3 Instruments To Keep Close This Year!

It never gets old to see surprise and delight in the eyes of students when they pick up and play an instrument.  Include an instrument, any instrument, into your lesson and it immediately becomes a class favorite that students talk about and ask for over and over.  What's even more exciting is when I discover or rediscover an instrument that I, the teacher, can use for my own purposes.  I love finding new and interesting ways to integrate instruments into my instruction and am always on the lookout for ways to include a click, shake, scrape, ring, or thwak into my lessons.

I wanted to share three of my favorite instruments to use in the classroom and a few different ways to utilize these little gems in day-to-day instruction.  Whether you have a room that looks like the inside of the West Music warehouse or are teaching from a cart with barely room for a CD player, you can easily incorporate these instruments into your daily routine.

#1 - The Shekere

This is an instrument that has been sitting on my shelf unused for years.  Of course students would get it down for certain projects or songs but the shekere never found a place in the daily life of my classroom.  Then last Spring I went to an amazing workshop with Chris Judah-Lauder, a  brilliant, Orff trained teacher from Texas.  I learned a lot that morning but one of the things that Chris kept doing was walking over and picking up the shekere.  She would use it to keep the beat during exercises or group songs.  It wasn't too loud but the timbre was easy to pick out from the group.  When we would do large group works she would often play the steady beat as she walked around and kept the song going.

Rhythm Ideas for the Music Room

Looking for fun ideas to practice rhythm in the music room? Are you tired of the same ol', same ol'? Below are four ideas from four of our bloggers!

From Linda:

I don’t know about you but I love creating form using word chains! I especially love using manipulatives that the students can rearrange to create their own composition. So go ahead and grab that stack of beanie babies you use for tone matching and steady beat activities and Let’s Make Music!

Set out 4 beanie babies in a row and have the students echo you. Each beanie baby will receive 2 beats. Rearrange the 4 and have the students echo you again. Continue the process substituting different beanies and changing the order.

Eventually, start speaking the A section “Let’s Make Music” while you are arranging four beanie babies.

Stories and Song: Literature in the Music Room

What can I say about literature that hasn't already been said? Honestly, I have never met a music teacher who didn't use childrens literature in his/her lessons from time to time. As for me, I truly enjoy incoroporating literature into my elementary music classes. I find that students are more engaged in the lesson and more likely to comprehend the story. Let's be honest, literature lessons are just plain fun (and my administrators LOVE that I'm utilizing core curriculum in my "specials" classes). It's just a win all around!

General Tips for Using Literature in the Music Room: 

1. Artie Almeida has some wonderful lessons that incorporate literature and mallet instruments in her book Mallet Madness. It's one of my favorite resources for using literature in my classroom. She also has a second book Mallet Madness Strikes Again; both are worthy investments for any elementary music teacher.
2. Take the extra prep time to photograph the pages of your book and put them into a PowerPoint presentation format. This way, students can see the pictures as you read the story aloud. Another bonus: I often hear my little ones whispering along.  
3. Create a book display in your classroom. This will lend your library to being used more frequently. You might also consider adding some pillows around your bookshelf to make it enticing. 
4. Add quiet reading to your center rotations. My students love it when I add the "Reading Center" into our rotation. The rules are simple: choose a story and read quietly to yourself or a partner. 
5. Use a YouTube video reading of those nifty tales! If you're anything like me, you like to listen to a story to familiarize yourself with repetitive words, musical elements, verbs, and anything extra you can draw attention to in your lesson. Or sometimes your voice is completely shot and you just can't read the story yourself. I've been there, believe me. A video is the best solution for these situations. Another reason I love those YouTube videos: I keep many of my teaching books at home to read with my little one and I'm incredibly forgetful. Yep, sometimes I just forget that darned book at home!  
6. Don't be afraid of singalong storybooks. There are so many to choose from, and most of your kiddos will be able to sing along as you go. This makes a great five-minute-finisher at the end of a class. 

Here are some of my favorite sing-a-long storybooks

A Few of My Favorite Books 

(and how I use them)

BEAR'S LOOSE TOOTH  

by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

This delightful tale has beautiful illustrations and is very appealing to younger elementary students. I've used this book for several years with great success; the lesson is simple and straightforward and my first-graders always have a blast.

Teaching Procedures:

I typically read through a story once before introducing any specific learning concepts. After the initial reading, I add a tremolo on neighbor tones and we talk about what I'm doing and add the vocabulary term to the technique. We practice whole-note and half-note tremolos, then create a short rhythmic pattern for the words "bear's loose tooth". (Example: Bear's = whole note    Loose= whole note     Tooth= half note)

Here is a video reading if you'd like to check out this cute story! 

THE GINGERBREAD GIRL GOES ANIMAL CRACKERS 

by Lisa Campbell Ernst

This series is just darling. With vibrant illustrations and creative storylines, your students are sure to get a kick out of any of the stories. The Gingerbread Girl Goes Animal Crackers happens to be my favorite because it easily lends itself to musical instruction.

Teaching Procedures:

I begin this third-grade lesson by teaching the simple melody/chorus to the children. It uses the same melody as Row, Row, Row Your Boat so the kiddos should already know it well. I teach the song by rote and then add a steady Do/Sol accompaniment on an Orff instrument or BoomWhackers. I usually use C & G because the key of C is perfect for elementary aged students. 

