The Music Ed. Advocate

"Oh no. How am I going to do this?"

This question plagued my brain after my district announced we would be returning to school in a hybrid model. In the spring, I adapted my orchestra classroom to the best of…

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

This summer, I stumbled upon a book that was on the coffee table at my parents house: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. I haphazardly picked it up and started to read…

Intro to Transcription: Two-Day Mini Unit

By Karin Dye

Photo by Weston McKinnon

Spirits were low. We had just gone back to completely remote learning as a high school and my orchestras were NOT feeling it. It was a two…

First I want to say that I think the videos of all of the kids playing together at the same time on a screen is cool. It is inspiring. Let it be known that I am not here to put…

by Karin Dye

Have you ever seen those cutesy videos of people passing makeup brushes, balls, paper airplanes etc. from frame to frame? 

Have you ever thought...that would be a cool thing to do with my class?

Here's how!

I…

Three Recent Reads That Have Improved My Teaching

by Karin Dye

This list is by no means comprehensive. Teachers are asked to wear so many different hats (...and lanyards and school teeshirts and strange outfits during homecoming week) that there…

Performing in a Pandemic: How to Keep it Safe and Still Have Fun

By Karin Dye

Like most I usually look forward to the fall. As a life long lover of school and all things academia, the fall means a…

5 Tips for Teaching Elementary Lessons Virtually

By Karin Dye

Does the above video look familiar to you?

This footage is from one of my first elementary orchestra zoom lessons. 

Oh, no.

Oh, yes.

It happened.

I've reflected.

Here are…

Using GroupMe to Build Community Organically

By Karin Dye

High school students love their phones. Most adults do too, right? Why wouldn't we? We get an almost immediate dopamine hit when pick them up. Today I'm going to walk you…

Roasting Bad Playing: An Educational Bonding Experience (I promise!)

By Karin Dye

First, it is important to admit that I did not go into this lesson plan feeling particularly like a master teacher.

I had been running "regular" covid style…

By Karin Dye

Photo by Joel Wyncott

Playing music can hurt.

You may know how to spot a violinist or violist friend from across the college cafeteria. They have a glaring red…