Blog

  • Inner Hearing — why audiation is key!

    As musicians we should aim to be able to read music just as easily as we read a book. When we read books, we hear the words in our mind rather than speaking them aloud. Just as we can hear the written word in our heads, it is important to learn how to hear written […]


  • Why you should record yourself during music practice!

    As a “performer” – even if you are only singing scales in the shower – you do not hear yourself the way others do. You may be too busy thinking about the Solfa names of the notes you are singing or the rhythm Deb asked you to clap as you sing that melody. Consequently, to […]


  • Ways to Actually PRACTICE your musicianship skills: DSMusic’s Top Tips

    Here at DSMusic, we’re big on all things music language, sequential scaffolding and skill strengthening. Cracking into concepts and then taking learning all the way through to knowing. Needing to “practice” is quite a catch-cry in the music learning space but sometimes it can be a little harder to model what that might look like […]


  • Canons, Creativity & Communities

    Check out a few DSMusic free resources and a discover a round-up of our favourite finds this month.


  • Why you should compose when practicing music literacy skills

    Composition, just like performance, is a beneficial way to apply your music aural and music theory skills – what we call musicianship or music literacy – and to foster creativity. In the same way playing an instrument or singing gives you a chance to combine your practical technique, sound production and interpretation, composition is informed […]


  • Beethoven & Bingo

    Check out a few DSMusic free resources and a discover a round-up of our favourite finds this month.


  • Practice, Performance Anxiety & Lifting Literacy

    Plus dynamics, quaver rests, quotes and more – check out a few DSMusic free resources and a discover a round-up of our favourite finds this month.


  • Melody, Models & a bit of Bill Bailey

    Tackle tonality with Bill Bailey, check out a few DSMusic free resources and a discover a round-up of our favourite finds this month.


  • practicing transcriptions

    Practicing Transcriptions

    It’s not as easy as you think! When we do transcriptions with our students in class that is exactly what we are practicing – the process of TRANSCRIPTION! Yes of course we do have to learn and practice that process but it is learning and practicing the content of the transcriptions that will actually help […]


  • It’s no big deal – Improvising & Composing in the Everyday Music Lesson

    Improvising and Composing are NOT Scary! As a teacher I often avoid the things that I think I am not good at e.g. improvising and composing. Of course I CAN improvise and compose but I am not comfortable improvising and composing. Does this mean I shouldn’t teach my students how to improvise and compose? Of course not! […]


  • do re mi songs that are NOT Hot Cross Buns

    Tired of the same old do re mi songs?  Me too. So here are four you may not know for your song collection. Girl with clock and pirate images courtesy of photostock Bored teacher image courtesy of saphatthachat Flea image courtesy of debspoons All available at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


  • How to Extend Your Most Musical Students

    Something I love about teaching music literacy, musicianship, aural and theory using the Kodály method is how easy it is to create extension ideas and activities suitable for the HUGE range of student abilities within our classes. As any music teacher who has taught the first year of high school will know, our student’s abilities […]


  • Great TED talks for music educators (and students)

    As we head into our school holidays I thought it might be a great opportunity to enjoy some inspirational speaking via some amazing TED talks by musicians and music educators. Here’s what I consider to be the pick of the bunch. Enjoy! PS Do you have a favorite TED talk? Share if you do! Richard Gill: […]


  • Chord Canons

    Two things I don’t cover enough in my classes are harmony/chord work and composition. Here’s an activity that covers BOTH and your older students will LOVE it! Once your students have learned the primary triads in a Major key and can sing these triads in various ways try this chord canons activity to practice but also to show how INCREDIBLY easy it is […]