So Halloween is next week. You want to do something festive, but it has to be quick. Extra points if it is music-related. These are a few of my Halloween favs I picked up around the interwebs.

Costumes

Dress up as your favorite composer, dead or alive.

     

Does the costume require a powdered wig? No worries. Hometown Betty has you covered with this Mozart-inspired paper wig tutorial. This Bach one is pretty great, too!

Or your favorite instrument

     

Apparently this budding cellist had just started learning the instrument when he made this Halloween costume. Way to go, kid!

Or as a music teacher

     

If costumes aren’t your thing, you can just pull any old thing out of your closet and everyone will know you are a music teacher. Because we all dress in our fabric likenesses of our instruments every day, right?

Décor

Make a Composer Graveyard

     

These cardboard tombstones are quick to make. You could even turn this a studio project during Halloween week by having each student research a different composer to figure out their birth and death dates and decorate a tombstone. Morbid and educational!

Substitute Teacher

     

“I’ll teach until my dying day!”

I need Craft-O-Maniac to come decorate my studio. Classy and fun all at the same time.

Tunes

Albums

I’ve been enjoying this instrumental album on Google Play Music called “Halloween” by Halloween Sound Machine.

Teaching Games

I’ve never seen so many fall music activity ideas in one place! These FREE printable rhythm cards are one of my favorite resources from this Orff teaching blog, but Aimee has so many fun activities I probably spent half an hour browsing before I reminded myself I had a blog post to write.

Tricks

Where I grew up, kids actually had to do a trick or tell a joke to get a piece of candy. I found out later that in other parts of the country you just ring the doorbell and people hand you candy. (What is this nonsense?!)

If you’re into tricks, you can up your music teacher cred in the neighborhood by asking trick-or-treaters to do music-related tricks when they knock on your door, like sing a song (which would have mortified me as a child…actually, it would still mortify me) or imitate a clapping or stomping rhythm.

Treats

Studio Promo Treat Tags

          

Handing out candy? Why not add a little promo tag for your music studio? Any treat name can be made into a dorky pun for your music studio. Don’t believe me?

• Pop Rocks – Lessons ROCK at Miss M’s Music Studio!
• Jolly Ranchers – Have a JOLLY time learning violin with John!
• Oreos – SMART COOKIES take piano lessons! Mini Maestros Music Academy

Yes, you should be rolling your eyes. I could go on, but I’ll spare you. (You can add your puns to the comments. ???? )

Social Media

Virtual Costume Recital

          

Host a virtual costume parade or contest on your studio Facebook page. Have students record themselves playing a song dressed in their costume. Remind them to stand tall at the end of their performance, before taking a bow, so everyone can see their costumes!

Have any other fun, easy Halloween ideas? Share them in the comments!