Description
This is an interactive eBook for online access and digital download (62 pages)
The Joe Family from Grand Staff and The Common Sidewalk is more than a children’s book—it’s a lively, story-driven approach to music education that blends story, music, movement, and math. This interactive adventure invites readers to meet the Joe Family, hunt for 200+ hidden treasures, and develop musical skills in an artistically rich and memorable way.
Beyond the Fun — Why This Book Was Written
In over 30 years of teaching music, one of my greatest frustrations has been seeing students—children and adults alike—stop growing in their musical abilities simply because they struggled to “read” music notation. For many, the symbols felt as foreign as Greek or as dizzying as a scientific formula.
This challenge weighed heavily on me until I remembered something from a graduate course I once took, Storytelling Across the Curriculum. In that class, I learned how a well-told story can be a powerful teaching tool. My research led me to organizational psychologist Peg Neuhauser, who found that learning through story is remembered more accurately, and for far longer, than learning from facts and figures alone. Likewise, psychologist Jerome Bruner’s work suggests that facts are 20 times more likely to be remembered when embedded in a story.
That insight became the heartbeat of The Joe Family from Grand Staff and the Common Sidewalk. This story blends narrative, fact, sound, and movement—engaging both sides of the brain—to create a learning experience that is as memorable as it is joyful. Readers are drawn into a world where the fine arts meet logic, bridging two realms often kept apart in traditional teaching.
Born from a simple kindergarten lesson comparing shoe sizes to note values, the Joe Family has grown into a beloved classroom experience used with students from age 5 to 80. Whether you are a music teacher, a homeschooling parent, or simply someone who wants to finally “get” music notation, this book offers a fresh and joyful path to understanding and creating music. It’s more than just a teaching resource—it’s an invitation to experience music in a way that connects, inspires, and lasts.
“I love the Joe Family!” Hunter, 5th grader
“Oh, now I get it!” Andrea, 2nd grader, and Steffi, my Amazing Illustrator “Can we walk like the Joe Family again today, PLEASE?!” Solis, 1st grader
“This is going to help my students understand fractions.” 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers
“Brilliant!” Dr. Sarah Gulish, CEO of F-flat Books, and Robert Prince, President of the Treasure State Orff Chapter
“Such a GREAT book!” Cassie, parent of a private music student
“So stinkin’ cute!” Kathryn, grandmother to 15
Kathryn Birdsall –
This book is so great for understanding music theory. It’s fun. even the adults are excited about it.
I love it.