Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
Whether its kitchen instruments, Remo drums or Sound Shapes, or assorted percussion, here’s a couple of fun, easy songs that can offer little solo opportunities, splitting the group for specific parts, structured large group playing and exploration/improvisation time.
These are two of many of the activities I used from the Sound Shape Playbook at a recent event. Here’s a peek at Ten Musicians Drumming and Alabama Gal. Find this book in the Weekly Specials section of the Music Rhapsody shop along with other selected items! (Members, use your coupon code to save even more!)
Free to Music Box Members! PowerPoint, music and lesson suggestions for Alabama Gal are in Music Box Downloads. There’s also tips and activity ideas on drum circles. (Not a member? Join now!)
Aug 13, 2024 | Orff Teaching - Special Moments
Before you watch my video this week, I’d like to share how I got to this point.
This goes WAY BACK! My most vivid memory as a kinder was the day my teacher dumped out the rhythm band box of “instruments” and then called our name to come get one. I wanted the triangle and I remember worrying that someone would pick it before my name was called!
My most vivid memory as a brand new early childhood music teacher, adding preschool classes to my elementary teaching, was the disappointed faces of young children who did not the instrument they wanted. Some even had tears and a fight actually broke out over the largest hand drum! Shouts of “I WANT THE BIG ONE!” still haunt me. (I never brought that large set of nesting drums to the preschool again! lol.)
I quickly came up with a more joyful and musical plan. I purchased a class set of shakers. And as soon as I could, I purchased a class set of rhythm sticks, finger cymbals and hand drums. All the same size, all the same color!
I led activities with each child having the same instrument. Happy students, better sound! As lessons progressed, I introduced activities where everyone had 2 instruments, later in the year, three instruments, even 4 or 5! (For these activities, refer to online or live training!)
Thanks to the late great Remo Belli, the quality of the percussion I use now is by far the most durable, the most musical tone, the best quality! (Members, be sure to use your coupon code for 25% off!) Here’s a little story and song that the children loved to act out as they played their set of little percussion, creating sounds for a frog, snake, bird, train, and more.
SAVE THE DATE! Next Mini Workshops, March 31!
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
Schools often celebrate the 100th day of Kindergarten. Here’s a few ideas from Lynn Kleiner for a counting celebration activity. musicrhapsody.com
After introducing the rhymes using echos, students stand around the parachute, unpitched percussion are placed on the edge of it. When switching instruments, the teacher plays the cowbell as students have 8 beats to walk around the parachute to a new instrument. The teacher uses sopranino improvisation (see Lynn’s training if you don’t know how to play!) or another signal to give some “free play” time.
Use the 100 Days of Counting poem for the A section of a rondo form. Choose instruments, such as rhythm sticks, hand drums, tone blocks, xylophones (remove Fs and Bs) to play on the underlined words. Choose metals, such as triangles, finger cymbals, glockenspiels (set up without Fs and Bs) to play on the X’s.
To simplify, consider the following choices:
-Everyone plays together on the entire rhyme when they think it will sound best
-Everyone plays only on the rests (the Xs)
-Everyone plays on the underlined words
-For additional challenges, have only woods on the underlined words and all others on the Xs. Try other groups of instruments.
One hundred days of count -ing, X
One hundred days of fun, X
One hundred days to sing and play,
Aren’t I the lucky one? X
Play and count 16 beats, then repeat the rhyme.
More counting opportunities:
Play only on the numbers of the following rhymes, using them as a B, C and D section to become a rondo using the rhyme “One hundred days of counting”.
1, 2, 3 4, 5 Once I caught a fish alive
6, 7, 8 9, 10 Then I let him go again
Why did you let him go? Because he bite my finger so
Which finger did he bite? The little finger on the right.
PLAY 8 BEATS ON A COWBELL TO SIGNAL SWITCHING TO A NEW INSTRUMENT, THEN PLAY THE 100 DAYS RHYME AND CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT RHYME, PLAYING ONLY ON THE NUMBERS)
One, two, three musicians, four, five, six musicians
Seven, eight, nine musicians, ten musicians counting. (REPEAT)
(From the Sound Shape Play book by Lynn Kleiner and Christine Stevens)
COWBELL SIGNALS THE INSTRUMENT SWITCH, PERFORM THE 100 Days of COUNTING RHYME AND CONTINUE WITH THE RHYME BELOW.
1, 2, Tie my shoe
3, 4 Point to the door
5, 6, Here’s my sticks
7, 8, Don’t be Late
9, 10 Count again!
(From the Sound Shape Play Book, see additional counting rhymes in this book for drumming and sound shapes! MORE delightful counting songs can be found in Songs of the Sea, Jungle Beat, In All Kinds of Weather)
For the Counting Felt Set and instruments, go to www.musicrhapsody.com/shop
A free digital counting set for SmartBoard or SmartNote Book can be found in Music Box Downloads under Visuals.
