So many of you have similar stories of how meaningful your music community has been to you. Participation in bands, orchestras, and choirs helps students and adults form lasting connections that can last a lifetime. Teachers who work together to teach music can also form long-lasting friendships.

Music ensembles naturally create conditions for meaningful connections. These connections are created through relationships, a sense of purpose, and engagement with something larger than ourselves. Music ensembles offer all of that, and as an added benefit, they connect our students to the profound, powerful, and life-enhancing gift of music. 

“Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here!”
– Albus Dumbledore

Positive psychology identifies key factors that contribute to our happiness and well-being and offers research-backed tools to help individuals increase their happiness levels. In a landmark positive psychology study, Ed Diener and Martin Seligman (2002) found that the happiest people had strong social relationships with meaningful connections. Meaningful relationships are an essential part of our happiness.

Our innately connection-affirming music groups provide the perfect setting for modeling and teaching strategies for raising connection and happiness levels.

Raising happiness levels is critical to our students’ success. In a meta-analysis of 225 academic studies, researchers found that happy individuals are, on average, 31% more productive, and their creativity is three times greater than those who are less happy (Lyubomirsky et al., 2005). Imagine how amazing it would be if we could help our students become 31% more productive and 3 times more creative! The good news is that research shows we can aim to achieve this by using researched positive psychology tools that will make our students happier.

Nurturing Connection

In Love 2.0: Finding Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection, Barbara Fredrickson explores how tiny moments of positive connection are crucial to our health, success, and well-being. She refers to these brief emotions as micro-moments of connection.

Her research explores how these short but impactful positive emotions can broaden individuals’ thinking, build long-term resources, and increase happiness levels. 

Brief moments of connection with others, such as a smile, a glance, a kind word, or a shared joke, can activate the brain’s reward system, leading to measurable increases in oxytocin, fostering trust, and strengthening our sense of belonging, 

Below are some ways to create these small, impactful micro-moments of connection in our music classrooms.

A Kind Word: 

“Give honest and sincere appreciation.” 
– Dale Carnegie from How to Win Friends and Influence People

A sincere compliment or encouraging word, such as “I love your energy,”’ can create a small but meaningful connection and remind you that someone cares about you.

• Make Compliments Specific

Years of research have found that general compliments are less effective at improving relationships or boosting self-esteem. In contrast, specific compliments are perceived as more sincere and meaningful, making a more significant impact.

“Thank you for being a curious, dedicated educator who is taking their valuable time to read this article!”
– Peggy Rakas

• Praise Effort, Not Talent

Research by Mueller and Dweck (1998) encourages teachers to praise effort and process and to resist praising talent. In this influential study, students were divided into two groups and given a test.

After completing the first test, one group was praised for their talent, while the other was praised for their effort.

The teachers then asked each student to choose between an easy or more challenging option for the second test. 

• 97% of the students praised for their effort chose the more difficult test.
• 67% of those praised for their talent chose the easier test.

All the students were then asked to take a third test of equal difficulty to the first.

• Students praised for their effort increased their grades by 30%.
• Those praised for their talent scored 20% lower than they had initially.

This study suggests that when a teacher compliments a student’s talent, the student may think, “You value me because I’m talented, so I better not do anything that might challenge that.” 

However, focusing on effort reinforces that growth is about the process, not just innate talent, and encourages students to take on challenges. 

• Call Students by Name:

“Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”  
– Dale Carnegie

Ten years after I graduated from Bowling Green State University, I ran into my college band director, Mark Kelly, at the Ohio Music Educators Conference. After all those years, he walked up to me, smiled, and said, “Margaret Ann Rakas!” I was completely floored! Not only did he remember me, but he remembered my middle name—and that I was actually Margaret, not just Peggy (a nickname all my friends and family call me). I was deeply touched and felt an overwhelming appreciation for Mr. Kelly.

