You're listening to that music podcast with Bryson Tarbet, the curriculum designer and educational consultant behind that music teacher at the elementary music summit each week, Bryson and his guests will dive into the reality of being an elementary music teacher, and how music can truly be transformative in the lives of the students you serve. Show Notes and resources mentioned in this episode can be found at that music teacher.com.
Welcome back to that music podcast. I am so excited to have a guest that, quite frankly, I've been hoping to have on for quite a while. We have David row from MC moments matter. David, thank you so much for chatting with me today.
Thanks for having me.
So today, we are going to get into a little the nitty gritty, or at least as far into the nitty gritty as we can in a short episode about the offshore work, which full disclosure is not something that I have a whole lot of experience in. But every time I get more experienced in it, I like I'm like yes, this is it. I'm here for this. So I'm excited to chat a little bit about that. But before we get too far into the weeds, can you tell us a little bit about your background in music, and then how you first became involved with orchestral work?
Sure. So I My background is I thought I was going to be a college professor or maybe a high school teacher, I did my bachelor's and then I did my Master's right away. I did a master's in conducting because I thought I wanted to be a choral conductor. And so I did that I also did a K 12 Music Education Certification because I thought maybe I'd do high school I don't know. And so to do that, you have to take all the elementary courses you have to student teaching elementary in the state I was certifying in. So I did all of that. And I did my elementary student teaching placement and I loved it. And all along the way. I mean, for years for like, you know, the service projects I did, or the summer camps I did are all like all these moments where I interacted with kids, people around me with would affirm me saying like, you're great with kids, you have you have a great rapport with kids. Like it's you seem to really enjoy being with kids. And I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, but I'm gonna go do college choir stuff. And that's great. But, and then when I really worked with kids in my elementary student teaching placement, it just felt it felt really good. It felt right. And I was like, maybe this is what I want to do. And so my first job I got in elementary music, and I was just happy and excited, but also very scared. Because I thought all along, I was going to do high school or college. So I had never really put as much emphasis on elementary. And I feel like there are people who understand that who are like, I bought a band for six years. And you know, so that's the place I was at. And I went to the college professor who I really love to trusted. And I said, Dr. Robinson, like I got this job. I'm sad about the job, but I am terrified. Like, I don't know what I'm doing. And he was like, okay, so you need to go to this workshop. With this orange chapter. It's there, like back to school thing. They call it orphan running and like you need to go and you're going to like meet people. And I was like, Okay, I don't know, he's like, my wife is an elementary music teacher, you just sit by Lisa. And she'll like hold your hand through it like, so I went and it was an amazing workshop was a two day workshop. It is now my local chapter, my local chapter, I used all of the lessons that the presenter use that day in that first year. I've used them like every year. But But more than that, like I made really amazing friends. And the chapter that day was like who's new who's got a new job who's student teaching, we want to give you a free mentor. And so they paired us up with people and I used all the resources, I kept going back to workshops, but I think it was all the connections I made at the chapter meeting that really sustained me through that first year, first couple of years. And it was those people who encouraged me to let go and actually take my Orth levels. And then that was a transformative experience. And I look back on it now I'm like, What did I teach before I did levels? Like I don't? What did I do? So anyway, it was it was just something that, you know, relationships and community and meeting people took me to, or sold work and then it was that community that kept me there. And when I moved to Michigan for a couple of years and I was like I'm never going to find a job I don't know anyone. People in my work chapter were like No, no, no, no, we there's a chapter there and I have friends there and I did levels with so and so and it was like anytime I moved or had to do things around the country that was that community of social work, people that helped me connect and find jobs and find friends and so at all Shover has really been like a transformative thing in my life. It's helped me not just in the classroom but in my professional life and with friends and moving and finding a house I mean it off has been amazing.
