I hope 2024 has been a wonderful year for all of you. This year, I’ve been fortunate to share my research and practices with so many of you in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York. To those of you using my methods with your students—thank you!
I’ve been reflecting on how students learn music, especially when It's Time to Play an Instrument. While traditional approaches often begin with reading symbols, true and lasting success comes from starting with singing before playing and sound before symbols. In addition, early improvisation sparks creativity, and a diverse song collection ensures all students feel included and connected.
It’s been exciting to see the enthusiasm for It’s Time to Play a Band Instrument and It’s Time to Play the Recorder. If you have feedback, questions, or success stories, I’d love to hear from you.
This fall, I began working on It’s Time to Play a String Instrument, starting a string club at my school and even taking violin lessons myself! My students are thriving, and it’s been rewarding to see how diverse repertoire and auditory preparation from the General Music Classroom support beginning string players. Book 1 is complete, Book 2 will be finished this spring, and both will be available through JW Pepper by April. It’s been a pleasure collaborating with Bryan Sanguinito on this project.
Looking ahead, I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be attending State Music Conferences in New Orleans (January), New Jersey (February), Massachusetts (March), and Pennsylvania (April). If you’ll be there, please stop by and say hello—I’d love to connect!
Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a fantastic start to 2025. Thank you for everything you do to inspire your students and bring music to life in your classrooms.
Warm regards,
Michael Francis Smith
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