This week is week 3 for my students doing online lessons and so far, I think things are improving! I’m feeling more energy and connection in lessons. We’re getting used to the technology – although one students’ phone did keep sliding down… over and over the entire lesson… Maybe I need to send them a link for a simple phone holder to set up during lessons? Ha ha, but overall things are going well.

This week I’ve been gathering resources and ideas to share with students. I’m not sure how long our stay home mandates will be going for. Could be a few more weeks. Or months… So today I wanted to share a bunch of the ideas I’ve collected in a Google Drive. Click this link to view what I’ve found.

I’m hoping to introduce a new game or activity every week or every other week. For example, I LOVED this website I found when researching – Chrome Music Lab. In my weekly newsletter to parents I’ll be sending this as a fun thing to check out! Then during lessons, I’ll add a 5 minute exploration assignment to Chrome Music Lab to their Tonara assignment sheet. I’m sure many siblings at home will enjoy it as well.

If some programs work really well and students like them, we’ll continue coming back to them. Theory and rhythm resources are something I’m always trying to work into lessons so I’m excited to check out a few new links I’d never heard of before!

If you have any other online resources you love, please send them my way! Let’s get a nice long list of COVID resources going for everyone to share. 

 And in case you’re not comfortable with Google Drive, I’ve added the first draft of the list below!

Online ResourcesLinkInfoCategory
Noteflight Learnnoteflight.comFree to all through June 30thNotation
Sightreading Factoryhttps://www.sightreadingfactory.com/Free student accounts to schools closed for COVIDSight Reading
MusicTheory.Netwww.musictheory.netFree all the time, exercises and lessonsTheory
Audacitywww.audacityteam.orgFree, downloadable recording audio software.Recording
Chrome Music Labhttps://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Website with exploratory activities, general music makingGeneral Music
SmartMusicwww.smartmusic.comFree student accounts to schools closed for COVIDNotation
Incrediboxwww.incredibox.comAudio & visual music makerNotation
Making Music Funwww.makingmusicfun.netFree account for teachers, theory & activity pagesTheory
Little Kids Rock “JamZone”http://jamzone.littlekidsrock.org/Free lessons for making music (mainly vocal)General Music
Rhythm Trainertherhythmtrainer.comRhythm Dictation PracticeRhythm
Kahootkahoot.comCreate or search already made games or trivia quizApp
Music Playwww.musicplayonline.comElementary Level, lots of rhythm & other music gamesRhythm, General Music
Quizizzhttps://quizizz.comOnline quiz games in various subject areas.App
Two Minute Music Theoryhttps://www.youtube.com/user/the1564studios/playlistsYouTube Channel with short theory lessonsTheory
uTheory.comutheory.comOnline theory, rhythm & ear training (Free during COVID)Theory
Music Tech Teacherwww.musicteachteacher.comTheory game resource (music mazes!)Theory
Music Theory Practicewww.music-theory-practice.comTheory flashcards & lessonsTheory
Groove Pizzahttps://apps.musedlab.org/groovepizza/?Rhythm/Polyrhythm beats (teens would love this)Rhythm
Band Labwww.bandlab.comMusic production platform (reminds me of Garage Band)App
Early Music Sourceswww.earlymusicsources.comDatabase and youtube series for early music studyResearch

Author: Whitney

Whitney Hawker, NCTM, teaches group and private piano at Weber State University, Utah. She loves surprising students with the perfect piece or a new exciting game! After graduate school, she missed sharing ideas and resources daily with colleagues so she and her friend, Spring, began blogging together at 4DPianoTeaching.com