When Heather Taylor became the band director at Lakeshore Elementary School in Rochester, New York, in 2018, she had an $80 annual budget.

It’s no secret that elementary school music teachers are usually on a tight budget. But before music teachers throw their hands up in the air, they should add these music manipulatives into their classrooms. The following DIY learning tools are economical and can provide countless hours of instruction.

After the first month or two of the school year, it can be very challenging to keep your elementary students engaged. Here are five lessons that I have used to keep my students motivated and excited about learning music, even on a Monday morning!

In college, my focus was instrumental music education. For over four years, I prepared myself to become a band director.

How many times have you said to yourself, “I wish I knew THAT before I started teaching”?

Art and science work in harmony at Sanders Memorial Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. Each student has an assigned Apple device to pursue knowledge of STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art and math.