Parachute Activities from your MR Members Video and CD

Aug 13, 2024 | Activities

As always, our awesome MR Members can attend live teacher training for half tuition, BUT, if you register by March 15, it’s half off our earliest special rate. It’s not too late to plan an exciting summer vacation at the beaches of California or big city of New York. Here’s this summer’s location video, maybe you can spot yourself?

Our early childhood classes are loving Module 3 parachute activities! Here’s one of many favorites. This recording is on the Toddler CD 2 (lessons 21-40).

Watch the video here.

And of course, the #1 parachute activity is our popular “Shake and Stop” song! This song never ceases to entertain me with students between babies through age 6, whether it’s a baby’s “vocal solo” in the silence, the “STOP!” of a two year old, the creative poses of a 6 year old performing with a maraca, or the giggles of students of each age!

Our parents and classroom teachers are loving the CDs, and I can certainly tell which ones are using it! There’s always so much more class participation when you have plenty of repetition. These are only available to you in your Members Only Store. 

One more reminder, if you have Module 4 for Big Kids or Young Musicians and need a new concert plan, I will send it — you do not need to purchase! 

As always, if you need me, just click “Ask Lynn”! 

Fall songs, Thanksgiving songs

Aug 13, 2024 | Activities

Two of my favorite pairings for fall are drums and shakers. Powama (Brilliant Begginings CD and in the Simply Music Rhapsody curriculum/Playlists) and Shoo Turkey (from Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moosic CD as well as the Simply Music Rhapsody playlists)) are awesome for a large assortment of drums and shakers. Place many assorted drums (tubanos, hand drums, any type will work) and shakers such as maracas, shaker eggs, cabasa, etc) on the edge of the parachute. Powama is a Native American celebration song. Using the beautiful recording of Powama (thank you Mr. Ernest Siva!), have the children stand around the parachute, playing the instrument of their choice. Please note that you should always have way more instruments than the number of children and more than one drum and shaker per child…. I use a samba whistle to signal when to move and dance around the parachute and I blow the whistle again to signal to stop and play a new instruments. For Shoo Turkey, play any drum on the two beats “Yes, Ma’am” and pick up one of the shakers and do a crazy turkey dance around the parachute on the B section for “Shoo Turkey.”  When the song returns to the A section, students stop, place the shaker on the parachute and play the two beats again on the drum for every “Yes, Ma’am.”

Be sure to have these 2 songs repeated, Powama, then Shoo Turkey, at least 2 times because the students love to have a chance to play lots of different instruments.

The Brilliant Beginnings CD for Powama is available at

 https://www.musicrhapsody.com/Music-Rhapsody-CDs/?page=2

The Farm Songs book/CD for Shoo Turkey is available at

https://www.musicrhapsody.com/Farm-Songs-and-the-Sound-of-Moo-sic/

Music Box members, don’t forget to use your discount code.

For the Simply Music Rhapsody training and membership, contact info@musicrhapsody.com to get started or message Lynn directly in Music Box.

Happy Music Making!

World Music For Preschool Music Lessons and Concerts

Aug 13, 2024 | Activities

A Music Box Teacher has asked about World Music for a Concert Theme for Preschoolers. I think this is also a great topic for preschool music lessons too. Though this discussion is in the Music Box Forum at www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com, I thought I would also post in the Music Box Blog to hopefully have as many as possible contribute to this topic. Let me first name a few from www.musicrhapsody.com, www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com and a few of my favorite resources.

With preschool, it might be nice to have a few instrumental pieces and use an unpitched instrument or simple movement. Doingseveralsongs in different languages might be a challenge for them (and you if they are not especially fun and interesting to the kids!) so I would suggest choosing an instrumental song or two as well. Its great to watch them copy or echo or learn a movement or playing part to go with an instrumental piece.  Here’s a few instrumental ideas:

From Music Rhapsody’s Our Favorite Shenanigans CD:

Los Machetes – This is great with our short rhythm sticks.  (too difficult and dangerous with long ones!) Click Our Favorite Shenanigans for directions for Preschool and Elementary ideas.There are some other great pieces on this CD with the ideas on this download. Some are very successful for preschoolers.  Many countries claim the Bird or Chicken Dance. Perhaps you’d like to include the audience in on this one! 

From the Music Rhapsody’s Brilliant Beginnings CD:

Jackson’s Morning Brush (Irish) can be an echo song using hand drums. The teacher gives very simple 4 beat ways to play the hand drum such as hitting with a flat hand, hitting with one finger, swishing the fingers back and forth, hitting with an elbow, hitting on the knee, etc.    After the teacher plays 4 beats, the children play 4 beats the exact same way.Don’t forget to ask the children for their ideas on how to play or even consider having some children be the leader!

Powama (Native American) is great with shakers such as maracas or shaker eggs. Follow the teacher or leader to shake high, low, side to side, move in a circular direction, shake with both hands, transfer shaker from hand to hand, etc.

Many of the good materials available for world music are much more appropriate for Elementary Students.However, there are a few I have used from World Music Press that have been successful.

From Patricia Shehan Campbell, Let Your Voice Be Heard contains Kye Kye Kule. This song from Africa is great for echo movement though I usually don’t do this younger than the 4 year olds. In her other collection, Roots & Branches,  Bonjour Mes Amis is a wonderful little song to learn basic French phrases. However, you can say “hello my friends” in lots of different languages and do the verses that way instead of all French phrases. Other songs in this beautiful collection can be simplified. The great thing about these collections is they include the CD and great information about the pieces as well as teaching tips.