Quarter Notes and Fractions

I’m taking a brief break from book reviews to talk about a recent experience I had while working with my student.

While blogging, I also work as a behavioral aide for a behaviorally challenged ten year-old boy at a private school. The school had been without a music teacher for a few months, but last week, they finally hired a new teacher.

In the first class, she taught the students about half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and whole notes.One of the students quickly caught on that the names coincided with fractions that they were currently learning in math!

“Music is math?” he asked confused.

“Yes,” the teacher replied. “There is more math in music than you’ll ever believe!”

Then she continued on having the kids clap in rhythm with the related notes. I couldn’t be happier!