Newsletter 3.3.17

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.

 

Pre K and Kindergarten Music, 5 Little Monkeys by Lynn Kleiner

Aug 13, 2024 | Activities

Wow, what a Pre-K music week I had! After 6 rehearsals with delightful 2-5 year old preschool concerts, I had assemblies at a school district for their Pre-K and K classes.
For the assemblies (I call this Music for the Masses), I used the Five Little Monkeys activity from Jungle Beat. Here’s the process.
First I asked them to tap the beat while I sang the first verse.
Then I asked them to sing and tap with me.
Next we added a clap on the quiet beat at the end of the phrase.
Then I called one child up for the Lynn and ________ show. (Fill in the child’s name). I explained we would tap the beat while singing and then put both our hands out to clap both hands with our partner, instead of just clapping our own hands.
Then we tremolo (tap very quickly) on our legs from soft to loud for “Along comes Mr. Crocodile…..” (I introduce the word crescendo.) Then hit with my partner for SNAP!
All this leads to me and the child choosing a new partner so now 4 are up in front of the masses doing this for the next verses. Now they choose partners, so we have 8 (4 pairs) children up, etc. Finally, I have most children, even if they have not been picked yet, doing this with a partner.
Partner work is so much fun for this age and placing a hand drum or tambourine in the middle for both to play allowed them to all play an instrument (since I did not have enough for EIGHTY 4 and 5 year olds! HA!) is exciting. They keep the beat on the drum and they play the tremolo from soft to loud for the Crocodile. They clap with their partner on the quiet beats at the end of the phrases and for SNAP!
For the big finale, perform the entire song using the recording from the Jungle Beat CD. They love that recording and we pretended to play piano between the verses. The most exciting part is starting super soft with a tremolo since that crocodile is so quiet and sneaky!

Name Games and Other Ways to Learn All Those Names!

Aug 13, 2024 | Activities

Wow!  There’s lots of names to learn at the beginning of the school year!  Here’s a few music activities I use at the beginning of the year from several of my different age groups.

Little Secrets: I highly recommend having a list of the class names and a pencil ready.  Sometimes those little personal notes (notes for only YOU to see!) will help you remember a child’s name such as curly hair, very tall, huge smile, freckles,  etc.

Lots of Name Calling! The more you force yourself to use the child’s name, the faster you will learn them, the more classroom control you will have, and the more bonding you will have with your students. Include things like “when I sing your name, come get a hand drum” or “when I sing “Goodbye Billy” you sing the same notes “Goodbye Mrs. Kleiner” and line up at the door.   

Names on the list you cannot remember:  Say “If I call your name, please come get the instruments to pass out to your class.”  Then call the names of children you do not know!

First and Last Name Game: Seated in a circle, as everyone pats the beat, one says “My first name is Lynn.”  Everyone echoes “Your first name is Lynn.”  “My last name is Kleiner.”  Everyone echos “Your last name is Kleiner.” Still to a 4 beat rhythm (hopefully!), the leader says their full name Lynn Kleiner. Everyone echoes Lynn Kleiner.  Then everyone says and does the following: “Next (pat) what’s (clap) yours?(point to the next person for their turn)”

First Name Food Game: Everyone has a hand drum.  One child will also have a tambourine, indicating who’s turn it is.  The one with the tambourine plays the beat and says My name is Lynn and I like mangos(name a food).  Everyone echos, playing the beat on their drum, Her name is Lynn and she likes mangos. The tambourine is passed to the next person who then says their name and favorite food.

Froggy Name Game: The kindergarten and grade one love my Funny Frog. He loves to jump to visit each student.  I throw Funny Frog as I sing “Sing me your name.”  The child who catches Funny Frog then throws it back and sings their name (hopefully using the same pitches).  I then catch the frog and sing the child’s name using the exact pitches the child used.   This activity is followed with my favorite back to school story to introduce the “rules” of the music room, Orff instruments, etc, called “Froggy Goes to School.”

Hello Song for Names: For my youngest (Babies – age 5), I introduce one of my “Hello Songs.”  I have several to choose from in Lynn Kleiner’s Music Box but I suggest using the same one all year.  Its much more than just a “Hello Song,”  it’s  also used as a transition, instrument playing (ukulele, gathering drum, and more), movement, etc. In Music Box Downloads, the Hello songs include notation and many teaching suggestions. Encourage everyone to sing the child’s name:  Hello __________, Hello ___________, Hello ___________, or however indicated in the song.

Creative Names to Echo:  Name, name what’s your name, Say it now, none are the same. Say it high, say it low, say it fast or say it slow.  The student “performs” their name, the class echos, the teacher echos.

For other back to school tips, check out lynnkleinersmusicbox.com.