Then, twenty years later, it hit me: 

I had a nametag on! 😳

I had spent years thinking Mr. Kelly was truly amazing. And, in many ways, he was—but remembering my name at that conference wasn’t one of them. Still, I’ll always treasure the moment when he called me by name and greeted me with warmth and a big smile.

Research shows that we feel a stronger sense of connection when we’re personally acknowledged—whether through a smile, eye contact, or someone using our name. These small moments of recognition create a sense of shared appreciation, and I certainly felt that connection when Mr. Kelly greeted me by name.

• A Shared Smile: 

“A smile is a free gift, and it’s the best way to make people feel at ease.”
– Dale Carnegie

There is much research to support that teachers who smile create a welcoming and approachable atmosphere, making students feel more comfortable in the classroom. And smiles are contagious. Research by Hatfield, Cacioppo, and Rapson (1994) explores the concept of emotional contagion—the phenomenon where emotions, including happiness, can spread between people. Smiling at others is often met with a smile in return, demonstrating how emotions like happiness can be contagious.

“You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” 
– from Annie

• Laughter:

Humor is a natural connector. A shared laugh over a joke, a silly moment, or a funny observation can break down barriers and make people feel relaxed and comfortable. Research by Romero and Cruthird, 2007, found that humor in the workplace supports greater employee satisfaction and happiness, improves team dynamics, and simply makes work environments more fun.

If you are lucky enough to be amazingly funny, feel free to share your humor as much as possible. However, if you need some humorous inspiration, you can find my collection of funny posters for the music room here.😉

• Connect with Students Before and After Class:

While our students may not always experience positive relationships at home, we can provide them with a welcoming, supportive space—what might be considered the musical version of the “Cheers Bar.” A place “where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.”

Aim to build that sense of home for your students: greet them at the door, create a small moment of connection, and let them know “you’re glad they came,” and they will reward you beyond measure. 🎶

NO ONE EVER SAID – I WISH I HAD NOT LEARNED TO LOVE MUSIC!

Being a music educator is truly one of the best professions on Earth. We enrich our students’ lives through lifelong, meaningful social connections while sharing the awe-inspiring benefits of music. And both students and teachers get to have fun!

I hope these ideas help both you and your students increase your moments of connection, enhancing your happiness and success. And, when you go to your next high school reunion, may you have a fabulous time connecting with your fellow musicians at the music table!

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but
people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Maya Angelou

Book links to Brian Johnson’s Philosopher’s Notes used with permission.

Please feel free to visit TeachingPositivity.org for additional positive psychology resources.

If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, don’t hesitate to reach out to peggyrakas@gmail.com —I’d be happy to hear from you!

The post Positive Psychology for Music Educators: Nurturing Meaningful Connections appeared first on MakeMusic.

Performance Music

We’re thrilled to introduce an inspiring lineup of new works for concert band, orchestra, and jazz ensemble by some of today’s most celebrated composers and arrangers. 

• Concert Band: Check out works from Aric Branchfield, Jason K. Nitsch, William Owens, and many more, offering engaging and dynamic new pieces for young musicians.
• Orchestra: New compositions from Erica Donahoe, Katie O’Hara LaBrie, Randall D. Standridge, and more provide exciting challenges for string and full orchestras of all levels.

Popular Music

Our popular music library continues to grow! This month, we’ve added even more tracks from the worlds of pop, film, and beyond. Highlights include music from 21 Pilots, Zach Bryan, Dua Lipa, and music from Disney’s Encanto. No matter your taste, you’ll find something to love.

Let’s Get Practicing!

• Teachers: Assign these new titles to your students to keep them inspired and challenged.
• Students: Dive in, practice your favorite pieces, and track your progress.

So what are you waiting for? Explore the latest repertoire on MakeMusic Cloud and have fun practicing music you love!

