, 349 Barkers Road, Kew.

Application form, fees and more information can be download from the GWS website, www.graingerwindsymphony.asn.au.

www.classicalarchives.com/feature/dont_miss_this.html

This is great fun … On May 2, 2011, the Copenhagen Philharmonic amazed commuters at the Copenhagen Central Train Station, as they created a kind of orchestral “flash mob” – performing Ravel’s famed Bolero, with the musicians gradually assembling in place as the work progresses. The video – which shows not only the assembling orchestra, but also the delighted faces of the commuters – has generated overwhelming interest, and indeed has exceeded the orchestra’s expectations.

Go to resource: Boomerang Jam by Susie Davies-Splitter and Phil Splitter, is published by Two Up Music Education, 2000. Read more…

Brass Bedlam: A mad-cap, educational romp through history using brass instruments, song and verse.

Book now for 2012.

kaddis@melbpc.org.au

breezinthrutheory.com

New, online music theory lessons and drills. You can currently access a free demo of some of the online drill games.

http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/

A website to find simple info and reviews on musicals, as well as what’s playing on Broadway at the moment.

Bubble Harp draws bubbles around your fingertips, recording and replaying your movements while creating music. It’s a combination of drawing, animation, music, art, geometry and gaming.

$1.99 at iTunes store for iPad or iPhone

http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/education-apps/apps/78-bubble-harp

A bit of fun – create music using an on-screen keyboard or guitar, or using the faces of a 3D cube.

www.buttonbeats.com

Go to resource: Catch a Song: a developmental music program by Deanna Hoermann and Doreen Bridges, illustrated by Bruce Treloar, was published by Holmes McDougall Australia-Dominie, Brookvale NSW, 1988. Read more…

Go to resource: The CEO Creative Arts Primary Curriculum (NSW) is the arts curriculum for NSW Catholic schools.

Read more…

One recent trend in education is “Challenge-Based Learning” (CBL) … real-life, relevant, project-based learning (often using Apple software). Read more …

http://www.scoop.it/t/challenge-based-learning-resources

http://www.apple.com/education/challenge-based-learning/#cbl-engaging-video

www.charangamusic.com.au/site

Charanga is a digital learning community for music education – once paid up and subscribed, you have access to digital lesson materials and support.

Go to resource: Children, meaning-making and the arts, edited by Susan Wright, is published by Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest NSW, 2003. Read more…

free lesson ideas – cross-curricular ideas for teachings working with students after a natural disaster, particularly focused on ways to express feelings

Go to resource: The Childrens Music Portal (USA) is a free portal that offers links to resources for children’s music.

Read more…

Go to resource: Chinese Instruments is a two-lesson unit published by ArtsEdge, Kennedy Center (USA) and written by Mary Beth Bauernschub. Read more…

Ideas for Primary choirs and how to choose music and repertoire.

Sydney Morning Herald Article

http://news.smh.com.au/national/choral-singing-makes-you-happy-survey-20080710-3cyg.html

Choral singing makes you happy: survey

Go to resource: Classic Kids (various) is a collection of Classical music recordings that are suitable for children. Read more…

Go to resource: The Classical Music Library is an online resource that gives subscribers access to most Western classical recorded pieces (over 450000 tracks). Read more…

YOUTUBE LINK HERE

Aston String Quartet plays a ‘classical interpretation’ of a Cold Play song

Play it to any age-group

Go to resource: Classics for Kids is a podcast station that streams classical music suitable for children.

Read more…

http://www.classicsforkids.com/activitysheets/

Dozens of free, colourful worksheets on well-known Classical / Romantic / 20th century works. Most include pictorial listening guides.

Go to resource: Classics for Kids Lesson Plans (USA) are classical music lesson plans designed for students aged 5 to 11 years of age.

Read more…

Go to resource: Clinical Applications of Music Therapy in Developmental Disability, Paediatrics and Neurology is edited by Tony Wigram and Jos De Backer, and published by J. Kingsley Publishers, 1999.

Read more…

http://cmer.arts.usf.edu/

String ensembles and Choir ensembles for all students aged 8 – 13.
All standards are welcome!  Tuition by professional musicians!
Dates: Friday 9 – Sunday 11
December, 2011

Venue: Collingwood College
Corner of Cromwell St
& McCutcheon Way
Collingwood VIC 3067

Participation Fee: $80

Schedule:

Friday 9 December Rehearsal: 4:00pm – 6:30pm

Saturday 10 December Rehearsals and Tutorials: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided
Sunday 11 December Rehearsals and Tutorials: 9:00am –12:00pm
Final Concert: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Barbeque: 2:00pm

Applications forms are available from Collingwood College

Closing date for applications is 30 November 2011
For more information, please contact Jenny Occleshaw on (03) 9417 6681
jenny_occleshaw@yahoo.com

Go to resource: Comparing Dalcroze, Orff and Kodaly: choosing your approach to teaching music by Gilles Comeau and published by CFORP, Vanier – Ontario, 1995, is translated from the 1995 thesis by Comeau. Read more…

celticnovelist.wordpress.com/

Read blog post at the above link about the benefits of using computers to help students compose.

Just for fun, watch Mr Bean conducting a Christmas band – a good introduction to rubato?!?

Go to resource: Conference notes by Katie Wardrobe (Midnight Music) on Music, technology and education. Includes presentations on Sibelius, Groovy, Audacity, Acid and podcasting.

Go to resource: ConnectEd Arts is a program run by Arts NSW that provides subsidies for school arts excursions, and funds education programs run by arts organisations. Read more…

Go to resource: Cool Cats cross arts adventures, published by Bushfire Press for primary students, is a four level series designed to teach integrated arts courses, including music, dance, drama, media, and visual art. Read more…

Go to resource: Cool Cats: the red hot recorder course by Jeff Mead and published by Bushfire Press, is a three level recorder course for primary students. Read more…

As part of the Australian Copyright Council’s national seminar program for 2011, they are holding a Copyright for Music Teachers (Ed Inst & Private Tuition) seminar.

The seminar will be an essential overview of key copyright issues associated with music teaching, including a comparison of the different provisions that apply when teaching within educational institutions and teaching privately.

Topics include:

*      How copyright applies to music
*      Identifying the circumstances where relevant exceptions apply
*      Copyright obligations and trouble-shooting
*      Using resources from the Internet

For dates, times, venue and how to book, please visit www.copyright.org.au/seminars

Write a brief paragraph about covers in books (introduce the words ‘cover’ and original’). Watch THIS original video of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, followed by THIS cover version by The Muppets. Ask students what stayed the same and what differed in the cover version.

Lesson idea: Write songs, create a song book, and create illustrations.

Here’s an example from Pine Creek Primary School:

http://acmf.com.au/our-initiatives/indigenous-isolated-regions/

Use the 3 main notes from the chorus of this year’s MUSIC: COUNT US IN program song “We’ve Got the Music” to create a 3-tone drum melody.

(1) Group your classroom drums or classroom percussion or junk percussion into three different groups (high, middle and low)

(2) Allocate the lowest drums to B-flat, the middle drums to C and the highest drums to E-flat.

(3) Re-create the chorus melody on 3 different drums: “Get on your feet, feel your heartbeat, we’ve got the music. We’re not too proud to sing it out loud, we’re not afraid to use it.”

Try the activity aurally, playing along with the MP3 found at www.musiccountusin.org.au

(4) Write the drum tune on the board using letters: L = low drums, M = medium drums, H = high drums

LM  LM  L MM M      M  M  LH  M

ML  M  M ML   LM   M            MMMM   LH    M

(5) If your school has signed up for “Music: Count Us In”, then you can access the free backing-track (‘For Teachers’ section) and play the drum melody along with the chorus.

