Middle school years are unique. They have to want to sing. It is our job to inspire them to do so.
Here are several quick thoughts to guide you as you develop your teaching style:
1) Use your personality to engage them.
2) Laugh every single day.
3) Only sing songs and genres that YOU are passionate about. They sense your passion and respond to it likewise...regardless of the type of music. If you love it, they are more likely to share that love.
4) Don't solely focus on technique 24/7. Music is spiritual. Connect to the spirit of the songs in your discussions. It changes how they sing.
5) Move. We cannot expect them to sit still all the time...especially boys. If you want to attract males, you will definitely need to learn to incorporate movement into rehearsals in various ways.
6) Discover Music K-8 magazine. It contains awesome pieces for this age group in every issue and the composers share great ideas about how to bring the songs to life for this age group.
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