So I have to say, whenever I get to talk with other music teachers, it is hilarious how few of us actually expected to be elementary music teachers. So many of us were like, Well, maybe if I have to me included. So I think that is a really, I'm so glad that you found the short because I have to say, I, I've heard your story before of how you ended up, you know, with our sole work. And I really think that community piece is huge. You know, as music teachers, we are constantly on the proverbial music teacher Island, where we're, you know, alone, and sometimes even the only music teacher in our district. So having these types of networks that are so important. So you talk a little bit about how, you know, kind of how you ended up really in or short, or at least kind of in the, the grander scheme of things. But you know, what really attracted you to the way that it's set up? And how that it it functions in your classroom? And really has your approach to that evolved over time? And if so, how does that look like?
So sorry, just to clarify, so you're asking, like, how does ORF like manifests in my classroom? And how why have I draw? Why was I drawn to Orcel? Work? Right? Like, what
were the parts of it that like really made you feel like this was something you wanted to try? And then has that changed at all over the over your, your years teaching?
Got it? Well, mercial work for me is there are so many things, I think to love about it. But I think the thing I love the most is that orscheln work is so active for students and for me, so students are constantly doing something, whether that means they are, you know, patting the study B or singing a song or speaking a poem or playing an instrument or moving I mean, like kids are always engaged. And so I think that it keeps them more interested, but also cuts down on some behavior problems. It's like, it functions in a lot of ways. But kids being always active kids, learning all the parts, kids trying different things. For me, that's, as an educator that's really, really exciting. And also, it's active. For me, I know that like, I might teach the same lesson year after year, but it's going to function differently. Because maybe this class takes us down one path or this one, we try something over here or we add a new thing. And so I feel like I'm not stagnant. Like I'm constantly, like, I'm building off the lessons I've already used before. But I never feel like oh, this is the same, just one cookie cutter thing. And it's going to end the same way. Every time. I always know that there's room for change and room for growth. And that's really exciting for me. Yeah,
that's one of those things that I really, I really latched on to listening to your podcast early in my career, is you had some long rotations there for a while where you were teaching the same lesson a lot of times, but you were able to kind of set the parameters and then the students kind of took it where you were going, or where they wanted to go, which is great for student engagement. But I can only think of like, you know, I teach the same lesson in my k four twice, and I'm already bored. So like, I can't imagine teaching is so many times. So being able to see it takes so many different ways, I think is cool and really can support both the educator looking for something a little bit new, but also the students have in that engagement, which like you said, that engagement just helps in so many different ways.
And so much of what we do is based off of student input and student reaction and student creation, so they feel a lot of ownership because it's it's like their decisions that drive what we do. So it Yeah, it's it's super fun. It's always a little bit different and it really keeps kids engaged.
So I'm gonna go a little bit off script here because I'm the code I person. You know, I did my coding levels. A lot of people refer to me as code. I'm very much so Cody based, but I like trying new things. And I whenever I try new something, it works pretty well. But what do you say to those people that are like, ooh, this sounds like a lot of relinquishing control. How do we get okay with that? Because the reality is, is it is relinquishing control. How do we get okay with that?
Well, okay, so I think that the the stereotypical thought about oarfish over people is that we're like, kick off your shoes and roll on the floor and we're all a tree let's be a tree and and I think that's kind of funny because all of the Orth people I know I feel like so connected with our pretty type A like they're there. They like we have our structures, we have our plan, we know what we're going to do. And so I feel like yes, I'm giving over control over some things, but it's not like it's not like free will willy nilly free to do anything you want. It's not like well, where should the let you know, like that there. There's a structure for sure. And I think that's the thing also about our show work that people don't realize is that there is so much emphasis on the scaffolding and the process and the how you layer things in. And as you're going through those levels, like it can take you different places, but you're still you still have a path, you still have a lot of, it's not like you lose control, it just changes where the control goes, you know, the moments where you're going to say like, Okay, give me a book or give me an animal give me or whatever. Like, there is some nebulous moments, but a lot of it is very structured, where you have ideas about this, and then this and then this, and then this. So like, like I said, a lot of my very good or friends are, are very, like set clean set of type a, like they know what they're going to do. And so I feel like the the shoulder community, there's room for all of us, but especially the people who are like, but the control part, I think there's also freedom in knowing like I'm giving this part over and it's, we're gonna roll with it, you know. So that's another thing over time I've grown for Schulberg as I've grown to know like, where I can take those moments of like structure and where I can say, like, I'm giving it to you, and I'm not going to be stressed about it.