Click to view this month’s new interactive repertoire

MakeMusic Cloud is home to the largest interactive and digital sheet music libraries available, with tens of thousands of titles spanning every instrument, ensemble type, skill level, and genre. Each subscription provides access to every title in our unrivaled repertoire library of music from more than 130 different publishers. Start your 30-day free trial.

The post November 2024 Repertoire Update appeared first on MakeMusic.

Federal funding, particularly through Title I, II, and IV programs, can be used to support music instruction, including the purchase and use of instructional software like MakeMusic Cloud. Use this guide to assist you in applying for funding for your program! 

How MakeMusic Cloud Meets Title I:

Title I funds can be used for music education as long as they support academic achievement for students from low-income families. MakeMusic Cloud meets these requirements by doing the following:

• Supports Academic Achievement: MakeMusic Cloud offers interactive tools that support music literacy and enhance students’ academic performance in music and related subjects, improving student achievement.
• Accessible Differentiated Instruction: MakeMusic Cloud provides individualized practice tools, enabling teachers to tailor instruction to meet each student’s unique needs, which aligns with Title I’s focus on helping students struggling with academics.
• Engages Students: MakeMusic Cloud uses interactive features and captivating elements that motivate students to participate actively in music education, facilitating an engaging learning environment.
• Evidence-Based Resource: MakeMusic Cloud is a proven platform with effective tools for skill-building and assessment in music education and has been the subject of two research papers demonstrating its efficacy. [Research Paper A, Research Paper B]
• Improving Student Outcomes: MakeMusic Cloud enhances students’ literacy and mathematical understanding through rhythm, patterns, and music theory. Programs like MakeMusic Cloud link music education with academic skills that align with Title I’s goals of improving student outcomes.

How MakeMusic Cloud Trainings Meet Title II:

Title II funds can be used to support the professional development and effectiveness of educators, aiming to improve student academic outcomes. MakeMusic Cloud meets these requirements through:

• Professional Development: MakeMusic Cloud’s education specialists and clinicians provide training, workshops, and webinars for teachers and administrators, imparting a robust knowledge of the application and how to maximize its features and tools to ultimately improve instructional practices and student learning.
• Improving Instructional Practices and Skills: MakeMusic Cloud bridges the divide between music and technology. It is a proven tool for improving a student’s musical acumen and mastery of their instrument and a prime example of effective utilization of technology in the classroom. The associated training highlights new instructional techniques made possible through the application and technology, thus improving instructional practices.
• Differentiated Instruction. MakeMusic Cloud training assists teachers in assignment creation and sparking in-app lesson ideas, supporting the teacher’s efforts to accommodate diverse learning styles, abilities, and interests, ensuring all students are engaged and supported.
• Blended and Digital Learning. MakeMusic Cloud professional development provides teachers and administrators with the skill set needed to integrate technology like MakeMusic Cloud, fostering hybrid and virtual learning environments that afford flexibility and personalization. These skills can be applied beyond MakeMusic Cloud.

How MakeMusic Cloud Meets Title IV:

Title IV, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides funding to support well-rounded educational opportunities, which specifically includes music. MakeMusic Cloud meets these requirements through the following:

• Promotes Well-Rounded Education: MakeMusic Cloud enhances music education by providing tools for developing musical skills and knowledge. Utilizing digital tools and software that offer engaging music lessons, promotes creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy, all of which support a well-rounded education.
• Increases Student Engagement: MakeMusic Cloud’s interactive features and personalized learning paths actively engage and motivate students to participate in music instruction.
• Supports Digital Learning: As a software solution designed for classroom music instruction, MakeMusic Cloud supports digital learning by integrating educational technology into the music curriculum.
• Provides Safe, Accessible Resources: MakeMusic Cloud offers a safe and equitable online platform accessible to students with various learning needs and economic backgrounds.

What Should Teachers Do Next?

