Booklists for 2010 for Primary and Lower Secondary

It’s booklisting time for many teachers – so here are some thoughts:

Are you looking for a music theory book that will complement your already successful practical classroom music program?
Do you want to ensure that written work in music is as fun and engaging as your practical work?

The Cool Cats series of music theory books is for you!
The series ensures plenty of reinforcement of concepts for young learners and will complement any specialist music program.
The series could be started as early as Year 2.
Books 3 and 4 in the series can be used to prepare students for the AMEB Preliminary Music Craft exam and so are suitable for upper primary or lower secondary students. Alternatively, they can be used to purely complement your own classroom program.
Please find attached a list of my books, with their prices for your information. Please contact Bushfire Press if you would like a perusal copy or go ahead and booklist now.

FREE sample activities for ALL books can be found on line at: www.bushfirepress.com
Books 3 & 4 have FREE teacher notes and worked solutions also available.
Get ready for 2010 now with something new for your students!

From the crowded desk of Mark Leehy,
Publisher at Bushfire Press

30% Discount off Dance Room 1 and all Music Room

Purchase Dance Room Level 2 and you can claim a 30% discount off Dance Room 1 or any level of Music Room
www.bushfirepress.com/danceroom

Dance Room Level 2 is now available!

Dance Room Level 2

lower primary edition
the second book in our New Dance Program
by Barbara Snook

This book is now available. Check back in the blog for the free activity we have published from this book - and stand by for a special offer to launch this title! www.bushfirepress/danceroom

Early Childhood Conference of Performing Arts

Upcoming PD
We’ll be at the Early Childhood Conference of Performing Arts (ECCPA) 22/23 August at Genazzano College, Kew, Melbourne. We won’t, alas, be doing any workshops this time around, but we’ll be doing some ‘Resource Show & Tells’. We’ll also have a display – so come & say G’day.

More info here

From the crowded desk of Mark Leehy,
Publisher at Bushfire Press

Dance Room Update

I know that some teachers are hanging out for Dance Room level 2 (lower primary) – and, yes, the release is behind schedule. But the news is good. I’ve just emerged from the recording studio with the finished masters and the videoing was completed last weekend (there is a DVD with this level).

The book is due back from the printer any day and the whole shebang will hopefully be packaged up this week! It has taken a little longer to put the finishing touches in place, but the wait will be well worth it: there are 40, full-colour, easy-to-use lesson plans for lower primary + 4 audio CDs of great music and guided examples etc … plus a DVD with 16 examples of dances, movements, actions and even some Auslan signing.

The package is beautifully presented and exquisitely illustrated by our artist, Bradfield Dumpleton, and Barbara Snook’s clear instructions make it easy to deliver a Dance program for any teacher.

I guess it’s obvious we’re pretty proud of it and we look forward to your thoughts.

Check out the activity from Dance Room Level 2 posted last week in this blog. We will notify you the moment the package is ready (there will also be some great deals).

From the crowded desk of Mark Leehy,
Publisher at Bushfire Press

August 2009 Free Activity - Marching Soldiers

The August activity comes from

Dance Room Level 2

lower primary edition
the second book in our New Dance Program
by Barbara Snook

Dance Room Level 2 is about to be released! This is your chance to preview this exciting new publication.

Marching Soldiers

This activity focuses on the Dance Element of Space.

In pairs, students make up a march where they pretend to be soldiers and march around the room in time to the music.
They can march on the spot, march forward, turn to face a different direction and march forward again. They are encouraged to make up their own marching dance.

A fun activity that helps your students map out their positions in space while they are moving around the floor.

Try it out, and then order a perousal copy of the book!

40 LESSON PLANS FOR LOWER PRIMARY!!!
Full colour book and four audio CDs.
Here is your dance and movement course for the year ready made, planned and ready to go!
Dance Room Dance program from Bushfire Press.

We have the music with all instructions and a pdf from the book to download. Enjoy!
Download the activity

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Maryborough Music Conference ‘09

A couple of weeks ago, Kevin O’Mara and I were in Maryborough, Queensland, for the biennial music teachers’ conference, held over 5 days in July. We presented workshops on Music Room and Dance Room. It was our second visit and once again it was a stunning achievement – this time bigger and better.

Congratulations to Ken Hodgkinson for amazing organization. We were treated to great weather, a sublime setting by the Mary River, fabulous guest speakers and presenters from Australia and the world, wonderful performances from local students and delegate’s bands, orchestras and choirs … and keynote speaker James Morrison reminded us all that, outcomes and Essential

Learnings aside, our most important job is to find ways to engage the student at the student’s level – to help the student make a connection to music. I realise it sounds a little trite when written down like that … but it is just so important for us all to remember, when faced with ever-changing planning, evaluation and reporting requirements, that music is still, fundamentally, about making that connection and using it for expression.

The next Maryborough Music Conference is in 2011 – maybe we’ll see you there.

From the crowded desk of Mark Leehy,
Publisher at Bushfire Press