Chaotic Harmony

We’ve said it before- our upper elementary students are COMPLETELY different than their lower grade counterparts. We almost have to become a completely different person when we teach 4th-6th graders. What does that look like for us? What are we working on to engage them? Spiccato: What Do You Meme? Round: To Ope Their Trunks Why are upper graders so different? What happens that makes them so self...

Teaching is harder than ever with student behavior becoming more difficult, public school budgets on the decline, and nationwide teacher shortages. We talk about the challenging behaviors we see in our classrooms and brainstorm ideas for reaching our most oppositional students. Spiccato: Flowers Round: Turn the Glasses Over Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Cr...

Dr. Sarah Gulish from F-Flat Books joins Crystal and Jon this week! While at NAMM, we discuss her business, how she strives to uplift differing voices and bring equity to a broken system. Spiccato: Drumstick Pens Round of the Week: Grandma Moses Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jonathan Seligman: @mrSeligman F-Flat Books: @fflatb...

It’s a common story- one elementary music teacher is expected to teach general music, choir, and instrumental ensembles. This comes with many challenges, and we talk about what that means in our teaching lives. When we strive for excellence, what does that look like when we are stretched too thin? Spiccato: Audience Participation Ideas Round of the Week: Pepperoni Pizza (To the tune of Kookabura)...

This week, Crystal and Jonathan talk about what went well during our winter concerts, what we want to focus on in 2024, and how we can find some joy in our work and personal lives this year. As always, we look into ways we can work more rest and balance into our busy lives. Spiccato: The World’s Smallest Violin Round of the Week: Bele Mama Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitt...

This week on Chaotic Harmony, Crystal and Jon catch us up on their teaching lives as well as AOSA Conference! There was a ton to experience and both brought some valuable thoughts and wishes for the future. Song of the Week: "We Are Young" by Eric Dozier Spiccato: Solar Powered Calculators Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jonatha...

If you've ever hosted a student teacher, you know it's an exciting challenge to help someone launch into their new career. We talk about the lessons we've learned as we've hosted student teachers, reflect on things we learned when we WERE student teachers, and share our goals for the teachers we host. Round of the Week: Welcome by Avon Gillespie Spiccato: Rubber Pig Dog Toy Our Social Media: @CHCl...

It's a brand new school year! Jon and Crystal have been hard at work and are nearly finished with Quarter 1 in our year-round schools. We catch up on our summers and talk about our goals for the coming school year. Round of the Week: Sneakers by David Thaxton Spiccato: Plastic Spoons Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jonathan Seli...

Marc is back to talk with Jon and Crystal about how the 2022/2023 school year wrapped up. We talk about some of the challenges we faced individually and as a team this year, and how we need to take the time to rest and dream this summer so we are ready to imagine a new way forward. Round of the Week: Chumbarra Spiccato: drink umbrellas Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter o...

This week we talk about our workshop with the American River Orff Schulwerk Association. Crystal and Jon have a Chula Vista flavored take on the Orff process. We break down what that looks like for us in our corner of the world. Round of the Week: Aiken Drum Spiccato: Chip bags and water bottles by AROSA Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @Fin...

This has been a busy week for us! Jon produced the CVESD VAPA Festival with a record 26 schools participating this year. We celebrated elementary bands, choirs, orchestras, Orff ensembles, theater groups, dance groups, digital arts classes, and visual art programs on all across the district. Crystal was sponsored by Save the Music to attend NAMM in Anaheim. We unpack what we learned from both even...

Our 4th, 5th, and 6th graders need different things emotionally and academically than Kindergarten-3rd graders. How have their needs changed in the last three years? What can we do as teachers to help them feel safe in the general music space? Spiccato: Ghungroo Bells Round: Sing Sing Together Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jon...

Kirsten Oberoi joins us today sharing... a lot. Kirsten has done a lot of work on creating organizations, such as the South Shore Children's Chorus. Today, we talk about creating new paradigms and how we are to advocate for what we do effectively! Spiccato: Pool Noodle Round: "Light" From "The Book of Rounds" by The October Project Referenced: "Teaching with Respect" by Stephen Sieck Our Social Me...

