Music in the Classroom: Rockabye with Spotify
Y’all, the Buffs were doing Spotify when Spotify wasn’t cool. Or at least when it first began. I’ll get into why we like Spotify at the end of this blog, but right now, it’s all about Rockabye with Spotify.
Rockabye Baby! is a catalog of music, full of instrumental lullaby versions of popular songs by popular artists. These relaxing remakes of hit songs can be found on Spotify, Apple Music and other streamers, featuring artists such as Drake, Queen, Tom Petty, Lady Gaga, The Beatles and Metallica. You can find the extensive catalog here.
I, personally, LOVE playing music in the classroom. Whether it’s me and my guitar or I’m streaming a song through a tiny speaker in the corner, music has a place. However, when I really want to focus in and do something creative, I go for the instrumentals. For some reason, lyrical music competes for space in my brain and diminishes all my creative juices. And, let’s be real, in the classroom, we want 100% of our students’ creative juices flowing freely.
That’s where Rockabye Baby! comes in! It allows me to play music that’s current (or classic), SAFE, fun, and relaxing. With my Spotify Premium account, I create different playlists and download those playlists for offline usage on my Mac (this works for PCs and Chromebooks too). And we all know that most school networks have music streaming on lockdown, so downloading those playlists in advance will be super helpful. So, just craft an epic playlist, download it while on your home wifi, then enjoy jamming out at school!
And if you haven’t jumped into the realm of Spotify just yet, let me be the one to fill you in! Spotify is a music streaming service boasting practically every song ever recorded (with the exception of Garth Brooks and his extensive collection. Sorry to burst your bubble…I know that’s who you were going to search for first.). There are two levels of accounts, FREE and PREMIUM. My family uses the Premium Family plan at $15 a month (the equivalent to the price of one CD per month). This allows everyone in my family to have their own account and playlists, with explicit content parental features built-in. That means my 8-yr old can have the Moana soundtrack all over her account and I don’t have to see it…or hear it. Ha!
It’s a crazy new world we live in now, where music is leased, not purchased. And as a musician, I’ve had to find different ways to generate revenue at concerts…but, that’s life…ever-changing, always keeping me on my toes. Thankfully, I continue to stay persistent and find new ways to adapt.
Friends, you know I’m all about a good conversation, so I’d love to hear from you…
Which steps have you made recently to adapt to new needs in K-12 education?
If you could have a Rockabye Baby! Version of any song, which song would it be?