This lesson was inspired by “Izo Beat” from Islington Public School

Lesson Idea: Ask Middle School students to create their own way of writing music. Students might work in groups or individually.

Use the book “Notations 21: Visualizing Music Notation” for some interesting examples / inspiration. (Many pages are shown free online.)

Share ideas with the class, explaining how the new notation ‘works’.

Go to resource: Creating Instruments at Satisfied Mind (USA) is a site that provides instructions on how to make various instruments.

Read more…

Go to resource: Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts by Claudia Cornett (2006) is a textbook specifically for classroom teachers. Read more…

Go to resource: Creating new stuff, published by Noteable, focuses on composition for 11 to 15 year old students. Read more…

Go to resource: The Creative Arts Syllabus K-6 (NSW) outlines the areas of the arts which are to be implemented in NSW schools. Read more…

Go to resource: Creative Musical Experiences, by Robert Smith, is published by RIC Publishing, WA, 2006. Read more…

Go to resource: Creative Resources for Primary Schools. This Dept of Education and Training (NSW) page has links to DET-published resources including Arts Action, Sync or Swing, and Vocal-Ease. Read more…

Go to resource: Cultural Infusion co-ordinates authentic multi-cultural performances, workshops and residencies in Australian schools.

THIS IS SO COOL!!

An Orff-inspired plastic cup dance to go with “We’ve Got the Music” MCUI 2011. Thanks to Kristie Fudge (SA) for the free offering. The document also includes lesson plans for teaching the song.

click here for download link

Go to resource: The Curriculum Framework Learning Statement for the Arts is published by the Curriculum Council of WA, 1998. Read more…

Go to resource: Curriculum Press is run by the Curriculum Corporation and provides suitable resources (books, dvds, websites) for use in schools across a wide range of subject areas, including The Arts. Read more…

Go to resource: Curriculum Support – Creative Arts K-6 (NSW) is a site published by the NSW Department of Education and Training that offers extra resources for teaching creative arts in NSW schools. Read more…

Go to resource: Dalcroze Australia is the official Dalcroze association in Australia and offers courses for teachers. Read more…

Go to resource: Dalcroze Eurhythmics in Today’s Music Classroom by Virginia Hoge Mead, is published by Schott Music Corporation, New York, c1994. Read more…

Go to resource: Dalcroze Today: an education through and into music by Marie-Laure Bachmann is published by Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1991. Read more…

The ‘Music Count Us In’ Dance movie is now uploaded to the MCUI wiki. You can find it, with all the other teacher resources HERE.

See if your classes can dance along with these characters …. DANCE VIDEO LINK

Then play along with the JellyBeans-style ONLINE percussion score

Ask the class to invent new moves or actions for the song “We’ve Got the Music”

Watch the Auslan video and learn hand-signs for this year’s MUSIC: COUNT US IN SONG … AUSLAN VIDEO LINK

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/about-us/news-at-det/news/tuning-into-a-new-world

Matraville Soldiers’ Settlement School has seen improvement in NAPLAN results, thanks to Music in school. Read the article (above).

http://doublebassblog.org/2011/04/hal-robinson-plays-orchestral-excerpts.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

An instructional video on playing orchestral excerpts on Double Bass, as performed by Hal Robinson.

The visual quality is very raw, but the Double Bass sound is amazing.

A good video to show Middle School students who are studying instruments of the orchestra.

Go to resource: edna – music resources offers 128 resources for school music teachers and is published by the Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, Australian Government. Read more…

Go to resource: The ACO, through its national education program, aims to bring performances and musical experiences to students.

Read more…

Watch this YouTube clip about a frog being chased by a snake (with very dramatic orchestral music). Discuss the way the music changes our perspective on the visual images. Ask students if they notice anything about the editing, as well (ie. what’s happening on the screen during loud percussion sections, etc). Can you think of any other films/advertisements that are well-matched to dramatic music?

Watch this YouTube clip about a lion being re-united with its human parents. About 1.5 mins through, the music is perfectly timed to match the physical reunion. Discuss this with the students, then brainstorm any other songs that would suit this video clip.

Go to resource: EQ Australia (Education Quarterly Australia) is a print/online magazine for teachers, published by the Curriculum Corporation. Read more…

Go to resource: ESL through music (Canada) is a site that offers links to resources suitable for integrating music activities with ESL objectives.

Read more…

Eurovision telecasting starts late May 2012. Introduce the concept to students with THIS YouTube clip – clips from 2011 Eurovision contest. Then show the 2011 winner HERE. Discuss with students the way visual effects and dancing can enhance (or detract from) a performance. ENJOY!

Go to resource: Every Chance to Learn – Curriculum Framework for ACT Schools, published by the ACT Government, provides a framework for government and non-government schools to plan and implement curriculum. Read more…

A UK education program which trains primary school students to lead singing games in the playground – with cross-curricular results!

http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/case_studies/Ex_Cathedra_singing_playgrounds.html

2 hours of Marimba, wacky instruments and echo-cello playing: 20 November @ 2pm – 4pm @ Research, Vic

www.vosa.org/events/?action=detailed&ID=183

Go to resource: The Fanfare Series, written by Tim Cain and published by Cambridge UP, is suitable for primary school students. Read more…

Here are some questions to accompany the first 55 minutes of Disney’s “Fantasia 2000″ DVD

“Fantasia 2000”

Questions are in same order as the DVD …

1) What instrument does the presenter want to play?

2) What family of instruments is playing while hundreds of whales fly through the air?

3) At the end of the jumping whales, what type of drums are playing?

4) Every minute or so, one instrument plays solo (= on its own) … what instrument is it?

5) When the skater makes a “$” sign with his skate blades, what is the solo instrument?

6) Next, the orchestra plays Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto number ________  .

7) What jumps out of a box?

Is the music happy or grumpy when you see the Jack-in-the-box?

9) Carnival of the Animals starts with pink flamingos and music with trills (= wobbly bits).   TRUE   or   FALSE  ?

10) The sorcerer’s apprentice is what kind of animal?

11) What instrument family plays as the sorcerer makes a bat shape out of steam (before the butterfly)?

12) The music for the Sorcerer’s Apprentice is ALL soft and slow.   TRUE   or   FALSE ?

13) When the broom FIRST walks, what instrument family is playing?

14) What happens when Mickey breaks the broom?

15) Pomp and Circumstance music starts with which instrument?

16) When the ark opens, a choir joins in.      TRUE   or   FALSE

Flame Award applications are due Monday 29th August – be part of the $15 000 prize pool. ALL Australian schools are invited to apply (Primary & Secondary).

Lesson idea: play some laid-back music, hand out paper and pencils, and ask students to write down and/or draw what they love about MUSIC at your school. Display some of the responses on school noticeboards / websites and around your music classroom  Copy some of their ideas into your Flame Award submission

ENTER FLAME AWARDS HERE

FLAME AWARDS: This year’s theme is: ‘creative and engaging ways of delivering music education’. Entries are open to Primary and Secondary schools across Australia in 2011.

Visit the Flame Awards website for entry information

http://www.musicplayforlife.org/index.php/campaigns/flames

Due 22nd August, 2011.

Go to resource: Fleximusic Kids Composer is a downloadable software program that introduces young students to music recording, mixing, sampling, and creating. Read more…

http://www.makingmusicfun.net/pdf/worksheets/composer-employment-application-worksheet.pdf

This fun, free worksheet, asks students to fill in a mock job application, requiring biographical details of a composer. The website www.makingmusicfun.net includes biographical information and other fun activities.

free resources here

great (free) chord chart posters at this website

teachingmusic.posterous.com/note-names-my-program-from-the-90s-updated-an#more

This link allows you to download (free) a computer game for learning note names.

