Recorder Extras

This is a follow-up to my earlier post, Recorders Rock! I thought I would add a couple more quick ideas that you might find useful.

Creative Cases

We use Yamaha recorders that are available in three colors. The students love the bright colors, and they have a nice tone quality. However, the plastic recorder cases are not very durable. Some students replace their torn cases with creative things ranging from socks to fabric or hand-knit cases.

After I warned my fourth graders this year about the need to be careful with the cases to help them last as long as possible, a few students decided to take a proactive role. I have seen creative cases this year, and some look more difficult than others to make. I spotted these duct tape reinforced cases in class this week, and thought they were an ingenious way to make the cases cute and durable.

Recorder Rewards

We use Artie Almeida's Recorder Express as the main source in our recorder curriculum, and belts (colored yarn) are awarded as students achieve new levels with recorders. We enhance the curriculum with music from Don Muro's Give Me Five, and Easy 8, as well as recorder songs found in Music K-8 issues. Check out B A Superhero (by M.C. Handel/arr. by Paul Jennings, Music K-8, Vol. 16, No. 1). This song is always a favorite with our beginning recorder players.

You may like to follow a set curriculum for rewards, such as Barb Philipak's Recorder Karate. However, don't be afraid to customize rewards to fit your students' needs. We select the songs for belts from Recorder Express, since the students have their own books at home to use for practice. The following is a chart of song choices we currently use for each reward level:

Check out my latest post for information about visuals

for these songs that have improved my students' progress:

Kicking it with Recorder

Recorder Roll

I created a chart to keep up with recorder belt levels. You can download the Word document using the link below.

Recorder Roll Chart Download 

I hope your new year is off to a great start!

Light Up the Stage (Handcrafted Chandeliers)

Do you need some fresh ideas for holiday stage decorations? Where do you find your inspiration? I often find myself walking around Hobby Lobby looking for something to use to create decorations, props, or costumes. Last year, I struck gold in the fabric department. This wispy chiffon with ruffles looked wintery and seemed to be thin enough to use as part of a light fixture. I took the bolt over to the Christmas tree department and held it up in front of the white lights, and it was perfect.

I bought fabric, 6 sets of white lights, and 6 extension cords, but still had no idea how I was going to construct the light fixtures. After much deliberation, I decided lamp shades would serve as a good base for the fixtures. I bought 4 circles and 2 rectangles, so I could have 2 sets of three chandeliers.

I measured the diameter of the lampshade and cut the fabric accordingly.

I used strong clear packaging tape to attach the fabric to the inside of the lampshade. I used the lampshades upside down, so the largest part was on top. That allowed the fabric to flow straight from the top, instead of fanning out.

I forgot to take pictures after placing the lights inside, and now they are all boxed up and stored at school. It was actually quite simple. I used one string of white lights and one basic extension cord (I think they have 3 plugs) per light. The end of the extension cord fit tightly into the metal circle of the shade. I plugged the lights in under the circle, which kept the cord from slipping out when held upright. I took the lights and simply looped the strand around the metal parts of the shade as needed, to keep the lights from hanging out of the bottom.

Here is a close up of the lights shining through the fabric:

Here is the finished product hanging in my classroom as a test to make sure the tape would hold. I've used the decorations for two years now. Each year, we do 5-6 shows, so they seem to be durable.

In addition to making chandeliers, I bought some tulle and created a garland. I wrapped the fabric around strands of icicle lights, and used short pieces of tulle to tie and create the bubbles.

One last word of advice: Hobby Lobby always has a 40% off coupon for anything that isn't on sale. You can even search for it on your phone, and they will use the electronic coupon. Now, what are you waiting for? Grab a coupon and go shopping!

Dress it Up

As teachers, we all like to motivate, inspire, and even entertain our students. Our classrooms can help us do all three. Creating an inviting environment that children want to enter is an easy way to get them excited about coming to class. Below are some ideas for dressing up a music room.

Hallway Inspiration

Our classrooms are in a wing of the building that was constructed a few years ago. The hallway was sparkling clean, but very bland. I found several adorable printables of inspiring quotes from Shannon at Technology Rocks Seriously. The link to the printables is below.

Our art teachers had a quote they wanted to use, so I created one to blend with the others. I was able to do this because Shannon provided great info on fonts that she likes to use in her prints. I picked up a few mats and black frames from Hobby Lobby, and now we have a wall of inspiration over the water fountains in the hallway. They are the first thing the students see when they enter the hall from the stairwell. The framed prints really brighten the space and give students something to read and think about while they stand in line for water after physical education class.

