In the last month, MakeMusic Cloud added 90 interactive publications. Browse below to discover new favorites among the continuous new repertoire included with your regular subscription. New works for concert band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, and solos for any instrument or voice are included in this month’s new interactive music ready to assign, practice, and record in MakeMusic Cloud. Highlights include concert band works by Cindy Hill, Timothy Mahr, and Dwayne Milburn; and string orchestra works by Brian Balmages, Soon Hee Newbold, and Todd Parrish. Movie and pop highlights include music from ..read more

Summer break is a great time for students and teachers to enjoy a change of pace. MakeMusic Cloud can help teachers offer students enrichment and fun musical activities in a quick and easy way so that everyone gets to enjoy a break! We’ve collected ideas from our MakeMusic Innovators and Clinicians (real teachers and MakeMusic Cloud users) about how they keep the music going in the summer months with MakeMusic Cloud’s help.  Summer Band Prep  We run a summer band before the start of school in August. At the end of the current school year, we announce the summer band theme. This year ..read more

Funding, whether we like it or not, plays a critical role in nurturing the artistic talents of students and enriching music education programs. As school budgets become increasingly strained, resources for music education are at a serious risk. We all know that music programs are essential for a well-rounded education—they foster creativity, improve academic performance, and enhance our students’ emotional development. However, music programs are often one of the first things on the chopping block. The good news is that funding is available; you just have to know where to look and how to acces ..read more

How proficient are your students in reading rhythms and grasping time signatures? Could your students sight-read the exercise below? In an era where attention spans are shrinking, and the pursuit for entertainment and “fun” shapes academic choices, the challenge of engaging students in rehearsals looms large. Yet, as the adage goes, “The fun lies in the success!” So why not infuse our rehearsals with varied activities that extend beyond the routine preparation for concerts or assessments? By embracing a diverse range of learning experiences, we can cultivate a deeper sense of enjoyment and ac ..read more

In the last month, MakeMusic Cloud added 262 interactive tracks across 81 new publications. Browse below to discover new favorites among the continuous new repertoire included with your regular subscription. New works for concert band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, choir, method books, and solos for any instrument or voice are included in this month’s new interactive music ready to assign, practice, and record in MakeMusic Cloud. Highlights include concert band works by Carol Brittin Chambers, Quincy Hilliard, and Ryan Nowlin; and string orchestra works by Jerry Brubaker, Katie O’Hara LaBrie, and ..read more

Think you have what it takes to beat Kate Warren in sight reading? Take MakeMusic’s Sight Reading Challenge to find out! Using Sight Reading Studio, MakeMusic’s sight reading music generation app, Kate has created three different sight reading templates of increasing difficulty level that will put your skills to the test. If you’re up for a challenge, here’s the 4 steps for how to participate: Step 1) Create a MakeMusic Cloud account To participate in the challenge, you’ll need a free MakeMusic Cloud account—if you don’t already have one yet, you can sign up completely free by clicking on the ..read more

Leadership development is a crucial element in ensuring success for students, teachers, districts, and any organization. Development isn’t just reading the “Top 5 Leadership Strategies” as you scroll through your Linkedin timeline; Leadership requires constant engagement with your personal habits and their relationship to external forces.  In this Age of Change, leadership becomes more important than ever as organizations face significant periods of change both personally and professionally. From my own experience, I’d like to share a few key concepts and strategies that have led to growt ..read more

In the last month, MakeMusic Cloud added 403 interactive tracks across 100 new publications.  Browse below to discover new favorites among the continuous new repertoire included with your regular subscription. New works for concert band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, choir, method books, and solos for any instrument or voice are included in this month’s new interactive music ready to assign, practice, and record in MakeMusic Cloud. Highlights include concert band works by Brian Balmages, JaRod Hall, and Katie O’Hara LaBrie; string orchestra works by Carrie Lane Gruselle, Soon Hee Newbold, and ..read more

For International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the amazing members of the MakeMusic and Alfred Music teams. Our teams are filled with amazing people who are passionate about supporting teachers and students in their musical journeys. Here are just a few of them, and why they love music, education, and being a part of the Alfred Music and MakeMusic family. Mallory B. – Product Marketing Manager, Alfred Music “[Music is] a universal language that allows us to communicate beyond words.” “I love that moment when you see something click for a student and they start to make the music their own ..read more

Tips and Tricks for getting your students comfortable playing and reading behind any mallet instrument. Before even tackling how to approach and play the instrument, students need to know their notes on the staff (both treble and bass clefs!) and where they fall on the keyboard. Make sure they know where middle C is on the staff and where it is on the instrument—it’s not always in the middle of the instrument! As you teach them the notes on the staff, have them grasp the correlation between moving “up and down” the staff and to the right and left of the instrument. Also have them be able to se ..read more