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Preparing for an elementary music performance can be a fun and exciting experience for students and teachers. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you plan and execute a successful performance:
1. Choose the Music
When choosing music for an elementary music performance, consider the age level and skill of the students performing and the target audience.
Choosing the music for your performance should happen weeks to months before your first rehearsal. This allows time for planning, shipping a new piece of music, and getting any additional pieces ready before rehearsing with students. Planning and rehearsing simultaneously is overwhelming for the teacher and can lead to wasted rehearsal time in the future.
Depending on the community at your school, you can do in-formances that inform the parents about what is happening in the classroom, or you can perform a pre-developed show.
Resources:
JW Pepper
Music K-8
Music Express
Hal Leonard
Consider providing a mix of familiar songs, seasonal pieces, and new material that challenges your students. Various styles (classical, folk, popular music) keep the performance engaging for students and the audience.
2. Plan the Program
Set a Date & Venue: Coordinate with the school administration to book the date and venue well in advance. Consider acoustics, seating, and any technical needs. Also, if your school requires special permission to extend the air conditioner or heat in the building, do this months in advance to ensure your venue is comfortable for students and attendees.
Create a Theme: If applicable, select a theme (e.g., “Seasons of the Year,” “Songs Around the World”) to give the performance a cohesive feel.
Balanced Program: Include solos, group songs, and instrumentals (if applicable) to vary the program and give different students a chance to shine.
Speaking Parts: If the show doesn’t have speaking parts written, consider adding them to allow students time to transition between instruments, microphones, or small costume changes.
Rehearsal Schedule: Write a specific rehearsal schedule you will maintain to the best of your ability. Be prepared to isolate problem areas within a song, speaking parts, or costuming.
Communicate with Parents and Classroom Teachers: Consider sending a save-the-date email/note home, let classroom teachers know how they can help you prepare, and share as much information about how they can support you early in the performance preparation. If you wait until the last minute, you do not give parents or classroom teachers enough time to help you. If you have special speaking parts or solos, asking parent permission is highly encouraged to ensure the student feels safe in that role and that the student will be present at the performance.
3. Rehearsal
Daily Practice: Incorporate regular practice into your music class schedule. Start with small sections and build up to performing the whole song.
Choreography/Movement: If your songs include movements or dances, teach them early and allow for plenty of rehearsal time.
Look at the choreography/movement to see if this will help with the memorization of songs or if it will get in the way of students learning the material. It may need to be changed, simplified, or added to depending on your comfort level with teaching choreography and whether or not the students need help remembering the words.
Memorization: For younger students, avoid overloading them with memorization. If sheet music is used, ensure students are comfortable reading it or following along.
Transitions: Practice smooth transitions between songs or acts to ensure a flow during the performance. If there are costume or set changes, enlist the help of a classroom teacher, a parent, or older students. Trying to direct and help with transitions can be very overwhelming.
4. Organize Logistics
Plan seating for audience members, where your performers will gather before the performance begins, what time you want them to arrive, and decide if you want them in costume or to change upon arrival.
Sound System: Ensure microphones and sound equipment are set up for rehearsals and the performance day if necessary. Tape down with gaff tape any loose wires, microphone cables, etc., so students can safely navigate around the wires on stage.
Program: Create a printed program with song titles, composers, and special acknowledgments. You may opt for a digital program using a QR code to help save paper, and attendees can easily save the digital format!
5. Invitations/Performance Attire:
Send Out Invitations: Inform parents about the performance date, time, and dress code (if applicable). You can create fun invitations for students to bring home.
Performance Attire: Set a simple, easy-to-follow dress code (e.g., white tops, black bottoms, or themed costumes if relevant). If you have multiple classes performing, allow them to dress slightly differently so the audience can distinguish them from other performers.
If a particular costume is required, consider letting parents know this early in preparation so they can have time to purchase or create it.
6. Final Rehearsals (Dress Rehearsal)
Before your final rehearsal, ask if you can perform for the school. Having an in-school performance can help iron out the wrinkles, help with planning and logistics, and allow you to see what needs to be fixed before your final performance.
Address Stage Presence: Teach students about stage presence, such as how to enter/exit the stage, standing still, smiling, and looking confident. Teach final points and final moves at the ends of songs so the audience is prepared to clap and take pictures.
Sound Check: If using microphones, test them and ensure everyone knows how to handle them properly. Ideally, you want the students to have a week or more in front of a microphone to learn their cues of when to begin speaking and how loud/soft to talk and check stand height, but if you can only do this during one rehearsal, then make sure it is done towards the end of their preparation.