HERE is a FREE e-book of classroom games (Music) for anyone to use (from FunMusicCo). Mostly primary-oriented, but could stretch to Year 7. Create a lesson out of games … Enjoy!

http://www.alfred.com/SC/BandResources.aspx

Free fingering charts for band instruments are found here.

www.ptn.org.au/latest-news/a-free-teaching-resource

A free IWB resource for primary teachers from PTN (Primary Teacher Network)

free worksheet – Sarah Lantz has made a cute, free worksheet which uses clover leaves to help kids practise the notes in a major chord

Lesson idea – help students to fill in the clover leaves (with chord notes) then play them on keyboard, glocks, guitar …

If you are looking for free online resources to help teach the Music Count Us In song, just follow this link.

http://musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com

Keep checking- more resources added regularly!

Three upcoming free concerts that may be of interest for your staff and students:

Friday 25 May, 11:00am

Brass and Strings Ensemble Concert

Ideal for: Years 7 – 12

Duration: approx 70 minutes

Venue: Melba Hall, Royal Parade, Parkville

More information: http://www.conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/events?id=365

Saturday 26 May, 7:30pm

Wind Symphony and String Ensemble Concert

Ideal for: Years 5 – 12

Duration: approx 75 minutes

Venue: BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne

More information: http://www.conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/events?id=363

Monday 28 May, 2:00pm

Percussion Ensembles Concert

Ideal for: Years 5 – 12

Duration: 50 minutes

Venue: Victorian College of the Arts, Southbank

More information: http://www.conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/events?id=359

Bookings for the Friday and Monday concerts can be made through Anastasia – email rua@unimelb.edu.au or phone 03 8344 3673.

One Song. One Day. Your School, More Music.
Thursday September 1, 11.30 am

Have you registered you school for Music. Count Us In yet? Visit the websitewww.musiccountusin.org.au <http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/> to register and access recordings of the song as well as FREE choral, band and classroom arrangements!

FREE teacher workshops will run early next term to introduce teachers to the song and all of resources and support material available.

Geelong, Mt Waverley, Bendigo, Swan Hill, South Gippsland,
Mornington Peninsula, Mitcham, Mildura, Cheltenham,
South Melbourne, Lilydale, Caulfield, Carlton,
Ivanhoe and Wangaratta

For details visit the aMuse website: http://www.amuse.vic.edu.au <http://www.amuse.vic.edu.au/>

Or

Order FREE teaching kits for your school
by emailing Sue Arney MCUI@amuse.vic.edu.au <mailto:MCUI@amuse.vic.edu.au>

To download ‘We’ve Got The Music’, and to register your school, go to www.musiccountusin.org.au<http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/> or check out the wiki http://musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com<http://musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com/>

HERE you can download Katie Wardrobe’s new e-book – it’s a book about free music resources on the internet. ENJOY!

jozzbeatinteractive.com/jellymusic-pilot

Jozzbeat is offering FREE access to its new online Music education software (for 5-13 year olds) from February to April 2012. Click on the above link to find out more information. The program suits classroom teachers without ANY musical background, as well as being fun for music specialists. It requires having a digital projector or interactive whiteboard in the classroom, and giving brief feedback after lessons.

THIS WEBSITE is a rich source of free (and paid for) music games on a computer. Just download and play. My favourites are Staff Wars 1.2 (teaching notation reading), JamaMambo (rhythm reading) and Rhythm Dictation. Put the games on a digital projector and teach concepts to the class as needed. ENJOY!

Go to this link: Ray Foo … Click on “Music Games/Quizzes” half way down the left side to find dozens of free online quizzes and games to drill music theory. Send students to this page and let them explore – learning through games.

www.jozzbeat.com/MCUI2011/home

This is a fun way to learn / teach the Music: Count Us In song for 2011 (We’ve Got the Music). In fact, the song will teach itself, all ready for the massed-music-making MCUI event on 1st September, 2011.

If you don’t yet have a free login, and have registered for Music: Count Us In, please send an email to mcui.admin@mca.org.au requesting a Jozzbeat login.

ENJOY!!!

Dr Watson’s podcasts – a MASSIVE and free resource from an American lecturer in music, which has dozens of podcasts, many of which have free lesson guides and activity sheets attached. Topics include “what music means to me”, “repetition in music”, “bad boys in classical music”, “modality” …

Click here to download FREE teaching kits for teaching pop music to Middle School students – using the Musical Futures approach. Handouts include song lyrics, keyboard chord fingerings & guitar chord fingerings.

Thanks to Coombeshead Academy for sharing their resources freely

FunMusicCo has provided us (free) with a weekly practice chart and printable sticker sheet to inspire students to practise this term

click here for free resource link

Go to resource: Free Primary School Lesson Plans & Education Resources is a general site that offers primary school resources submitted by site users. Read more…

On Thursday June 23rd Future Music will be running a FREE  PD session on the new PRO TOOLS 9.
This is an introduction to the new recording software which is now simpler to use and is much less expensive than before.

PRO TOOLS is an industry standard used in TV, movie and recording studios everywhere. The version for schools use has the same technology, but is appropriate for classroom particularly in a VCE and VET application, it can now be used directly with Sibelius.

The presenter for this PD is Peter Wardrobe from AVID, who will introduce you to the process in an easy to understand non technical form. We will record using MIDI and audio. Part of the session will take place in a professional recording  studio, where you can get up close to the real environment.

The session will finish around 6pm and we will round off with drinks and light refreshments. There is no charge for this session.

The address for this PD is:
BURWOOD MUSIC CENTRE
2a Florence St (off Huntingdale road)
Burwood.

RSVP is essential.
Please call JUDY on 9808 8988

LINK HERE

Browse through this up-to-date advice from Trafalgar Primary School. THANKS TPS!

www.funmusicco.com/rhythmclock/

FunMusicCo has prepared a video tutorial on how to prepare and use a rhythm clock (suits primary and perhaps Year 7). All the files you might need are also free on the website.

Here is a free lesson from Klerrisa Music re. Mashing Up 2 Bruno Mars songs which have the same chord progression.

If you sign up to the Klerrisa mailing list, you get free access to a dozen more free sample lessons (Middle school & Secondary).

Free worksheets from Color in My Piano website. Topics include discovering the piano keyboard, making tetrachords, write scales and chords, applying barlines …

http://musicteachingresources.com/free-music-teaching-handouts.html

Free printable worksheets on making chords

HERE are some free worksheets from makingmusicfun.net – naming notes and intervals in bass and treble clef. Make up a booklet for students to work through when they have a few spare minutes at a time.

Go to resource: Full Pitcher – Music for Special Needs (UK) provides links to information about implementing music programs and activities for students with disabilities.

Read more…

Select 4 very different pieces of music. Divide students into teams of 2-4 students. Hand out blank paper (to be divided into 4 sections). Teams are to secretly discuss the music (while it plays) and write down answers to 5 questions. After each ’round’, teams share their answers with the class, and the teacher allocates 1 point for each correct answer. After 4 rounds (equating to 4 pieces of music), tally up the points (out of a possible total of 20).

Suggested questions: What is the mood of the piece and does it change at all? What instruments do you hear (instrumentation)? What nationality do you think it is? What is the message or story behind the music? Is it fast or slow (tempo)?

