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Season One Episode Ten Victoria Boler I enjoyed this talk with Victoria Boler.  She shared some great ideas for goal setting, data collection, informances, and long range lesson planning.  On Victoria's website , you can find templates, resources, folk songs organized by rhythmic and melodic concepts and posts about music lesson ideas. In Episode 10 Part I, Victoria talks about her music background, Kodaly and Orff approaches, and information about goal setting, data collection, and informances. In Episode 10 Part II, you'll hear about lesson planning, transitions, and her teacher capsule wardrobe. Victoria Boler teaches Transitional Kindergarten through 5th Grade general music, choir, and percussion ensemble in Southern California.  She is also the director of the arts department at her school, which encompasses her own programs as well as visual arts, band, orchestra, technical arts, and musical theater.  Victoria has degrees in both instrumental and ...

So often we approach our lessons through the lens of one approach.  We all have our favorite lessons and our favorite ways to teach that work for us and our students.  If you're looking to refresh classic pieces in your classroom, I hope this example will give you some ideas! I'm going to share how to take the element of sixteenth notes (tikatika, tiritiri, dutadata, pepperoni, one-e-+-a...whatever you call it) and explore this concept with one piece using three approaches: Dalcroze, Kodaly and Orff.  It is possible to sequence this lesson so that all three approaches are used and experienced by your students.  In doing this, students have the opportunity to experience it through so many mediums: sing, speak, pat, walk, create, compose, improvise, listen, respond. The song I'm going to use for this element is a classic folk song that many of you likely already use in your classrooms:  Ding Dong Diggidiggi Dong. DALCROZE APPROACH 1) Begin with a...

The Triple Threat. Dalcroze, Kodály and Orff. These three approaches were begun in the 20th century and have impacted music education in tremendous ways.  For episode 9, I split it into three parts with each podcast focusing on one approach. Part I - Dalcroze  Emile Jacques was born on July 6, 1865 to Swiss parents who were living in Vienna.  He studied at the Paris Conservatory in 1884.  In 1886, he became the assistant conductor and chorus master at the Theater des Nouveaux in Algiers, North Africa.  During this position, it is thought that he added a new last name to avoid confusion with being thought to be a composer with the same last name of Emile Jacques in Borgeaux, France.  Emily took the name of Valcroze from a friends, but changed the 'V' to a 'D' and became Dalcroze.  In 1887, Jacques-Dalcroze moved to Vienna and became a student of Anton Bruckner at the Vienna Conservatory for a short period.  It appears that there was ...

Season One Episode 8 Nothing Better Than a Good Book I love reading. That's pretty much all there is to say about that. Books are truly one of the most special things ever imagined.  In this week's podcast episode, S1:E8 I talk about books and organized them by topic.  I'll share my list of recommendations here with some Amazon links in case you want to get them as well! If you're interested in seeing what I'm reading throughout the year, you can check out my Goodreads list here. There are so many things that pull at us.  Making time to read can help energize, relax and bring a simplicity to your day.  Here are a few ideas for how to make time to read work for you: a. Find a book you're interested in and don't bother with finishing a book that you're not loving b. Swap books with a friend or two c. Turn off the television, social media or other distractions d. Read books with and to your kids.  As they get older, choose books that have...

Season One Bonus Episode Trunk Club If you choose to try out a personal styling service, here are a few tips that I found useful: 1) Be honest about your clothing size It's a lot more fun to try on clothing that fits. So be honest and enjoy finding pieces that work for YOU - regardless of what the size on the label says. 2) Sticker Shock If you choose to try Trunk Club and you're used to buying clothing on sale and clearance racks (like I am), be prepared for higher prices.  Decide ahead of time what your budget is.  You might find that you purchase fewer items, but ones that you'll build a wardrobe out of and add to over time. 3) No Sales Pitch - You choose I loved that there wasn't a sales pitch.  It was truly up to me to decide what I wanted and no pressure to buy higher priced items or recommendations.  My stylist was super helpful and guided me towards how to put together outfits, but did not tell me what I should do when deciding what to purcha...

Season One Episode 57 How to Build Your Best Teacher Wardrobe Many teachers love their jean days.  It can be exciting to hear that you've earned a jeans pass, that each Friday will be a teacher spirit day where you wear a school spirit shirt with jeans or that you get to wear jeans with a specific colored shirt in honor of a teammate who is fighting cancer, heart disease or another cause to show support to those around you.  Jeans days can be awesome.  And the other days can be just as awesome! Here are a few ideas for how to build a teacher wardrobe that you love! A.  Use what you already have This might seem obvious, but sometimes we overlook what is right in front of us.  Your closet may be very similar to mine - a mix of old and new, favorite pieces you know you won't wear, but can't part with and the clothes that are worn repeatedly.  According to www.thecut.com , an interview with the chief design officer for California Closets revealed ...