I love that because, again, I'm you follow the things, a lot of times I get stuck in that code I brain. But the reality is, is when we blend it all together, everything's much better. But without getting too far down that tangent, whenever I do, relinquish that control, or give them more control, but you know, keeping that structure, I always feel like they're just so much more engaged. And again, like you said earlier, when they're engaged, when they're having fun, but like, there aren't classroom management issues there do, you know, they're learning a lot of things, we're kind of tricking them into learning. And there's just so many good things with that. So yeah, it just sometimes you just got to let it go and see where they take you because they will take you some really cool places.
And sometimes it's a disaster. But you know what we all learn from that. It's good, it's good. So, so I but I find that the more often I do things where I give kids control, the better the outcome is, because I know where to like stop them. And I know where to like, Ooh, well, let's rein it in here or like, ooh, follow this path, you know, the more I do it, the better, the better I become at it. And the better, more comfortable I become, but also the more experienced kids get to, yeah, it
really comes to that shift of the teacher as the one with all the answers to the teacher, as the guide to you know, has a lot of those answers, but understands that we can go so many different ways. So speaking about so going so many different ways, this conversation could go so many different ways. But I want to talk about one of what is really, from what I've, you know, from my research and from listening to you, and our discussions are basically really core to how the show work. Does music education, and that's rhythmic building blocks, what exactly are within the building blocks? And how do they fit into an offshore work classroom?
Okay, well, let me just deviate just a second and talk a little bit about our silver history, because that's important. So offshore virtual work means like schoolwork, it's like learning by doing in. So it's really like the process of how things grow in the classroom, and the scaffolding and all of that that's the children part. The fourth part is Carl, or if it's named after the white dude who was like part of this process back in the 1900s. And it's named after him because he was the white man who was there in the process, even though there were many, many other people who are part of that process. So for example, like he joined a school for girls for dance and music, run by Dorothea Gunther, and it was her school first. And then they had students who came through who then became teachers as part of the show work, and they were all a part of the process and the growth of how the show work developed. So one of those people was goonyella Kaitlan. And she was one of the students at the school and then was so prolific and so smart. And so like, pedagogy minded that they were like, You need to stay on and be a teacher, and you need to help us grow this. And so she did. And it was a huge part of how the show work developed. And like I said, was so pedagogy minded that they would often go to her and be like, Okay, what do we do with XYZ thing? For example, recorders they, they said, We need a melodic instrument. We have harmonic instruments and like rhythmic instruments, but like, we don't really know, someone's like, well, we have this box of these like, flute recorder things. No one's used since the Baroque period. Like, what could we use these? And they're like, Yeah, except no one had played them really since the Baroque period. And Caitlin, they're like, can you like figure out how to play it and then like, figure out how to teach it and she was like, Sure. So if you don't like record her, she's the reason they're still around like that. so that she she wrote this really great book called element Taria. It's a very inexpensive and it's it's not long. And it's also full of lots and lots of examples. It's a great book, it's it's often part of your required materials if you take off level one for like summer professional development. But in there, she talks about rhythmic building bricks, and she talks about how they're sort of the basic elements of rhythmic creation and in identifying rhythm, and it's like all the basic basic stuff we use, think about it like solfege. It's like something that you use in a ton of different ways. And it's very elemental, and you can reference it over and over again. But the building bricks in our show work, they function in a couple different ways. And part of it is identifying rhythms and words and helping to make connections between words and rhythms and making make creating rhythms based on, you know, any given sort of vocabulary, that's part of it, but also the rhythmic building bricks can be kind of like sight words. So like, as kids are learning to read, they have a limited vocabulary. And as they add more and more, they can do more with the vocabulary. So rhythmic building bricks are kind of like these little elements. They're most most of the time, we talked about five rhythmic building bricks, these little elements that you can put together in a variety of combinations. And the more kids use them, the more they become like sight words. So instead of finding a word, we have to like sound out all the syllables, you just see it, you know it and the rhythmic building bricks helps simplify rhythmic reading, but also improvisation so that kids just have a vocabulary when they go into experiences and can can use the building bricks and reiterate them and use and reconstitute them in a lot of different ways.
