Muses

And this year, April is very different. Physical distancing is the norm, and socializing is done by texting or internet. Classrooms and homes have become one and the same. In the midst of all the confusion and angst, I love the many ways ordinary people are reaching

In like a lion and out like a lamb  –or is it the other way around this year?   March winds and March Break conspire to keep restlessness in the classroom high this month. Wear out some of that restlessness with rousing action songs (Napoleon and The Grand

With only 28(29?) days, February is stuffed full of special music. Winter Carnivals in Quebec ring with Bonhomme! Valentine’s Day offers a chance to try out  music reading skills, step by step in the video for Valentine, Red and Blue. Black History Month is

January usually seems like a long month.   Maybe its the droop after December festivities are over, and the dearth of January holidays.     Unless, of course, you celebrate the Chinese New Year,  or are Scottish and roast Robbie Burns. Long months are good blocks

Even if you tried very hard, it would be difficult NOT to meet at least one or two music curriculum expectations (performance, music and culture, listening, etc.) in December.    Holidays wouldn’t be the same without music:  dance, concerts,  movies, ballet,

November music begins quietly with peace songs and then seems to rush the holiday season with rehearsals beginning for special music and concerts. Even though I wince at ever earlier store displays of decorations and gifts, I acknowledge that early starts at rehearsal,

October music tastes the richness of this time of year  —Autumn, Thanksgiving and Harvest, Hallowe’en.  Themes of harvest and death are the focus of special days in many cultures   e.g. China’s New Moon where families gather and share a

Classroom music in September is an opportunity to relax and have fun, getting on with the work of becoming a community. Since good songs are meant to be sung again and again, pull out some “oldie goldies” likely to have been sung by your new students in their past

Welcome to winter of 2019. Used to be we could count on snow by January. When I lived in Yellowknife, when I lived in New Brunswick, snow was reliable. There are still places in our world where global warming can be ignored during the winter, but not in southern

I started September planning to keep up with putting all the resources for Can Do 3 on this site in time for each month as it came. I’m not keeping up with my plans. Life keeps getting in the way! Maybe that happens to you once in a while in the classroom? There’s