Careful asking a human to "sit up strait." The spine does have a natural curve to it. I simply ask them to "Listen to your body" so they can make the micro adjustments. Their body will tell them what it needs if they practice listening to it. This mindfulness practice is great after stretching.

Inspired by the work of Andy Mullen

Tonality (modes) Chord Function Posters
Major, Minor, Dorian, Phyrgian,
Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian


Inspired by the work of Dr. Heather Shouldice

Tonalities are like different flavors of ice cream.
The melody (ice and milk) are still present while you change the tonality
(flavor of ice cream) making a new kind of flavor. 


Key signatures can be tricky...
but we can also give our students some tricks.


This is a fun challenge for students that help them practice their micro beats in duple and triple meter. I put this on the outside of my music room door and students who choose to take the challenge and show me get a "polyrhythm five"


Inspired by the work of Andy Mullen

Duple meter (Aural / Oral)
Macro & Micro


Inspired by the work of Andy Mullen

Triple meter (Aural / Oral)
Macro & Micro


Inspired by the "Jump Right in" Recorder Books

Inspired by the "Jump Right in" Recorder Books

Students can share their music playlist and catagorize it into different meters...
Duple, Triple, Mixed


MINOR (Verbal Association)
Tonic & Dominant

It is important to know WHY
we use a certain type of solfege. 

Visual Aid to show the Resting Tone of a song

If you are audiating you can make music. But if you do not use your brain, you might be a zombie. 


Teaching by rote starts with the ears. It also is important to offer space for musicians to hear it in their hear (audiate) so that when they sing they have more confidence in what is coming out of their mouth.  

Whole pizza = Whole note
Half pizza... (?)
Quarter Pizza... (?)
Eighth pizza... (?)


Graphic Organizer: 

Start with notes, then create rhythm... combine any variation of those notes with your rhythm and you have a melody. 


These rhythms symbols look pretty simular. Use what ever tools you can to help your students identify the visual differences. To me, Du De-ta sounds like a horse galloping and visually looks like a horse.