An Introduction

As a retired instrumental music teacher, I coined Companion Music Enterprises as the name of my small music business. Besides the sales of my music, I wanted to continue my association with my music colleagues. Over my 33 years of teaching, I enjoyed trying new methods and strategies to encourage all students with their music and challenge the more gifted students. Now, I enjoy doing workshops sharing my music and ideas realizing that my audience is also a source of many unique ideas.

I taught for 27 years at the high school level and for my last 6 years, I taught elementary school. Quickly, I learned that classroom management was a most important issue – how to get as much teaching as possible into 30 minutes and keep the students motivated. This led me to composing my own music and implementing other technological teaching methods. Besides demonstrating The Companion Music Folder, my presentation makes suggestions as to improving classroom management and motivation. Hopefully, you may also see how my classroom methods and music help in obtaining some of the goals of the MENC National Standards for Music Education.

In the October 2000 issue of the MENC Journal Teaching Music, The Companion Music Folder was reviewed in the "Teacher's Market" on page 78.

In April of 1995, I had an article in Teaching Music in the technology section. The article was titled "Double Your Effectiveness" and dealt with the using technology for beginning instrumental instruction. This article was a result of having led workshops at the county and state levels.

Teaching Suggestions for classroom management and productivity

· Appropriate tunes on CDs can be used for warm-up so that the teacher is free to take attendance, fix instruments, etc. The teacher may want to develop original warm-up sequences on a keyboard.

· Occasional use of CDs for lessons frees the teacher to walk around the room, correcting students individually. CDs also develop a keen sense of maintaining a steady beat.

· A student practicing with a CD will strive for better intonation. It’s hard for a clarinet player to play a half step flat with a CD – they will strengthen their embouchures sooner.

· Projecting music with an overhead projector can improve class time management. Projecting the music is legal with the licensing of The Companion Music Folder. Projecting most music needs to be cleared with the publishers.

· Tapping music on an overhead projector in a certain manner as will lead to better comprehension of subdividing the beat.

· For several songs in The Companion Folder, teach the easy part during the short half-hour lesson. Play the CD and challenge those students that can to try the challenging part at home.

· By using a computer database for attendance you can efficiently track additional data that will motivate the students. I designed such a database and as roll was taken students would state their practice times. By entering practice times a formula automatically generated current averages. Doing averages is part of the 4^th and 5^th grade math curriculum and the students are quite interested in the process. This database also generated reports such as Grade Distribution to Teachers, Achievement Honor Roll, Articulation Report to Middle School Teachers, etc. For practice times, I developed a spreadsheet that by putting in the first date all dates on the practice sheet automatically filled in. The printout became the students practice record giving them an organized approach to recording their daily practice times.

Using The Companion Music Folder Selections for interrelated school activities and academic studies

(Below are abbreviated comments on most of the selections in the Companion Folder. Detailed teaching suggestions come with the complete folder.)

· Ghost Walk - excellent for Halloween as well as a cluster concert. Combines band and strings in an appropriate key.

· Let's Go Walkin' - Same song as above with different words. Support of PE and Health

· Old MacDonald Had a Jazz Band - Scatting which is part of the history of jazz (Band Only)

· School Spirit Song - Promote academic success at an honors assembly or school spirit assembly. You will gain much support from you faculty and principal! Combines band and strings.

· Oh, When the Band - History of jazz and also good for recruiting. String parts are available, but in B flat concert. Doable for the second year students and at the end of the year for beginners. All student like to be a part of this arrangement.

· Music and Math - The words are self-explanatory! Have the students sing this and then play it. (Band Only)

· Yankee Doodle & Chester - Good for Presidents' Week. (Band Only)

· The Dreidl Song - Good for December. Separate arrangements for band and strings.

· Jingle Bells, "Classic" - "Jazz" - "Blues” This fun song for any winter concert, teaches some of the principals of composition and improvisation. Note that the "Blues" variation is based on the blues scale. String parts available as all students want to be a part of this arrangement.

· Ostinato for December - A unique way to present the music of two cultures in December with new words focused on peace. Also good for teaching the principle of an ostinato as it pertains to composition. Combines band and strings in an appropriate key. A special text suitable for school use makes this a good arrangement to combine with chorus for Winter Concert.

· Appalachian Fiddle Tune - Besides being a prime example of American folk music, note the discussion in the "Teaching and Performance Notes" relating to composers' sources of inspiration. (Strings Only)

· Cielito Lindo - Have the students research the words to this traditional Spanish Tune and then have them sing the words as well as play the music (Strings Only). CD background imitates a mariachi band.

· Barnyard Hoedown - The opening represents a traditional American ho down style. Ends with a unique way to teach F natural. (Strings Only)

· The Panda Bear - Excellent for Earth Day and endangered species. (Strings Only)

· Ode to Joy - A good choice for Human Relations Week. (Strings Only)

· My Country Tis of Thee - Try sending a good trio to the office in the morning to play this over the PA for the patriotic song of the day. (Strings Only)

· String Along Blues - American Jazz - As the teacher, perhaps you could improvise over this song or use a high school student at a cluster concert. Note Cello soli at letter C. (Strings Only). At the Baltimore City Public Schools demo of the Companion Folder, the teachers decided to do this for fun.

Alternative suggestions developing independent musicianship

· Have students do their first concert for Thanksgiving. They should design a program and have family sign program. (Discuss vegetables and dessert.) Students can perform from a tape provided by teacher. (See licensing agreement - to be explained.)

· Videotape individual students or small groups for take home tapes Valentines Day or Mothers' Day. With the CD backgrounds you are free to monitor camera.

· Develop a voluntary achievement system. My wife and both used an achievement system that was quite successful. The lesson book was divided in such a way as to keep before school and recess testing manageable. That is, a special chart for the book was developed on which students had to check off groups of pages before requesting to be tested for an achievement level. The computer database that tracked attendance and practice times also tracked achievement levels and printed an Honor Achievement Level Report. This report was displayed on a school bulletin board. The system was done in such away as to challenge the outstanding students and let them work ahead. Some testing was done during lesson time – again on a voluntary basis. Students being tested were often demonstrating a song for the first time to the rest of the class. This achievement system kept students from trying to skip way ahead in the book – they had to follow the achievement schedule. Finally, it kept parents of gifted students from asking, “What should my child do next?” Students not electing to be a part of the achievement system were contend as they could still achieve a grade of “Outstanding” by maintaining a 60 minute average on their practice records.

Develop musicianship through singing at lessons and performances

· Most of the music in the Companion Folder includes words. If students sing the music they will play it with a better understanding of intonation and phrasing.

· Besides the words, sing fingerings, positions, and counting and note names.

· Include the whole school singing with the band. The concert will be a hit and future enrollment will be higher.

Click Here to Return to Workshops

Click Here for Companion Music Folder Page

Click Here for Home Page