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The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to make it merry and bright than with the gift of music? Busy Kids Do Piano is excited to present our Musical Advent Calendar – a free downloadable PDF packed with daily musical activities to make the countdown to Christmas extra special for your little ones. This unique calendar is designed not only to teach kids about holiday music but also to foster togetherness and create lasting family memories. Continue reading “Musical Advent Calendar”
If you could see me in person right now, you’d see my giant smile because April is BROADWAY MONTH for the Busy Kids Do Piano community! That simply means we’re going to learn all about Broadway Musicals this month. I have a deep love for Broadway and could talk about it endlessly. In fact, last month, I took a trip to NYC and was fortunate enough to see three shows in three days! Pure musical heaven.
I have all kinds of fun Broadway Musical resources I’ve put together for your musical learning fun this month (or any month!). If you follow me over on Instagram, you can check out my quick tour of the Museum of Broadway in this reel, or learn about some of the Broadway careers available to musicians in this post.
Over on the podcast, I have two very special episodes with Broadway-themed content.
Continue reading “Broadway Musicals: A Round-Up of Resources”
June is African American Music Appreciation Month, and so I sat down and made a list of some of my favorite songs written by Black artists from various decades and in various musical genres. My list ended up including favorites from jazz, classical, R&B, pop, and more. This month’s challenge is in hopes your student will get to listen to some of these songs, ones you probably love as well, by artists like Stevie Wonder, Etta James, ragtime-extraordinaire Scott Joplin, and I even threw in a classic by Destiny’s Child. Continue reading “Dance & Draw Party Packet”
Do you have memories from childhood of hearing a song that made you feel happy, sad, or excited? At what point did you begin to associate music with different feelings? Many of us probably found some of this awareness around middle school or high school, when we began to experience more of the ups and downs of life. Most of us found songs to accompany us through those times. Music can be nostalgic and emotional. It can be a strong influence and a significant part of our stories. Continue reading “Spring Activity Pack”
A few weeks ago, a parent reached out to me to let me know that she was struggling to find piano and music resources that represented her Black son. She wondered if I might have any resources where he could see himself represented.
It’s beneficial for children to see racial mirrors. They need role models, inspiration and validation. It’s also important that children who are white or from homogenous populations see others who don’t look like them represented. Not only does it reduce stereotypes and biases but it also give a more accurate window into the real world.
The music education world — myself included — has a long way to go when it comes to racial representation. I am committed to doing better (and always open to feedback). Within my paid courses — both in the content and the images — I work to include diverse representation.
I also have lots of free materials that are available to music students everywhere. Here is a current round-up of free resources from my own music education materials that represent non-white musicians. Continue reading “Representation in Music”
When we think about African American music, we tend to think about spirituals, jazz and gospel genres. To be sure, these are genres that have been created and shaped by Black composers and musicians. However, something we often overlook is Black classical music and Black classical composers.
Though I have been trained in classical music my entire life and studied music in college, I never heard names such as William Grant Still or Florence Price until recently. Many Black composers have been largely absent from the study of classical music. Let’s take a moment to learn about three of these brilliant composers and their contributions to classical music.
This lesson is part 4 of 4 that I’ve released on the Baroque period of music. These lessons are a part of my online course, Busy Kids Do Music History. Today’s lesson will review everything we’ve learned so far in the series!
To view Lesson 1, click here.
To view Lesson 2, click here.
To view Lesson 3, click here.
The creation of Baroque music was driven by the patron — the church and the wealthy.
Music was a display of wealth, talent and all things fancy. New musical forms rose in popularity, and composers of the time produced hundreds of compositions for their patrons.
Let’s review what we learned about the Baroque era of music and composers! Continue reading “The Baroque Period: Lesson 4”
This lesson is part 3 of 4 that I’ve released on the Baroque period of music. These lessons are a part of my online course, Busy Kids Do Music History.
Find Lesson 1 of the Baroque Period series here
Find Lesson 2 of the Baroque Period series here
Find Lesson 4 of the Baroque Period series here
In the last lesson, we learned about how Baroque style influenced the way instruments were used and music sounded during the Baroque years.
In this lesson, we’ll take a look at 3 of the most famous Baroque composers. We’ll learn about who their patrons were, what kind of music they wrote, and even some fun or quirky things you may not have known about them.
This lesson is part 2 of 4 that I’ve released on the Baroque period of music. These lessons are a part of my online course, Busy Kids Do Music History.
Find Lesson 1 of the Baroque Period series here
Find Lesson 3 of the Baroque Period series here
Find Lesson 4 of the Baroque Period series here
In the last lesson, we learned about how the Baroque period was all about fancy, decorative and lavish things!
In this lesson we’ll learn how that style influenced the way instruments were used and music sounded during the Baroque years. Continue reading “The Baroque Period: Lesson 2”
This lesson is part 1 of 4 that I’ve released on the Baroque period of music. These lessons are a part of my online course, Busy Kids Do Music History.
Let’s take a quick peek at some things that were happening in the Western world at the same time as the Baroque Period.
