Yes, I love the Nutcracker! There is so much fun to play with that is also a ballet and.. CLASSICAL music that children have most likely heard before!  Here is a fun stretchy band activity for you and your students to enjoy!  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aimee Pfitzner ? (@aimee_ofortunaorff) Please note this will force a copy- click HERE! Enjoy ..read more

 This is a fun game I watched during a morning meeting last year when I was visiting a Kindergarten class. I loved it so much I had to create a song for us to sing to go with the game! This would work well with the children's book, Run Turkey Run! This is also a good one for prepping half note (see measure 4 of the song).  For a copy of the slides, check out my Patreon site!  ..read more

I struggle with all the Halloween themed things I used to do and no longer include as I have students who do not celebrate Halloween. I love spooky season and incorporate spiders, monsters, and other "Halloween-adjacent" activities into this time of year but always with a curricular focus. And if I don't have it, I make it. My third graders learn recorder every year and this year's group is just a wee bit behind other years, for whatever reason. Wonderful singers, and wonderful musicians, just not picking up on recorder as quickly as some other groups. So, I needed a quick piece to put togethe ..read more

This post came out of a discussion with my dear friend, Roger Sams (co-author of Purposeful Pathways) and several experienced clinicians and presenters. We have noticed several trends with newer music educators who want to be Clinicians and Presenters and want to help others and offer some free and unsolicited advice.   "Being an awesome music teacher is the opposite of being a rock star. A rock star wants the focus on them. An exemplary teacher always puts the focus on the learners. If you're still imitating others, taking their catch phrases and using them as your own, using t ..read more

This is such a beautiful book by Aimee Sicuro! The slides are available (FREE!) here ..read more

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aimee Pfitzner ? (@aimee_ofortunaorff) This is from my Hands to Hands book available from www.singmsileplay.com The slide set is available here ..read more

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aimee Pfitzner ? (@aimee_ofortunaorff) Get the full post with a video detailing the ideas and the presentation/learning slides here or join my Patreon community ..read more

Using barred instruments involves a little prep for students to feel successful. Here are some strategies for students to have beginning experiences with playing on the barred percussion, AKA Orff Instruments. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aimee Pfitzner ? (@aimee_ofortunaorff ..read more

I love origin stories - where did something start, how did it start, how has it changed over time. Etymology is the study of the origins of words, and in music, this can be the history and development of words related to music. So, where does the classic song, Hot Cross Buns, really come from? Dr. Robin Giebelhausen is an assistant professor of music education at the University of Maryland specializing in general music. Robin recently posted about the origins of Hot Cross Buns. Take a moment to read - SO much cool information! Go give her a follow on instagram - @robingiebes. And, just in cas ..read more

Hello everyone! I hope you have all had a great summer! Mine was a mix of yin and yang with an amazing trip to Japan and coming home to learn our sweet dog, Mo (Mozart) had passed away. He was my baby and I loved him so very much. It has been a time of so much sadness while also processing this amazing trip to such an incredible place on the other side of the world. School begins next Thursday and today was our first day back with meetings. I am ggetting ready for the first couple of weeks with lots of name games. Here is a post with a bunch of name games and songs. Enjoy ..read more