MUSIC EDUCATION RESOURCES
Music Education Resources Created By Teachers For Teachers
At Take Note Music we are passionate about music education which is why we developed a broad range of music teacher resources designed to support music teachers and make learning music fun for all students and teachers alike!
Supporting Teachers To Nurture Young Musicians
Music is such an important part of our lives and culture – in fact, music is the universal language that unites us all. Music is a meaningful way in which we express ourselves, communicate our feelings and ideas to others, and provide joy and relief from the stresses of everyday life.
Thus, music education is a crucial component of a child’s development. Music provides an outlet for creativity as well as an opportunity for self-expression.
Music helps develop a young person’s creativity, it has been proven to improve cognitive abilities in many aspects of brain development, which translate to overall improvement in brain function.
Music also provides students with opportunities that might not otherwise exist to gain confidence by performing in front of audiences.
In fact, a recent study showed that students who took part in music education programs had higher GPAs, better attendance records, and lower dropout rates than their peers who did not participate in music education programs.
Music Education Resources for Teachers
We know that music education is essential, but sometimes it can be hard to find the right resources to help support us to be the most effective we can be in the music classroom.
In today’s digital world, kids are used to being entertained with flashy graphics and interactive games. When they’re not engaged, they can quickly lose focus.
Thus, it is critical to find the best resources available. But often, these can be expensive and difficult to locate.
Take Note Music was created with the discerning teacher in mind. We provide engaging and interactive resources that help to engage students in hands-on learning experiences. In one convenient place, you can access music education resources and teacher guides for teaching music literacy, movement and dance, music theory and music appreciation along with music teaching tips in our ‘blog’ to maximise teaching effectiveness.
We approach music education in a wholistic manner providing resources for singing, listening, moving, reading, writing, creating along with instrumental performance and improvisation. Our aim is to nurture students who are artful, beat-fun and tuneful.
All of our classroom pitch resources, listening kits and student and teacher texts are designed by music educators with a combined classroom experience of over 75 years! We support teachers to make the most of their limited time with students by also providing helpful tips for teachers, so you can get the most out of our resources, along with ideas for activities and vital classroom strategies to ensure successful experiences for your students.
Take Note Music Education Resources
If you are a music teacher, Take Note Music has the resources you need to ensure your students are successful. We have tools for every stage of the learning process, from planning overviews and lesson plans to assessment tools.
Our material will broaden students’ understanding of music, enhance musicianship skills, promote joyful engagement through listening, reading, writing, creating, and responding. We also offer fun teaching aids, such as puppets and visual tools.
We offer educational items that lead to an engaging learning experience, develop a student’s interest in music, and improve their musical abilities.
Take Note Music was founded by very experienced music educators to provide fellow teachers with resources to teach music more effectively to children. We have built a place for music teachers to go for all their needs.
Quality classroom music resources created by teachers for teachers
Our Music Education Resources Speciality Areas
Although we offer resources for all areas of music education, we do have areas in which we specialise.
Music Writing
Take Note Music is an excellent source for Music Writing texts, both teacher and student.
Our Music Writing text books include writing rhythms, solfa and notation in the stave, deriving then writing rhythmic and melodic dictations, reading, performing and creating rhythmic canons, composing question and answer melodic phrases and creating song lyrics.
Developing an understanding of written musical notation is a gradual and development journey throughout the primary years from Prep to Year 6. We offer guidance to help you teach all aspects of music writing.
Music Reading
One of the most essential skills to have as a musician is being able to read music. Music reading includes being able to read sheet music, as well as understanding various elements of notation, such as clefs and time signatures, that are used in printed music.
Music reading is not a challenge when taught in a developmental manner with age-appropriate resources.
Our music reading materials will help students learn about music notation and other elements of printed music using printable and interactive formats.
Music Making
Music-making allows students to express themselves through sound using their voices, bodies, and instruments.
In the classroom, music-making focuses on reading and identifying note names in the treble stave and involves performing on chime bars, tuned percussion and/or recorder. The mix of folk, original, and blues songs are introduced sequentially to ensure students are confident in their development of skills.
Our music making resource is for group teaching along with individual practise at home as a follow-up. The audio tracks are available online to assist home practise and enable students to play with beautifully sensitive accompaniment tracks.
The development of creativity in students is integral to the well-rounded musician. Improvisation on the 12 bar blues is a fabulously engaging way to engender an understanding of making things up on the spot.
Music Listening
Most teachers would feel that music education was incomplete if it did not instil in their students a love of music as well as a knowledge of how to listen to it critically. Listening to music allows budding musicians to learn about different styles and techniques and discover new types of music.
Music listening can include learning to follow a lead melodic line or identifying musical elements such as tempo, dynamics, and texture.
Our music listening resources will help students develop an appreciation for music and learn how to critically engage in discussions about instrumentation and the other elements of music. We can help your students learn about how elements are used together in a composition or performance and recognise styles from different cultures around the world, like jazz and blues.
Whether your classes are focused on vocal music, instrumental music, choral singing, or general musical foundations, we offer resources to help your young students develop a deep and abiding love for music.
If you have any questions about the best resources for your classroom,
contact us today.