Interactive Whiteboard resource kits from FunMusicCo (suit primary classroom)

http://www.funmusicco.com/index.shtml?gclid=CM6c96fD-a8CFcNMpgod1w4hEw

There’s a wacky, catchy kids song on YouTube – in English, he is “Gummy Bear” … in French he is “Funny Bear”. The first half of the song is in C major, and the melody uses A, C, D & E, so it suits glockenspiels or beginner keyboards.

Lesson idea: Practise alternate hand slapping on thighs: 6 taps starting on left … short rest … 6 taps starting on left … 14 taps starting on right. Play the YouTube clip to Middle School students. Get the kids singing the chorus. Add in the ‘hand slapping on thighs’ pattern during the chorus (it fits with the chorus rhythm). Ask students to figure out the melody, which starts on A.

Extension: see if students can alternate their glockenspiel mallet hands (as per the hand slapping warm-up).

Melody: A A A C A A – - A A A C E E – - E E E D D D D D D D E D C A – -

Further extension: Write the chorus melody on the board as a row of quavers and quaver rests. Ask students to help put in the bar-lines and time signature.

www.essential-music-practice.com/learning-new-pieces.html

This website offers some free games for inspiring multiple repetitions when learning new pieces. Other parts of the webpage offer advice re. practising an instrument at home.

HERE is a free e-book re. how to practice.

The author has also written a book (for purchase).

I just got a fright when I tried to use the new GarageBand ‘11 – where had the loops gone? I found them again via THIS FREE TUTORIAL on YouTube.

April 2011 saw the launch of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s second album. Gurrumul is a spectacular, Indigenous Australian musician who was born blind, and grew up singing and playing guitar.

Lesson idea: Listen to one of Gurrumul’s tracks (all songs feature his language-of-birth, while some include English as well). Describe the tune, harmonies, vocal quality (which Stinge has described as “the sound of a higher being”), chord progressions, etc … then try to guess what the lyrics mean.

A really positive (UK) article about getting middle school boys to sing!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/05/singing-schools

Play some well-known songs on glockenspiel (reading the letters of the alphabet), then guess their name.
eg.    E  D  C  D  E  E  E      D  D  D     E  G  G
is      Mary Had a Little Lamb

Glock aural activity

Great fun for Middle School aged students with glockenspiels (or keyboards) … view it here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXPrUkjENrQ (recorder)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH8Fb1kKsGM (glockenspiel)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBF-_WMY8HU (crockenspiel)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=26ho9yEAOrI (gameboy)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYabXLTDSxw (ocarina)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjxQARym4DQ (zither)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmG34QB07Bc (mobile phone)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpg2k2C103k (squeakaphone)

Go to resource: Good Ear is a free online aural training program that covers basic aural requirements such as recognition of intervals, chords and cadences.

Read more…

Go to resource: Goran Bregovic – Tales & Songs for Weddings & Funerals education kit is provided through the Melbourne International Arts Festival site, and was performed at the festival in 2008. Read more…

GRAHAM ANSWERTH’S ORCHESTRAL PERCUSSION PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS

One of the most enjoyable means for introducing primary aged students to serious music is by them playing the full range of mallets instruments: vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, chromatic floor standing metallophone and more.

Graham’s program has been in play for 23 years. Frequent access to instruments is important and  children will have them playing and exploring the sounds, harmonies and melodies and rhythms on an almost daily basis.

www.showcaseyourmusic.com/marimbas

www.cdbaby.com/marimbabelles

The music is tuneful and full of joy.

For further information on this percussion program fro schools, contact Graham Answerth at  snailsdad@megalink.com.au or phone 03 59624682

Greasy Kid Stuff is a children’s music radio program which has also released albums of music. Read more…

Go to resource: Great Relief Junior, published by Noteable, is a textbook suitable for students self-teaching (eg when teachers can’t attend classes). Read more…

http://grooveshark.com/

A free service (blocked to many students, but usually available to teachers) whereby you can listen to and playlist thousands of songs for free, while you are online.

Download is not possible (nor would it be ethical!).

Not a complete repertoire as yet – for instance you won’t find music of the recent Royal Wedding, or anything from the “Black Arm Band”.

You WILL find many indigenous / Aboriginal artists on GrooveShark: Gurrumul Yunupingu, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, didgeridoo music, “Rough Guide to Australia Aboriginal Music”, Saltwater Band, Yothu Yindi …

Watch the Gruffalo film on YouTube (about 30 minutes long).

Discuss (or ask students to take notes on) the music which accompanies each new character. Discuss what instruments are used to make the audience feel scared or wary. Brainstorm the ways in which music has been used to turn a 5 minute picture-story book into a 30 minute film.

THIS primary school unit on rock and guitar used the video game “Guitar Hero” to inspire a cross-curricular unit of learning. Navigate using the sub-headings at the top of page.

Go to resource: Hands on Music Outcomes: a practical teachers guide to implementing the curriculum framework curriculum guides & progress maps joyfully in the classroom, by Sue Noonan, is published by Rossendale Press, Exmouth WA, 2005. This volume is intended for primary teachers and comes with an accompanying disc. It contains music activities and guides for assessment.

Go to resource: Happy Anniversary! Middle Schools Concerts Education Kit (from The Queensland Orchestra) is a kits on the music of three composers celebrating anniversaries in 2009: Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn.

Read more…

Announcing a one-of-a-kind workshop with renowned harpist Alice Giles, Head of Harp Area at ANU. Alice has recently returned from an exciting trip to Antarctica on an Australian Antarctic Division Arts Fellowship. She has an international reputation as a teacher.

On Monday 12 September, Alice will give an introductory workshop on the harp, including short performances, specially designed for primary and middle-years students. This will be followed by a masterclass, in which school-aged harpists of all ages are invited to perform. School groups are welcome to attend both the workshop and the masterclass, or just one of the sessions. The workshop will take place from 9:30am until 10:30am, and the masterclass will run 11:00am until 12:30pm.

More information and booking forms   conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/programs/short/harp

Go to resource: Haunting Music (ArtsEdge USA) is a six-lesson unit that focuses on program music through exploration of ’spooky’ orchestral works by Berlioz and Saint-Saens. Read more…

‘Hearts in Harmony’ – a ‘fun’tastic community music day for all ages at ACU in Fitzroy, presented by the School of Education, Australian Catholic University (ACU).

This day is open to all ages, backgrounds and abilities – no musical experience is required. Join Jon Madin, Geelong’s local teacher/composer/instrument inventor and play some of his wonderful and wacky instruments such as marimbas, echo cellos, shaker rings and musical bikes.

Go to resource: Heather Gell’s Thoughts on Dalcroze Eurhythmics & Music Through Movement is edited by Joan Pope and published by CIRCME, University of Western Australia in association with the Heather Gell Dalcroze Foundation, Nedlands, WA, c1996. Read more…

Go to resource: Homemade Instruments is a site that gives instructions for the crafting of instruments from everyday materials.

Read more…

Go to resource: HotChalk (USA) is a site that offers lesson plans, grouped according to different disciplines and age ranges, including music. Read more…

Use SoundCloud and blogging to give students feedback on recorded performances / compositions. Read more HERE.

Go to resource: Improvisation and Conducting from a Dalcroze Workshop in Thailand 2008, run by Sandra Nash, demonstrates Dalcroze music and movement activities for music students of different stages. Read more…

Go to resource: in2arts is run by Arts Queensland, and is a search engine that provides links to arts for children in Queensland. Read more…

http://www.smh.com.au/national/aboriginal-anthem-a-truly-uplifting-experience-20110706-1h2el.html#ixzz1Rfy25DsN

This article in the Herald Sun describes the process for creating an indigenous translation for Advance Australia Fair (for NAIDOC week). Free teachers’ notes are found HERE.  A kit has also been released ($26) with advice on how to teach the song.