I really liked that. Because while oftentimes, it can feel like it's code I or or if there are a lot of similarities, we it's a lot of the same things of breaking it down into chunks. Yes, it takes a little bit of a different approach and kind of is more granular in that kind of I love. I love how you compare to the sight words, because it's just just like you said, it's kind of going over that language development. And how because the reality is, is music and language development mimic each other very well. So I really like how it gets broken down into these easy to digest and to use and to not just know but to do things with because let's be honest, nobody cares what a TT is. Everyone wants to use it with something, it's when you get to apply it into a compensation, a composition or an improvisation. That's where the cool stuff happens. So I think that making it easier and removing that barrier is just such a cool thing. And I love this concept. And I am so here for it. So how do you go about? Or how would you recommend someone who hasn't really done much work with rhythmic building bricks? How would you introduce these and use these in your with your students? And I would love if you could give us some examples of activities that you've used, that really use these as kind of the basis?
Sure. So Well, first of all, if you want to use the building blocks, or some people say building blocks, if you want to use them more often, I would suggest first buying elements Haria. That's Caitlin's book, you can get it anywhere, it's not expensive. But it gives you a ton of examples. And not just about the building bricks, that's just one tiny element. There's so much more that helps you see the process and the scaffolding behind the show work. So the building bricks are just one element. And that book is it's even if you buy it just for the building bricks, it's good. But if you it's got so much more. So that's a great place to start to give you some ideas. But for me, the building bricks really manifest in my younger kids. And then I start using them more and more and more. And so the first maybe couple activities we might do are I have a lot of manipulatives and things that I use with kids where it has words that they already know, or probably already know. And then rhythms that relate to them. So a great example is food. So words like apple pie. That's one of the building bricks tady TA or TITI TA or doo de doo whatever syllable system you use, right? So apple pie, or like, pancake is tah tah. Or, you know, just any you can think of a lot of different words. And we basically the building bricks are five that we use most often. Ta ta ta D toddy, toddy, toddy TA and TA rest or sometimes a half note. It depends on if you're singing it or speaking it or the instrument you're using. So you can take any sort of vocabulary. It can be barnyard animals, it can be under the sea animals, it can be food, it can be places it can be flowers, whatever you're going to, you know, build a lesson around and you can find Bill Then bricks that match. So for my early early kids, maybe I have, you know, a song about going into the ocean. And so I pull up five different words that match those building bricks. And we'll just put them together in different combinations. And we'll read their names and then read the rhythms and then clap the rhythms and put it on an instrument, you know, it's, but it's taking those words that kids know and pulling out the rhythms to help them sort of work with composition and improvisation. Because in order shoberg, a lot of times will relate rhythms to words. And I think a lot of music teachers do that. Like when you introduce 16th notes, you do activities like tidy do or peanut butter pie, or whatever, because they're these words that kids immediately they're like, oh, yeah, Taka dini. tikka tikka, whatever you say, you could be like, Oh, peanut butter, peanut butter, alligator alligator. It's just the word helps you to internalize and feel the rhythm. And the building bricks do that. But just for for more simplified rhythms and more simple situations. So early on, it might be we have, you know, talking about the ocean, we get five words that match that and then we play around with those rhythms and move them around. Maybe then, you know, we do an activity where I print off those words, and I give them out as manipulatives and let them play with it. And in older grades, I will do something where it will, you know, we're doing a an example about exercise, we're doing a poem about exercise. And I say here are the five building