How To Teach Music with Jessica Grant
314 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 21 ratingsWhether you use the Orff or Kodály approach, teach elementary music or middle school general music, this is your practical guide for how to teach music with Jessica Grant.
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Episodes
Down: Arrangements Inspired by Pop Music for the Classroom
February 27, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 14.4 MBLearn a fun xylophone arrangement to use with your students that focuses on a verse/chorus form and movement activity with the song Down performed by Marian Hill. Get the free Google Slides presentation at https://www.jessicagrant.org/shop/p/down-by-marian-hill-xylophone-arrangement and click on the shop. Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Look What You Made Me Do: Arrangements Inspired by Pop Music for the Classroom
February 20, 2024 10:00 - 13 minutes - 18.4 MBThe first single from Taylor Swift's Reputation album is a fantastic way to teach musical form and provide opportunities for students to compose original melodies. Particularly with aaab form! Listen in to hear how I have used this piece with my students to learn melodies on the xylophones and get your free resource at my shop at www.jessicagrant.org. Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
Paint It Black: Arrangements Inspired by Pop Music for the Classroom
February 13, 2024 10:00 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBThe first arrangement of our series: Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones! I share the inspiration behind this arrangement, steps for teaching the piece to students, ideas for form, and how to expand on the original theme with rhythmic variations. The arrangement is written for xylophones. Get the free arrangement HERE at www.jessicagrant.org. Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica.
Five Tips for Finding and Creating Pop Song Arrangements to Use in Your Classroom
February 06, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 16.1 MBUsing pop music in your music classroom can be so much fun! Students love learning something they know or have heard before, playing music that they listen to at home, and performing songs for an audience who also knows the music. For the next several episodes I’ll be sharing pop song arrangements that I’ve created and used with my students for xylophone ensembles, but before we get to the actual arrangements I thought I’d share some tips for how you can find and create pop song arrangements...
Feeling the Sunday Scaries...Again
January 30, 2024 10:00 - 9 minutes - 13 MBNow that we're a few weeks into the new year, you might be feeling the Sunday Scaries…again. Here is how I’ve worked through - and continue to work through - my Sunday Scaries. Lazy Genius Article Headspace Article Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Five Classroom Procedures to Review in the New Year
January 02, 2024 16:37 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBJanuary is a great time for a reset of classroom procedures. Here are five procedures to review that will help re-establish expectations and set a positive start for 2024 in your classroom. Pay close attention to number five - it's likely the most important one that will make a difference. Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica or head to my website at www.jessicagrant.org to access teacher materials and join my mailing list!
Reviewing 2023 and Setting 2024
January 01, 2024 10:00 - 23 minutes - 32 MBIt's the fifth annual goal review and goal setting episode! And the first episode of season 16. Listen in to hear how my goals went for 2023, gain ideas for how to get your goals, and listen in for what's in the works for 2024. Head to my website at www.jessicagrant.org for more teacher content or follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica. Happy New Year!
2023 Holiday Gift Guide
December 12, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 18.5 MBLooking for gifts for music teacher friends, colleagues, family, or even yourself? Listen in for some gift giving ideas this holiday season! Music Teacher Ideas: F-Flat Books Gift Card Musically Minted Chad Lawson Piano Sheet Music Jessica Grant Shop - use code DECEMBER25 for 25% through December 26 Other Gift Ideas: Michael Storrings Puzzles Magnolia Table Cookbooks JCrew Factory Crewneck Sweater Kendra Scott Earrings The James Method Verse Mapping Journal ...
Centers in the Music Room with Becca Davis
November 21, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 31.2 MBIf you’re wanting to incorporate centers into your music room, Becca Davis is the perfect person to talk to! She’s here to share how she prepares students for centers, the four expectations she has for students during centers, some great ideas for setting up centers, and she shares a few favorite center ideas you can use! Be sure to check out her centers freebie in the show notes! Let’s talk centers with Becca! Meet Becca: Becca Davis is an elementary music teacher in Savannah, GA. She ...
SEL in the Music Classroom with Alessandra Santaguida
November 14, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBSocial-Emotional Learning, or SEL, is a topic that has been discussed in educator circles more frequently in the past several years. So what exactly is it? How can we teach SEL skills through music learning and musical listening? And what are some lesson ideas that we can incorporate into our classrooms that infuse SEL? Alessandra from Teach from the Stage is here to talk about all of those things with us! Be sure to check out her website at teachfromthestage.com and follow her on Insta...