1. Work with Your Administration: Teachers should collaborate with school administrators to identify how instructional music software can fit within the goals of both Title I and Title IV programs.
2. Demonstrate Academic and Educational Value: Ensure that the music software you plan to purchase demonstrates measurable benefits to student learning, especially in relation to Title I’s academic objectives and Title IV’s focus on well-rounded education.
3. Apply for Funding: Work with your school or district to submit the necessary funding applications, highlighting how the software will support student learning outcomes.

Who Should Teachers Talk To?

FIRST: Speak with your . . . 

1. School Principal

• Why: The school principal is typically involved in budgeting decisions and will know which administrators or coordinators handle Title I and Title IV funds.
• How: Set up a meeting or email your principal explaining your interest in using federal funds for instructional music software. Outline how it aligns with academic and educational goals.

2. Department Leader

• Why: Your department leader is also involved in budgeting decisions, especially those directly related to your discipline, and will likewise know who handles Title I and Title IV funds.
• How: Email or discuss with your department leader your interest in using federal funds for instructional music software, including information about how it aligns with academic and educational goals.

SECOND: Next, together with your principal or department head – or just yourself if they are not available to you – speak with your . . .

1. Contact the Title I Coordinator

• Why: Every school that receives Title I funds has a Title I Coordinator or an equivalent administrator. This person manages how the funds are allocated and can guide you on whether your proposal fits the school’s Title I priorities.
• How: Ask your principal or school office staff for the contact details of the Title I Coordinator. You can also check your school’s website or district directory for this information.

2. Consult the Federal Programs Director

• Why: At the district level, a Director of Federal Programs (or similar title) often oversees both Title I and Title IV funding. This person can provide information on district-wide policies and help you navigate the process of requesting funds for music software.
• How: Visit your district’s website or contact the district office to find out who manages federal programs. You can also ask your school principal for help identifying this person.

3. Reach Out to the School’s Technology Coordinator (for Title IV)

• Why: Since Title IV funds are often used for educational technology, the school’s Technology Coordinator may also be involved in allocating Title IV funding.
• How: Check with your school or district’s technology office for information on how to use Title IV funds for software purchases.

4. Attend School or District Budget Meetings

• Why: These meetings often include discussions about how Title I and Title IV funds are allocated. This is a great opportunity to learn more about funding priorities and present your case.
• How: Ask your principal or office staff when the next budget or funding meeting will be held, and whether you can attend or request an agenda item related to music education.

Beyond the Blog: Check out this brief webinar provided by NAfME and learn more about federal funding available for you and your program and how to access it!

The post Leverage Title I, II, and IV Federal Funding for MakeMusic Cloud appeared first on MakeMusic.

Select a date 

First things first: when will you have your concert? You may need to collaborate with colleagues who share the same performance space as you or coordinate transportation to another site, depending on where your concert will be held. 

Scheduling an annual calendar meeting with fine arts colleagues and/or directors from your feeder pattern is crucial. Consider building events, district events, and rehearsal needs for all parties involved when scheduling time and space. It is also helpful to keep athletic schedules in mind when planning for the year. 

Be sure to think through things like your setup and what other presence is needed at a school event (custodians, security officer, administrator, etc.) as well as any facility requests needed for air or parking lot lights.

Communicate to students and families 

How will you let students and families know about your concert? Creating a simple concert reminder document with important details like date, timing, and other requirements that you can update for each event can save time. You can even create a version for each event on your calendar far in advance to get ahead! It also helps to communicate in a variety of ways: use email, a classroom messaging tool if you use one, or even mailing label stickers printed with concert information for students to place on their shirts or music binders.

Event details 

Try creating a main document to hold all details for each concert: a “Concert Itinerary” of sorts. Be as detailed as possible and include estimated times for all aspects of the event. A concert itinerary is a great place for you to think through and list out what you’d like to say when speaking at the concert and to keep a running list of people to acknowledge or thank throughout the event. 

A concert itinerary is also an excellent place for details on equipment or percussion that may need to be moved before, during, and after the concert. Remember to share your itinerary with all adults and/or student leaders who will be helping you so that the plans are clear to everyone.

