The F-flat Books Blog is a community-run blog exploring a variety of topics in music teaching and learning.
Browse posts by category or check out the most recent posts below.
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails
Since our schools closed their doors almost five weeks ago, I have been flooded with so many emotions. For a while, I could not really determine what these emotions were. I just knew each day felt different. After reflecting, I began to realize that what I was feeling was a sense of loss. A sense of grief. I missed my students. I missed making music together. I missed connecting. They say that grief comes in stages and I believe this to be true, but I hadn’t truly acknowledged [...]
Making YouTube teaching videos: Three steps to success
My first teaching video was inspired by a group of fourth grade flute players and their enthusiastic eagerness to learn how to play ‘Firework” by Katy Perry. As one might expect, once I taught the tune to my Monday 9:00am flute group, word spread quickly and the demand was made at every lesson throughout the week. My solution was to hurriedly record myself teaching it once, and post it for the students to learn on their own. In a few weeks’ time, the effect that these videos had [...]
Music Service Learning Update: Week 1
F-flat Books has partnered with #musicservicelearning, an organization led by Dr. Marci Major and aimed at providing valuable learning experiences for music education majors while helping others affected by COVID-19. Each week, MSL students will share completed and ongoing projects from around the world. Masterclass Project - written by Lea Wehnau The Music Service Learning project has created many music education resources for teachers and parents to use. The most recent of these projects is the Masterclass Project. For this project, West Chester University music majors create videos [...]
Remote Music Teaching: Teaching students with special needs
First of all, I am going to ask us all to take a breath. Yes, seriously. Take a deep breath. Doesn’t that feel better? As of late, I find myself doing most of my work while holding my breath all the time. I do this as I am typing IEP input, creating an activity for my students, and otherwise navigating life in our current situation. I find myself being so busy trying to replicate my classroom online that I forget to eat for hours. Luckily, I have an [...]
Routines and Boundaries: Managing anxiety during crisis
I am a music education college professor who teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses. I also keep a foot in the schools by teaching one day a week at a PreK–6 Montessori school. What you are about to read is my specific response to the crisis in which we find ourselves. I know that everyone is different and that what worked for me may not work for others. I am also in a situation where I do not have to worry about childcare or other family members. I [...]
Getting Started with Seesaw for General Music Education
The guiding principle of the Kodaly philosophy is that only the best is good enough for a child. When virtual learning becomes the best delivery method for instruction, educators look for innovative ways to maintain quality music education. We land on our feet, and re-imagine some aspects of active, engaged, and contextual musical learning. The seesaw app is one of the best resources I have found that meets our specific needs for active, contextual, and engaging musicing. It's a digital learning portfolio that allows students to document [...]
On friday: Reflections during COVID-19
On Friday, March 13th I spent my last day in public spaces. It’s funny to look back. I knew that there would be a couple of weeks in isolation, and I even looked forward to the change of pace! However, I never imagined that we would be facing some undefined amount of time with so many added stresses. I think for each person the added stresses look different. At first I tried taking the “I should be grateful approach” to my situation, but after listening to the Brené [...]
Remote music teaching: How I’m surviving COVID-19
This has been an interesting year for me. I just started at a new school this year with the goal of establishing a performing arts program. Prior to this year, they really had nothing...one ‘music’ class was offered that was just basically a hodgepodge of students that had varying interests in music. Some students wanted it to be a choir class, some played instruments and were hoping for it to be band class, some played string instruments, some were just in the class because it was the only [...]
Remote music teaching: An honest review of Moosiko and SmartMusic
Like many other music teachers, I am in the strange position of being a (sudden) virtual teacher. On March 12th, 2020, the governor for our state of Pennsylvania held a press conference in which he announced the immediate shutdown of all schools in Montgomery County, the county in which I teach. On March 13th, I started scrambling. I sent out a message on a large Facebook forum inviting members to share their emails with me for a large resource roundup. At the time, I was hoping to help [...]
Remote music teaching: Using social media for connection
Tiktok from a Freshman orchestra student Social media for school has always scared me a little bit. I grew up on social media- in high school, Facebook was new and all the rage with Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and so many more to follow. I watched friends, family, and eventually my students turn into scrolling zombies with many of these habits trickling into my life as well. If you were to have a conversation with me about social media, I would express a strong dislike for it. [...]
From a Place of Privilege
About a month ago, when it was becoming clear what was happening with COVID-19, I called my sister (who happens to be my F-flat co-founder). I had a slew of suggestions, loose ideas, and questions concerning how we could best help during this pandemic. Sarah, as it turns out, was already on the case — she had already begun to amass free resources that we could disseminate through this web site. #blessed This hashtag, a favorite of our father, feels very apt. Perhaps you are unaware, but I [...]
How to practice during a pandemic: Just keep swimming
The current pandemic has thrust the global population into a period of uncertainty unrivaled in recent history. Music students at universities around the world are being forced to abandon the structure that has helped to frame their success and are now required to adapt their habits to fit the new realities that accompany distance learning and social distancing. While much of the conversation surrounding music students has been largely focused on the loss of milestone events such as concerts, recitals, and graduations, one factor that has been largely [...]