Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2023

As the end of 2023 is fast approaching, it's time for a look back at the 10 most popular blog posts on Steve's Music Room this year! There are a couple of posts that have appeared on this list since every year since they were first published.

The Top 10 Most Popular Blog Posts from 2023 on Steve's Music Room

1. 75+ School-Appropriate Songs for your Rock Group

This post is consistently one of my most popular posts ever, appearing in the top 10 every year since its first iteration. This is an ever-growing list of songs that you can use in your classrooms that are "school-appropriate" and fun to learn. Each song has what chords are in it and any other things to keep note of while learning. They are even categorized into levels of difficulty.

2. 9 Ways to Use Google's Blob Opera

Another one that has been in the top 10 since it was first published, this post gives an overview of Google's Blob Opera and how it can be used in various classroom settings you might find yourself in. Not just a fun and silly game! There's lots of musical knowledge that can be gained here.

3. 150+ of the Best Apps and Software for Your Music Classroom

Curated, in part, from "Technology for Unleashing Creativity," this post gives an extensive list of apps and software music teachers can use in their classrooms in various settings. Organized into types, and with links to each one, this invaluable list of apps will help any music teacher navigate the music tech landsape.

4. STEAM in Music Class with Coding

STEAM, or Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, approaches have become quite popular in recent years. This blog post gives the reader ways in to engage with STEAM approaches in a music classroom. Check it out!

5. 7 Cool Things You May Not Know About Song Maker

Do you know Chrome Music Lab's Song Maker? It's not just a playful toy--there are many musical and music tech concepts that can be acquired through this deceptively versatile app. If you are ready to have your mind blown, read on!

6. How to Set up a Remix Project in BandLab for Education

If you've not used BandLab for Education yet, you should. It's a FREE cloud-based Digital Audio Workstation comparable to the industry standards. This free lesson on how to set up a remix project in BandLab also comes with some vocal stems to get you started with your remixing journey.

7. Figurative Language Through Song for Language Arts and Music Teachers (Part 1)

This post, the first in a series of posts, is a step-by-step unit plan for teaching figurative language through songwriting and poetry. You can purchase the entire unit in one go on my website or my TpT store.

8. How to Set Up and Run Your First Sound System

One of the first things you will need to learn how to do when you get your first music teacher job in a school is how to run a sound board. I mean, the other staff members will already assume you know. Demistify the process with this post giving you everything you need and the instructions to help you be successful.

9. Learning by Ear with Beginners: A Step-by-Step Approach

This post, originally published in Steve Holley, Zack Moir, and Kat Reinhart's edited collection, is about how you can teach a group of learners who have never learned by ear before, how to learn by ear.

10. So You Have a DAW; Now What?

If you're new to using a digital audio workstation and are not sure what projects to implemeng, this post gives you a place to begin with your learners that get them creating music right away and having fun with it.

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