Jon and Crystal are back to talk about how things are going in this new quarter. We’ve had new challenges with life and students. How have we changed as teachers, and how do we continue to move forward in our new post pandemic reality? Spiccato: wearable Cajon https://lousondrums.com/ Round: Hey Ho Nobody Home Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore...

It is harder than ever to figure out how to get students to follow classroom rules and procedures, but we DO know what is not working well. This week, we talk about the old systems that we had in place that did not serve us well and what we are doing better these days. Spiccato: Spot it Game Round of the Week: Lift Ev’ry Voice/ I am the Change partner song (Crystal Pridmore original) Our Social Me...

Student behaviors everywhere are escalating. Teachers have to deal with more challenges than ever before. This week, we talk about why that is and how we can address it. Spiccato: Silver Bells Round of the Week: Cuddly Koalas Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jonathan Seligman: @mrSeligman Email: chaoticharmonyclassroom@gmail.com...

This week we talk about AOSA Conference in Kansas City, and recap sessions from presenters Aaron DeWayne, BethAnn Hepburn, David Thaxton, Rob Amchin, Matthew Stensreud, Victor Lozada, Brandi Waller-Pace, Aaron Williams, Paul Weller, and Drue Bullington. Spiccato: Clothes Pins Round of the Week: Viva la Musica Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore:...

Crystal and Jon welcome Josh Southard, music teacher for Smoky Row Elementary in Carmel, Indiana, and President Elect of the American Orff Schulwerk Association. We talk about how pursuing excellence as an elementary music teacher makes sense, even if the financial incentive is not necessarily there in our profession. We also talk about how excellent Orff Schulwerk process teaching looks easy, but...

Crystal and Jon talk about how to help reach students who don’t easily engage in the lessons offered in music class. How do we get students who give up easily to keep going? How do we help students have fun when learning can be painful? We don’t have lots of solutions, but we do have a few suggestions. Spiccato: Koshi Chimes Round of the Week: For Thy Gracious Blessings Our Social Media: @CHClassr...

This week Crystal and Jon talk about how they’ve processed the 2021/22 school year, and what their goals are for this one. This episode is all about systems, systems, systems! Round of the Week: Jaws Spiccato: Levels Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jonathan Seligman: @mrSeligman Email: chaoticharmonyclassroom@gmail.com Bryan Pri...

Tiffany Barry joins us today, talking about an article she wrote for the Orff Echo: "AOSA's Teachers of Color." Today, we talk about her story, teaching being more than just pedagogy, and advocacy for teachers as people. It's a lot and a wonderful talk. Come join us! Round of the Week: "Guten Morgen" Spiccato: Conductor Baton Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter, or Youtube...

Jon and Crystal welcome back Marc to talk about how the rest of the school year went, what our plans are for the summer, and what Marc wants to see happen in music education next school year. Round of the Week: "I like to take my time" Fred Rogers Spiccato: Rubber Chickens Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jonathan Seligman: @mrSe...

We're back! All four of us! Darlene Machacon and Nora Hernandez from Coloring the Melody Podcast are back to chat about... what actually is SEL and how do we use it? We also talk about the standards and cultural representation. The light stuff. Come join us! Round of the Week: "Sitting Here In Traffic" Spiccato: Straws Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter, or Youtube Crysta...

Darlene Machacon and Nora Hernandez from Coloring the Melody Podcast join the table! We talk about their backstory, about communal music, about how to set boundaries while being an advocate online, and... a lot more. Too much to fit into one podcast so be sure to check part two next week! Round of the Week: "Let Us Endeavor" Spiccato: Little Tiny Chick Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Ins...

Crystal and Jon travel to talk with Michelle Chan, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Here, they chat about relationships with the kid at the center: how to create safe spaces and how to address hard topics such as race and trauma. Round of the Week: The Cup Song Spiccato: "My Invisible Bubble" "My Invisible Bubble" featured earlier on Episode 52. Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on I...