The Musings and Mumblings of a String Teacher
At the beginning of this school year, I instituted something called “Music Monday.” Every Monday, I would play a recording of a piece of music for my students. They, in turn, would respond to the selection by writing a description the piece using musical terms. We would also briefly discuss the piece, including whether or [...]
Today after school, the high school orchestra director brought about a dozen of his students to my middle school and worked with my students. It was a great experience! The H.S. director is a very experienced and effective teacher (as evidenced by both the size and quality of his groups) . His students did a [...]
Or as we say in Florida, it’s time for MPA (i.e., Music Performance Assessment). Part of our preparation is to perform our pieces at a pre-MPA concert. The high school director that my middle school feeds hosts this event. A couple of judges (usually other district string teachers who are certified adjudicators) listen and make [...]