“This is about changing the way we teach and appreciate the language, culture and traditions of Aboriginal people,” Mr Garrett said.

A short example of the video teaching kit is found HERE along with ‘how to purchase the kit’ information.

Go to resource: Instrument Bingo, written by Cheryl Lavender and published by Jenson Publications, combines musical knowledge with the game of bingo. Read more…

Go to resource:  Instrumental Music Teaching Resource was written by Amanda R Watson and published by the Australian Society for Music Education.

Read more…

Go to resource: Integrating music into the classroom, by William Anderson and Joy Lawrence, is published by Wadsworth Publishing, California, 1991. Read more…

Go to resource: Phil Tulga presents a list of interactive activities and lesson plans which combine Music with Science, Language and Maths.

Go to resource: Integrating the arts: twelve school-based experiences, published by the Department for Education and Children’s Services, SA, 1997, gives twelve case best-practice case studies for the teaching of the arts in schools. Read more…

rampupblog.tumblr.com

This blog, set up by Jozzbeat to discuss the Ramp-Up project, shows what Australian teachers can achieve by sharing their musical questions / comments / videos via an online community.

blog link – a frequently updated blog of ideas on how to use iPad (and other technology) in Music Education

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/central/computer-key-to-schools-music-future/story-fn8ygho7-1226088042117

Moorooka State School is using technology (such as iPads & GarageBand) to inspire composition and music education.

Here are some iPad (and iPhone) apps, either free or inexpensive, which I can see being useful for secondary music teachers…

PIANO IN A FLASH APP : chord charts

FLASH MUSIC: flash cards for a few basic instruments
Year 7 intro and revision
Beginner Guitar : Marty YouTube clips and sign up for access to 900 lessons
Classical 1: famous excerpts from 100+ famous classical tunes
Year 9&10 trivia and guess
MSO learn : Take Your Seat
Year 7: highlights each section within Grainger work, play entire work first then highlight each section, take notes on preprinted book while working through each instrument
Classical Guitar: experiment with simple cord progressions with common
chords year 8&9&10
Touch music : explore the power of rhythm by changing only rhythm of famous songs
Year 7&8 guess the song with random taps
Thum Drum : mostly novelty
Teach Question and Answer with two students year 7&8
Melody Com : composes with rhythm blocks
Year 7&8&9&10 to intro composition
Music Tool : plays diff chords and shows circle of fifths
Year 9&10 aural chords
Guitar lick of the day: advanced guitarists
1 on 1
Key Wiz: find note name or keyboard note for one or both staves , requires a little setup
Year 7&8 extension individually
Flash cards: has fifty plus music definitions
Guess, write, check
Karajan Beginner: aural tests
year 9&10 chord types and intervals
WI orchestra
Year 7 compose & learn about orch timbres

Rhythm Cat

Middle School: learning to tap basic rhythms

A few iPad apps which might contribute to an Orff type lesson (if you have a class set of iPads for Music)

http://wrightstuffmusic.com/2011/06/12/ipad-apps-for-orff-lessons/

Cavallo Capers – a newly released  CD BUONGIORNO SIGNORA, containing 13 original songs, a song book, lyric charts and an activity book for beginner Italian language (LOTE).

Part way down the page of Mustech Wiki you’ll find a long list of resources for Interactive Whiteboards in Music education.

Go to resource: Jam Hub by Intelliware is for electronic instruments, and is useful for rock band rehearsing in the classroom. Read more…

Go to resource: Jam Trax, created by Sony, is a software program for children that enables music creation of contemporary songs, including rock, pop, and hip hop styles. Read more…

Beginning in Term 1 201, Jozzbeat will be hosting a national project called ‘JellyMusic 2012′ that aims to have 500+ Primary Classrooms around Australia all working with a comprehensive library of quality P-7 music resources.

JellyMusic is an exciting new subscription service for Australian classrooms, including software that runs on Interactive Whiteboards and Digital Projectors and comes with a wide range of age appropriate repertoire and activities.

‘Music. Play For Life’ are supporting by hosting the ‘Community and Contact’ zone. This will be a blog-type zone where all participating schools and teachers can communicate and share teaching ideas. We aim to produce valuable research data on how music is being run in school classrooms across Australia, which we will tender to ACARA (the National Curriculum body).

We are looking at a number of 2-3 hour national ‘induction’ workshops to kick off the project. We could certainly look at putting one on in your area with a good number of schools represented.

You (or your schools) can sign up for the project at www.jozzbeat.com/jellymusic-signup

Schools can participate for FREE (that’s right…FREE!), or additionally you can choose to pay for a whole year’s content.

To kickstart the project Jozzbeat will be providing free induction workshops to help all teachers (Classroom and Specialist) get comfortable with both the technology and the teaching and material. These workshops will occur in key centres across Australia where school numbers warrant, and online.

Please send queries to: info@jozzbeat.com

Go to resource: Jozzbeat produces classroom Music, ensemble and percussion resources. Their ‘JellyBeans’ series features large format notation books for 4 part percussion (or IWB resource) with CD accompaniment tracks and lesson suggestions. Jozzbeat also offers Professional Development school workshops.

THIS YouTube clip of 3 Swedish girls singing “Rudolph” with empty yoghurt tubs for accompaniment is most entertaining!

Go to resource: Midnight Music and Katie Wardrobe run workshops for teachers who want to integrate computers with Music education.  She also offers workshops to students.

An entertaining article by a Primary Music teacher who entertains her students with bubbles, colourful hats and knock-knock jokes … in the interests of keeping students on task.

http://theapple.monster.com/training/articles/858-keeping-students-engaged-in-music

KET – this website provides free Music lesson plans for 5-18 year olds. NOTE: Some of the content requires additional KET resources (videos).

Dandenong Ranges Music Council Choral Directors’ Workshop with Rhonda Davidson-Irwin
Date:           Wednesday 27 July 2011.  09.30am Registration – 03.00pm
Venue:  Dandenong Ranges Music Council, Upwey High School
1451 Burwood Hwy, Upwey  3158
Cost:           $35 includes lunch
Bookings:       Karen Noonan Karen@drmc.org.au ph 9754 6566

The Kidzsongs Professional Development Conductor Workshop is open to all musical directors, music teachers and conductors.

You do not have to have a choir to attend. You may be interested in the project or conduct a community choir and feel you need more information, experience or confidence.  The session will involve: Warm up techniques, repertoire choices for your choir, choralography, conducting technique, voice training, choir management, massed item repertoire, hints and tips in teaching repertoire.

Go to resource: Kiravanu is an opera written by James Humberstone and Mary Elizabeth, specifically designed for children and integrated with the curriculum. Read more…

Kita Performing Arts Company is an ensemble based in Melbourne and operates throughout Victoria to present traditional and contemporary Asian music and dance. Read more…

Venue: Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre in Preston.

Now in its 7th year, KMEIA’s Autumn Seminar has established a reputation for providing outstanding professional development for music educators. The seminar is designed to enrich your music program by providing access to excellent practitioners and innovative resources adapted for Australian classrooms. The seminar supplements our Teacher Training Courses, which offer systematic training in pedagogy. The Autumn Seminar is a unique professional development opportunity for music educators with a selection of inspiring and practical sessions geared towards developing your skills and confidence. Key presenters are Daniel Crump & Gail Godfrey (Queensland), Susan Searle, Robert Stewart & Julia Trifonov (Melbourne).

For more details contact the Kodály Victoria office on 9535 7035 or check the website at: www.kodaly.org.au or reply to this email or by using this form tinyurl.com/29thefl

Kodaly Biennial National Conference will be held 2-5 October in Adelaide,
South Australia.