bricks, I need you to come up with exercise related words that match the building bricks, so tah tah, what's a word? And they have to like think through and decide helps them figure out okay, what is the rhythm of this word? Which one does it go with? It's actually a kind of tricky skill. Because there are a lot of words that don't work well. And there are a lot of words that don't fit with the building brick. So if a word has an anacrusis, like if it has a pickup in the word, it doesn't fit. So like banana, it's not But Nana ta toddy, it's a pickup, but Nana, an eighth note with two quarter notes. So for kids explaining that is kind of tricky. But the building brick, simplify the rhythm so that they can more easily improvise or create in the moment. And then when you get to the older grades where you say like, Okay, you need to come up with words that match, then you can have those fun conversations about well, that word has five syllables, or you're saying that word wrong or whatever, you know, and you kind of get to have these fun conversations about the rhythms and words and the rhythms and things they already know. But the rhythm, rhythmic building bricks are almost always associated with words kids already know to help them internalize and feel the rhythms right away. Hardly ever do we use the just the static, top notes and rests, I
I'm just listening to this. And just thinking that there's an administrator going somewhere, that is just going I sense a literacy connection. And they're just the you're in that connection, because again, we that is such a great connection to what more than just what is happening in our class, it makes it more concrete, it helps bridge that gap a little bit. I'm sure when they're talking about syllables in their other classes, they're coming up with things Oh, we did that a music class and things like that, and bringing that connection, which we all know is great for kids. And it really is very similar to you know, the philosophy of CODA, you know, known then to the unknown they are we know that these words, let's use these things that the kids are already knowing. And then let's let them use it. Let's let them find, give them a rhythm and have them find a word, which is substantially harder, because there's so many words and like you said, you know, there, there are things that are wrong, quote, unquote, but we get to have that conversation with the kids. You know, why does it sound weird when we say banana like that? You know, how can we fix it? Is there a better word we can do with this, which is just a really, really fluid way of using rhythm, which I think is really cool. It
has a great connection, because like if you use food words, kids love food and love talking about food. And I think it's funny to put foods that would be gross together in a little rhythmic combination. But who cares, because they were my goal is a rhythm. I don't care if you're putting you know, peanut butter with garlic, like whatever is fine, but it means that they get to work with subject matter that they already are excited about. But I still get my my, you know, my connection to my content out of it. So yeah, it I think there are a lot of literacy connections to it, too. And that's super valuable for the kids literacy. But it also helps me that like all day long, they're learning how to read and they're talking about words. And so if I can take that and use that in my lessons, too, it helps helps the whole school.
Yeah. And I think when you're able to open up the options to any word that exists, really, you have so many different options of basically using the same things but doing it in a way where the kids are like, Oh, this is something new, which is again, brings it back to that engagement brings it back to just how simple it can be, and how you can use it in so many different ways, which I'm sure has benefits when it comes to lesson planning and things like that as well, which can be beneficial for teachers as well. So it's
great to be able to spiral things through and use them over and over. For
sure that again, letting letting them experience that however, as much as possible is super, super cool. Now, we talked a lot about a lot of the advantages of building bricks, what have you, have you ever encountered any challenges using them? Or, you know, what are you some things that you maybe see other teachers do wrong, or some times that you've found yourself where you trying something and it just kind of like isn't working, or I'd love for you to kind of go into the other side of using these building bricks.
