Best of MMF! | December 2010
from the What's New! Newsletter Index

Thank you for your kind words over the last three years, your referrals, and your many visits to MMF! You helped a little website grow to be one of the most visited websites in the world. According to Alexa.com, MMF! currently ranks 177,366 among the 182 million websites that populate the internet.

This year will be a year focused on making a good thing better. I'll be reviewing the 1338 pages of music resources on MMF!, and thinking up ways to make them even better.

Best of MMF!
Here are a few of my "creative best" favorites. I hope you find something wonderful.

Free Sheet Music
The sheet music arrangements/compositions I have chosen for this list may not always be the most popular, but instead are here because they represent some of my best writing.

Piano
Trumpet Tune for Piano Solo by Jeremiah Clarke
Camel Hump, Funny Bump for Piano Solo by Andrew Fling
What's That Thing Upon Your Head? for Piano Solo by Andrew Fling
Pop Goes the Weasel for Piano Solo | Traditional
Volga Boatman for Piano Solo | Russian
Zum Gali Gali for Piano Solo
Jingle Bells Boogie for Piano Solo by Andrew Fling
Catch the Villain for Piano Solo by Andrew Fling
Egyptian Dance for Piano Solo by Camille Saint-Saens
The Holly and the Ivy for Piano Solo | Traditional
Up on the Housetop for Piano Solo by Hanby
Carol of the Bells for Piano Solo by Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych
Jeannette, Isabella for Jazz Piano Solo | Traditional
Willow Creek for Piano Solo by Andrew Fling
Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) for Piano Solo by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Minstrel Boy for Piano Solo | Irish

and...

MMF! All-In-One Beginner Piano Book/Level 1A by Andrew Fling

Music Classroom Lessons
These are a few of my all-time favorite super-silly-make-the-kids-giggle lessons that will make you glad you came to school that day.

Run From The Farmer | Syncopation/Grade 2-3
Mi-Do-Do Game | An Introduction to Solfege/Grade 2-4
Mortimer | An Introduction to Solfege/Grade 2-3
Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks | ABA Form/Grade 1-2
Trashin' the Camp/Tarzan | AABA Form/Grade 2-3
Suck It Up! | Music Lesson Review Game/Grade 2-6

Free Composer Worksheets
"Meet the Composer" Scavenger Hunt worksheet is a great way to introduce kids to the great composers. If you can find a day in the computer lab, pair your students up, hand them a worksheet, and let the fun begin.

"Meet the Composer" Scavenger Hunt Worksheet

Surprise Symphony Activity Lesson/Listening Map
I'm not sure where this idea came from, but it has always been fun.

Tell your students, "It's midnight, and just before you went to bed your mom finished frosting a chocolate cake and placed it in the refrigerator. It looked delicious!" Then sneak downstairs to the rhythm of the music to get a piece of the cake!

Haydn Surprise Symphony | Listening and Activity Lesson Plan/Grade 3-4
Surprise Symphony | Listening Map

Practicing
Here's a few fun ideas that I use to help make practicing more fun for my students. I hope they help.

"Have You Practiced Yet Today?": Great Ideas That End the "No's"

and last but not least...

Arcade Games
The arcade games are really what started everything... and remain some of the most popular, most linked to resources on the MMF! website.

'Music Press Distress' Music Theory Arcade Game
Toss those printable worksheets! Learn to identify 6 basic rhythms with Oliver and the Gang, including the whole note, the half note, the eighth note, the dotted half note, and the dotted quarter note.

'Eek! Shark!' Music Theory Arcade Game Learn your note names with Oliver and the gang with a brand new online arcade game. Select the treble or bass clef, set the note range that you would like to practice, and play!

If you haven't taken the time to get to know Oliver and the Gang, here's your chance.

Meet the Gang Meet the 'Oliver the Octopus Gang' in a collection of cartoons that are sure to give you a giggle.

Oliver's New Yo-Yo: A Lesson in Helping
Oliver will do just about anything to avoid lending a helping hand. Enjoy reading his story and the lesson he learns.

I always wanted to turn this story into a 30 minute 3D animated video, but never have had the $300,000 it would take to do it right. Please drop me a line if you'd like to fund this project. :-)

Another present for kids...

Here are two coloring pages from MakingArtFun.com for your kids to enjoy this Christmas season.

Santa with Presents
Coloring Page

Stained Glass Nativity
Coloring Page

Merry Christmas to everyone,

Andy

Andy Fling
Owner/Teacher

Shelly Nierman
Website Development Associate/Teacher

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