Today I’m thrilled to be sharing this conversation with my friend, Danielle Larrick about teaching middle school and upper elementary general music.
These grades can sometimes feel challenging to teach - our approach will look, feel, and sound very different from other grades we work with on a weekly basis. Students’ interests have shifted from their younger years, their social worlds are changing, and finding activities that match their motivation level can feel like a discouraging search.
Simultaneously, this age group is enthusiastic about ensemble collaboration, and their growing collection of musical skills and consciously-known concepts opens exciting music curriculum doors.
In this conversation Danielle skillfully walks us through ways to approach upper elementary and middle school general music. We talk about how to establish trust, what types of activities work well, and we even explore a drag-and-drop idea you can try right away to refresh your teaching.
In This Conversation:
01:58 - It’s Danielle!
02:30 - Danielle’s journey to middle school
05:47 - What do middle schoolers need?
09:01 - Establishing trust
16:12 - Keeping it simple - Activities that work
22:48 - Giving Options for Musical Challenges
26:30 - Everyone is a Musician
28:56 - Student Motivation & Activities
35:09 - Danielle’s Teaching Situation
36:08 - Music Workshops: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony
40:45 - Structures for Classroom Management During Projects
46:00 - Structuring the Chaos
48:38 - A Rhythm Activity to Try Tomorrow!
58:53 - Engagement and Independence
02:01:29 - The Confident Music Educator
02:06:10 - Quick Questions: What was a recent win in your classroom?
02:07:21 - Quick Questions: What is the next teaching project you’re excited about?
02:08:01 - Quick Questions: What makes you such a good middle school teacher?
About Danielle
For over a decade, Danielle has served as a musician-educator in both urban and suburban settings. She believes in the value of middle school music as a means of identity, expression, and connection. She focuses on designing practical, innovative, and engaging music curricula for middle school students. Motivated by the ever-changing trends in education, Danielle continues to write, present, and create. She is the author of “Middle School General Music: A Guide to Navigating the Unknown”(F-flat Books). In addition, she is the co-founder of The Confident Music Educator , a platform designed to support music educators of musicians in grades 5-8. She currently resides in Lancaster, PA with her husband, son, and Boston Terrier.
Email: musicalmiddles@gmail.com
Instagram: @musicalmiddles