So there, I would say there are like two issues that I deal with the most when I'm thinking about rhythmic building bricks. The first is when I give kids the opportunity to categorize words or come up with words on their own. And they really struggle with certain words. So two sound words. Easy, right? One sound words, easy for sound words, easy to categorize, but there are two building bricks that are very similar. There's one that's a quarter note plus 2/8 notes. And there's another that's 2/8 notes plus a quarter note. So when you categorize three sound words, you have to decide is it one sound plus two or two sounds plus one. So Apple Pie is easy. Apple is two sounds pie is one, right? Blueberry is easy. Blue has one sound very has two. But if you have a word like tortilla, how do you categorize that? Does that work? Does that not work? And so you have to decide, like you have to start thinking and understand like, where's the word stress? Where's the emphasis? Is there a pickup in this word is they're not. And so that works best if kids are native speakers. Or if they're very familiar with the word. If they don't know the word, they can't do it. So like, I don't say like, Okay, I've got a menu from a Thai restaurant, let's figure out the building bricks, because if they don't know the word, they can't categorize it. But even with very simple words, it's a struggle for some kids, for many kids to figure out. Is this one sound plus two or two sound plus one. So like, that's an easy one to say like, Okay, well, there are struggles with that. But also like, does the word have a pickup? What does that mean? You know, it all depends on like, how they say the words and their understanding. And even as I go around the country do workshops, I will have people who will, I'm gonna say disagree with me uncertain word pronunciations, because their area of the world says things wrong, I mean, says things differently. Just kidding. He's like an examples, like when I taught in the south, they would say, cram was one word and not crayon, and I grew up with Crayola crayons, not crowns, or whatever or another one is, I always say orange juice. And I have a lot of people say orange juice, like it's one syllable. So sometimes there are words that in different parts of the country, or different parts of the world are spoken differently or pronounced differently, you can have little arguments about that. But that's all that's all language. And I think that's kind of fun to deal with. So that's, that's a struggle that I don't, I don't mind dealing with so much. The other thing is, as as kids get older, the building bricks feel kind of young, they feel kind of symbol, I would argue they are still very valuable for all the things you can do with them. Because kids, the building products help to, you know, reinforce that pulse and reinforce how things are structured. So I think that it's still valuable, but older kids want to use more complex rhythms. What I think is amazing is the building bricks can kind of be reimagined for an older grade levels content. So the building brick that we use, that's two sets of or 2/8 Note pair. So toddy toddy or tea, tea, tea tea, that's one of the building bricks, but that can easily become a 16th note, right? Like for 16th notes. So like, instead of being a peanut butter, it's peanut butter, right or like, top or a quarter note with 2/8 notes, instead of a coordinate with 2/8 notes can be an eighth note to 16th notes. So you can use that kind of idea of categorizing words, but you can just level it up. So it's 16th notes. You can you can do this in groups of two but also in groups of three. So it's pretty versatile. It just it takes a little bit of imagination. And there are there are a lot of activities where you can use the very, very basic bricks. And as you get older, you just have to be a little bit more imaginative with the grades about how you can implement it and use a more complex a set of concepts.
Yeah, I think that you brought up a really good point, which is, those bricks are incredibly foundational, you know, the bricks. But you can use them in a way that that transitions throughout so many grades. Let you let's be honest, whenever we can find something that works and use it in so many different years, that's going to benefit everyone. But I think you bring up a lot of really good points of not necessarily reasons not to do this, but more of like things to be aware of. The one the word that I always get in trouble for is chocolate. Is it chocolate, or is it chocolate? Like I say chocolate, but I'm sure that's probably wrong. You know?
I don't think so. I think it's two syllables. I always argue with people about this. I say like, you don't go into Dairy Queen and say, I'd like a chocolate ice cream cone. You say chocolate? Like, maybe maybe on paper, it feels three syllables. But like, in everyday use, we don't say that for the most part. So I think it's Yeah, that's a fun one to argue about with people have conversations of
coming up to that point. I love how you said no, this can spark some conversation. Because yeah, there are people that say things differently than the way that we do. And sometimes, you know, we can make fun of it. And you know, kind of poke fun a little bit here. Like, because, yeah, this is one of those things where, you know, everyone, this is the way and you know, but the reality is, is tell me why why do you think this? Is it just like you did right there, you said, Well, you're not going to ask for chocolate, you know. And I think that is a really cool thing that you can model in your classroom of disagreement and explaining why and really just building in those those skills of being a person. Which I think I think whenever we can do with the kids needed, so I think it's really important for us to do whenever we can,
well, let me just say, not just the kids, I think the teachers too, because I've now taught or for level one a couple years, and the first like two or three days of work level one or understanding super, super, super basic things, right? Or shallow work is built on what we call like elemental concepts. So things that are just, you know, foundational in life, but also that you can pull up to make music with. And one of the activities we do is we have teachers go through and take a well known nursery rhyme and notate it. And that is very hard for some people, because they say it one way and write it another way. And I'm like, I'll get homework and I'll be like, Okay, can you say the poem for me? And they say it right? And I go, Okay, you just wrote Jack sprat could eat no fat his wife could eat no lead like that translation from like, how you say it to how you write it is hard. And so for kids, I think it's great to keto get a jump on it early. But I think even for adults, it's that that understanding of language and how it translates to written notation, it's it's tricky. So it's, it's I think it's fun to have these conversations and use that language in, you know, in what we do so that we have a better understanding of how we speak and also our better music makers in general. Love that.
