Elementary Music/Music Technology Blog

Recently, I read numerous posts on the MENC General Music Boards about “Music Teacher Hierarchy.” It was an extremely interesting discussion about how many of us went to college with the aspiration to teach band for the next 20+ years. Somewhere in the process of life after college, we shifted to teaching elementary general music. In the posts, some teachers have felt that others in the profession have thought that they took the “easy way out” when they decided to teach elementary music.

Luckily, I have only encountered one teacher who thought that, and I felt the need to set her straight because teaching elementary music is wonderful and by no means, the “easy way out.” Yes, it is not for everyone and I applaud those who realized that and moved to a better suited teaching situation. However, for me, it is what I feel that I was called to do and here are my top ten reasons for why I adore teaching elementary general music:

1. The students in elementary school are sponges! At this age, they are open to most of the teaching tools that you use and they absorb knowledge like sponges.
2. Orff Instruments! The students can master them well and you have a blast performing with them.
3. Technology! Students at this age know more about technology than most because they have no fear of it. Therefore, you can use it often in your classroom because it will excite them and they will relate to you better. In addition, they can teach you a thing or two about music technology, burning CDs, mixing music, recording music, iPods, the latest computers, even guitar hero…
4. Dancing! At this age, the students love to dance. Therefore, you can teach them many traditional folk dances and cultural dances without too much giggling…unless you are pairing up 5th grade boys with 5th grade girls.
5. Singing! I teach the students from PreK (age 3) to Grade 3. They are never shy about singing and will sing solos when asked because they are very comfortable with me (having had me as their music teacher for years).
6. Recorders! OK, you might not like listening to 20+ recorders at once. However, recorder music has evolved over the years. You can still have them play their traditional 2 to 3-note songs unaccompanied, or you can purchase a variety of recorder music that comes with synthesized accompaniments or have students earn karate belts to encourage their progress. The elementary recorder students love these new materials that we did not have when we were in elementary music class. The excitement on my students’ faces when they first hear and then master Don Muro’s Queen B from Introducing BAG is worth gold.
7. Smiling faces! Most of the elementary students love music class and will enter with smiling faces and ready to learn.
8. Improvisation! Students at this age are not afraid to improvise with their voices, Orff instruments, rhythm instruments, and body percussion. In addition, they come up with some excellent improvisations.
9. Light bulb or “A ha!” moments! Enough said.
10. Elementary is where you can “hook” them! At this age, you can successfully teach them the steady beat, expressiveness, phrasing, dynamics, singing, performing, composing, improvising, music in relationship to other subjects, world music, American folk songs, patriotic tunes, dancing, and so much more. This is where the students’ musical journeys begin.

If you are an elementary music teacher, please leave a comment or reason to why you like teaching elementary general music. I would love to hear from you!