Do you use Boomwhacker play-alongs with vertical or horizontal notation? For me, the answer is both! 🎶 Vertical notation helps students experience success quickly, while horizontal notation develops traditional music-reading skills and encourages students to look ahead. Discover the benefits of both—and how the new MusicFirst Elementary instrument apps let you choose the format that best supports your students. 🎵 Read the full blog post here!
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Some musical ideas seem made for the elementary music classroom. They are short, memorable, easy to sing, and immediately capture students’ attention. The famous riff from “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes checks every one of those boxes—and many students will already recognize it from sporting events.
After watching Gustavo Dudamel conduct musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra during the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, I knew this performance could inspire a fun musical experience for elementary students. The orchestral performance also featured Iranian violinist Bijan Mortazavi and The Muppets’ Electric Mayhem!
I created a solfa and rhythm play-along that focuses on the recognizable riff from the song. Instead of focusing on the lyrics, students can explore the melody, rhythm, timbre, and fascinating journey that transformed this rock song into a worldwide stadium chant.
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If you missed "From Day One to Music Making: 4 Ready-to-Teach First-Week Activities with MusicFirst Elementary", check it out here!
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I'd love for you to join me this evening for a FREE MusicFirst Elementary webinar where I'll be sharing practical, ready-to-use ideas to help you start your school year with confidence!
We'll explore activities that get students:
🎵 Moving
🥁 Playing
🎨 Creating
🎼 Composing
...all while building classroom routines from Day One.
🎉 Plus, everyone who attends LIVE will be entered into a drawing to win a 6-month MusicFirst Elementary subscription!
If you haven't registered yet, there's still time!
🔗Register here!
https://www.musicfirst.com/day-one-music-making-webinar
I can't wait to share these ideas with you and kick off another exciting school year together! 🍎🎶
(PD Certificate Available!)
As we prepare for a new school year, here's a simple idea that might become one of your favorite traditions.
💙 Write a letter to yourself to read on the last day of school.
Instead of focusing on everything you hope to accomplish, write about the teacher you hope to become.
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🎵 Canva Quick Tip: Bulk Create App
Time Saved: ★★★★★
Difficulty: ⭐☆☆☆☆ (Beginner)
Perfect For: Name tags, folders, instrument stations, classroom jobs, assessment cards
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Can you believe we're just one week away?
If you're like me, your summer has flown by, and you're probably beginning to think about those all-important first days of music class. Those first lessons set the tone for the entire year, and sometimes all we need is a few fresh ideas to make them engaging, musical, and stress-free.
That's exactly what we'll be sharing during our upcoming FREE MusicFirst Elementary webinar, From Day One to Music Making: 4 Ready-to-Teach First-Week Activities with MusicFirst Elementary.
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If your students love soccer (or Football / Fútbol / Futebol / Fußball:, depending on where you live!), this play-along is a fun way to combine music-making, rhythm reading, melodic performance, and ensemble skills into one engaging activity. Inspired by the music of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Halftime Show, this resource gives your students the opportunity to perform together using Boomwhackers, classroom drums, and even ukuleles.
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🎶 Elementary Music Teachers! 🎶
Looking for fresh ideas to kick off the school year?
Join me and Melanie Alexander for a FREE MusicFirst Elementary webinar where we'll share 4 ready-to-teach first-week activities that get students moving, playing, creating, and composing from Day One!
✨ You'll leave with:
🎵 A movement activity
🥁 An instrument activity
🎼 A creativity activity
✍️ A composition activity
🎒 A free survival kit
🎉 Bonus! Attend LIVE and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a 6-month MusicFirst Elementary subscription!
Start your school year with engaging lessons that your students will love—and save yourself valuable planning time.
👉 Register now!
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Have you ever had a student ask, "What are we doing today?" or a parent wonder, "What do students actually learn in music class?"
I know I have!
One of the easiest ways I've found to answer those questions is by displaying learning goals right in my classroom. When students walk through the door, they immediately see what they'll be learning throughout the year. It also gives administrators, classroom teachers, and visitors a quick snapshot of the skills and concepts we focus on in elementary music.
