Chaotic Harmony

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...

Crystal talks about a blog post she recently published on the ACEMM website in collaboration with Lisa Sempsey. Lisa recalled a conference session she attended as a new teacher in which the presenter encouraged participants to beg, borrow, and steal ideas from other teachers as they grew in their craft. AOSA www.aosa.org American Orff Schulwerk Association The American Center for Elemental Music a...

Crystal talks about the article she co-wrote with Drue Bullington for the Winter 2022 Orff Echo. She and Jon unpack the content and discuss what makes a great educator. Round of the Week: Join Me in Our Circle, folk song, lyrics Crystal Pridmore Spiccato: Dominos Drue Bullington www.druebullington.com AOSA www.aosa.org American Orff Schulwerk Association The American Center for Elemental Music and...

Jesse is back this week to share in detail his process for creating a collaborative all-school album with his students. How do they take part in the digital audio workshop and learn how to build songs? Round of the Week: Track from Jesse’s Album- Pajamas All the Time Spiccato: Lego Minifigures Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jon...

Jesse Rogers talks about building his music program at a different site than he was working for when we last talked to him in 2019. He is passionate about involving as many students as possible in the music making process, and he’s doing that through music production. Band Lab Chrome Music Lab Quaver Round of the Week: Dynamite! Round from YouTube Channel Musical Futures Spiccato: Sticky Notes Our...

Our undergrad and credential programs tried to prepare us to enter the classroom, but we both had plenty left to learn when we started teaching. In this episode, we talk about what we wish we had known before we got our full time teaching jobs. Spiccato: Shoebox Round of the Week: Walking Walking Teaching quarter, eighths, quarter rests, articulation Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Insta...

This week we talk about the pile of challenges educators are facing. From large numbers of student absences to staff absences to the sub shortage to changing COVID protocols, this year has lead to an epic teacher struggle. We are here to let you know that we’re right there in it with you, listeners. Spiccato: Shruti Box Round of the Week: Come to School Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on In...

Jessandra and Leah are back to talk about the challenges they have faced this school year and the joys that keep them going. They also share words of wisdom for people entering their first year teaching this next school year. Spiccato: Butterfly/ TidePool Nets Round of the Week: Frog in the Bog Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jo...

Jessandra and Leah join us this week to talk about starting their teaching careers in 2021 after experiencing student teaching during distance learning due to COVID quarantine. We learn how these passionate teachers decided to make music education their professional paths. Spiccato: Rice Paddle Round of the Week: Love Round Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Cr...

This week we talk about Zaretta Hammond's ideas about the 3 layers of culture and how to be a culturally responsive teacher when you teach hundreds of kids. Spiccato: Magic Wand Round of the Week: The Birthday Round Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube Crystal Pridmore: @FinneyVAPA Jonathan Seligman: @mrSeligman Email: chaoticharmonyclassroom@gmail.com Bryan Prid...

This week we answer a listener email about our daily classroom practices. We get into how they have changed, especially since coming back from distance learning. We mention the books Lazlo Learns Recorder by Vicky Weber and Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner. Spiccato: Magic Bag Round of the Week: A Round is a Circle Tom Chapin Our Social Media: @CHClassroom Find Us on Instagram, Twitter or Youtube C...