November 2026 Newsletter
Dear Medley friends and colleagues,
Happy November! We are excited to announce our first-ever giveaway: a one-of-a-kind set of paint shakers for Paint Shake that have removable caps that reveal a paint color, represented by satin ribbon. The giveaway also includes a dozen paint color boards and a deck of color choice cards so you can put the shakers to immediate use. If you have purchased We Are All Musicians from our website or Payhip (digital version), you are already entered to win. If you purchase a copy between October 28th and November 28th, you’ll be entered THREE times. Click here to order and be entered to win this novel, engaging classroom set! Drawing will be held on November 29th.
Classroom activity videos and supporting materials below! Let’s start the information roundup.
In-person Learning Opportunities
December 5th, 9:30 am
New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) conference, Rochester, New York
Singing on the Inside: Meaningful Inclusion of Non-Speakers (session)
Online Learning Opportunities
MULTIPLE DATES: November 15th at 5 pm, December 7th at 7 pm, January 19th at 7 pm, & February 22nd at 7 pm (Eastern Time).
FREE online office hours with Jen and Jess. Come tell us about your classroom so we can celebrate and troubleshoot together!
January 7-February 25th, Zooms at 7 pm (Eastern Time) on two Thursdays
Adaptive Music Independent Study. This independent study is for teachers who have completed Intro to Adaptive Music Education either in person or online.
Tuition $270. One optional graduate credit from Worcester State University is available for an extra fee.
La Clave, from We Are All Musicians, is a bilingual song about building a house that encourages students to think of original and creative ways to play the claves or rhythm sticks.
El Hipo, from We Are All Musicians, is a bilingual play song about having the hiccups. We play it with stuffed animals, which many students find highly engaging.
Buzz Buzz Buzz, a freeze dance format egg shaker activity from We Are All Musicians, was demonstrated by Jon— and filmed with of one of our preschool groups! (Sorry you can’t see how cute they are. We honor children by never featuring students on social media who are not developmentally able to give informed consent.)
Gato Gato Gato is a bilingual ‘all fall down’ activity from We Are All Musicians, with an extra twist for promoting communication and social connection.
El Florón is a folk song from Mexico that we have adapted for our students with high support needs by turning it into a hide-and-seek game using plastic cups and a silk flower.
School concert accommodation was a big theme this month! In addition to a blog post and summarizing graphics, Jess made individual videos on these concert accommodation topics:
Accommodation for performance isn’t always possible, and that’s okay! Inclusion means belonging, not sameness. Don’t force students with high support needs through an experience that is fundamentally incompatible with their needs. Consider alternative events that celebrate their musical interests and abilities.
Concert content— how to program performance pieces for inclusion, and what to consider if a student isn’t interested in or able to perform independently.
Concert attire (educational and provocative versions!)
Social stories— and we welcomed our first guest blog co-author, Speech & Language Pathologist Lauren Nicosia, for a focused blog post on this topic.
Concert contingency planning— know what will happen if a student feels overwhelmed or melts down during a concert.
Breaking a Special Education rule in order to honor the full interests of our students— featuring Isaiah’s latest artwork!
Students with high support needs may respond better to instrumental accompaniment in classroom activities than a cappella singing.
Strewing is a low-effort classroom strategy that can be especially effective for students with a PDA profile (Persistent Drive for Autonomy).
Early and mail-in voting are disability access issues.
United Sound is a national program that facilitates the inclusion of students with high support needs in school instrumental performing ensembles. Jess interviewed Band Director Max Sherrill about his experience; teaser and full-length videos are available.
Jess wrote a guest post for the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education blog on reframing elementary general music class expectations for the meaningful inclusion of non-speaking students.
And finally, we had our second unexpectedly viral video— modeling a DIY violin harness for playing without aggravating neck and shoulder pain. It was based on instructions from violinist Daniel Brauchli.
Thank you for your ongoing support! Please make sure to follow us on your favorite social media platforms and help us reach more teachers by interacting with our content. We are so thankful to be in this important work with you!
With gratitude,
Jess, Jen, Jon & Isaiah