VIPs 

Accompanist: don’t leave your accompanist out of the planning process! Consider how you will thank them for their help in pulling off a wonderful performance—a thank you card, gift, and public acknowledgment is always appreciated. 

District VIPs: consider inviting other music educators from your district or area. Feeder pattern teachers love to see former and future students (and might even lend a helping hand!), and district administrators enjoy seeing students in action. 

Remember to acknowledge and thank other essential helpers like custodians, office staff, campus officers, and your supporting administrators.

The concert is now over! Now what?

What is your cleanup plan? Do you expect students to help? Can you record the concert and listen to it during class the next time you see your students? Every performance has moments of things going both wrong and right—it’s helpful to give students an opportunity to unpack and learn from their experiences in a reflective way. Taking a few minutes to write individual reflections (from a prompt you provide like this one) and then sharing them as a class can be a meaningful and calm activity for post-concert days. A brief reflection time can also provide an individual way for students to communicate to you in writing or in quiet conversation about why they may not have been able to attend the concert.

What’s next? Don’t wait for one concert to be over to begin making selections for the next one! Start thinking through an appropriate program before you need to pass it out to aid in planning and preparation. Consider keeping a running list of potential performance music physically, on a document, or on a MakeMusic Cloud Playlist that you can add to and reference. You can even invite students to explore and build their own ideal concert as an activity by providing them some parameters and demonstrating how to search for and listen to potential concert titles!

You’ve got a lot to keep track of, so take a little off your plate and grab your free concert checklist download to help you get started planning an organized and successful concert!

The post The ULTIMATE Concert Checklist for Music Teachers appeared first on MakeMusic.

Performance Music

Discover new concert band works from Tyler S. Grant, Yukiko Nishimura, Adrian B. Sims, and many more. These pieces are ready to challenge and excite students at all levels.

For orchestra directors and players, check out fresh publications from composers like Cooper Ford & Manjula Ramachandran, Katie O’Hara LaBrie, and Randall D. Standridge.

Jazz enthusiasts can enjoy new charts from Annie Booth, Mike Kamuf, Drew Zaremba, and others—guaranteed to inspire your ensemble.

Methods and Techniques

The latest in the popular Foundations series by Brian Balmages is here—Hogwarts Foundations for both concert band and string orchestra. Perfect for magical rehearsals and skill-building!

For percussionists, one of the most renowned snare drum methods of all time, Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone, is now available in MakeMusic Cloud. Assign it for your students or practice it yourself to sharpen your technique.

Popular Music

Love movie and TV soundtracks? We’ve got you covered! 

You’ll find Disney classics from Beauty and the Beast, Moana, The Mandalorian, and more!

Fans of Cartoon Network shows will enjoy music from Steven Universe, The Powerpuff Girls, and other favorites.

There’s also new music from Barbie, David Bowie, and Wonka!

Let’s Get Practicing!

Teachers: Assign these new titles to your students to keep them inspired and challenged.
Students: Dive in, practice your favorite pieces, and record your progress.

So get in there and have fun practicing music you love!

Click to view this month’s new interactive repertoire

MakeMusic Cloud is home to the largest interactive and digital sheet music libraries available, with tens of thousands of titles spanning every instrument, ensemble type, skill level, and genre. Each subscription provides access to every title in our unrivaled repertoire library of music from more than 130 different publishers.

The post September 2024 Repertoire Update appeared first on MakeMusic.

1. “Layup” Review 

This activity is called “layup” review because when a student sees it on their assignment list, they should think “EASY!” 

Choose an exercise, line, or section of something that you have already worked on in class time or in the recent past that you know your students will feel confident playing. Assign it to them with the instruction to submit the take that they feel the most proud of. Take it a step further and assign it as an ungraded assignment to further take pressure off. Encourage students to use the comments box in the submission process to tell you, in a few words, why they are most proud of what they submitted. This quick activity checks all the boxes of review, self-reflection, and focused practice! 