Full Run-Through: Have a full run-through of the performance a day or two before the event, ensuring all transitions and timing are practiced.
7. Performance Day
Warm-Up: Have a short warm-up session for both voices and instruments to get students relaxed and focused.
Stay Calm and Positive: Keep the atmosphere light and encouraging. Emphasize that the performance involves having fun and sharing music with their families and friends.
Stay Organized: Have a clear plan for getting students on and off the stage, and ensure staff or volunteers are helping to manage the students backstage.
Have a plan for dismissing students back to their families. Safety is a concern at large community events, and having a plan to relay to parents is extremely helpful.
8. After the Performance
Celebrate: Congratulate the students on their hard work.
Feedback: After the performance, reflect on what worked and what could be improved for the future. You could also ask students for their thoughts and suggestions.
These steps will help create a well-prepared, enjoyable, and memorable performance experience for elementary school students.
As always,
Sing, Say, Play, Create, but above all else, Care!
I feel this is a conversation that we need to have as an educational community. I may say some things you disagree with in this podcast, and that’s ok. I probably teach a way you disagree with, and that’s ok too. We aren’t carbon copies of one another and shouldn’t be. The students benefit from our unique personalities and approaches to education. When I think of classroom setup, I view it as an approach to education.
I’m Here eight or More Hours a Day: Let me enjoy my space!
Think about your favorite room in your house. Why is that room your favorite? Is it decorated nicely? Does it smell pleasant? Maybe you have scented candles, fancy lighting, or whatever brings you joy.
If I spend eight or more hours in my classroom every day, I should make it pleasing. I think of my classroom as my home away from home. I want it to look nice, feel comfortable, and be welcoming for students.
If this means I have to come to the school before my contracted time begins, then I will do that. I also write lesson plans off contract too.
Writing Lesson Plans Off Contract so My Year is Smoother
While my teammates are stressed out during the year, I’m not because I’ve written my plans already. I know that sounds petty, but it is how I manage the stress throughout the year. I try to pre-plan as much as I can. It’s not ideal, and no, I’m not paid to do so, but I’m also not stressed out during the year like other teachers are. To me, that is priceless.
Shaming Other Teachers into Doing Things Your Way
I don’t come into your classroom and tell you how to and what to teach. You don’t walk into my classroom and tell me what or how to teach. Why is working on or off contract time any of your business? I’m not against advocating for teacher pay. I’m not against advocating for better work conditions for teachers, but I don’t need to pull my hair out during the start of the year to prove a point. My teaching partner doesn’t plan the way I do. She does things last minute, which stresses me out, but it works for her. She has very small children that need her during her time at home, so she’s doing what works for her and her family. I will not expect her to change how she manages her workload because I feel stressed. That is not how that works. It is her workload, and it is her time. We should respect how other teachers choose to do their jobs and mind our own business. After all, don’t we teach our students to mind their own business?
When teachers argue among ourselves, it is much easier for others to come in and tear down our system. We have very little control over what happens to our job. I have control over how I spend my personal time. If I want to spend time writing lesson plans or decorating my room, that is what I can control, and it is my business.
Let’s stop shaming the teachers who do the most in their rooms. Let’s stop shaming the teachers who don’t go all out and overboard in their rooms. Maybe too much décor stresses out those teachers, so they need bare walls. Maybe over-the-top décor makes that “extra” teacher feel safe and comfortable. Either way, let each teacher and their classroom show their unique personality.
Establishing Classroom Rules for a Successful Music Class
Classroom management is crucial in creating a productive and encouraging learning environment. This blog post will explore practical strategies, tips, and techniques to help teachers successfully manage their classrooms beyond building relationships, calling parents, and relying on administrative support. This bottom-up design, starting with lesson instruction and building in classroom management, will keep the lesson flowing and save time and energy while teaching content and desired behaviors. Serious behavior concerns will be easier to address when the more minor, more annoyances and class disruptions are fewer and well-managed.
Creating a Positive Learning Environment in the Elementary Music Classroom
A positive learning environment begins by establishing the culture and climate within your walls. We see a variety of teaching styles and expectations within our day, but the children can and will adapt to your expectations independently of their classroom teachers.