Peer Leadership in the Music Classroom
November 07, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 30.8 MBWhen I first started teaching middle school general music, I had no idea about how to incorporate peer leadership into my music classroom. I was comfortable with group work, centers, and whole group teaching, but didn’t know quite how to teach students how to teach each other. A huge thanks to music educator Chris Judah-Lauder for her guidance, patience, and wisdom in helping me learn the importance of student leadership and teaching me how to use peer teaching in the classroom. I can’t d...
Dark Nights and Mysterious Tunes: Songs that Embrace the Spirit of Halloween
October 31, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 31.2 MBThe songs I’ll be sharing today are perfect to use with your upper elementary classes or choir, especially if you’re working on helping students learn how to sing in 2-parts. The pieces be great for a fall concert, to sing in class around Halloween or to use within a specific program related to a theme such as animals (The Bat) or literature (Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare). I’d love to know if you’ve used any of these pieces with your students or if there’s one that stands out th...
Sour Notes to Sweet Success: Strategies for What To Do When A Class Doesn't Go The Way You Planned
October 24, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MBWe’ve all been there. You plan the lesson. You prep the materials. On paper everything looks great. Class arrives and you’re ready to go, but it doesn’t go the way you planned. The question isn’t what to do if classes like this happen, but what to do when they do happen! Because at some point they will. I’m going to share a few ideas for what to do before class starts, what to do when you’re in the moment and what to do after a class doesn't go the way you planned. Follow me on ...
Nurturing Musical Growth: Identifying and Supporting Struggling Musicians
October 17, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 24.2 MBLast week in episode 276, I talked about how we can identify and support students who demonstrate exceptional musicianship and need a push beyond the standard Today we’re looking at how to identify and support students who are struggling in areas of musical concepts or performance of musical skills. I’ll talk through some common areas of struggle that I’ve seen in my students over the years. Then discuss ideas for how we can help them gain confidence and improve their musical skills to bui...
Nurturing Musical Growth: Identifying and Supporting Excellent Musicians
October 10, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MBHow do you support students who are excelling in your music classroom? How can you provide opportunities for leadership, skill development, and musical opportunities outside the classroom? You'll hear five ideas for nurturing the musical growth of students who love music and excel as musicians. Follow Jessica on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
The Midlife Perspective: How Age and Experience Enhance Teaching Part II
October 03, 2023 09:00 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBOne of the things I’m continuing to learn is that I’m getting older - I’m in my mid 40’s. 45 to be exact. And that means I’m in midlife. Who knew?! I’ve been spending time learning about midlife and how little there really is that is shared with us through resources or conversations. If you’re a female teacher in midlife, this is the episode for you! If you’re not, join in the fun of listening and learning anyway! You’re going to LOVE the insights and thoughts from my three guests: J...
The Midlife Perspective: How Age and Experience Enhance Teaching Part I
September 26, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 44.7 MBOne of the things I’m continuing to learn is that I’m getting older - I’m in my mid 40’s. 45 to be exact. And that means I’m in midlife. Who knew?! I’ve been spending time learning about midlife and how little there really is that is shared with us through resources or conversations. If you’re a female teacher in midlife, this is the episode for you! If you’re not, join in the fun of listening and learning anyway! You’re going to LOVE the insights and thoughts from my three guests: J...
Celebrate Fall with Vivaldi’s Autumn: 1st Movement
September 19, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBThe first day of fall is in just a few days on September 23 and what a more perfect lesson activity to use in your classroom than Vivaldi’s Autumn from The Four Seasons. In today’s episode, you’ll hear about five ways that you can use the first movement of Vivaldi’s Autumn for a variety of student lessons. Head to my website www.jessicagrant.org to find lesson materials in my shop from today's podcast! Follow Jessica on Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Video Links Meet Viv...
Iconic Composers with Emi Ferguson
September 12, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.4 MBAs educators, we love sharing musicians, artists, and composers with our students. Listening to their music inspires us to create, move, and engage in music making and composing ourselves. Today I’m talking with Emi Ferguson about the book Iconic Composers that she wrote with Nicolas Csicsko. The illustrations by David Lee Csicsko are incredible! Emi and I discuss the project, how this book can be used inside and outside of the classroom, and thoughts on being creative and composing as w...
Transitioning, Building, Thriving: Note to Self with Adrian Gordon
September 05, 2023 21:00 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MBWhether you find yourself in a new situation or at the same school in a new school year, my conversation with Adrian Gordon will give you some great ideas for how to transition, build, and thrive. Adrian shares thoughts from his book “Note to Self: A Music Director's Guide to Transitioning to a New School and Building a Thriving Music Program.” Follow Adrian on Instagram: @apgordonmusic Purchase Adrian's Book 'Note to Self' HERE Adrian's YouTube Channel Adrian's Website Adrian G...
