The Ear Academy

The Ear Academy LET’S RAISE THE BAR ON MUSIC EDUCATION. Enter the Chakalaka Challenge: chakalakachallenge.com

01/10/2026

Sometimes the best way to understand music is to hear it, sing it and feel it before you ever see it written down 🎶

That’s at the heart of the Kodály approach: sound before symbols.

Before pupils read a rhythm, they vocalise it. Before they play a melody, they sing it. And through tools like solfège and rhythm syllables, musical ideas become something pupils can experience first and put a name to later.

So next time you’re introducing a new rhythm or melody, try starting with voices before instruments 👏🎵

If you know, you know 😂🎶A quiet music lesson? Suspicious.A room full of pupils making, experimenting, performing and occ...
28/09/2026

If you know, you know 😂🎶

A quiet music lesson? Suspicious.

A room full of pupils making, experimenting, performing and occasionally producing quite a lot of sound? Much more like it.

Sometimes the noise is the learning 💛

Exciting Chakalaka Challenge news! We’ve extended the Chakalaka Challenge until 5 October 2026, giving schools who have ...
18/09/2026

Exciting Chakalaka Challenge news! We’ve extended the Chakalaka Challenge until 5 October 2026, giving schools who have only recently returned from the holidays a little more time to join in 🎶

Choose your song, gather your pupils, get creative and show us what your classroom can do.

One winning school will receive R15000 worth of musical instruments 🥁🎶

Already working on your entry? You’ve got a little extra breathing room.
Haven’t started yet? There’s still time.

Entries now close 5 October 2026.

Everyone has a song. This is your chance to share yours 💛

There are music lessons… and then there are 30 pupils holding percussion instruments at the same time 😂🥁The tapping. The...
15/09/2026

There are music lessons… and then there are 30 pupils holding percussion instruments at the same time 😂🥁

The tapping. The testing. The mysterious disappearance of beaters. The very important distinction between “stop playing” and “please stop touching absolutely everything.”

It can be noisy, chaotic and occasionally test every classroom-management skill you possess.

But underneath all of that? Thirty pupils making music together, experimenting with sound and discovering what they can do.

And that bit is always worth the noise. 💛

Music teachers, what would you add to the list? 👇

10/09/2026

A quick warm-up to get bodies moving, voices ready and pupils focused 🎶

Before singing, performing or making music, a few simple stretches, shakes and sounds can help everyone settle into the lesson and get ready to join in.

No equipment. No complicated set-up. Just a couple of minutes and you’re ready to go.

Save this one for your next music lesson 👏

Two things can be true at the same time 🎶Sometimes the best shift is letting go of what we think a good music lesson sho...
08/09/2026

Two things can be true at the same time 🎶

Sometimes the best shift is letting go of what we think a good music lesson should look like and focusing instead on what pupils are actually doing, hearing and learning.

04/09/2026

Friday music inspiration, sorted. 🎶

If you’re looking for something light, creative and easy to carry across a few days next week, this is a lovely one to try.

Set up a few simple music spaces, leave them available across the week and let pupils return to them as their ideas grow.

No need to squeeze everything into one lesson. Just a little structure, plenty of freedom and lots of music-making. 💛

Save this one for next week’s planning.

The Chakalaka Challenge is making its way into the headlines, and we’re loving seeing the momentum build 🎶But the best p...
03/09/2026

The Chakalaka Challenge is making its way into the headlines, and we’re loving seeing the momentum build 🎶

But the best part is still what’s happening in classrooms across South Africa: pupils singing, playing, dancing, remixing and making Boom Chakalaka completely their own.

There’s still time to join in. Entries are open until 19 September and one school will win R15 000 in musical instruments!

Bring your flavour🌶️ Make some noise 🎵

If this feels suspiciously specific… we should probably talk. 👀There’s something about being handed music this term and ...
27/08/2026

If this feels suspiciously specific… we should probably talk. 👀

There’s something about being handed music this term and immediately discovering that the music cupboard has its own plans.

31 pupils. A rapidly declining tambourine population.
One very committed triangle player.

Primary music teachers, we see you 😂

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Cape Town
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