So you've already mentioned in the ailments area book, but for educators that are interested in learning more about how they can use rhythmic building blocks, what resources or professional development opportunities would you recommend?
Well, the whole reason I am an or silver person as I went to my local chapter, and I went to a workshop. So I will say check out the American Orff schulwerk Association, our big national umbrella organization, and they're great resource. If you become a national as a member, you're like, there's not a chapter near me, I don't want to join or whatever. If you become a national member, we have a huge, amazing archive of content, not just building bricks, but you know, hundreds 1000s of other things, articles, our scholarly journal, you get access to all of that if you're a national member, but even if you just go to a local workshop and see some of things there, you make connections, you meet people who've worked with this, you find so it's not just like, oh, this lesson I find in a book, but you get explanations and ideas, and sometimes people will hand you their manipulatives. And you know, so I I've learned a lot by just being with other people. For instance, Josh southern who is the current LSA president, he one time I saw him do a workshop all on building bricks, the whole thing, the whole, like four hours was, you know, ways to use the building bricks in different ways. So if you connect with your local chapter or with our national organization, you can find a lot of really, really great resources. But I think Elementary is a great place to start if you want some time at home to do it on your own. But like I said, if you if you make connections with people in the work community, there are a lot of great resource verses in the people, but also in all the things that have been published and put out and presented over the years. I
will say that a OSA video libraries saved me my first year of teaching, and also completely reinvented the way that I think of recorders. And it is a wonderful resource. So speaking of PD, you're actually going to be leading a workshop inside that music teacher community. Can you tell us specifically about rhythmic building blocks, building bricks? Can you tell us a little bit about what we might expect within the session, and then any sort of advice or tips for educators that are trying to get started?
Yeah, so I think well, in the workshop we're going to talk about, we're going to see some concrete examples of like how you can specifically use building bricks, you're gonna get manipulatives to use. And you'll see like how I've used it, how you can use it a different ways. We'll talk about applications for reading rhythms for improvising both with we're with body percussion with speech on BART instruments, we'll be able to talk about a lot of the ways that you can use even just one set of building bricks, or one example of them in different areas, because like, like we were talking about earlier, one of the things that I love about social work is you can take an idea and sort of run with it in different ways. So you're going to see how you can take some building bricks, and you can use them with this area, or in this area or in this area. So you can see. And then you can take that lesson, you can say, Well, hey, I don't want to do a lesson about food. But instead, I'm going to do a lesson about the ocean. And you can use that concept and sort of reimagined it in your own way. So in the workshop, you'll see actual examples. But you'll also get the ideas behind like how can you implement this? What would maybe your first steps be? What are some things you should avoid or, or, or consider before you try so that you're able to like take and and recreate in your own classroom setting.
I have to say, I'm really excited for this one personally, we booked or we scheduled out what our topics were going to be for the year a while back. And this is one that I have been counting down the days, because I'm really excited to see up myself. So if you would like to join us inside that music teacher community, you can check out the link in the in the description wherever you're watching or listening to this podcast. You can also head on over to that music teacher.com. David, thank you so much. Again, we could take this conversation so many different ways. And we could talk here forever. But I obviously we don't want to be here forever. So David, thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you for time for taking some time talking about the workflow work. And thank you for being one of our guest presenters inside that nice feature community.
Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm really excited about it. And I guess this means we'll just have to have another conversation in the future.
Yes, we will have to take it one of the other 1000s of different ways we could do it. David, thank you so much. Thank you so much for listening. If you are if you are interested in joining us inside that music teacher community. Again, check out the description wherever you're listening or head on over to that music teacher.com And we will see you next week here on that music podcast.
