About Me:

 
 

My name is Angela Harman and I am currently a full time orchestra teacher in Mapleton, Utah.   It has been thrilling and exciting to help nurture the orchestra program and see it thrive.

In 2015, our orchestra had the opportunity to participate in 'The World We All Deserve Through Music' program and were visited by Time For Three bassist Ranaan Meyer for a workshop.  In 2016, we won the Music In Our Schools tour by the Give A Note foundation and Radio Disney. I have a passion for teaching and for trying new ideas to help my students achieve excellence on their instruments.  In 2019 I was awarded 'BEST IN STATE in PUBLIC MUSIC EDUCATION' by bestofstate.org.  

I enjoy presenting and have presented at the NAfME National Conference in 2015, 2016, and 2017.  I have also presented for the UMEA conference , Rocky Mountain Strings Academy, OKMEA conference, NMMEA conference, ASTA National conference, and more.  If you would like to book me for your next conference, please contact me and check for availability.

Orchestra Classroom Ideas and Products

Your source for awesome ideas and time-saving printable resources.

Need a presenter for your next music teacher conference?  

Prepared Orchestra Sessions for Music Education Conferences:

These are sessions that I have presented at the NAfME Conference.  You may contact me for availability to present at your conference: angela.harman@orchestraclassroom.com

 "No More Beginners Blues: Tips for making your beginning orchestra class irresistibly fun while still focusing on good pedagogy"

"Talent Doesn’t Grow on Trees…It Grows in Orchestra!:  Motivating and inspiring students to practice using fun and creativity"

"Orchestra Gives You Wings!  How to propel student learning for a flying start"

"TEN Strategies to Help Your Beginners Start Strong...  Tips and tricks to help your beginners learn better and faster."

"How to Recruit Like a Pro...  How to sell your program and help it thrive."

"Re-energized Rehearsals...  Keep students engaged and wanting more after every rehearsal"

BESTSELLER

'Exploring Shifting for String Orchestra!' 

I used to dread teaching shifting, but once I started using this book, shifting became fun and manageable.  The pieces and exercises in this book helped my  students shift to 3rd position with confidence!  This book is intended to help students learn the basics of shifting on the D string and A string with a few different key signatures.  Also included are a couple of pages to get the violin players shifting on the E string.  After this book, students will be well-equipped to tackle shifting in their method books and concert music. 

BESTSELLER - MUST HAVE RESOURCE for beginning strings:

  The True Beginning - Before the Method Book.

It's perfect for the start of a new school year! Learn how to set up your beginners for success as they establish good playing habits through step-by-step lesson plans, fun games, and motivating music.

Now Available for Download!  

Due to the popularity of my workbook - Be An Amazing Note-Reader - I decided to offer other teachers the option to purchase the download of the entire book to make as many copies as they would like for their students.  As teachers, I know we are always on a budget and it is not always possible to buy each individual student supplemental material like theory books.  I am hoping that this will provide teachers with a valuable and economical resource to be used with many students.

I wrote this book about a year ago after finishing up a school year where I found a few students who had participated in my class every day and still were unable to read notes.   There are always students who try to use their ear instead of reading notes, and eventually they become lost when the music gets more difficult.  This workbook is designed to help students understand the logic of the staff and helps them gain fluency when reading notes.  The last pages of the workbook teach students the fingerings and notes on the D and A strings.  A separate page is included for violin, viola, cello and bass, so this resource can be used for your entire class.  

This workbook may also be used for teaching note reading in a general music class or band class.

Check out these sample pages and click on the STORE to order.