Weekend Musical Accomplishments

It has been a great musical weekend!

It began with learning some new tricks on incorporating some of the teaching materials, such as Rhythm Call Charts and Note Naming Activities, into flip charts for my Promethean Board.  I am beyond excited about this new technology discovery.  I have spent the first four weeks of summer wondering how I would do this piece of the puzzle, really hoping that I wouldn't have to completely reinvent the wheel since I have already developed some leveled rhythm activities for beginning readers. This is when you love technology, when you learn how to properly use it, save time and be productive.  I can't wait to continue with more of this type of work this week.  It brings a peaceful and comfortable feeling to know that I am using my time wisely and efficiently to prepare for a new school year that will be starting soon.

Today I had the opportunity to perform, participate and direct in a concert at church.  We are blessed to have a vital, active music ministry program.  Some selections were Patriotic while others were summertime favorites.  We enjoyed vocal, instrumental and piano solos along with keyboard ensembles, handbell and senior choir performances.  Prior to the concert I was somewhat worried about audience attendance; how many people could we pull in on a holiday, summer weekend?  The support and interest was amazing! The pews were full of community and congregation friends and family there to enjoy and support our efforts. This is our second such concert.  Our first concert took place in October as we dedicated our new grand piano. 

All this leads me to think about my students and how they are exposed to music.  Their exposure and knowledge of music is completely different than what I experienced when I was growing up, mostly due to advances in technology.  I plan on uploading some of the performances to You Tube to share with the world. I will be able to show the video of the saxophone quartet this fall, allowing my students to hear and see a soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, which will have a significantly stronger impact on them as compared to my just telling them we have different sizes of saxophones.  Yes, technology can definitely enrich learning experiences, I am learning how to utilize and plan for such experiences, and that is as exciting as today's concert!