If you like these printables, you can find these and many more at:

Technology Rocks Seriously School Signs

If you would like to create custom printables like these, read Shannon's post:

Technology Rocks Seriously Font Post

Make an Entrance

Our rooms are side by side, and we like to create unity by decorating our entrances the same. This year, I wanted to try out an idea I saw on Pinterest. These window treatments were a breeze to make and required no sewing.

Mounted between the doors is our school mission statement. I used the same fonts that are in our Star Student posters, plus a couple more that you will find in Shannon's favorite font list in the post linked above. I think the fonts fit the personality of the mission statement. I printed it on cardstock and taped it to a canvas that I had previously painted for my daughter. Fortunately, she no longer wanted it, and it matched perfectly! Your mission statement or quote could also be printed with a border, such as black with white polka dots, so there would be no need for a painted canvas.

If you are interested in making streamer curtains like these, visit Maggie at Black and White {Side by Side} for directions. For reference, I purchased 1 yard each of 4 lightweight cotton prints, and 1 yard each of 2 colors of tulle. That was enough fabric to create the treatments for 2 doorways. I ripped the cotton fabrics into strips, but had to cut the tulle with scissors. I put the fabric strips on tension rods with the idea of mounting them inside the door frame. However, our door frames are metal, and two heavy duty clip magnets from Office Depot allowed us to mount them a little higher. These could be used for window treatments, as well.

Frame It

These hanging frames were created from a 4x8 sheet of foam insulation (the pinkish purple kind found at home improvement stores). I cut the frames with a jigsaw, but you could use a sharp knife. Next, I painted them with craft paint. Spray paint eats the foam (I learned the hard way), so stick with craft paint. It's cheap and available in a plethora of colors.

These frames were originally made to use as decorations for a tool shower. There were saws, pliers, and such hanging inside. I brought them to school, found instruments to fit in each frame, and put 3 on each side of the screen at the front of the room. A tiny hook in each of the top corners allows them to be hung with picture frame wire that is attached to the frame of the dropped ceiling.

Cute & Functional

Sometimes, Janet and I take our classes out of our rooms. Whether it is next door to meet together, outside to practice recorders, or down to the auditorium for a rehearsal, it is important to let students and teachers know where we are. We used to jot out notes on index cards or Post-it notes before rushing off with our class. Finally, we realized that we could just print and laminate signs for places we consistently go. We picked up some cute cards from an invitation shop and printed the signs and laminated them. Now we keep them on our whiteboards in a clip magnet, ready to pop on the door as we leave. 

Bright & Cheery

A well-placed pop of color or humor can draw a child's attention. My students sit on the floor, so this flower friend is right at their level, smiling at them every day. In addition, I painted this bright flower and added a quote about excellence to inspire students to work hard every day.

Keeping it bright...

I wrote about this table in Make Your Furniture Rock. It provides a fun sitting area that serves as a reward for hardworking students. The cabinet was also a makeover several years ago. It began as an old, battered, army green metal cabinet. I covered it with white contact paper and added vinyl decals. It's still not my favorite, but it will suffice. It provides great storage, and at least it is bright now!

Speaking of bright...my room has 9 windows! The back wall is completely filled with windows. Adding these valances really made the space much cozier. I used bulletin board paper to make a pattern with waves that would be opposite when the fabric folded over a tension rod, so the contrasting fabric would peek through. Each window is about 42" wide. 1 yard of fabric and 1 yard of contrasting fabric was used for each window.

These are just a few things that I hope brighten the day for my students, since their smiles brighten mine. :)

Have fun dressing up your space!

Make Your Furniture Rock

If you want your music room to rock, it needs to look cool. I wanted to add a couple of pieces of furniture to my room this year, but the pieces needed a complete overhaul to make them rock-worthy.

Before Pics:

I wasn't kidding!  Look how hideous these pieces of furniture were. The rolling cart had seen better days. The round table was used as a prop on stage in musicals for about 10 years. I decided to give it a face lift and move it to my classroom.

Prep Work:

Both tables required sanding prior to applying paint. The round table also needed a good bit of wood filler. It was in sad shape from years of use.

Base Paint:

I used black spray primer/paint on the lower portions and white primer/paint (brush-on) for the tops. I used a satin finish, but wish I had used flat for the top. More on that later...

Tape & Contrasting Color:

I used painter's tape to tape patterns on the table tops. Then I painted a few coats of green paint. I used acrylic craft paint for the contrasting color. The white satin paint tried to repel the craft paint, so it took a few layers to make it work. I should have used flat paint on the table tops.

Last Steps:

I carefully peeled the tape off. I loved the contrast of the bright green and white. Then I sprayed several clear coats to protect the finish.

Finished Products:

Finally, these tables rock and can live in my classroom!

Do you have ugly furniture that could use a helping hand? Don't be afraid to paint it and make it cute. A little paint, tape, and time is all you need to update your old pieces and make them rock.

Have fun!