This is a 4-day conference for anyone interested in music education from birth
through to senior secondary, in classrooms and in choral and instrumental settings. 

Keynote presenters include: Helga Dietrich (Hungary), Cyrilla
Rowsell (UK), Richard Gill, Dr Deanna Hoermann and Professor Ann Brewer (all from
Australia).
Much more at www.kodaly2012.com 

Contact: Yvonne Tysoe ytysoe@gmail.com

www.kodaly.org.au/events/includes/attach/198-20110728213015.pdf

theme = TIME: The Importance of Music Education

Adelaide 2-5 October 2012

Tim Sherlock is a renowned choral conductor, composer and teacher in Brisbane. He regularly teaches at the January Kodaly Summer schools. His interest is in composing and arranging for choral ensembles and his works are in great demand by children’s, youth and adult choirs. There will be a choral reading session during the weekend of some of Tim’s music. He will also give a special workshop on composition for Year 11 students preparing for the HSC.

Enquiries can be directed to Inge Southcott via email: ingesinger@bigpond.com

Isle of Tune website

Create a video-game-type composition where trees and houses = musical tones … cars = players

free lesson content (facts PLUS free assignment worksheet) on interpreting clefs and notation http://www.lessontutor.com/eesMusic1.html

Introductory Keyboard Lesson for Middle School

Turn off the keyboards, and explain how to make a chord – play one, miss one, play one, miss one, play one. If a scale is like flowing water, then a chord is a block of ice!

Write up the chord progressions for The Beatles’ song “Let It Be” (which uses only C major, F major, G major and A minor).

Ask students to create chords (sound off!) with one or two hands. The teacher moves around the room, asking students to make the chords of C, F, G and A minor (explaining that the right hand thumb goes on the chord’s name) after which each student (int turn) may turn on the power and practise making chords (out loud this time).

Work through the chords of “Let It Be” as a class of keyboards, with the teacher singing (calling out chords) & playing piano / guitar to accompany.

Ask students to look for patterns in the chord progressions (ie. repeated lines and the fact that every phrases moves to G major in the 2nd chord), then memorise the song chords. Ask for a small group of students to test out their memory and play the whole song as a small ensemble.

To end the lesson, students might have a few free minutes to create their own chord progressions.

ENJOY!

wrightstuffmusic.com/in-the-classroom/making-music-fun/

Wright Stuff Music offers a list of links for fun online music activities (K-12)

Guided questions for listening to music – a great way to settle students at the start of a Middle School Music lesson. Free list of suggested ‘listening questions’ here.

Looking for trial Primary schools (Australia) to test-run a new Primary Music delivery system on Interactive Whiteboards – complete with lesson plans, audio clips, video instructions and music charts. Suits generalist classroom teachers with little or no music knowledge.

Please email me if you’re interested: schools.mpfl@mca.org.au

http://ht.ly/4gile

“The Inspired Classroom” website offers concrete lesson ideas on teaching ESL and LOTE students in the Music classroom.

Go to resource: Make Music by TVO Kids is an online game about combining and editing musical instruments.

Read more…

CLICK HERE to make your own bingo cards (using musical instruments and/or symbols)

or CLICK HERE to print off a set of bingo cards, ready-to-go, using instrument pictures.

Lesson idea: the caller will mix up the actual names of the instruments / symbols with descriptions (eg. 1 beat note, saxophone, largest stringed instrument, triangle …)

Have you signed up yet to be part of Making Music Being Well?

This national initiative, which takes place from 16 – 22 May, is a collaboration between
Music: Play for Life and the Australian Music Therapy Association and it’s all about a grassroots celebration of the links between music making and wellbeing.

When you register to participate – it’s FREE – we’ll send you event posters, stickers and brochures and you’ll get access to lots of downloadable resources including event planning and promotional tips.

How you participate is up to you.  The best way to be involved is to take something you may already have planned for that week and hitch it to the national wagon of Making Music Being Well 2011. You don’t have to do something on every day during the week – one event is enough. Your event will be outlined on the MMBW website and you and your group members or students will be helping to shine the national spotlight on an important fact: music is good for you!

Here are a few ideas based on previous years:

• Open the doors to the community for your rehearsal that falls within the MMBW week and turn it into a free performance.
• Take your choir or group to a nursing home, hospital or school.
• Organise a big sing at your workplace.
• Turn a school assembly into a musical celebration and tell students and parents about the value and benefits of making music.
• Convene a drum circle in your school playground.
• Run an open mic session at your local pub or club.
• Organise a gathering of community music leaders and organisers in your area and discuss how you could pool resources and share skills.

Register to be part of it at www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au

Don’t forget – registration for our biggest school music initiative, Music: Count Us In, opens soon too!

Have you signed up yet to be part of Making Music Being Well?

This national initiative, which takes place from 16 – 22 May, is a collaboration between Music: Play for Life and the Australian Music Therapy Association and it’s all about a grassroots celebration of the links between music making and wellbeing.

When you register to participate – it’s FREE – we’ll send you event posters, stickers and brochures and you’ll get access to lots of downloadable resources including event planning and promotional tips. How you participate is up to you.

The best way to be involved is to take something you may already have planned for that week and hitch it to the national wagon of Making Music Being Well 2011. You don’t have to do something on every day during the week – one event is enough. Your event will be outlined on the MMBW website and you and your group members or students will be helping to shine the national spotlight on an important fact: music is good for you!

Here are a few ideas based on previous years: Open the doors to the community for your rehearsal that falls within the MMBW week and turn it into a free performance. Take your choir or group to a nursing home, hospital or school. Organise a big sing at your workplace. Turn a school assembly into a musical celebration and tell students and parents about the value and benefits of making music. Convene a drum circle in your school playground. Run an open mic session at your local pub or club. Organise a gathering of community music leaders and organisers in your area and discuss how you could pool resources and share skills.

Register to be part of it at www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au

AND … don’t forget – registration for our biggest school music initiative, Music: Count Us In, opens soon too!

This national initiative, which takes place from 16 – 22 May, is a collaboration between
Music: Play for Life and the Australian Music Therapy Association and it’s all about a grassroots celebration of the links between music making and wellbeing.

When you register to participate – it’s FREE – we’ll send you event posters, stickers and brochures and you’ll get access to lots of downloadable resources including event planning and promotional tips.

How you participate is up to you.  The best way to be involved is to take something you may already have planned for that week and hitch it to the national wagon of Making Music Being Well 2011. You don’t have to do something on every day during the week – one event is enough. Your event will be outlined on the MMBW website and you and your group members or students will be helping to shine the national spotlight on an important fact: music is good for you!

Here are a few ideas based on previous years:

• Open the doors to the community for your rehearsal that falls within the MMBW week and turn it into a free performance.
• Take your choir or group to a nursing home, hospital or school.
• Organise a big sing at your workplace.
• Turn a school assembly into a musical celebration and tell students and parents about the value and benefits of making music.
• Convene a drum circle in your school playground.
• Run an open mic session at your local pub or club.
• Organise a gathering of community music leaders and organisers in your area and discuss how you could pool resources and share skills.

Register to be part of it at www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au

Teach the chorus melody of Mamma Mia using letter names, or the numbers:

21 21     112321    2   1     4   444 3   1

Put the melody onto keyboards (using finger numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4) or glockenspiels (C, D, E and F)

Talk about the relationship between numbers and pitch names

Play with a recording of Mamma Mia, transposed down into C major (using digital music editing software such as Audacity, Reaper or GarageBand)

Try to sing and play at the same time!

