Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
I love doing this Valentine mixer (sing “Heel toe on the line, will you be my Valentine?” OR Will You Be a Friend of Mine?). I have added a hand clapping B section to practice some timing and coordination too.
Check out Music Box Downloads for the music/lesson and the recording of the accordion accompaniment.
Here’s a Snowman scale song that’s great for my sweet little one-octave glockenspiel. Members, click on the picture to get lesson ideas for the Snowman scale song!
For an awesome scale song for a farm theme lesson or concert, check out “Baby Birdie” on pages 39-41 in Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic.
Don’t forget to use your Music Box discounts when ordering from Music Rhapsody.
Love and Happy Music Making,
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
I love this time of year. For my staff and students, this is a great learning time without worrying about concert prep. For me, it is also a popular time for professional development in many school districts. I love working with students and teachers from so many different cities.
What a joy for me to work with the Newport Mesa School District this school year! Thanks and valentine hugs for all the efforts you are making to use the Music Rhapsody curriculum with your TK-grade 3 students! Also, a shout out to the Santa Monica School District. Bravo on the increase in music in your elementary schools.
Now is the time to book professional development for your school district for next school year. Please contact me directly at lynn@musicrhapsody.com.
This week in Music Box, your requests have led to some new downloads. First of all, we have a beautiful lullaby that is in our Babies and Toddlers Make Music Module 3 lesson plan set. The music includes the melody and a counter melody for alto recorder (same fingering as the video lessons I have for sopranino recorder).
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: As requested, there’s a new download for easy BAG recorder players, check out this traditional African song. It’s also fantastic for movement with PK – elementary. More to come next week!
Early Bird Rate is on NOW! Come vacation with me and learn a lot about your youngest music makers! (Day 4 includes elementary with Orff/Recorder)
Love and Happy Music Making,
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
I hope you enjoyed the download for Shosholoza last week and the recording of this song on the Brilliant Beginnings CD. I wanted to highlight another great selection on this CD, Jackson’s Morning Brush. We use this as another “exploration” piece for our gathering drum, hand drums or percussion circle. A great one for your St. Patrick’s Day playlist!
This week, we highlight another popular CD, Spanish Music Rhapsody. A member’s question about Spanish lesson plans inspired me to set up Spanish Music Rhapsody as its own category in Music Box Downloads. Check it out for a free set of visuals to use with the song, En La Granja de mi Tio. Those of you doing a Farm Songs concert, your audience will love hearing your students singing about numbers, colors and animals in Spanish for this version of Old MacDonald.
Speaking of Spanish Music Rhapsody, see why there is no better way to learn a language than through music and movement! See our rolling playful rats as they come out of their cave! It’s easy and fun to incorporate these delightful songs into your classroom. More coming to this new category soon.
Special this week: Buy the 2 CDs featured above and get In All Kinds of Weather, Kids Make Music, which will be sent when you order the physical CDs of the other two. If you purchase them in the Digital version, we will send you the third one.
I am looking forward to being with the Heart of Illinois Orff Chapter this weekend. Hope to see many of you there.
Finally, hugs and thank you, my friends. Your membership to Music Box makes our site possible. Thanks for your support, ideas and for telling other teachers. Your dedication to your students is so inspiring!
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
St. Patricks day music lessons are filled with green and gold, leprechauns, silly songs, limericks and so much music making fun. Enjoy a variety of activities for singing, dancing, listening, playing and creating offered in Music Box! A recorder tune too.
Michael Finnigan: The rhyming words are silly and easy to sing making this Irish favorite a favorite with your students. For older children, there are Orff parts featuring a fun I-V bass part for quick success. Create your own verses for Michael and his family. Be careful, the creativity can get pretty wild! Ha! Music Box Download Link: Michael Finnigan
Cuckoo in the Woods, Kids Can Listen, Kids Can Move Book/CD
Pretend you are Leprechauns hiding. You can have some children pretend to be trees and other pretend to be leprechauns hiding behind the trees. The leprechauns peek out when they hear the clarinet. You could also use scarves. Children can hide behind them and everyone peeks at each other when they hear the clarinet.
Jackson’s Morning Brush is a great Irish song that many of you know from the Brilliant Beginnings CD or for Music Rhapsody Members (which includes Music Box Membership), its included in your weekly lesson playlists. Enjoy drumming to this, use a mallet and pretend you are playing a Bodhran. Tin whistle is easy to play for the children. Music Box Download Link: Irish Music Visuals
Little Leprechaun: This game is a favorite of students, from preschool through grade 4! One person with hide the pot of gold and the leprechaun needs to find it. Students will sing the Little Leprechaun song and use piano/forte and crescendo/diminuendo for clues to the location. Visual cards are included as well as a pot o’ gold! Your students will BEG to play this fun game over and over again. Music Box Download Link: The Little Leprechaun
Shamrocks are Lucky: This is a spirited Irish song and circle activity, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. By talking about the common Irish instruments, we hope to encourage live music making and introducing the children to a variety of instruments and timbres, which is an important part of our curriculum. Music Box Dowload Link: Shamrocks are Lucky
Irish Music Visuals includes traditional instruments used for Irish music making. Use these Irish music visuals in your classroom, along with the “Shamrocks Are Lucky” lesson plan in Music Box Downloads. Print and laminate.
Cockles and Mussels: This is an easy and very catchy one to sing. It just makes you want to sway back and forth on the strong beat one of and sing with gusto in 3/4 time! I introduce the chorus, then I sing the verses with the children singing the chorus at the end of each verse. This is also a great selection for experienced recorder players. I use the easy key of G, the range is from low D to high D (no F#s).
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
This week’s blog features some great activities for March music making, including St. Patricks Day and Irish themes. You are certain to find some golden nuggets in this listing for ages 3-10. And there’s more to come next week too!
Talk about Stormy Day! This long time favorite from my first book, Kids Make Music, Babies Make Music Too, sure came in handy the last few weeks! I never get tired of using my gathering drum for little music makers to hide their scarves and create the sound of rain on the roof, the wind, wipers on the car, hail, thunder and the joy of a sunny day to follow! Here’s a peek at some 2 and 3-year-olds creating the storm using their tambourine.
Eric has reserved extra time for consultations the next week. If you have questions about online or live training or becoming a Music Rhapsody member, feel free to book a time. This is a great time since the Early Bird Rate ends March 15.
