Thursday, December 15, 2016

Free Download Christmas Themed Graphics

Free Download

Christmas Themed Graphics
These versatile graphics feature Christmas Carols and Songs. Great for posters, cards, displays or awards.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Free Download Christmas Themed Graphics

Free Download

Christmas Themed Graphics
These versatile graphics feature Christmas Carols and Songs. Great for posters, cards, displays or awards.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Free Download Christmas Themed Graphics

Free Download

Christmas Themed Graphics
These versatile graphics feature Christmas Carols and Songs. Great for posters, cards, displays or awards.


Saturday, December 10, 2016

Student Gifts - Bookmarks

Student Gifts - Bookmarks

Do you need gifts for your students that won't cost you the earth?
What about the good old bookmark?
I gave them out this year to my choir students and they were delighted. I was a bit worried about giving them something so 'old school' in our digital age, but they seriously were chuffed to receive this little memento of our year together.
I had very little time, particularly at this time of year (as all teachers will fully understand!), so I needed something for 40 high school kids that was both cheap and not very time consuming to create.
I decided to use the new bookmarks from Crescendo Music Education. (Why not use my own products?) There are two sets, one is free - so go for it! 

The free set


The set for members


I used both sets and printed them out on a nice colour printer. Spent some time cutting them out - therapeutic I find!


I then created a simple message in a shape in a word document, using a colour I liked - a nice gradient blue. I made it just the right size to go in the middle of the back of the bookmark, and had several to a page. A bit more therapeutic cutting...



Then a little glue to keep the message in place during laminating.



I ran them through the laminator and cut them out.



Voila!


When I gave them to my choir members, I let them choose the one they liked. 

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Single Note Flashcards

Teaching Ideas 

Here is a list of teaching ideas from the Crescendo Music Education competition. Thank to all those who entered - and I hope this sharing helps to invigorate your music programs! (And the winner of 12 months membership was Sam Vimes - Congratulations!)


Debbie O’SheaQuick Quiz. Teacher shows 5 cards quite quickly and students write the letter names. They keep score and try to beat their PB (Personal Best). You could do a quick Quiz once a week, once a month...You might create a team competition. 

Bronwyn Trezise The kids love Round the World. You can have a champion chart on the door.  I would play musical baseball. Two teams of kids and set the field like baseball. Pitcher holds up the flash card. Batter has to name the note. If correct they use the same pitched boomwhacker to hit a nurf ball and then play as normal. If they get it wrong they are out. I have played this as an end of term game with classes and they love it!! They constantly ask to play. 

Leonore Hammond I would toss it at that child who isn't paying attention and say "Ha! You didn't C that coming did you?!" 

Janice A Liddy We do flash card Friday's at my Friday school. They are supposed to be math but I try to do music ones and these would be a HUGE HELP! My 4th graders are obsessed with playing capture!

Laurie Gliem Pairs of cards could be mixed and laid face down to play a memory game.

Sandy Thiedeman Children to make pairs and create an 8 note composition. Students to play or sing it to the class.

Kaethe Grabenhofer Give pairs of children a set and have them spell words.

Fiona Coleman Round the world. First to answer note correctly out of two moves to next person. Person who moves the further seat is the winner. Kids love it as they get excited about how fast they can answer and goal set for how far they move from the last time they played. Also good for learning to read the notes better and quicker in random order.

Suzanne Bauer Use as a group activity led by band student(s) where they can teach/test each other on note names of treble clef, usually it's a group activity when I have 4 tasks out.


Liz Kutschke These cards look fantastic! I think maybe I'd use them in a center, where students can quiz each other, but everyone else's ideas sound great, too! :) 


Debbie Roe Play 'Around the World'. (it's like playing 'Around the World' in Math). Two students are standing or sitting side by side. Teacher holds up a flash card. The first student to say the correct letter moves over to the next student. Card is shown. First student to win THAT round continues over to the next. I usually play it until everyone has had a turn OR until one person goes all the way around the room. The students LOVE doing this!


Morgan Lentino These would be a station for my 4th graders- music memory!

Sam Vimes Use them as the starting point for reviewing and reinforcing tone sets and tone relationships. Put one card up and tell the students which tone it is, then tell them which other tone they need to find e.g. "this is mi, show me so." Students write it down (show-me boards), then add the other tone required. Younger students would work within s/m/l, eg start with so and add mi or la... with older students you could extend to "this is do, find low so and low la", or "this is low la, find mi and so" etc. You could turn this into a team game as well... have a giant stave on the floor. Students have to place dots on the appropriate lines/spaces. Award a point to the first correct team. Ooh! Ooh! And then I'd also use them for intervals. P4, P5, octave, m3 below etc. 