Classroom climate is the psychological things such as the teacher’s behaviors or actions for or with their students. Examples are providing a diverse, fair, equitable, and trustworthy student environment. Creating and following the most current and proven effective teaching practices and safety precautions and following through with expectations will improve your classroom climate. We are constantly told that building relationships is the key to classroom management, but it is challenging to create a relationship with over 500 students; therefore, we must build those relationships within a lesson by focusing on student’s strengths, supporting students in and out of our classrooms (sharing them with the PE teacher during track, or other clubs) and by forming relationships with their parents. Your time is best spent building relationships with parents via Remind, Seesaw, and Class Dojo, apps where you can share what the students are doing collectively versus individual attention. In my classroom, I frequently adapt the phrase “we don’t do that in here” because I often have to remind students that I am not their classroom teacher, their PE teacher, or their fill-in-the-blank teacher so that they remember what I expect in my classroom. Lastly, spending time within a lesson to focus on students’ social-emotional growth is always an investment in time well spent. It promotes buy-in, celebrates their successes, and reminds them that your space is safe.
Classroom culture is the values and norms of how the students and the teacher will work together and their shared values, beliefs, and assumptions. Students want to know how you will make them feel connected to the class and content. To do this, focus on students’ strengths, praise their efforts, and connect with them outside the music room via choir or instrumental clubs. Provide students with high expectations, increase support in areas they struggle with, both musically and otherwise, show respect to them by providing engaging lessons in a clean and organized environment, and make sure students feel physically and psychologically safe. Have students help you create classroom rules or at least agree on the ones you provide for them, especially rules about communication. Create a space where they can turn problems into teachable moments, placing a positive spin on problem-solving. Maintain a space with a nice flow to and from instruments, movement, and other activities to limit disruptions during transitions, and make sure your classroom décor is meaningful and is used in instruction, not just decoration. If you need to, have individual conversations with students about their behavior or needs, or even chat with the class unrelated to music to build a rapport with them. Lastly, you can provide a classroom job or jobs for students to feel ownership of their environment and learning space.
The Power of Routine: Structuring Your Music Class for Success
Clear and Consistent Procedures: Communicate the procedures and expectations for different activities in your music classroom. Consistency is critical in helping students understand and follow the routines effectively.
How students should enter and exit the classroom:
When establishing your classroom set-up, think about how the students will flow from the hallway into your classroom and their assigned spots. Will they sit in rows or semi-circles? Will you use chairs, stools, and sit spots, or students simply remember their spots?
In my classroom, I have the students sit on the carpet floors in five to six rows of five or six depending on their class size on body size (grade level)
In the front of the rows, I use poly spot arrows to point to the location that are colored, and I use their colors in my routines.
Their places are assigned, and they usually remain in these spots for about nine weeks, then we switch spots.
Once you know how your children will sit, you can then determine the routine for entering the classroom. Will you greet them at the door somehow? Will you do an entrance song or chant? Will you have a conversation with their classroom teachers?
I greet my classes at the door and establish this routine on the first week of school.
I let the classroom teachers know that the children are to enter my classroom with me greeting them at the door and conversing with them about absences, illnesses, or anything else I need to know to set my class time up for success. I want to know if Johnny is having a bad day or if Suzy didn’t get enough sleep last night because her mom had a new baby.
When class is over, are you ending abruptly or leaving time for a closing activity or lesson summary? Will you have a closing song or chant to get them into a line? What will you do for classes that struggle with making a line? Will you use their classroom teacher’s line order or establish your own method?
In my classroom, I try to leave time for closing and not end class abruptly, especially when considering my students who struggle with transitions.
I try not to end in the middle of a game but rather give students a heads-up that a game will end because we are running out of time. I have a chant for ending a game “If I do not go today, it’s okay!”
Once students are in line, I use this time for some rapport building, having conversations with students unrelated to music, or if we are behind, I use this time for singing a new song or reviewing a concept.
When a teacher is late, I try not to make a big deal about it. We all do our best to accomplish everything during our planning time, so I always show grace. Unless it’s getting out of hand or the same offender, then I have a conversation with them about it, but I always keep it light-hearted.
How to handle instruments and materials:
Consider your classroom layout, furniture set-up, and access to instruments when creating your routines for passing out materials. Does your environment allow students to access their materials independently, or will they need help? Do you want students to get their instruments, or will you pass them out? What are your instruments and other materials going to be stored in? Will the containers have lids and labels? Can this be a student’s job? What will the students do once they have their materials? What will the students waiting for their materials do?
In my classroom, students are called by rows and get instruments themselves. This process begins in kindergarten with teacher help and extends to upper grades with student independence. Sometimes, I pass instruments out by rows if I have a class that struggles with independence. Whatever process I choose, I stick with it for at least a semester before I change.
