Hello valued customers and friends,
As mentioned earlier I am sharing this walk with you through this challenging COVID-19 terrain. I’m not going anywhere, rather I’m being available and committed to help and answer emails and the phone (I can’t go anywhere anyway as I gave myself a really bad home haircut with some hedge clippers and shaved an eyebrow to dissuade my persistent desire to congregate, and also accidentally clipped off part of my ear). In addition to working on our webpage, I’m searching for resources that assist in distance learning and that also offer encouragement to directors and students in this temporary period. It’s a time to assist, collaborate, and help one another. With this we will get through sooner and better.
This is the second post in this regard. To see our first email which provided resources, explains our COVID mission as it were, and also lists many other possible ingredients for the new (and hopefully short lived) modus operandi we are working in please scroll down to the previous post, or use the link; https://musicdirect.ca/newsletter/together-well-get-through/
I hope the below may be of benefit to you and your students…
Peter Boonshaft (educator, author, and dynamic speaker) A short uplifting video message you may use with your students https://vimeo.com/402940122
Scott Lang (author of Sound Leadership and also a dynamic speaker) response to COVID-19 http://www.scottlang.net/scottsblog2/2020/3/15/my-response-to-covid-19 As Scott says “Now is the time our students need us the most. The F#’s and Bb’s will soon be forgotten, but how we respond in this moment will be remembered.” Sign up for Scott’s #YouMatter Campaign, where you will get “frequent and unexpected positive messages why you do what you do!”http://bpotm.org/youmatter-registration/ This is a great pick-me-up for music directors!
Virtual Education Series – “Many teachers are being asked to provide virtual content to their students, often without additional training and resources. The Virtual Education Series from Jupiter Winds offers fun and enriching online clinics for music teachers and their students. Produced in partnership with the International Music Education Summit, the weekly sessions are presented by highly regarded professionals and address a variety of music education topics. The clinics can be seen “live” every Thursday at 2 p.m. EST between March 26 and April 30. Archived clinics will also be available for viewing or revisiting at the viewer’s convenience after their initial airing.” See Patrick Sheridan (Breathing Gym) next, on Thursday April 9. https://musiceducationsummit.org/virtual-education-series?mc_cid=242a46c601&mc_eid=a1e445e0cf
Scott Edgar(author of Music Education and Social Emotional Learning) has two items of interest. Student tips on working from home https://www.lakeforest.edu/live/news/10994-scott-edgar-co-authors-timely-article-on-remote and The Students Voice during COVID-19 – Part 1https://nafme.org/students-voice-duringcovid-19-disruption-part-1/
The below programs may be of interest;
Noteflight – https://www.noteflight.com/ Notation software, now free!
Sight Reading Factory – https://www.sightreadingfactory.com Generates unlimited sight reading and sight singing – Try it free!
Share the above with anyone you feel may benefit. If anything is helpful, I’ll feel this thorny journey has been made a little easier in some small way.
A bit of humour… Is your cat still trying to figure out why you are in their house after 7 am? Is your dog wondering why all the extra walks? When the kids are watching too much TV; mute the sound, activate the subtitles and KAPOW suddenly they are reading! Tempted to touch your face? Double fist any favourite beverage and problem solved.
Thank you to all of you for what you do. I hope you are keeping well in these trying times.
Thank you to the front line workers everywhere. Some heroes wear masks, not capes. Have a happy and safe Easter break and talk soon,