The Young Music Learner
There is something undeniably special about young children and music. Music opens their minds to new possibilities, helps them develop cognitive skills, and lets them build relationships with song and motion that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Rhyming, clapping, and finger-plays can help children with other academic work. Music encourages curiosity, playfulness, and social interaction. Music can be an extremely effective way to help children learn about the world around them, as well as their feelings and emotions.
The Benefits of Learning Music
Here are some specific benefits children experience when they take part in musical activities
It calms us:
There is a reason mothers have sung lullabies to their children for centuries. Music can help relax tense muscles and quiet the mind in a way that other activities simply cannot achieve. Music is powerful medicine.
It develops fine motor skills:
Using an instrument requires fine motor work, hand-eye coordination, planning and execution of movement, all of which help with other physical tasks such as writing.
It develops gross motor skills:
Children are drawn to movement when they hear music, which can help them develop both large and small muscle groups. This motion stimulates the development of the cerebellum, which governs coordination, balance, and complex movements.
It can improve memory:
Music is an impressive device that children can use to learn important ideas and concepts. It provides a framework for recalling information in an exciting way that even very young children can remember.
It can help children learn about their world:
Music has always been a powerful way for people to express their thoughts and feelings on important, complex topics. Music education provides students with the tools they need to realise how music is used in society and develop skills that allow them to communicate their own ideas.
Can assist in other areas of education:
Music education helps children develop sequencing and timing skills that are critical for number sense in math and literacy development.
It teaches patience:
Playing an instrument requires dedication, discipline, and perseverance. Music is an art form that requires the performer to slow down and fine-tune their technique. Music performance can teach children that success comes after hard work and practice. There is no instant gratification in music-making.
It encourages creativity:
Music is not “one size fits all.” There are many types of music, each with a unique perspective and purpose. This variety helps children gain perspective on their ideas and emotions, which can be a catalyst for creative thinking. Music education provides students with opportunities to learn about their world and express themselves in ways that are uniquely suited to them as individuals.
It enables us to express ourselves:
Music is good for us!
Quality classroom music resources created by teachers for teachers
Who We Are
Take Note Music was founded by Ruth Friend and Davina McClure, two long time music educators. We created Take Note Music to bring you the highest quality resource materials to assist with Kodaly, Orff, choral, movement & dance, and instrumental music education.
Focused on the primary school setting, we have developed resources to help teachers teach music using the most effective pedagogy available.
We create materials to improve music theory and literacy, but more importantly, to bring a sense of joy to students regardless of their musical ability. Our hands-on approach to music education means that we have developed resources that are easy to understand and that work for students of different abilities in a classroom setting.
Our Take Note Music Writing books are used in over 900 primary and secondary schools throughout Australia and have been a mainstay of childhood music education for more than twenty years.
Although our much loved Music Writing series forms the foundation for our products, we also provide other resources to support and enhance music education in the classroom.
As part of the Music Writing series, we have developed a range of music lesson plans that help teachers plan their work units. You can also order resource kits to go with each book. These include ready-made flashcards, song pictures, and song shapes that reinforce musical concepts and vocabulary.
Our Music Making book helps bring music concepts to life in a delightful and creative way. The book has been designed to allow students a wide variety of music activities to enjoy and explore music-making in a group setting or for individual practise at home during the primary years.
Designed for treble recorder and tuned percussion instruments, this resource supports classroom belonging and connection. The lessons are deliberately sequenced to support music literacy learning in your students.
Students are provided with music that will generate interest and appreciation – from folk, world music, and improvisation. All the while deliberately improving their skills and interest in music.
Additionally, we have music resources that help students use all their senses as they learn about music.
- Our Wooden Pitch Staircase lets music students visualise and hear where notes are in a song; to understand the concept of high and low in general and whether the notes are specifically steps, skips or leaps apart. These beautifully crafted staircases are designed to house the coloured Alto Chime Bars and assist in teaching the concept of transposition etc.
- The Giant Floor Stave kit enables students to involve themselves in the understanding through kinesthetically developing a relationship to the stave. Students learn about pitch and music notation while they are involved in the various activities outlined in the teacher lesson plans.
- We even have specifically developed puppets to help bring your song materials to life, ie the ghost for pitch development and the cuckoo clock for beat development.
We also have digital products to support music education in your classroom. Examine our resources and see how we can help you and your music students.
The Take Note Music Mission
Our mission is to provide curriculum and learning materials that make music fun and accessible for children throughout Australia.
We are passionate about music education, and we understand how much it means to you. But music educators face challenges in maintaining a well-balanced program of music activities. We also know that music lessons can be time-consuming to prepare.
Today the music industry is transforming, and we must adapt music education to take advantage of new technologies, trends, and demands. We must give children the opportunity to use new tools to gain invaluable knowledge about music that will help them make it a part of their everyday lives.
At the same time, the fundamentals of music are unchanging. Young children still respond to music with a desire to sing, dance, and play. Our music education materials enable music educators to teach music in the most effective ways possible.
By providing music education resources that make music fun and accessible, we hope to give children a firm foundation for music literacy while nurturing their innate delight in music.
And a child who delights in music, when young, will carry that love throughout their lives.
*We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and pay our respects to the ongoing living cultures of First Nations peoples and leaders past, present and emerging.