That's exactly why I created these What We Learn... classroom printout sets.
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If you're heading back to school soon, I hope you enjoyed last week's series featuring five Hello Songs for Preschool and Kindergarten. My goal was to give you several options for beginning your music class routine—whether you're welcoming students on the first day of school or re-establishing routines after a holiday break.
This week, I'm building on the "Supa Good" from Dog Man rhythm play-along by adding something new—a body percussion play-along!
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Stephanie Leavell's "Say Hello" is a wonderful combination of singing, greeting, and movement. My students light up every time we use this song! It's an engaging way to welcome everyone to music class while getting children moving and singing from the very beginning.
I especially love using this song because it:
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This traditional hello song is one I used for years to get my youngest students moving while we sang. It's a wonderful way to combine singing, listening, and gross motor movement at the very beginning of class.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a current recording of this song online, but if you have access to Music and You, you may still have it in your collection. Even without the original recording, it's easy to sing with your students.
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This classic call-and-response hello song has been welcoming young musicians for generations. If you've used Music and You or Spotlight on Music, there's a good chance you've sung this one before!
The simple melody and echoing phrases make it easy for Preschool and Kindergarten students to learn, while giving them plenty of opportunities to sing with confidence.
I especially like using this song:
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This is one of my all-time favorite hello songs because every child gets a chance to be included by name. It's a simple way to help students feel seen and welcomed from the very beginning of music class.
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What an incredible week at the Elementary Music Summit! It was such a joy to present, learn from other amazing music educators, and connect with teachers from around the world. Whether you're a first-year teacher, starting at a new school, teaching a new grade level, or you're a veteran educator, there was truly something for everyone.
One of my sessions, "10 Canva Tips Every Teacher Should Know," was so much fun to share! If you weren't able to attend, didn't have the All-Access Pass, or missed downloading the slides before they expired, I've created a free Canva Session Takeaway handout for you. You can download it here:
👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/e/555189
One of my favorite parts of the summit was chatting with so many of you during the live sessions and reading the comments you left on my Buy Me a Coffee channel. Several of you asked for more ideas specifically for Preschool and Kindergarten, especially for the beginning of the school year.
I'm listening!
Over the next five posts, I'll be sharing five of my favorite Hello Songs that are perfect for the first week of school. Each song is simple, engaging, and helps young learners build classroom routines while making music from the moment they walk through the door.
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In the States, the buzz around the solar eclipse has hit the school scene big time! At my school, the eclipse is set to show up just as classes end. So, all students are getting their hands on some super stylish eclipse glasses. Teachers from all sorts of subjects are weaving eclipse excitement into their lessons this week. As for music class, the grapevine has been buzzing with stellar ideas from music education forums. I'm jumping into the mix with a Solar Eclipse Rhythm Play-Along to the classic tune, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," by the legendary duo Jim Steinman and Bonnie Tyler. If you're up for a musical adventure in your classroom and are allowed to play this song, here's a rhythm-packed play-along to jam out to during the eclipse! Like my resources? Please consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech
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Thank you for joining me for my Elementary Music Summit session, Ready to Level Up Your Music Classroom? 10 Powerful Canva Tips Every Teacher Should Know! I know we covered a lot of ideas in a short amount of time, so I've created this Canva Session Takeaway to help you revisit the highlights whenever you're ready. Inside, you'll find ten practical Canva ideas, quick tips, and classroom applications to help you save time and create engaging learning experiences for your elementary music students.
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Want Your Canva Video to Start at the Perfect Spot? Try This Simple Trick!
During my Elementary Music Summit session, I shared a lot of Canva tips and tricks (thank you to everyone who joined me!). One question kept popping up in the chat, so I wanted to share a quick bonus tip that can make a big difference when you're creating presentations or lessons in Canva.
The Problem
If you've ever embedded a YouTube video into Canva, you've probably noticed something frustrating.
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