#musedchat Archive
Each Monday evening at 8PM EST, music teachers get together and share ideas about important topics within music education. It’s a great chance to interact directly with educators from all over the world and to get new tips and tricks to help you succeed in the classroom. The entire #musedchat discussion is organized and moderated by Joe Guarr.
Monday September 19, 2016
It's time for ! Our topic tonight: Classroom setup and layout. Be sure to introduce yourself!
Hi everyone!
Jason, HS vocal music from MA.
Great to see you again Jason, hope you've been well
Aubrey, 5th-8th orchestra from Colorado.
Hi all! Sam Fritz 6-8 Band
Good evening to you Aubrey, hope you had a good Monday
How are you tonight, Sam?
Howdy - Stephen 9-12 band MA
Hi Stephen, welcome to the chat!
Burton Hable, Assistant Director of Bands at Centennial HS in Ankeny, IA. Sneaking in a few b4 Boston Brass at Iowa State!
Sounds like an awesome show, hope you enjoy!
Q1: Describe the physical layout of your room. Dimensions, any interesting features, etc.
A1: Well this could take a lot of Tweets, since I teach in 5 diff rooms...
A1: 1. Cafeteria. 2. "Common Area" = large, wide hallway. 3. 5th grade classroom w/all the furniture.
A1: 4. Stage, w/movable wall to cafeteria (I teach during breakfast). 5. Dedicated music room for orch & band
Hello! Ben Meisel, 6-8 band, Cleveland OH.
Hi Ben, long time no see!
A1:Layout depends on what else happens in there. Try to move the least furniture possible. Not my ideal, but how we make it work.
New building as in totally new construction? Did you get any say in the design?
A1: I feel bad for saying but I have a large flat room seats 90 winds and full perc and has 6 PR https://t.co/koVf4qUa2J
A1: 1. Cafeteria. 2. "Common Area" = large, wide hallway. 3. 5th grade classroom w/all the furniture.
We have the old-style tiers in our band room. I taped off an aisle down the middle so I can float better.
Q1a: We have the old-style tiers in our band room. I taped off an aisle down the middle so I can float better.
A1: Pretty large room, square, except for the bank of practice rooms jutting into the space. Comfortably seats about 60.
A1: used to have a 3 tier pit. Was very limited in setup possibilities.
Q1b: Our custodian helped build us a perc mallet shelf (different size holes that I color coded because I'm cool). Kids love it
Nice! I put some pegboard up at the back of the room to hang mallets and accessories.
Don't feel bad! It's my reality. The music room (where I teach 4 classes) is great, seats about 50 w/full perc.
I like that too. What sort of auxiliary equipment will that hold?
I'll see if I can snap a picture tomorrow. I've got all the keyboard mallets, timp mallets, BD mallet, tambourines
Plus shakers, cabasa, guiro...picked up some wire bsakets that fit into the pegboard for things like claves.
A1 New building in the past 5 yrs. band room w/ 30 ft ceilings. Acoustic panels approx. 1700 sq. ft. still a bit tight for 70 Ss.
Q2: How do you set up your room for students each day?
A2: For non-music rooms, I put out chairs, Ss are responsible for picking them up. Trad. semi-circle arrangement.
Anyone else dealing with high levels of instrumental noise? How do you combat it?
Room usage causes a lot of tension in my building. Band/orch/choir are all at same time, w/1 mus rm, 1 multi-purpose rm, & stage.
A2 Stays in a trad. Band setup though we transition each day through guitar classes as well. Ss empty room weekly 4 cleaning.
A2: Smartboard up front w/ daily plan on it. Traditional arcs, w/ aisle in middle for mobility.
A2: I use more of the orchestral set. Voice grouped wedges with brass in the back perc up close. https://t.co/BFPns4u8Ot
A2: depends on where we are rehearsal wise. Start pieces in a semi circle or circle so S's can hear each other.
A2 cont. move to a more traditional setup closer to the concert. Same with my choirs.
