-
Finding the Groove – Building Better Communities
Miranda Altman | July 10, 2021As the most challenging school year in history is now behind us, educators are looking ahead as we emerge from pandemic restrictions and wonder what the classroom landscape ahead will look like. At this year’s upcoming Modern Band Summit conference, music teachers from across the country will convene virtually to share lessons learned and collaborate […] Read More...
-
A Reflection on the AAPI Identity
Joe Panganiban | May 4, 2021May is officially Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, celebrating the diverse cultures and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans. SBO welcomes music educator Joe Panganiban’s perspective on how to be more inclusive and culturally responsive educators. Read More...
-
The New Normal: An Equitable Approach to Rebuilding School Music Programs
Wanda Vasquez-Garcia | April 6, 2021Music specialist Wanda Vasquez-Garcia, MM, addresses the inequalities and inequities facing students of color, and socio-economic disadvantages revealed in greater detail by the need for remote teaching this past year. Read More...
-
Inspired Together: How My Students and I Built a Record Label to Showcase Their Work
Dan Black | March 6, 2021In SBO's March issue, Dan Black details how he turned a no-in-person performance year into a winning learning scenario that involved recording performances and learning to mix and deliver them and more. Read More...
-
Incorporating Hip-Hop Into the Remote Classroom
Will Mosley | February 5, 2021Using students’ culture as a springboard, teachers can easily find inroads to foster non-musical skills. These hip-hop-themed lesson ideas, presented by NYC teacher (and Brooklyn native) Will Mosley, can be used with students in grades 3 through 5. Read More...
-
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/sboplus/public_html/site/wp-content/themes/timeless2021/functions.php on line 437
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/sboplus/public_html/site/wp-content/themes/timeless2021/functions.php on line 438
Distance Learning Best Practices to Support Your Online Songwriters
Mike Lawson | January 8, 2021Before schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching songwriting in the classroom provided our students with instant feedback and support. When the necessary tools were present in the same room—instruments, recording gear, and, most importantly, teachers and students—teaching songwriting felt organic and natural.
Read More...
-
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/sboplus/public_html/site/wp-content/themes/timeless2021/functions.php on line 437
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/sboplus/public_html/site/wp-content/themes/timeless2021/functions.php on line 438
Encouraging Observations During the Pandemic
Mike Lawson | December 3, 2020It is hard to believe that we are entering the holiday season and are still engulfed in this pandemic. Currently, much of our country is going back into quarantine, with many teachers shifting yet again from in-person to blended to virtual instruction for the umpteenth time. However, there seems to finally be an end in sight with strong news on the vaccine front, and it seems like a good time to reflect on the lessons we have learned thus far.
Read More...
-
Pre-Service Music Teacher Education in a Virtual Environment
Mike Lawson | October 28, 2020I teach music education and music technology courses at Montclair State University in northern New Jersey. This semester, like at many other colleges and university courses, all of my classes are online.
Read More...
-
Teaching Composition Using Google’s Song Maker
Mike Lawson | October 1, 2020Necessity is the mother of invention. Teaching music in a virtual environment can present challenges to the most seasoned educators. Teachers across the country are finding themselves in widely varying classroom situations, sometimes without instruments. As challenging as this new environment may be, it also presents opportunities to explore new and creative ways of making music.
Read More...
-
Starting the (Virtual) School Year With Equity and Trust
Mike Lawson | September 2, 2020This school year is starting considerably different than most. When we started our virtual school year in New Orleans this August, I kept hearing the same questions being asked by educators: How do we get to know our students virtually? More importantly, how do we build trust with our students and ensure our classroom is equitable in a virtual format?
Read More...
-
Artist Keynote Highlights from the Virtual Modern Band Summit
Mike Lawson | July 31, 2020This past July, Little Kids Rock hosted its first ever Virtual Modern Band Summit, an online conference featuring over 30 breakout sessions, 20 small group discussions, and other great opportunities for professional learning. Chief among these were the four artist keynotes, given by influential popular musicians from the past four decades.
Read More...
-
Virtual Modern Band Summit: A Music Education Conference for the Moment
Mike Lawson | July 15, 2020For the past seven years, Little Kids Rock’s Modern Band Summit conference has been a music educator’s one-stop shop for professional learning—a joyful, celebratory affirmation of the core ethos of teaching, and a hotspot for classroom innovation through modern band. So what happens to a conference built on community and togetherness at a time when physical proximity isn’t possible?
Read More...