F-Flat Learn Platform with Jessica Peresta
August 29, 2023 09:00 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MBI often see people post questions in Facebook groups and music teacher chats that ask: Where can I go for professional development? What are sessions I can do on my own time virtually? How can I access quality content that can be applied to my classroom? So glad you asked! Jessica Peresta is here to talk about an amazing professional development platform called LEARN! You'll hear how Jessica collaborated with Dr. Sarah Gulish, co-founder of F-Flat Books, to create LEARN, a profe...
Preparing for Success: Clint Hardy's Back-to-School Strategies
August 22, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MBClint Hardy, Middle School Choral Director in Keller, TX, is here to share several great ideas for teaching expectations and sharing information, activities to help you learn about your students, helping students get to know each other, and teaching us a fun music game involving rhythms. These are fabulous ideas to use at the start of the year or integrate at other times as well. Instagram - @choirwithclint Twitter - @tsms.choirs Podcast - The Choir Chronicles Facebook Group: The ...
What I Wish I'd Known My First Year of Teaching
August 15, 2023 12:00 - 24 minutes - 33.7 MBAs we head into the school year, I thought I’d share some of the things I wish I’d known when I was starting my first year as a music teacher. These are ideas that many of us may need, even if it’s not our first year. Want some help getting started in your first year? Pick up a copy of 'The Afternoon Ti Guide to Teaching Music.' Tons of practical ideas and strategies to help you as you start your first year or any year after! Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusi...
Illustrated Children's Book Release: William's Song
August 08, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 19.8 MBIt's Book Release Week! I can't wait to share a project that's been years in the making. My illustrated children's book called William's Song is being released on August 11, 2023 with F-Flat Books. Follow Anna Betts, the illustrator, on Instagram at @anna_betts_art. Her work is gorgeous! In today's episode you'll hear the story behind the book, listen to the poem, and hear ideas for how you can use the book in your classroom. You can find the book and teacher guide on Amazon and F-Flat Bo...
All Things Planners with Danny McKay
August 01, 2023 09:00 - 46 minutes - 64.3 MBIt's Back-to-School and I'm helping you get ideas for teacher planners, life planners, digital resources, and planner accessories with guest Danny McKay! Danny McKay is an elementary music teacher who has found joy and organizational tools that help him plan. He's here today to talk about why and how planners can impact our lives, why the process matters as much - if not more - than the planner we purchase, and why using multiple planners not only helps with organization, but also meet the...
Let's Talk ChatGPT
July 25, 2023 09:00 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBThere's been a lot of discussion, articles, and information coming out about an AI chatbot called ChatGPT. What is it? How does it work? How can we use it? I'm sharing what I've learned about it and how I've used prompts to brainstorm ideas and gather information. Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
Implementing What You've Learned in Levels Courses
July 18, 2023 09:00 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBIf you’ve had the opportunity to take a Summer Levels Course, you are truly fortunate to have learned from some of the most amazing educators. You come away with a wealth of ideas and experiences. You want to capture everything you’ve learned, take it to your students in the fall and immediately implement all of the incredible pieces, strategies, lessons, and joy into your classroom. You’re likely changed as an educator. Your thinking was challenged. Your musicianship was pushed and gre...
Halfway Point Goals Review for 2023
July 11, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBWant to set goals and go after them? Check out the Get Your Goals Course on my website at www.jessicagrant.org. For $15, you get video tutorials and access to both Google Sheets templates and printable workbooks. You’ll learn how to brainstorm, select goals, make action plans, and go after the things that matter most to you! Go Get Your Goals! In today's episode I'm sharing some goals I've been working on this year, some goals I've let go, and some goals I have yet to begin, but am hop...
The Summer Blueprint: Grade Level Planning (Part III)
July 04, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 29.6 MBThis is the third and final podcast episode in the Summer Blueprint series about lesson planning. While you could do these ideas any time of the year, summer is a great time to put together curriculum ideas shared in episode 260, long range plans shared in episode 261, and short range plans in today’s episode. I'll share five ideas for how you can focus on short term lesson plans by: Beginning with long range plans Make a list of song material from this past year by grade level and find...