I have positioned my shelves where students can access them easily, and I place instruments on the shelves considering their relative height and grade level use. For example, rhythm sticks are lower on the shelves because kindergarten uses them more often than fifth grade. Every instrument is stored in a clear plastic box with a lid and is labeled with a picture and text. The same picture and text are also taped to the shelf where the container goes; if we need to remove the containers off the shelf for any reason, students can easily return them to their correct locations.
I have students place their instruments on the floor and wait for everyone to have an instrument in kindergarten and first grade. By second grade, I can start them playing an ostinato or keeping a steady beat with their instrument until everyone has one. Some classes cannot handle that, and they keep their instruments quiet while I continue to teach. It just depends on the grade level, experience, and class ability.
I follow this process for all materials, pencils, whiteboards, markers, papers, etc.
How to transition between activities:
Consider your classroom layout when transitioning to different activities and parts of the room. Will you use a chime, chants, singing, or silence? Will you do something different each time and use that to keep children engaged during transitions?
Whatever type of transition you choose, keep it consistent when moving throughout the classroom. For example, when I move from the carpet to the barred instruments, I always pair students together, and this takes a little bit of time. Still, I find it useful because I use their partner as a mini teacher, so I consider my pairings carefully.
When I move from playing barred instruments to the carpet, sometimes we sing, sometimes we chant, or sometimes we move silently. It depends, and the students know I will give the expectation before we transition.
Potty, water, nurse, tissues, all the things:
How will students ask to use the restroom, get a drink of water, go to the nurse, get a tissue, or any movement around the room that isn’t related to the whole group?
In my classroom, students are not allowed to use the restroom or get water during my class. This is a campus expectation for the safety of our students, as my restroom/water fountain is not located in my classroom, and the closest restroom/water fountain is down the hallway. In our current climate, student safety takes priority, and teachers are expected to take a restroom/water break before specials. Now, in the event of an emergency, we do have a buddy system we implement, but we do not routinely leave the classroom.
If a student needs to get a tissue, they go get one; the procedure is “blow, throw, go” They blow their nose, throw their tissue away, go get hand sanitizer and return to their spot.
If a student needs to go to the nurse, we have a campus procedure where we send them with a buddy and a nurse slip that states what the student needs.
Age-Appropriate Routines: Consider your student’s age and developmental level when designing your routines. Younger students may need more guidance and explicit instructions, while older students may be able to handle more independent responsibilities.
Adapt your routines to suit the needs of your specific age group.
In my classroom, kindergarten and first grade follow the same routines for getting instruments because I use very explicit language and model everything from walking to the storage location, retrieving the instrument from the container, how to hold the instrument as we walk to our spot, how to place it safely on the floor or ready position, how to play the instruments, etc. I am very specific, and we practice, practice, practice.
Second through fifth grade have different expectations, but the same routines are in place. For example, I will give explicit instructions and model fewer times with the upper grades. I am quicker to have students put an instrument away if they do not follow expectations than with a lower grade level. If I have a fairly independent class, I can continue to teach while students get their materials.
Time Management: Plan your lessons and activities with a clear sense of time allocation. Determine how much time to allocate for warm-ups, instruction, practice, and transitions. Teaching students to manage their time effectively within the routines will help maximize instructional time and maintain a smooth flow of activities.
Lesson plan structure matters in a class that is only 25-50 minutes long. You must plan everything to the minute to ensure you are the most effective teacher you can be.
Room entry – 2 minutes
Take roll
Hello song
Stretching or Movement
Begin Lesson – 5 minutes
State objective – have students echo the objective for more buy-in
Warm up – vocal exploration, rhythm reading, solfege or rhythm games, concentration games, etc.
Lesson Target – 20-25 minutes
Focus song/activity
High-concentration activity and questioning
Game/Centers/Review – 20-25 minutes
Lower concentration activities
Singing games or rhythm games for practice or review
Centers for independent practice
Exit Room – 5 minutes
Line up song
Tidy up
Review behavior
Learn a new song
Chat with students
Flexibility and Adaptability: While routines provide structure, it’s essential to be flexible and adapt as needed. Allow room for unexpected circumstances or adjustments to the schedule. Adaptability ensures that your routines can accommodate changes and maintain a positive learning environment.
Keep up with your campus’ schedule and plan around assemblies, field trips, testing, or anything else that throw off the schedule for the planning cycle.
At my campus, I see classes once a week, so if I miss a Tuesday 4th-grade lesson, I have to consider all the 4th-grade lessons for that week so class can stay caught up.
Keep a copy of your schedule, sub plans, and basic routines available if you need to be out. Do you want a sub to play instruments with your students? Do you want a sub to show movies? Think about a routine for the substitute teachers to follow; teach that to your students so that when you are away, students can help keep your room clean and safe.