Gemma Bonnitcha I would use the note cards to play a game of musical chairs. All children sit in a circle, 8 chairs are placed in the centre with a note card on each.2 opponents are chosen. I call out a note and the first person to find the chair with the note on it is the winner and a new opponent is chosen.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Found on Crescendo.com.au



The Glorious World of Choir

Here on Crescendo you will find a FREE excerpt From ‘Bumblebee! Rounds & Warm-ups for Choirs’ by Michael Griffin.
It this resource you will find more than just a wonderful collection of 130 choir exercises including more than 45 rounds. Michael Griffin shares timeless wisdom to help you get your choir into shape.
For your FREE excerpt click here



Thursday, April 7, 2016

Competition



Hi Everyone. I feel another competition coming on.....How about one year's free membership? If you are already a member I will extend your membership by one year....
All you have to do is tell me how you would use these individual note flashcards. 

They are, of course, part of the huge volume of downloads for Crescendo members, and they can also be bought as a set on Teachers Pay Teachers. 
All your ideas will be collated and posted on the Crescendo Blog so that everyone will have a fabulous teaching resource where the contributors are all music teachers!
Each of these cards can be printed on one page (Thin card works well) and then laminated.
I will randomly choose a winner on April 30.
To enter, head over to Crescendo on Facebook and leave your teaching idea.

Friday, April 1, 2016

Friday Finds


Musical education in schools is an amazing pathway to the imperative development of children. However, not everyone knows this as well as we do. If you need a way to argue why music education is as important as we know it is, check out this list of the ‘Twelve Benefits of Music Education’.

Find it HERE

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Hump Day Hilarity 
How many of these 'Music Teacher Problems' have you experienced? Here are 10
fun posters for you, your room, social media, or just a giggle. Download
them now for FREE here on my web site.

Sunday, March 27, 2016


Three Things

I am linking up with Aileen Miracle to share three things that worked for me and my students this week.

#1 - Dig Deep


Want a fabulous song to sing with your choir or your classes? I have been doing this one. Not only is there a good message (which I look for in my material), but it is fun to sing and you can even have Pete Churchill himself do some of the teaching for you while you grab a quick drink of water and catch your breath!

These are the clips in order:


  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD3Z9V196WY
  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR19WS4gsPA
  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=672ItIwVXAs
  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkkaTQ_LPNQ
  1. Full Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wW1KNWxo4w




And then a colleague (thanks Lee Reushle) shared this link: http://www.epoc.co/?q=content/dig-deep from the English Pocket Opera Company. There is a lyric sheet (you will have to change sew to sow), audio tracks, score.....

What a find!!!!

#2 - Oreo Intervals

(Also posted this in my latest newsletter - click here to sign up - it is FREE - HERE)

Thanks to Pinterest and this original pin, I used Oreos with my Year 9s to help explain intervals and chords. It was fabulous, but I think I was probably more literal than these pictures. 

The biscuits were the notes played/sung, and each level of cream was a note in between. I made a minor 2nd (no cream) and Major second (one lot of cream) a minor third (two lots of cream) and a Major third (three lots of cream). We sang and played the chromatic notes in between as well. Then we focused on the thirds and built the chords. My chords had only one biscuit in the middle to accurately represent the notes in the chord....anyway, it was a fun lesson segment, and we got to eat the intervals.
"Mrs O'Shea, please can I have the Major third." So cute and fun!

#3 - Music Tech Teacher Quizzes and Games

The first time on the music lap tops for the year sevens and eights this week. We explored the quizzes and games on the Music Tech Teacher site HERE and boy were they engaged and happy. 



Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Hump Day Hilarity
 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Music-Teacher-Problems-1-1967314

Download 10 Music Teacher Problems for FREE on my Teachers Pay Teachers
Store. I would appreciate it if you could 'follow me' and leave feedback.
Thanks, Debbie

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Hump Day Hilarity 

How many of these 'Music Teacher Problems' have you experienced? Here are 10 fun posters for you, your room, social media, or just a giggle. Download them now for FREE here on my web site.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Friday Finds



St. Patrick's Day Squilt Worksheet 

This St. Patrick's Day SQUILT (Super Quiet UnInterrupted Listening Time) worksheet will help you incorporate some St. Patrick's Day activities into your lessons in the coming week. Put on a piece of your own choice and let the students complete it, with a class discussion afterwards.

Find it free HERE



Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Hump Day Hilarity 

Download 10 Music Teacher Problems for FREE on my Teachers Pay Teachers
 Store. I would appreciate it if you could 'follow me' and leave feedback.
Thanks, Debbie

Friday, March 4, 2016

Friday Finds


Copy, Transpose, Transfer Sheet

Transposition can be tricky to master, but is an incredibly useful tool later in life. Give your students a head start with this handy transposition worksheet. Includes music and stick notation practice as well!

Get it free HERE


Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Hump Day Hilarity 

How many of these 'Music Teacher Problems' have you experienced? Here are 10 fun posters for you, your room, social media, or just a giggle. Download them now for FREE here on my web site.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Friday Finds 



These interval worksheets begin with aural identification of the intervals, then move to writing the answer onto the staff from a given note in conjunction with aural identification. The aim is to help teach for transfer, i.e. linking sound and symbol as is necessary to be musically literate.

Find them for free HERE



Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Hump Day Hilarity 

Download 10 Music Teacher Problems for FREE on my Teachers Pay Teachers
Store. I would appreciate it if you could 'follow me' and leave feedback.
Thanks, Debbie