Hello World,
I feel like I go through stages in my life where I step back and say I need to write about this. I have no clue why but it feels good to write out what my mind is going through. As I was talking to my mom the other day she brought up the option of me getting my masters. "Someday Breeze you're going to want to put your curriculum down and really process how you teach."
So here I am again writing :) For a while this blog will be on how I teach my kiddos and what it takes to make solid string musicians. Let me preface this, I guarantee there are far better accomplished teachers then me. I am not the greatest, but I have failed a lot and through failure I have accumulated a modge pod of curriculum that not only takes the beginning orchestra student to advanced but also helps them become a sound musician.
I'm first going to tell you what I use for curriculum for each group after that I'll go through each group and give you an idea of what it looks like in a year. Hopefully, this will help my process and give me an easier time when I do eventually get a thesis.
So here goes...
First this is my outline for what I do everyday. I have noticed that if I cover these basics I don't need to spend time on performance pieces. Actually I may spend about 15 minutes on performance pieces out of a 50 minute class period.
Snark Tuners Click Here to purchase. Side note: Orchestra teachers, stop wasting your precious time tuning students. Get tuners there ain't no time to tune each child individually and the kids can't hear the notes accurately enough to get a good tone quality.
-Each stand has one, every student learns how to tune this way. My beginners first pluck the strings and then slowly but surely as the years go along they learn to bow it and then in my advanced orchestra they learn how to tune in 5ths with just the A being tuned.
Bow Hold Check and vibrato practice
-I check each child's bow hold every day. What!?! that's ridiculous you say? No, if you want them to be able to play proper articulations you're going to check their bow holds every day. Trust me.
While I'm checking bow holds they're practicing vibrato.
Rhythm Sheets
-I stole this from my band director friend Britni. Ever wondered why the band is so consistent rhythmically? It's because they work hard core on rhythm.
Long Tones
-So important for any type of tone development, nice and slow for each string. Side note: what I mean by nice and slow I mean like tempo 40. This teaches the kids bow placement as well as bow weight and allowing them to learn bow speed. Also it allows them to check how they're bowing and make sure it's correct.
Now here's where it kind of gets a little tricky, because after I do the basics each group has curriculum that they need to do to be able to progress on to the next level.
Beginners
-Here's a quick look at what I use
All For Strings Theory
Essential Elements Book 1
Suzuki songs transposed to be able to play for the whole group
Intermediate
-Here's a quick look at what I use for Intermediate
Scales, Octaves, and Arpeggios
Sight Reading material
Essential Elements Book 2
performance music
Advanced
-Here's a quick look at what I use
Essential Elements Book 3
Advanced Technique
Etudes
-If you want to most bang for your buck String Gym by Stephen Chin is great here is a link to it. Click Here
performance music
Tomorrow I'll talk about my school dynamic and what it looks like to teach in a Texan school.