2. Play Your Best Tone 

Especially great for new users, this assignment can build MakeMusic Cloud confidence instantly with students of all ability levels. From your method book of choice (we have over 200!) or even a Foundations series exercise, select a line that is just one or two long-tone pitches that they should be able to confidently perform. Create an assignment for your students with the instructions to use their best tone. The content of the assignment should be easy so students can focus on learning how Practice in MakeMusic Cloud works, how the assignment submission process works, and even how the microphone calibration process works on their specific device. Just like anything, learning a new tool takes a little practice, and assignments like this are quick ways to guide students to success! 

3. Reinforce Skills with Sight Reading Exercises

Sight Reading Studio within MakeMusic Cloud provides powerful customization options that allow teachers to create specific review exercises for students to support learning both in and out of class time. Need to review a new pitch that your students are working on? Adjust the pitch options to focus on just the new pitch and its neighboring pitches. Reviewing a new rhythm? Focus on that pattern in the options and deselect most others. Working on a specific interval? Sight Reading Studio can isolate intervals too! Once you have prepared your template, you can assign it, practice it in class time in Ensemble mode, or even share a specific generated exercise with your students. There are so many options here—spend some time experimenting with it yourself and you’ll come up with some great use cases for your specific students and situation!

4. Catalog Exploration 

Invite students to explore the ever-growing Music Catalog and choose a title (or titles) they would like to play at an upcoming concert or as a solo. Giving students some parameters can make an exercise like this feel less overwhelming—consider parameters such as specific composer names, title themes, genres, or difficulty ratings from the Music Catalog. Students can create their own repertoire Playlists or simply share single title links with you. You and your students will be sure to discover some new favorites from this exploration activity! 

What other creative assignment ideas using MakeMusic Cloud have you come up with? Share your ideas here! 

The post 4 Quick Win Assignment Ideas to Boost Student Engagement appeared first on MakeMusic.

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, 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 Rossano Galante, Fran Griffin, and JaRod Hall; orchestra works by Cooper Ford, Katie O’Hara LaBrie, and Randall D. Standridge; jazz ensemble charts by Gordon Goodwin and Victor López; and choir publications by Andy Beck, Vicki Tucker Courtney, and Jack Zaino.

Movie and pop highlights include music from Barbie, The Batman, George Michael, Mitski, and Wonka.

Click to view this month’s new interactive repertoire

MakeMusic Cloud is home to the largest interactive and digital sheet music libraries available, with tens of thousands of titles spanning every instrument, ensemble type, skill level, and genre. Each subscription provides access to every title in our unrivaled repertoire library of music from more than 130 different publishers.

The post August 2024 Repertoire Update appeared first on MakeMusic.

We’ve had teachers like you on our minds as we have recently made helpful updates to Units and the Assignment process. Here are the details to help you make the most out of these essential tools and gain back a little extra time in your day. 

Why use Units?  

The two main uses for Units are to assign multiple items to students at once and to organize your assignments for easier access in the future. 

Explore your Units and Assignments by selecting the Assignments item in the Classroom menu. 

On this page you will find two tabs at the top: Units and All. In the Units tab you’ll find, you guessed it, your Units! The All tab is where all of your Assignments live—new feature: easily sort and filter through all your Assignments with the latest update.    

Pro Tip: Assignments can only be placed into one Unit at a time, BUT you can easily duplicate Assignments to place in different Units. Duplicating assignments and slightly adjusting their parameters is a quick and efficient way to build Units like scale pass offs or tempo increases!  

Units are groups of (up to 20) existing assignments. If you have something in mind that you’d like to add to a Unit, you’ll need to first create an Assignment before you can add it. 

You’ll find the menu items to be very user-friendly as you can easily add, remove, assign, reorder, and more within your Unit.  