If you haven’t seen this Facebook post (insert a picture of the broken instruments), it is a sad reminder that substitutes do not always follow our plans. This is why teaching students the expectations you want them to follow while you are away is crucial. If you will be out for an extended time and can plan, teach your students your expectations for a long-term sub.
Involve students in the process of establishing routines. Seek their input and allow them to contribute ideas for structuring routines. When students feel a sense of ownership and involvement in the routines, they are likelier to adhere to them and take responsibility for their actions.
When possible and grade level appropriate, allow students to be involved in creating some routines.
For example, you can use students to pass out instruments instead of retrieving them if that works better for specific classes or student needs.
Teach and practice the routines explicitly at the beginning of the school year and periodically reinforce them throughout the year.
Consistent reinforcement helps students internalize their routines and become more independent.
Use explicit instructions when establishing routines and expectations.
Model everything, use student models, and use student leaders to help teach/demonstrate a routine.
Practice as often as a class or student needs to be successful and independent at executing the routine.
Review and practice routines after breaks and holidays. The review is good for the students and will increase their success.
Regularly reflect on the effectiveness of your routines. Assess whether they are meeting the needs of your students and if any adjustments or modifications are necessary. Classroom dynamics and student needs may change, so reviewing and adjusting your routines is essential.
If a routine is not working, do not be afraid to change the routine and re-teach the routine to your students. You can explain why it wasn’t working and why you are changing the routine to increase their buy-in.
If you have a routine that works for every class except one or two, do not hesitate to adjust the routine for a specific class. Using different routines with different classes is okay as long as you are consistent with their class.
You may need to adjust your routine for classes at the beginning and end of the day to allow for taking attendance or dismissing students.
Considering these factors, you can establish routines that promote a structured, efficient, and positive learning environment in your elementary music classroom.
When planning your classroom layout, you should consider how you will store your instruments for student use. Here I will outline some ways I store my instruments and make them accessible to my students to aid in their independence.
Small Percussion
Small percussion can sometimes be the worst to organize and keep neat throughout the school year, but I have found that keeping them in containers with lids is the best way to go.
When I put the instrument containers on my shelves, I consider the age of the students using them. I put the instruments that will be used by kindergarten most frequently lower to the ground and the instruments used by older students a bit higher on the shelf. As the year progresses, the kindergarten students will learn to get instruments off the shelf and put them away when they’re done independently.
Drums
In my classroom, I have various sizes of tubano drums, a few djembes, two pairs of bongo drums, a conga, and several hand drums. I organize the larger drums together and place the hand drums on the shelf with the other small percussion. I have a table in my classroom where I can put the larger drums on top of them and keep them off the floor. This isn’t the ideal location; however, it keeps the floor free for movement space.
Last year I used this table to store my drums.
I’m going to try this location this year (2022)
Orff Instruments and Mallets
I am fortunate to have 12 barred instruments and a menagerie of mallets in my classroom. I keep my barred instruments out all the time and use them almost every lesson. In past years I have kept the instruments in the back of my room behind the carpets my students sit on. This year I may put them off to the side of my classroom, but the only concern is that the students won’t be able to see the screen as easily. I keep the mallets on top of the instrument, ready to go. I keep all the extra mallets I use for my percussion ensemble in these small buckets I got from the Dollar Tree several years ago, and the buckets are labeled with pictures so that students know where to return them.
Ukuleles
For several years, I have kept my ukuleles in their boxes. I have Makala brand ukuleles in my room, and they came in these nice cardboard boxes that I numbered to match my student’s numbers. The boxes are starting to age and still look pretty good, but I’m thinking this year I will hang my ukuleles using Command hooks and the storage bags that came with the ukulele. I may use my Cricut to label the bags with their numbers. If I do this, I’ll be sure to update the blog with a photo of the finished product.
Update: I decided to leave them in their boxes. The wall just wasn’t going to work. I will add a photo to the blog when I bring them out.
Instruments for Teacher Use Only
I have several instruments for only my use, including my piano, ukuleles, and various percussion instruments. I keep these instruments close to where I mostly stand in my classroom and on a separate instrument cart that the children know is for teacher use. I only let students I know take piano lessons to play on my piano as I tell them that it is a tool for teaching and not one that I have enough to share or teach them all to play.
Labels
I suggest labeling everything with pictures and words so students can return the instruments to the proper containers. I even have the labels on the shelves where the boxes belong so that my student leaders can help clean up the classroom after we finish the lesson. You can make labels as creative or simple as you would like, but make sure you label everything!
Mrs. Byrd's Music Room 