The Summer Blueprint: Long Range Lesson Planning (Part II)
June 27, 2023 09:00 - 12 minutes - 17.5 MBLast week I shared ideas for working on parts of your curriculum in the summer. Today I’ll be sharing how you can focus your attention on a specific grade level of your choosing and plan a blueprint for long range lesson plans. I’ll provide five ideas for both year-long plans and monthly plans including: 1. Identifying the concepts and skills you want to teach 2. Creating a sequence for teaching those concepts and skills 2. Planning engaging activities 4. Assessing along the way ...
The Summer Blueprint: Map Out Your Curriculum (Part I)
June 20, 2023 09:00 - 12 minutes - 17.6 MBIt's summer and you're soaking up the sun while thinking about putting together an outline for mapping out your curriculum for the coming year. Here are seven ideas for getting started: Scheduling work and play Lists of concepts by grade Lists of song material by concept Create manipulatives Select choir materials Select a musical Purchase something created by another music teacher Head to F-Flat Books to get my newest book release co-written with Danielle Larrick called Two T...
Exclusive Sneak Peek: Chapter 4 from Our New Book Release
June 13, 2023 09:00 - 11 minutes - 15.5 MBDanielle Larrick and I just released our book “Two Teacher Perspectives on Health and Wellness” with F-Flat Books. You can head over to F-Flat Books to purchase your copy! Share it with a friend. Use it for a book study with teacher friends and colleagues. It’s the perfect summer book to focus on your needs as an educator. We're giving you an exclusive sneak peek into the book! You'll hear us read Chapter 4: I need more balance. F-Flat Books: https://fflat-books.com/ Danielle's Ins...
Teacher Health and Wellness: Insights from the New Book Release
June 06, 2023 09:00 - 15 minutes - 21.6 MBDanielle Larrick and I have teamed together to write the perfect summer book for teachers all about teacher health and wellness. Get the inside scoop about what you can expect within the book including: Ten chapters related to health and wellness topics such as imposter syndrome, identity, anxiety, joy (when things are going great!), sleep, energy, and more Key takeaways for each chapter Book study questions Get your copy from F-Flat Books starting on June 8, 2023! Danielle's ...
How to Wind Down for Summer
June 02, 2023 09:00 - 11 minutes - 15.7 MBWhen the school year comes to an abrupt end, it takes some time for our minds and bodies to catch up to the fact that we can now rest. Or at least breathe a little bit for sure. Here are five things we can do to wind down for summer. Take a day of rest Get closure Summer meal plan Be okay with a mess Think about what you want your summer to be Grab the Summer Meal Plan Freebie HERE! Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Exhausterwhelmulated
May 30, 2023 09:00 - 9 minutes - 13.2 MBYou may have seen the meme/gif going around with this word on it. What a perfect way to describe how many of us feel at the end of the school year! I'm sharing three ideas for what you can do when you feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated. Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Wrapping Up the School Year
May 16, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 20.3 MBHow do we finish the year well when we're so tired? What should we choose to push forward on and what do we ease up on? Here are six things I'm doing at the end of the year to keep learning continuing in the classroom and reviewing material already learned. Ideas include: Podcasting Lessons Teaching New Instruments (sounds crazy, but I'll explain) Short Unit Plans Reviewing material learned throughout the year Taking musical learning outside Online learning with Blookets, Kahoo...
Fairy Tale Drumming and Speech Project
May 09, 2023 09:00 - 13 minutes - 18.1 MBI’ve often found it challenging to find books that I love to use with my older students so I created this fairy tale project to use possibly familiar stories in a way that allows students to work together to create short speech pieces/raps and put together an entire classroom performance, if you desire. Today I'm sharing the process I use with my students for this project over four class periods. Use it as a guide with your students or follow it as shared! You can use this project with ...
Musical Calligram Student Project
May 02, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 15 MBCalligrams are a word or part of a text where the design and layout of the letters or words create a visual image that relates to the word themselves. They can be created using one phrase, individual words, song lyrics, poems, or specific text. In today's episode, you'll hear four ideas for using calligrams in the classroom and learn how I used a calligram project with my students based on song lyrics. Want to purchase the project? Head to www.jessicagrant.org and click on shop to purch...
Things I Learned in the Woods
May 01, 2023 01:47 - 10 minutes - 14.2 MBThis past week I spent time backpacking in the Smoky Mountains with my seventh grade students. Here are five lessons I learned in the woods that apply to teaching at the end of the year (or anytime really!) Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
Planning on Purpose with Allison Russo
April 18, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBAllison Russo is a consultant, writer and educator who has written a fantastic book called “Planning Purpose.” I’ve enjoyed working through the process within the book to find ways to implement my values and the values of my students into the content I’m teaching. I’m excited for you to learn from Allison and encourage you to follow her on Instagram @thecriticalgood. Allison’s Bio: Consultant, writer, and educator Allison Russo has dedicated her career to creating more ethical and eff...