When you are ready to Assign from your Unit, you can select the Assign unit button. By default, every Assignment from the selected Unit will be included, but you can use the Select all checkbox and make individual selections based on your needs. 

You can read in more detail about using Units in this knowledge base article. 

Assignment basics 

You can create an assignment from titles in our Music Catalog, your Compose files, or Sight Reading Studio template exercises. 

Once you create a few Assignments on your own you’ll start to feel more and more confident! Just like music, a little practice can go a long way. 

From the Music Catalog: when you find a title you’d like to assign you can look for the clipboard icon (found in several places both with and without the word “Assign”) and click on it to begin the assignment creation process. 

 

Pro Tip: Name your Assignment in a way your future self will be able to understand! You can save time in the future by thoughtfully and consistently naming Assignments and then organizing them in Units.

Any instructions that you add will appear to students whenever they open your Assignment, so you should be thoughtful here as well. 

Select Preview and customize to define measures and tempos for each instrument/voice. 

It’s easy to customize to your needs in the Rubric and Settings sections. By default, MakeMusic Cloud will automatically grade your assignments. If you would rather listen to each new submission before confirming a grade, select the Custom Rubric option. You can read more detailed instructions in this knowledge base article. 

You’re almost finished! When you click the Next button, your Assignment template will be saved (and could be added to a Unit even before you send it to students) and you will be prompted to select which classes/students should receive it. When selecting students, use the checkboxes to select and the arrows next to the Name and Instrument headers to re-order in a way that makes most sense to you. 

Assignments can be sent immediately or scheduled for a future date! 

Remember the All tab on the Assignments page? Every assignment template that you create (whether you assign it or not) can be found on this page. It’s easier than ever to find the previously created assignment you’re looking for with the new sort and filtering options found at the top of this All tab. 

Pro Tip: Keep your students’ families informed about upcoming Assignments by inviting them to enroll in Weekly Highlights Emails! In addition to Assignment information, parents and guardians can enjoy other helpful insights to their child’s musical progress. Bonus: once teachers upload parent/guardian email addresses, no further teacher action is required—MakeMusic Cloud will handle the email updates for you! 

Remember that students can leave comments when they submit an assignment, and you can comment back! Be sure to take advantage of this 1:1 communication opportunity to give thoughtful and individualized feedback. We recommend starting the conversation with your instructions in the Assignment—can you ask a question for them to answer in their comment box or begin a thought process for them to finish? This practice will result in even more student engagement, construction of thoughtful practice habits, and a great opportunity for valuable individual feedback from you! 

The post Units and Assignments Updates appeared first on MakeMusic.

With MakeMusic Cloud as your partner in the classroom, you’ll have more time to focus on the things that inspire you most, like making music with your students! 

1. Single Sign-On and other LMS integrations

We’ve recently expanded our LMS partnerships to include ClassLink Single Sign-On! Make sure to connect with your LMS (Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom, and now, ClassLink) to simplify the log in process and streamline rostering your classes. If your LMS is not yet supported, don’t worry—CSV Rostering is a great time saver! Learn more about LMS integrations. 

2. Mobile Compatibility 

It’s been a top request for years and it’s finally here—MOBILE COMPATIBILITY! 

No app required, simply log in to MakeMusic Cloud on your mobile device and you can search the Music Catalog, open titles, practice (with assessment feedback), create and complete assignments, and more! Try it out now or read the details. 

3. Units and Assignments 

Last year we streamlined the Assignment process in MakeMusic Cloud to make it simpler than ever to create assignments for students. Teachers use assignments in many different ways, so feel free to get creative and assign things in ways that work best for you and your students! Here are a few ideas:

• Video assignments: assess things like posture, hand position, and mallet grip that you cannot see in audio-only recordings 
• Ungraded assignments: not everything needs a grade attached! 
• Utilize the MakeMusic Cloud assessment score, your own rubric, or a combination
• Love listening live? Consider requiring a specific MakeMusic Cloud assessment score prior to students booking a “pass off” time with you. 
• Rhythm-only assignments: assess this specific and essential skill alone 
• Comments box: start a dialogue with students in the comments boxes and make it part of the assignment routine by awarding extra points or praise for students who communicate with you in this way. 
• Assignment notifications: students will receive a notification when they receive a new assignment (unless it is pre-scheduled) or when they are re-assigned an assignment.
• Add assignments to Units that you can reuse in the future! 

