Many of us are experiencing disruptions in our daily lives due to Covid-19, also known as the coronavirus.  As schools close nationwide, many music teachers are scrambling to figure out how to offer remote or virtual learning as social distancing becomes our new norm.

The challenge with music is that is so often, it’s experienced as a group.  We sing together.  We perform together.  We listen together.  Music is a social event.  So how do we begin to teach music virtually without that social interaction?

Family Enrichment

Our district was closed by order of our governor at 11:00 pm on a Thursday night.  We had a half day on Friday and had 3 hours to do what ever we could to get materials and books in the hands of students.  Even that wasn’t enough as over half our students weren’t in attendance for the half day.  When I finally had a moment to think about what I wanted to provide for remote learning, I decided that what we did in music class wasn’t going to be possible.  What would be possible would be to provide daily enrichment activities to get my students and their families involved in musicing in ways they may not have ever done before.

Music At Home Bingo

My first idea was based on a Read at Home Bingo game I saw on Instagram from A Cupcake for the Teacher.  How could I adapt the idea of making music at home for young children without access to recordings, manipulatives, or instruments?  I came up with a list of ideas that every family could do at home – regardless if they had a computer or internet access.  The reality is, even without those things, almost every family has smart phone and could access YouTube videos or Chrome Music Lab.  I listed those ideas on a Bingo sheet in hopes of just giving kids and families simple, easy ways to make music for a few minutes each day.  Music At Home Bingo is available FREE on my TpT page and on my Teacher’s Lounge as well.  Feel free to make copies and hand them out to students, or send the PDF with live links to parents via email!

Teaching Videos

Another way to encourage family enrichment is to simply videotape yourself teaching a song, a chant, or introducing an instrument.  A simple 3-5 minute video can be uploaded to YouTube and shared with your families.  Whenever I am away from my students for a conference or pre-planned absence, I videotape my lesson so that my students can still learn the content in spite of my absence.  The funny thing is, my students love watching me teach via video sometimes more than when I’m standing in front of them!  It doesn’t take much to videotape yourself – again a smartphone will pretty much get you through the entire process!  I’ll be posting my videos on my YouTube Channel beginning Sunday, March 15th.  You’re welcome to share those videos with your students or watch them to gather your own ideas for content!

Google Classroom

If your district uses Google, then you may already have Google Classroom in place for your students.  If you haven’t used it before, it’s pretty easy to learn and navigate.  Reach out to your classroom teachers to see who already uses it as it will help you to know which students are most comfortable using it and may already be logging in.  I use it with grades 2-5 and am setting up a group for my choir as well.  You can create assignments, share YouTube videos, PDFs, weblinks, create quizzes and more!  I started creating Google Classroom content for music last year and just created some notation games for my students with a spring theme.  I’m making all of these games available for FREE for a limited time on TpT.  You can access them here and share them with your students!  Just a fun way to play with notation and get students creating and reading rhythm notation.

Web-based Learning

There are so many websites that offer online learning or musical exploration opportunities for music.  This list is in NO way a comprehensive list, rather just a few of my favorites:

• Barefoot Books
• Chrome Music Lab
• Flat.io
• Incredibox
• Line Rider Listening Maps
• New York Philharmonic Kidzone

Music Blogs

The reality is that no one person has all the right answers.  Collectively, there are many music teachers and groups that are sharing ideas on how to navigate this new normal in music education.  Here are some of my favorite bloggers with their thoughts on teaching music remotely.

Elizabeth Caldwell’s blog – Organized Chaos

Melissa Stouffer’s blog – Mrs. Stouffer’s Music Room

Aimee Curtis Pfitzner’s blog – O For Tuna

Aileen Miracle’s blog – Mrs. Miracle’s Music Room

I wish you all well as we work through this new reality.  When things feel overwhelming, when you begin to worry about your students, please remember your why – why you teach music – what brought you to music. And in those moments of uncertainty or sadness, take a note from our Italian friends and simply make music.  Sing a song.  Play your piano, ukulele, cowbell – whatever!  Watch a musical or symphony orchestra perform online.  Get lost in the beauty and healing power of music.  Stay safe friends!