--- title: Teaching with Musicplay | Denise Gagne (2) description: Elementary music lesson planning, Teaching tips and updates from the Musicplay team! (2) --- [![musicplay-logo](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/musicplay-logo-2.png?width=2701&height=877&name=musicplay-logo-2.png "musicplay-logo")](http://musicplay.ca) Open main menu Close main menu # Teaching With Musicplay ##### Sign up for email notifications. New blog post weekly! [Sign up Here!](https://marketing.musicplay.ca/newsletter-sign-up-form) Select Category Assessment Blog Posts Boomwhacker Bucket Drumming Choral Classroom Management Games and Centers Holidays and Special Days Lesson Planning Literacy and Music Programs and Musicals Recorder Vocal Development What's New with Musicplay Posts by: ## Denise Gagne ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202023-01-29%20at%205-12-40%20PM-png.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Why Teach Solfege?](https://blog.musicplay.ca/why-teach-solfege) Feb 4, 2023, 2:00:00 PM A teacher in the [Musicplay Teachers](https://www.facebook.com/groups/MusicplayTeachers) Group on Facebook asked what I thought was a great question.  Why teach solfege?   [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/why-teach-solfege) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Having%20Fun%20in%20the%20Music%20Classroom%20in%20February%20Cover.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [February FUN! - Lunar New Year ~ Valentine's Day ~ Black History Month](https://blog.musicplay.ca/february-fun-lunar-new-year-valentines-day-black-history-month) Jan 27, 2023, 2:00:00 PM It's tough to decide what to focus on in February!  Whether you want to celebrate Lunar New Year, Valentine's Day or Black History Month --- or ALL of them, MusicplayOnline has units, songs in the song list and listening activities for you. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/february-fun-lunar-new-year-valentines-day-black-history-month) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Diversity%20Photo%20(1).png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Holiday Rhythm Centers, Games, and Worksheets](https://blog.musicplay.ca/holiday-rhythm-centers-games-and-worksheets) Dec 9, 2022, 2:00:00 PM ### **What do I do after the December concert?** The Nutcracker is a holiday favorite.  Musicplayonline has lessons for teaching the story of the Nutcracker, and many of the movements.  These can be holiday performances OR they can be fun holiday lessons.  In the Wednesday webinar, I'll do many of them. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/holiday-rhythm-centers-games-and-worksheets) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Handels%20Last%20Chance%20Cover-1.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [The Nutcracker and Using Handel’s Last Chance in the Music Classroom](https://blog.musicplay.ca/the-nutcracker-and-using-handels-last-chance-and-other-movies-in-the-music-classroom) Dec 2, 2022, 2:00:00 PM  The Nutcracker is a holiday favorite. MusicplayOnline has lessons for teaching the story of the Nutcracker, and many of the movements. These can be holiday performances OR they can be fun holiday lessons. In the Wednesday webinar, I'll do many of the movement activities, and share some of the play alongs and written activities. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/the-nutcracker-and-using-handels-last-chance-and-other-movies-in-the-music-classroom) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Holiday%20Instruments%20and%20Bucket%20Drumming%20Cover.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Holiday Instruments and Bucket Drumming](https://blog.musicplay.ca/holiday-orff-buckets-and-more) Nov 25, 2022, 2:00:00 PM ## **MusicplayOnline has many arrangements!** Kids love playing instruments any time of year. MusicplayOnline has holiday arrangements for Orff instruments, bucket drums, rhythm band, Boomwhackers, body percussion and - new this year - Djembe.  Many of these arrangements were written in 2021 for the year that many schools couldn't sing. Now, there are a wealth of materials for instruments on MusicplayOnline. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/holiday-orff-buckets-and-more) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Tracking%20Charts%20and%20Easy%20Assessments%20Cover.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Easy Music Assessments](https://blog.musicplay.ca/easy-music-assessments) Nov 4, 2022, 10:00:00 AM MusicplayOnline has many easy assessments. In your planning, start with the end in mind. What do you want the students to know at the end of kindergarten? - at the end of Grade 5? [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/easy-music-assessments) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Spooky%20Fun%2c%20Treats%2c%20and%20Leaves%20Cover.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Spooky Fun and Treats!](https://blog.musicplay.ca/spooky-fun-and-treats) Oct 21, 2022, 2:00:00 PM MusicplayOnline has many FUN activities for October. If you celebrate Halloween - or if you don't - there are fun activities for your students.   [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/spooky-fun-and-treats) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Instruments%20Cover.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [3 New Instructional Drumming Resources on MusicplayOnline](https://blog.musicplay.ca/3-new-instructional-drumming-resources-on-musicplayonline) Oct 7, 2022, 10:55:00 AM We have added 3 new instructional resources to our drumming section! Read more below about these fantastic additions to MusicplayOnline!  [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/3-new-instructional-drumming-resources-on-musicplayonline) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/French%20Resources%20on%20MusicplayOnline%20Webinar%20with%20Serge%20Gingras%20(1).png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [How do I find French resources on MusicplayOnline?](https://blog.musicplay.ca/how-do-i-find-french-resources-on-musicplayonline) Sep 30, 2022, 2:53:57 PM We are proud to introduce an initial program in French for students in French immersion programs and Francophone schools. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/how-do-i-find-french-resources-on-musicplayonline) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Concert%20Etiquette%20and%20Organization%20Blog%20(1).png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [How to Plan an Elementary Music Concert/Program](https://blog.musicplay.ca/how-to-plan-a-concert) Sep 21, 2022, 9:05:52 AM Whether you are a first year teacher or a seasoned veteran, planning concerts is a lot of work.  A holiday concert can be an event that brings school and community together.  When you ask adults what they remember most about elementary school, it's rarely the math classes - it's the events that they connected with emotionally, and most often they remember the year they were a snowman in the Christmas play far better than they remember learning the times tables.  Too often though, the responsibility for the holiday concert falls on the shoulders of the music teacher.  Since this is a school event, it is really necessary for the entire staff to be involved.  This newsletter is coming early this year (I've usually published this in Dec) as you really need it NOW - not in December. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/how-to-plan-a-concert) [1](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [2](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne/page/2) [3](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne/page/3) [4](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne/page/4) [5](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne/page/5) ##### Sign up for email notifications. New blog post weekly! [Sign up Here!](https://marketing.musicplay.ca/newsletter-sign-up-form) #### Our Products - [MusicplayOnline](https://musicplayonline.com) - [Musicplay Store](https://store.musicplay.ca) - [Musicplay Downloads](https://downloads.musicplay.ca) - [Musicplay Workshops](https://workshops.musicplay.ca) - [Musicplay Help](https://help.musicplay.ca) Follow us on Facebook Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram