We overestimate what students can accomplish in the fist year of playing a Band instrument, but we underestimate what students are able to accomplish in five years, including both the elementary General Music experience and the first year Band experience. I plan to discuss my first year Band method called It's Time to Play - a method that connects to the General Music Classroom and maximizes student engagement and achievement!
Michael Francis Smith
- Biographical Information
Michael Francis Smith is an American Composer
and Songwriter as well as a highly regarded Instrumental and General Music
Educator with 23 years of expertise as a K-12 Music Department Chair in two
Massachusetts School Districts. Currently, Dr. Smith is working with younger students
in Grades 3-5 at the new Intermediate School in Bourne, Massachusetts on
beautiful Cape Cod. His innovative programs, “It's Time to Play (A Band
Instrument)” and “It's Time to Play (The Recorder),” accelerate student
learning and enhance literacy as students sing and play a diverse repertoire of
songs. By integrating General Music research principles, he bridges the gap
between General Music and Instrumental Music, unlocking each student's full
potential.
Alongside his innovative work in Music Education,
Michael Francis Smith showcases his original compositions for Band, Chorus, and
Orchestra on prominent platforms like the J.W. Pepper website and
mfmsmithmusic.com. Smith's music is known for its uplifting and accessible
qualities, featuring shared melodies and countermelodies across all instruments
and voices, resulting in an engaging musical experience. His compositions have
been praised for their intricate and dynamic sound that transcends their
approachable nature.