Resources for K-12 Teachers

I use the online curriculum Quaver Music. https://www.quavered.com

I also use the youtube channel Musication for playing instruments to interactive videos. https://www.youtube.com/c/musication

Beth's Notes is a great site that gives access to tons of songs and games that go with them. https://www.bethsnotesplus.com

Musictheory.net has a get platform for teaching theory. It has content lesson and then exercises that go along with the lessons. https://www.musictheory.net

I have used flipgrid (especially during online learning times) to have kids turn in playing tests. I even used it for 5th and 6th grade band because it is an easy platform. https://info.flipgrid.com

I just discovered Denise Gagne's Musicplay.com and love it! It's $100/year for a school subscription but so worth it! It has Units, built in lesson plans, interactive music

games, rhythm and solfege prac tice, record er/ukul ele/ bucket drumming units, and vocal warmups! I mainly use it with my elementary but I've also started adding some into my JH/HS lessons.

I also use Sightreadingfactory.com for grades 5-12 band/ choir. We use it in choir everyday and the band students all submit to me weekly sightreading for a grade. The school subscription is $35 and then an extra $2/student.

I love any books by Artie Almeida. She also has some games that work great for subs or extra practice – Doggone Dynamics and Sneaky Snake.

Sharon Burch has some great books based on the character Freddie the Frog. They cover concepts such as bass/treble clef, jazz, etc.

Mark Burrows also has some great supplemental resources for general music.

Matthew Dane Peavoy has a book called Easy Bucket Drumming that I've used for some performances with upper elementary. It has bucket accompaniment parts for popular pop songs.

I also love going to the J.W. Pepper workshops every summer. It is a great time to connect with other teachers and find out about new resources/music. I buy music from there every summer.

I have used Sight-Reading Factory online and the Alfred “Sing at First Sight” series by Andy Beck, Karen Farnum Surmani and Brian Lewis.

When I was up in Grand Forks, I loved using Music K-8 Magazine. It had great unison, 2 part and sometimes 3 part music to sing, recorder music, boomwhacker

music etc. https://www.musick8.com/html/whatsmk8.php. It was wonderful to receive as it also had seasonal music too!

Lauren Brandenburg • Fargo South High School

Musictechteacher.com – lots of learning games https://web.solfeg.io/login/ – pop music sing a long for fun https://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org/ – great elementary resource for instrument families

Elise Opp • Hazen Public School

Chrome Music Lab – I usually use Song Maker for when I want my 5th and 6th graders to compose without having to worry about using Finale or Sibelius. There are other options that can be used for all age ranges.

Teachers Pay Teachers – So many resources for worksheets, games, sub plans, tab for guitar, you name it! When I can't think of a game or activity to do, I will usually look here. You do have to buy it, but it can also be linked to your school so then you can purchase resources from your budget instead of your personal account.

Cakewalk – Similar to Garageband but can be used on any device for free!

Sightreading Factory – To help with sightreading skills and also prepare for auditions.

Blooket – Like Kahoot, but instead of just the quiz style, there are so many other types of minigames that can also be done as teams or individuals.

Sing Legato – If you're looking at doing some ear training, there is a song for each of the intervals. There are also warm-ups for other aspects of singing as well.

My absolute favorite is “Ready-to-Use Music Activities Kit” by Audrey J. Adair but I think it is out of print. Have to get it off of Amazon now, I think.

I also use “Ready to Read Music” and “60 Music Quizzes” by Jay Althouse. Also by Audrey J. Adair is “Basic Music Theory” and “Reading and Writing Music.”

A great resource to use for my subs who might not be musically knowledgeable is “Accent in Composers” by Jay Althouse and Judith O'Reilly. It's a mini history lesson on a composer complete with CD of listening selections and a listening chart.