What's Saving My Life Right Now
April 17, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 19.6 MBSharing ten things that are making a difference in my life right now. Life lessons. Specific content and apps. Things in general. Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Minecraft Musical Artist House Challenge
April 04, 2023 12:12 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBThis project is a huge hit with my students! Listen in to hear how you can use Minecraft, Flip, and Student Peer Reviews to help students learn about Musical Artists. Purchase materials for the project HERE! You'll hear: *Ideas for using the project with your students *Four levels of implementation (peaceful, easy, normal, hard) *Student peer reviews *Rubrics and more How to record your screen with Flip Jessica Grant Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howt...
Elemental Movement with Ashley Brown Woodside
March 28, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 42.9 MBI loved this chat with Ashley Brown Woodside. Ashley is an incredible musician, dancer and educator who loves to inspire her students through the use of movement and music. More specifically in using elemental concepts in movement to guide their learning and musical experiences. We talk about several movement ideas including: Defining elemental movement Making movement accessible and challenging Differentiating experiences to reach all learners Gaining confidence as teachers in ou...
How to Pace Your Lesson Content
March 21, 2023 09:00 - 12 minutes - 17 MBThere is an art to designing a lesson plan. Learning your personal pacing and the pacing of your students' work takes time and experience. Here are a few ideas to help you figure out how to pace your lessons from start to finish! Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica! Website: www.jessicagrant.org
What To Do With The Last Five Minutes
March 20, 2023 09:00 - 11 minutes - 15.2 MBHave you ever had this happen: Your lesson moves at a faster pace than expected and you have extra time emaining. Or your class time has ended, your students are lined up, but their teacher isn’t there yet and you might be there for a few minutes longer. What do you do? Five minutes may not seem like it’s that big of a deal, but in the teaching world it can feel like an eternity. Here are five ideas for what to do if you’re waiting in the hallway and five ideas for what to do if you h...
How to Differentiate Music Instruction with Bryson Tarbet
March 07, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MBThis conversation with Bryson Tarbet about differentiation is extremely relevant and insightful. It will get you thinking about how you already differentiate learning in the classroom and things you might want to try. Most of all I hope you come away from our talk being encouraged by what you’re already doing, thinking about how to give your students what they need where they are and allowing your students to share ideas and thoughts for trying things in new ways you may not have thought o...
How to Prepare for Your Musical Theatre Performance
February 28, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes - 26.1 MBIn Episode 242 I talked about how to prepare a musical and shared four areas to get you started: selecting a musical, gathering content ideas, holding auditions and getting started with the first rehearsal. Last week in episode 243 I talked about how to structure and organize your rehearsals so that you can maximize the time you have to teach scenes and songs. Today it’s all about the performance: creating a printed or online program, using checklists, pre-show warm-ups, exercises and chats...
How to Structure Musical Theatre Rehearsals
February 21, 2023 10:00 - 16 minutes - 22.2 MBGet your Musical Theatre Prep Guide HERE! The guide is a fully editable Google Doc with over 10 pages of content that can help you plan everything from auditions to casting to student groups, rehearsal schedules and more! Today's episode is all about how to structure and organize rehearals for musical theatre productions using rehearsal groups, student leaders and planning content. Check out last week's podcast Episode 242 to hear about how to prepare to teach a musical: selecting the mus...
How to Prepare a Musical
February 15, 2023 03:20 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBDoing a spring musical? Today’s focus is about how to prepare for the musical. Some of the things you might want to think about before auditions begin and before rehearsals start. All the things to consider as you select your musical, prepare documents for casting and costumes, the audition process and planning out your first rehearsal. Follow me on Instagram at @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org TpT: How to Teach Music with Jessica Grant
How to Present Music Teacher Workshops and Conference Sessions
February 07, 2023 10:00 - 15 minutes - 20.9 MBDo you present at music teacher workshops and conferences? Or is this something you're hoping to do? I'm here to help! I'm sharing four things you should consider when presenting music educator workshops: 1 - Session Titles 2 - Session Content 3 - Pacing 4 - Visuals with Googles Slides, Powerpoint, etc. You'll hear ideas for how to get started, plan a session and implement what you already do in the classroom to share with other music teachers. Follow me on Instagram for more...