Our Units page has also recently gotten an update! Units are a great way to organize assignments that you would typically assign together and year after year (scales, exercises, school song, etc). You can assign a Unit all at once to your students to streamline your workload. You can now reorder Assignments within a Unit and more easily add previous Assignments into Units (Assignments can only be in one Unit at a time).

4. Parent/Guardian Emails 

Your students’ families will love Weekly Highlights Emails about their child’s progress in your class. With Weekly Highlights Emails, parents and guardians can opt in to receive a weekly message that gives them insights about their child’s activities in MakeMusic Cloud like practice time, content they’ve explored, and upcoming assignments, to name a few. This connection tool is a low-lift for teachers (just invite parents with their email addresses) and provides rich content to families automatically! Learn more about this time saving connection feature.

5. Hogwarts Foundations 

The newest Foundations release is here just in time for the new school year—Hogwarts™ Foundations! The Foundations series by Brian Balmages features exercises for band and string players that are set to exciting movie soundtracks. When exploring the series, you’ll find exercises for beginner and intermediate players. Hogwarts™ Foundations is extra special because of its special focused beginner section—use it alongside any method book for some extra magic! These exercises are exclusively available in MakeMusic Cloud, and all subscribers can print score and part packets at no additional cost. 

6. Video Assignments 

Have you tried out video assignments yet? Here are a few ways teachers love using this tool: 

• Visual assessment of posture and hand position
• Visual assessment of percussion performance (playing area, grip, technique, etc) 
• Slow down the recording around errors to diagnose problems—crucial details like slide positions, hand positions, etc can be easier to spot with a slowed down video!
• Marching band visual/choreography/step-outs assessment in conjunction with a playing performance 
• Visual assessment of embouchure 

Turn any assignment into a video assignment! Use the Video Assignment toggle when you are adding in assignment details and it will prompt students to turn their cameras on to record. 

7. Notifications/Emails for Students 

Students can stay more on top of their assignments with our helpful notification system. Students will receive a notification when logged in to MakeMusic Cloud (the bell at the top right of the screen) when there are updates to their assignments. Additionally, email notifications are sent out when a student receives a new assignment. Notifications aren’t for everyone, so preferences can be adjusted in Account Details.  

8. Sight Reading Studio 

Great news: Sight Reading Studio is included with MakeMusic Cloud subscriptions! Explore the latest updates like Classroom display mode, accompaniment styles, and more by logging in and trying it out. Sight reading templates can be used live in class time (on a projector works great!) or sent as assignments to students. Sight reading has never been more fun! 

9. Video Lessons Library 

The MusicProfessor Video lessons library is a great resource that is included for MakeMusic Cloud subscribers. Featuring the Level 1 woodwind, brass, percussion, and string videos, these allow students and teachers access to high-quality, pedagogically-sound videos for reference. Use these concise videos for lesson extension, review, and more. Most of the series also comes with a printable resource PDF to follow along with. 

10. Music Catalog  

We are adding to our Music Catalog constantly! Explore often to find your next favorite titles. Be sure to use our State List tool to peruse titles in our catalog that appear on major state lists across the country! You can also plan your future concert cycles in advance by creating playlists of your favorite content for easy access down the road. 

You’ve got the teaching superpowers and we’ve got the tools to support you as you positively impact students’ lives through music.

The post 10 ways MakeMusic Cloud will streamline your teaching this year! appeared first on MakeMusic.