Marimba Music Making  WITH JON MADIN

Date    Thursday 2 June 2011
Time    9.30am – 3.30pm
Venue    150 Palmerston Street, CARLTON
Cost    $130 members/$190 non-members

An amazing smorgasbord of ideas for hands-on music making using marimbas and many other Jon Madin’s ingeniously created instruments. Suitable for any primary or lower secondary music teaching environment. Would be suitable for primary generalists. You will go away with a wealth of repertoire and activity ideas.

About Jon
Jon Madin is a trained classroom music teacher with a background in a wide variety of music-making. His experience includes playing in folk/rock bands, multi-cultural bands, orchestra and early music consorts. He also leads family music workshops and bush dances.

He has also worked extensively in musical instrument design – marimbas in particular, as well as many other experimental musical instruments.

For further information about Jon Madin, check out the Marimba Music website: www.marimbamusic.com.au

ENQUIRIES
Kevin Kelley
Executive Officer
Association of Music Educators (Vic) Inc
150 Palmerston Street
CARLTON Victoria 3053

Phone 03 9349 1048
Fax 03 9349 1052
kevin.kelley@amuse.vic.edu.au
www.amuse.vic.edu.au

Mark O’Leary and Young Voices of Melbourne publish high quality choral Music suitable for school choirs.

Mark O’Leary will be presenting three choral workshops in Melbourne this year.

Bookings are now open.

Primary Choirs for Beginners

Friday 16th March 2012

10am – 3pm

DC Bricker Social Room, Beech St, Caulfield South

$99.00 per person

Just (Choral) Conducting

Thursday 31st May 2012

Packer Park Hall, Leila Rd, Carnegie

$99.00 per person

How to Run a (Better) Primary School Choir

Friday 1st June 2012

10am – 3pm

DC Bricker social room, Beech St, Caulfield South

$99.00 per person

Further information or a workshop registration form, send an email or visit:

http://www.yvm.com.au/workshops_2012calendar.html

I will be presenting three major workshops for music teachers in Melbourne this year:

Primary Choirs for Beginners
Friday 20th May
10am – 3pm
Kingston Arts Centre

Just (Choral) Conducting
Thursday 2nd June
10am – 3pm
Kingston Arts Centre

How to run a (better) primary school choir
Friday 3rd June
10am – 3pm
Kingston Arts Centre

Cost is $95 per person, and bookings are now open.

More information can be found by visiting www.yvm.com.au/workshops, or by contacting me at mark@yvm.com.au or 95785459

Talk about mash-ups with your middle school music class – where musicians take lots of songs and mix them into a new musical work. Try mashing up the MUSIC. COUNT US IN song for 2011 – the stem files (MP3) for which are freely available here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QspTBmTar5U Elephant Song medley from Moulin Rouge (a mash-up)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e5kJl9-oV0&feature=related The same Elephant Song medley from Moulin Rouge, but this clip inserts the ORIGINAL versions of songs

Sensitive New Age Cow Persons wrote a new Australian Anthem, which mashes 13 iconic Australian songs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BiQxIP0-FQ

Adam Hills has put the words of the real Australian Anthem to ‘Working Class Man’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okHs4308nJc&feature=related

A lesson plan on mash-ups can be found in ‘Instant Lessons in Music – Book 4‘ available from Blake Education.

Rhythm and Music Help Math Students (podcast & article)

Kids who learned fractions through a music-based curriculum outperformed peers in traditional math classes.

Click HERE to see more about the publication …

"Academic music: music instruction to engage third-grade students in learning basic fraction concepts"

FREE teacher workshops (Music: Count Us In) in Victoria:

Monday, August 8 – 4.00 – 5.15pm
Statewide Resources Centre
150 Palmerston Street, Carlton

Tuesday, August 9, 4.00 – 5.15pm
Gladstone Park Secondary College
Taylors Road, Gladstone Park

Thursday, August 11, 4.00 – 5.15pm
Ivanhoe Primary School
Waterdale Road, Ivanhoe
To book: mcui@amuse.vic.edu.au

AND JUST ADDED . . .
Saturday, August 13, 11.00 – 12.30
Australian Catholic University, Ballarat
1200 Mair Street, Ballarat
To book: Sarah.Maidlow@acu.edu.au

This June the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will open the doors of the Melbourne Town Hall to over 10,000 school students, parents and teachers for the Orchestra’s Education Week – a week solely dedicated to  sharing the joy of music-making through the first-hand experience of live orchestral music.

Across five days, the Orchestra will present 13 concerts for audiences of all ages, including a full spectrum of interactive and educational concerts for school students. From Classic Kids with best-selling children’s entertainer and movie star, Jay Laga’aia, right through to Ears Wide Open with eminent Music Educator, Richard Gill, there really is something for everyone.

Following his innovative concert presentations with the MSO in 2011, UK music educator, Paul Rissmann, will return to Melbourne to host Meet the Orchestra and Meet the Music, two stimulating age-specific programs which offer insight into great orchestral repertoire. Paul has devised and led projects for the BBC Proms, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Conducted by the MSO’s Associate Conductor, Benjamin Northey, Meet the Music, for secondary school students, will dissect some of the biggest symphonic scandals in history. It will also feature the 2011 ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year, saxophonist, Nicholas Russoniello, who will be appearing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the very first time.

Meet the Orchestra, for primary school students, will feature works themed around musical ‘Heroes and Rogues’ and include another of Paul’s signature audience participation pieces (for many, a highlight of last year’s program).

Comprehensive teaching resources have been created for Meet the Orchestra and Meet the Music, and are available for download on the MSO website. Additionally, primary school teachers booking into Meet the Orchestra are invited to join Paul Rissmann for a day of Professional Development – specially created to cater for primary school music teachers and generalist teachers with limited musical knowledge – on Friday 1 June 2012. Bookings for this VIT-registered PD can be made by calling 03 9626 1198.

Concert tickets for students are available for as little as $10 ($8 for Classic Kids) and teachers attend all Education Week concerts for free. For more information, please phone the MSO Education Department on 9626 1198 or visit www.mso.com.au and follow the tabs to Education Week.

Melbourne Festival 6-22 October 2011

“For 2011 we will be producing four Education Resource Packs that will be available for free download from our website.  They are packed full with information including teaching notes, classroom activities, assessment suggestions, links and other unique insights.”

http://www.melbournefestival.com.au/news/latest?ed=79&story=10257

2012 Melbourne Festival of Choirs 7 – 9 April (Easter)

Dr Jonathon Welch AM (best known as the Founding Director of the ARIA, Helpmann and Logie winning Choir of Hard Knocks, ABC TV’s Jail Birds and Channel 7’s Battle of the Choirs), is inviting you to participate in the  2012 National Melbourne Festival of Choirs to be held over the Easter weekend.

Following the stunning success of the 2nd National Melbourne Festival of Choirs in 2011, with over 400 participants, here is your opportunity to collaborate with some of Australia’s best music directors and sing in an amazing selection of Melbourne’s spectacular venues, including the magnificent  National Gallery of Victoria, BMW Edge Theatre and Federation Square.

Over the festival weekend, you will enjoy workshops, masterclasses and participating in the Massed Festival Choirs working with some of Australia’s finest choral conductors.

We are excited to announce another diverse and exciting program for 2012 featuring some of Australia’s most dynamic and outstanding choral directors, singers and musicians that will lead workshops and conduct the Festival Men’s and Women’s choruses including Kate Sadler, who took Vox Synergy to the finals of Battle of the Choirs on Channel 7, Peter Mousaferiadis will conduct the Festival World Music Chorus and Chris Blain, dynamic director and leader of the outstanding boy-band a cappella group SUADE, our Choir in Residence for 2012!

