Who We Are
The SongWorks Educators Association (SWEA) is a community of educators who engage learners through SongWorks, a principles-based approach to teaching music.
SongWorks principles and practices offer teachers both grounding and flexibility in making purposeful, caring choices in their interactions with people and music. Songs are the foundation for study and learning experiences that nurture playfulness, responsiveness, and musicality.
Through developing and sharing ideas centered around the SongWorks teaching approach, SWEA members support each other in growing as educators and learners.
Events
Certification Courses
Summer 2023
Norfolk, VA & Provo, UT
Annual Conference
March 17 – 18, 2023
Boston, MA
News
Playing with Sally
“Sally Go ‘Round the Sun” is a classic game to play with younger elementary students! You may have read many variations of how to play the game, add partner songs, and more in the Sturdy Songs Collection on the SongWorks website. I have used this song with grades K–2...
From the President
Dear SongWorks Educators, Happy August! I hope as Summer transitions into Fall and your school year begins again, you will continue to seek experiences that bring you joy, both personally and professionally. I had the pleasure of visiting Old Dominion...
Upcoming Utah Workshop – 7/28/23
Emilee Knell, Betty Phillips, Kylie Decker, and others will be teaching a free, all-day SongWorks Workshop in Provo, Utah on July 28 from 9am-3pm. The aim of this workshop is to provide an opportunity for teachers to experience the SongWorks approach to teaching! The...
We’ve Had a Good Time Playing the Game: Now What? (Revisited)
From the ArchiveHave you ever felt stuck or unsure what to do next after you’ve played a game with your students? In this article from the August 2013 MEI (SWEA) Newsletter, Dr. Peggy Bennett gives us specific ideas for how to progress from sounds to symbols in order...
My Introduction to SongWorks
This article was originally published in the Rhode Island Music Educators' Review Vol. 65 No. 2 (Winter 2023). It is reprinted here with permission of the Rhode Island Music Education Association. My introduction to SongWorks was a webinar offered through the Boston...
Resources
Looking for Songworks I & II or other printed resources?
Head over to our Books page for these and more!
Get Involved
• SWEA Newsletter & Teaching Ideas
• SWEA Membership
Available in Members Access Area
Become a Member, Gain Access to 50+ Sturdy Songs & Study Activities
From the Archive
A Tribute to Teachers
We are teachers. We know the importance of our work. We have made a career commitment to helping young people learn. Yet, we know that we’ll never finish our quest to be the best teacher we can be.
‘…that by which…’
In 1946 during my first year of undergraduate studies, I took my very first course in philosophy. How I loved that course! Yet for all my enthusiasm at the time only two precise memories remain. Those of you who know me will laugh at this first one simply because I haven’t changed a whit to this day!
The Children Are Coming: An Interview with Leah Sunquist
At the beginning of the school year, I’m excited to see my students! I’ve missed them, and I’m excited to rekindle the relationships. I like to touch base with what’s going on, see the growth and find out what’s happened in their lives. I am also excited about all the new things I have to present to them, and the journeys I want to take them on throughout the year.