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A Typical Day in Music Class & A Christmas Song (A Long Overdue New Music Monday, Plus Video)
In addition to being my first full year teaching science, this is also my first full year teaching music. I teach music at every level, from the first grade students all the way up to the high school juniors. I enjoy teaching both music and science, but I feel the most passionate about teaching music. Music is beautiful. Music is fun. And music tells us stories. Our Music Class Routine In music class, we follow the same basic routine each class period. First, we listen to a piece of music and then we discuss what we heard. I like to ask the students three questions about each piece: 1. What…
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Stand Firm: A Collection of Verses from 2 Thessalonians {New Music Monday}
I wrote the following song as our Pastor preached through 2 Thessalonians. I like the good reminder to “stand firm.” As Christians, we stand on the rock that is Jesus Christ. Streams of living water flow from our Savior, and he welcomes us to come and drink from them freely. Stand firm, dear friends, by placing your hope in Jesus. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Stand Firm Now may our Lord, Jesus Christ himself,And God our Father, who loved and gave usEternal comfort and good hope through graceComfort your hearts,And establish them in every good work and word.…
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Welcome to My Classes, Where Music and Science Unite {New Music Monday}
Have you ever wondered what a song about Mendelian genetics or combustion might sound like? Well, wonder no more. I present to you two songs I wrote for my science classes: one about the four principles behind Mendelian genetics, and the other about the process of combustion. The Four Principles of Mendelian Genetics The lyrics for this song come directly from the Apologia Biology textbook, 2nd edition (you can purchase the 3rd edition here.) Dr. Wile took the older language of Gregor Mendel’s four principles and updated it to fit our modern English. I enjoyed trying to take prose and turn it into song, and then trying to get my…
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Let Me Lead You Home {New Music Monday}
I’m excited to bring back New Music Mondays. I wrote the following song to submit for an exhibition at St. Andrew’s College in Scotland. (Here’s a link to the call they put out for artists.) They did not choose to use my song, but I am still looking forward to viewing the other artists’ work. The exhibition begins on Friday, March 19. It was both challenging and fun to prepare a song for submission–I’ve never done that before, and I would definitely do it again. The theme of the exhibition is “In/break,” and one idea listed is “an intrusion of hope.” I used this idea in my song, and also…
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Through This World’s Lonely Pass {New Music Monday}
I hope this poem, and the music that accompanies it, encourage you to stand firm on Jesus, our only hope in this age and the age to come! We need not fear as he stays near,His love and protection a fountain.Our hope stands firm, year after year,The pinnacle of a mountain. With words, he builds the foundation,With trust, we climb higher still.Each rock works for our salvation,Each stone a path to goodwill. Flowing like crystalline watersFrom stores in the mountain’s side:Grace for his sons and daughters,Comfort through him who died. O Jesus, Our Emmanuel,We praise you who on earth did dwell.Bring us through this world’s lonely pass,Safely home, loved, protected–with…