Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
PK, Kindergarten and Elementary Music time with Irish Music for St Patricks Day Lessons or anytime of year are the highlight of www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com this month. One popular tune that will soon become a favorite is Cockles and Mussels. This week’s pack of music activities for this song is one of many Irish favorites on the Seasonal Section of Music Box. For the youngest music makers, even the toddlers and two and three year olds, playing the gathering drum on the beat for the verse and then swishing back and forth (on beat one) for the refrain is successful and don’t forget to encourage singing on the “O!” for “Alive-o!”. So fun how quickly they catch on. This can also be done on hand drums for larger preschool, PK and Kindergarten classes. For movement, we pretend we are pushing our wheel barrow around the room as we sing the verse, then stop for a dance party, swaying back and forth on the refrain, switching from left to right on beat one. If that goes well, try it with a partner, facing each other, holding hands and swaying back and forth.
Elementary classes can be introduced to the Orff accompaniment. For recorder students, even the very beginners will have a part with B, A G and high D.
Movement, Ukulele chords, Orff orchestration and Beginner and Advanced Beginner Recorder parts are part of a Cockles and Mussels music pack in Digital Downloads at musicrhapsody.com/shop and a big discount price for Music Box members in Music Box Downloads.
Check out all the St. Patricks Day and Irish music for movement, singing, playing, games and recorder. You are certain to find some golden nuggets in this listing for ages 3-10.
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
Once again I am including a variety of activities for Irish music-making. This week’s download, Cockles and Mussels, will have all your classes singing, dancing, and playing. Check out this week’s blog for the ways to use this from tots, preschool – grade 4 recorder.
We typically use our Rhythm Readers Weekly Lesson Plans for Kindergarten (if they’ve had our preschool music program) or Grade One (if they have had our Kindergarten Music). This year, a PTA raised funds for us to teach in a public school that had not had music. I use Rhythm Readers with Grade 2 students and I must say, they are loving it! Here are our awesome music makers after they figured out the 16 beats of Pease Porridge. The rhythm sticks on the floor show the bar lines, The porridge cups show the beats. The spoons show the quarter and eighth notes. This will be played next week on unpitched instruments with beat, rhythm and rests. (Spoons tapping on the bottom of the cups are also fun for some rhythmic improvisation or playing the rh! ythms of the rhyme!)
Rhythm Readers lessons are 50-55 minutes so we use one lesson plan per 2 lessons since we only see them for 25-30 minutes. This set gives us 26 weeks with this 13 lesson plan pack.
This week’s video shows clips of a PK/K class learning I-IV-V chord changes, a 2 and 3-year-old class learning timing and expressive qualities, and a kindergarten class experiences musical phrasing. These are a few of the type of activities during our glorious 4 days together at the summer training! I’m looking so forward to our awesome locations.
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
Even though some of your are digging out from snow and trying to stay warm, spring is right around the corner. What does spring mean? BUNNIES! Check out some of my favorite bunny rhymes and puppets.
And there’s more! Here’s this week’s free download for Music Box Members. This one will keep everyone hopping. This is a brand-new activity with an old bunny favorite: John the Rabbit. If you love Shoo Turkey from Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic, then John the Rabbit is for you. This lesson includes puppets, solo singing, instrument playing, and improvising. An interactive SMARTBoard File is included with this download.
WAIT!!!! NEWS!!! We have heard the requests for a bit more time on the early bird rate for our summer Professional Development in order to get school funding/purchase order. We are extending our early bird rate through March 31.
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
Drumming with Music Rhapsody materials using Sound Shapes have been one of the most successful activities for my special education classes. There are a variety of limitations for playing, but the sound shapes offer flexibility with the variety of shapes and sizes and ways to play (you can easily tap with the mallet, held on either end, their hand, even tap it on a knee or arm of a wheel chair to produce a sound). I have one student who is deaf. She loves holding the drum on her head, sometimes the frame, sometimes the drumhead and tapping the drum. At first, this was challenging for her to do by herself. When we first started our lessons, a caregiver would play the drum for her. She would lean close to place her head on the drum. Then came the sparkle in her eyes and the big smile! After many lessons, she was able to coordinate holding the drum on her head and playing it herself. She also entertains us as she presses harder on the drum, or removes it from her head, causing the drum to change pitch! Sounds like a talking drum!
Here are some of our drumming favorites:
- Kids Make Music, Babies Make Music Too: Drum and Stop (Shake and Stop), Jig Jog (this one is great for the repeating words sung on the beat, which stimulates response), Somebody’s Knockin at the door.
- Songs of the Sea: Ten Fish in the Sea, both the children and caregivers love this recording.
- “Exploration Music” from Music Rhapsody’s “Our Favorite Shenanigans” (Cotton Eyed Joe, Louisiana Saturday Night)
- The ukulele is another important instrument for the class. Each week, we have more participation. The caregivers help the children to put out their index finger. When it’s a child’s turn, we sing their name as a part of the Hello song as they strum the ukulele. Once again, my deaf student loves to hold the ukulele against her head as I strum.
- Hello Song – A variety of Hello songs are available in lynnkleinersmusicbox.com. (I use one for the entire school year)
- If All of the Raindrops from In All Kinds of Weather, Kids Make Music, repeating this week after week has brought more and more participation. I also use Who’s That Hatching from this same book and use my adorable puppets: duck, turtle, hummingbird, robin, penguin (if you know me, you know I have lot of options! Ha)
- Movement participation is quite limited for most of the children, however, more participation is observed from the weekly song “Up So High” from Kids Make Music, Babies Make Music Too.
- “High” – Arms up
- “Low” – Arms low
- “Shake” – Shake hand (jazz hands!)
- “Around we go” – One arm over another
- “Hold them So!” – Freeze hold after I say “On your chin!” or “On your nose,” etc
I think the caregivers I see each week are the most loving, caring people on the planet! God bless them! I hope I can bring some special happiness in their week. I know they bring lots in mine.
Professional Development with Lynn Kleiner
https://lynnkleinersmusicbox.com/
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic is great for a GARDEN theme!
All Around the Gardeners Bench: Easy Orff, an opportunity for solos (pitch matching/singing in tune), a time for props (tinsel for the rain, scarves for the yellow sun, silk flowers or pictures of flowers), movement, singing in Major and Minor keys. Also great for a little drama – act it out!
That’s the Life of a Farmer: Let the unpitched percussion and movement tell the story of how hard the farmer has to work during spring planting! Teachers and students love the Power Point or Smart Board visuals that accompany this activity. You will find this in Lynn Kleiner’s Music Box Downloads in the VISUALS category. Go to https://lynnkleinersmusicbox.com/store
I Plant a Little Seed: I like to extend the solos at the end to include what they grew and what they made with what they grew. For example, “I grew an avocado, I made guacamole.” Or “I grew tomatoes, I made spaghetti.” This song is perfect for easy Orff for your youngest (they can play all the parts together) or older (separate out the parts, choosing specific instruments on specific parts).
John the Rabbit from Music Box Downloads is great for Orff, unpitched percussion, solo singing and recorders. Get music and notes on all these activities for John the Rabbit free to members in lynnkleinersmusicbox.com. Non members can purchase a John the Rabbit activity pack in www.musicrhapsody.com/shop
There is a set of Spring Lessons with many of these favorites and many more. Music Box members: be sure to use your discount code or buy direct in Music Box downloads.
Each of Us is a Flower is perfect for this theme. Get Charlotte Diamond’s CD.
If you want the best garden ever, come to Lynn’s annual summer training or train online anytime!
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