All genres of choirs are welcome to participate in the festival (gospel, contemporary, a cappella, classical, youth, world music, barbershop, etc. ).

If your choir is not participating or you are currently not singing with a choir, you are also invited to register as an individual participant and join in this wonderful weekend of singing and fun!!

Register your interest NOW via email: choirfest@hotmail.com

Website: www.festivalofchoirs.com.au

Go to resource: The Melbourne International Arts Festival is held in October each year. Read more…

Go to resource: The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is a professional orchestra and offers education programs to schools. Read more…

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra offers a spectrum of concerts for school students, designed to inspire active participation in music. All the information is now available on the MSO’s website, along with downloadable booking forms and the 2012 concert diary; schools will also receive a MSO Education and Community Outreach brochure at the start of Term 1, 2012. If you have further questions please contact 03 9626 1198, or email education@mso.com.au

Go to resource: Melbourne Youth Music (MYM) offers programs and performances to children and young people. Read more…

Go to resource: Melody Bingo, written by Cheryl Lavender and published by Jenson Publications, combines aural skills with the game of bingo. Read more…

http://soundhouse.org.au/packagepop/subscribe.pdf

SoundHouse is an Australian resource-writer, student workshop and Professional Development provider, specialising in multi-media.

The above link will give you more information about on-line resources to help teach classroom guitar, percussion/drum, keyboard and practical theory ($199 per year) or email    info@soundhouse.org.au

THIS 15 minutes video is Missy Higgins (Australian singer song-writer) playing and talking about 3 songs.

Apple computer users love GarageBand software for making music.

Non-Apple users might like “Mixcraft” for recording, editing and looping music.

www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/

Go to resource: MMADD about the Arts: an introduction to primary arts education, by Deirdre Russell-Bowie, is published by Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest NSW, 2nd edition 2009. Read more…

Monbulk Primary (Vic) has recently opened its new BER Arts Centre – in the shape of a guitar!

http://www.monbulkps.vic.edu.au/new-ber-arts-centre.htm

www.moorambilla.com/

Check out the great work being done with young voices in small towns around Western NSW!

More free lessons are available on musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com

Try out the Boomwhackers playalong movie (played on glockenspeiel or boomwhackers) & Ukulele playalong movie

Some Queensland schools have recently unblocked the JellyBeans style online-percussion and singing videos, which are great fun! LINK IS HERE Most states have been enjoying this site for a few months now

Bring on September 1st @11.30am

A FREE online tool to help teachers/parents get MORE music in Australian schools.

http://moremusictoolkit.org.au/

Just launched – check it out!

Includes case studies from award-winning Australian schools, as well as practical advice on overcoming potential hurdles.

Go to resource: More Than Opera (Victoria) is a Melbourne-based ensemble that aims to provide accessibility to opera.

Read more…

6^th Annual Mornington Peninsula Choral Festival – “Harmonies Unite”

This unique event is a celebration of choral singing on the Mornington Peninsula.

There are five events taking place in the beautiful surrounds of Toorak College and The Peninsula School, Mt Eliza.

Festival Day – featuring Community, Church and School Choirs.

Saturday 2 June, 2.00-5.00 pm in the Toorak College Music Centre and other venues.

Adults – $12; concession – $6; children – free.

Refreshments will be available.

“Let’s Sing” Concerts for School Choirs

Monday 28 May, Tuesday 29 May, Wednesday 30 May  and Thursday 31 May- 7.00 – 9.00 pm in The Ansett Hall, The Peninsula School.

Adults and concession- $6; children free

For more information phone – Sue Gilbert at the Peninsula School – 9788 7839 or email – sgilbert@tps.vic.edu.au

Watch this YOUTUBE CLIP of the MozART Group from Poland. It is an entertaining collage of Classical String Quartets re-interpreted

Now choose a Classical piece of music (Google search for the Classical Top 100) or nursery rhyme and change it drastically … into pop, funk, country, metal, etc. You may wish to write lyrics to go with the Classical melody.       OR

Choose a piece of pop music and arrange it for a classical ensemble. Start by putting the vocal line into an instrument, then find chords to go underneath.

HINT: Google search for the song name + free + midi. You may well be able to save a midi file from the internet, which will open in Finale / Audacity / Sibelius, etc.

The Music Technology in Education Conference (mtec2011) will take place on 11-13 April 2011 at MLC School in Burwood, (Sydney) NSW.

Go to the website at www.mtec2011.com for regularly updated information on sessions and presenters, travel and accommodation, times, and other details to help you plan your attendance.

Go to resource: Music Teacher Resource Site (UK) MTRS is a free website designed for UK Music teachers – lots of free lesson plans and online resources

free resource site – Music Australia website presents free information, old-style sheet music, and recordings on archived Australian topics such as “Beach and Bush” & “Waltzing Matilda”.

http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/remository?func=select&id=45

The 2011 (free) Teaching Kit for “We’ve Got the Music” just went online. It features free lesson ideas and teaching resources for Primary and Middle School classes, as well as brilliant ideas for inclusion and special needs. It is designed for generalist classroom teachers and music teachers alike.

All feedback welcome. Bring on 1st September 2011!!

If you haven’t signed up, please do, then you’ll be able to view the Teaching Kit.

Watch this space – the teaching kit for Music Count Us In 2011 is coming soon. It’s full of free ideas to enhance music education delivery in your school, including cross-curricular lesson ideas. Many free ensemble charts are already on the website www.musiccountusin.org.au . Don’t be scared of signing up – it’s really easy!

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46397.asp

an article illustrating the great work done by music therapists with school-age students

Go to resource: Music Education at About.com (USA) is a listing of lesson plans submitted by teachers and endorsed by academics. Read more…

Go to resource: Music Education in Primary Schools, written by Graeme Askew, published by Education Australia (1993), this resource is for students and teachers, and incorporates Kodaly and Orff methods. Read more…

Go to resource: Music Express: lesson plans, recordings, activities, photocopiables and videoclips, is compiled by Patricia Scott, Sheena Roberts, Maureen Hanke, Sue Nicholls, Alison Dexter, Helen MacGregor, and Emily Haward, and published by Blake Education, NSW, 2005. Read more…

Go to resource: Music in Action is a magazine published by the Australian Music Association. Read more…

Go to resource: Music in childhood: from preschool through the elementary grades, written by Patricia Shehan Campbell and Carol Scott-Kassner. Read more…

Go to resource: Music in Education is a website established by Dr Bob Smith, a retired teacher and author of Creative Musical Experiences. Read more…

Go to resource: Music in Primary Schools, by Alan True and Wendy Fullerton, is published by Journey, WA, 2008. Read more…

HERE is an array of warm-ups which suit middle school aged students – great for ice-breaking the start of a music lesson.

Go to resource: Music Lifesavers by Nita Temmerman and Graeme Askew, was published by Ashton Scholastic, 1990. Read more…

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/21/drumskool-the-music-lesso_n_1369161.html?ref=tw

Read this article about how Drumskool in the UK (ages 5-18) is even reducing crime.

A cute 4 minute video to share with any year level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAY1UoQYMHk

After watching the movie, ask your class to create some more musical artwork.

Go to resource: Music Rocks!, published by Noteable, is a book of classroom music lessons for primary students. Read more…

Go to resource: Music Room, by Rob Fairbairn, Mark Leehy, and Kevin O’Mara, and published by Bushfire Press, consists of six levels for primary students. Read more…

Go to resource: Music Skills for Classroom Teachers, by Robert Winslow, Shelley Wiest and Leon Dallin, is published by McGraw Hill, Boston, 2001. Read more…