Never thought about starting a piece w/ a circle. How does that compare to starting in arcs?
Same for us. Got students into routine for putting away stands for Gen. Music. Easy transitions now.
Always amazes me how easy stacking/racking transitions are if you train Ss & practice w/them. They become pros!
After close to 20 yrs in acoustically untreated rooms, the change in our new school was transformative.
So true! Spending a little time practicing racking stands saves so much time down the road.
Always use kid power https://t.co/XwY1heDcoH
Always amazes me how easy stacking/racking transitions are if you train Ss & practice w/them. They become pros!
I use those, but easy to fall out of habit. Kids exposed to a lot of volume as well. Hoping to update dampening.
Q for : How could you help sound in a small, boxy room (sound echoes like crazy)? On a budget :-).
Have you noticed any personal hearing loss? Scares the heck out of me.
It's unsafe as a director and Ss 2 b exposed 2 constant elevated volume 4 years on end. Acoustic treatment essential
Egg cartons on walls. Not nearly as effective as acoustic paneling, but if you have parents donate used, WAY cheaper
Q3: What classroom goals do you have in mind when you set your space up for the day?
I know the paper ones work but what about styrofoam? Any difference?
Sometimes I notice hearing issues. In some of the worst reh. spaces, I took to wearing ear plugs.
How do you put them up? I should suggest this to my team.
A3 strive to have the space conducive for Ss to hear each other. Helps with tuning, balance and blend.
A3: This is year 7, and I've gone from slob to neat freak. Notice better overall results from organized space, from kids and me.
Are you me? https://t.co/6x9RwXvQQy
A3: This is year 7, and I've gone from slob to neat freak. Notice better overall results from organized space, from kids and me.
A3: Big personal goal is to get off the podium to work w/ individuals. Space has to allow for movement around the room.
A3:Hate to say it, but this is a thing I've decided to let go of. Too hard to control w/so many ppl in & out & my travel schedule
struggle with keeping room organized. Some of that is because high traffic (no complaints in that regard...)
Strong two-sided tape would work. If you've got a strip of cork running around the room, could tack them up.
100%, including an adverse reaction to all things maize and blue.
try hot glue. Sticks to anything but won't damage the wall or paint.
A3: More about making it work than setting up perfectly. Not enough space, not enough time. Have to keep my sanity :-).
again, why I like the single arc or circle. I can listen and move. Leave a space to get to percussion
Finding a place for EVERYTHING (including going wild with the label maker) has helped. Reminding Ss to pick up too.
Absolutely. I quite enjoy this recent trend of MSU and OSU duking it out for the conference title.
Q4: If you could change anything about your physical classroom space, what would it be and why?
It's amazing what a little natural light can do for a classroom. Everybody seems to be in a better mood.
A4: A bigger space and ceilings larger than 7 feet... I can only fit max of 43 in my room at one time (we've tried with more b4!)
A4 Simply adding sq footage would be a huge help. So difficult to give Ss personal space and allow T mvmt. in current space.
A4: Priority one is noise reduction. After that, update storage and aesthetics. We're getting there thanks to awesome custodian
LOVE the wall of windows in one of my rooms. Unless the horses are out in the field they face ;-).
A4: I would love a little natural light
My A4 is easy - be in dedicated music spaces. Big enough to hold us.
A4: I'd like my practice rooms moved back about 10 feet to open up more space for inst. lockers and percussion.
A4b: Anyone have a contact at HGTV? Could use big windows, French doors, granite everything.
Was your room originally designed with instrumental music in mind?
Extreme Makeover, band edition?
A4: I would like an air conditioner in every room.
A4 Additional floor space is great but volume of your space is so important. The need for high ceilings cannot be understated!
Ooh, good call. We've got a late September heat wave rolling through this week.
A4: band room only 4 years old so it's nice, but could use more sq footage. I'd love 2 b able 2 leave jazz band set-up all aday
Busy working tonight, but following the conversation. Some have expressed teacher movement is important, why important to you?