After I teach the chorus, we read through the story once adding the song/accompaniment as it comes up in the story. Afterward I ask students which words occur most often-- you might have to help your kiddos with this-- and we choose instruments to represent those recurring words. I usually start them off by suggesting a temple block for the word crackers, and then the kids come up with all kinds of ideas from there. We "perform" the story together at least once more and then discuss the form: AB. 

The kids really enjoy participating in this lesson because every child ends up with an instrument. It's always an exciting class to teach!

A very simple melody: Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Lastly, if you'd like an energetic reading of the story, Here is a great YouTube video. This gal does a wonderful job making the story exciting for little listeners.

LLAMA LLAMA RED PAJAMA

by Anna Dewdney

This last idea is silly; believe me, I know. I came up with this nutty little melody one evening while reading to my two-year-old, Claire. We use the term reading pretty loosely in my house because you're as likely to hear us singing the story as you are to hear us reading it.

Teaching Procedures:

I first sing the story to the children, showing the pictures on a PowerPoint as I go. They usually start to hum along by the time I've sung a few pages, and this is how you can tell they're really listening. For younger elementary, you might consider teaching them the "llama llama red pajama" then have them sing with you whenever you reach that part. For older students in grades 2-4, you could add melodic instruments on a bordun or you try having them play the melody on an Orff instrument as they sing "llama llama red pajama" along with you.

Another version: This video option is also a sing-a-long. Although it's different from what I have suggested, it is a cute version of the story and I really enjoyed it. I hope you do, too.

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Did you find any of these ideas to be helpful? Don't forget to pin or share them using the buttons below! 

As always, we welcome your input and your ideas. Let me know what you think, and if you have any favorite stories that have been successful for you. I'm always looking to add new books to my collection. 

Sing. Teach. Love!

LET'S DO THE INSTRUMENT BAR DANCE!

Do you want to use the barred instruments in your classroom more often but just don’t have the time to get them ready between classes or to set them up in the correct pentatonic scale? Spring is my favorite time of year, especially in Kindergarten because the students finally get to learn how to take care of the “big” instruments.

It was about my second or third year of teaching and requesting additional instruments that I had the revelation that I couldn’t do everything and I needed to prep the students on my expectations on how to take the “bars” off of the instruments and why we had to be careful. The lesson “Let’s Do the Bar Dance” emerged!

Demonstrate how to grab each end of a bar and lift straight up like a helicopter. Ask a student to watch and notice what happens to the “peg” when you take the bar off wrong (use one hand and lift at an angle). He/she should notice that the peg bends. Ask the class what would eventually happen to the peg if everyone always used one hand and it kept bending 15-16 times a day. Someone will say “it will break off” and I quickly go into my options once an instrument is broken: put it in the closet - but then someone wouldn’t have an instrument to play, fix it – but I’d have to drill out the old peg and that is a little scary because if I didn’t drill straight I’d ruin the instrument and then have to throw it away or buy a new one - but the school doesn’t have $2000 (I love using a Bass Xylophone for this lesson for the cost perspective)….maybe our best option is to take care of the instruments!

Have the students stand behind an instrument. If you don’t have one instrument per student this is a perfect lesson for students to double up on an instrument or to take turns. If students need to take turns develop some type of signal to rotate. Review how to grab the bar with two hands and ask the students to take one bar off and then to carefully put it back on in the same spot. Ask them to take off another bar with two hands, then ask them to move and dance in their spot with it. After 8-10 seconds ask them to carefully put it back on with two hands. Take off a different bar and dance with it! Repeat the process a couple more times – reminding students they have to use two hands and lift straight up! Eventually, while you are asking them to take off different bars and dance add some background music during the instructions! You could use anything with a fun, strong beat. My students love the following found on iTunes:

·         AfricanTribal Music and Dances (Album) Percussion Instruments (song)

·         WorldMasters - Beat the Drum (Album) Beat the Drum (song)

·         WorldMasters - Beat the Drum  (Album) Africa We Go Go (song)

·         ExperienceAfrican Music: African Drumming, African Soukouss Music and West African DanceMusic  (Album) Beat the Drums (song)

·         ExperienceAfrican Music: African Drumming, African Soukouss Music and West African DanceMusic  (Album) West Africa Drums (song)

Music Listening Lessons for Spring

If you stepped into my classroom, you would quickly notice that music listening is a huge priority for me! I try hard to introduce each of my students to at least one new great piece of music every week. So, I am always looking for lessons to help them move to, visualize, describe all styles and genres of music.  Here are some of my favorite listening lessons for springtime:

Music & Movement

Butterfly Etude, Frederic Chopin

I love this piece because it’s the epitome of spring: lively, light, and cheery. I mostly let students just explore the motions and pathways of a butterfly, which is also a wonderful way to draw their attention to symmetrical movement. 

Here is my sequence; each number is a single listen through the song. I generally do 2 listens per class, which allows the lesson to stretch over 3-4 class periods.  (Sometimes I repeat an activity to allow for more exploration or fun!) 

•        1^st time through: Sit down and fold hands like a butterfly; follow the music with your hands. (Short discussion after about thoughts & ideas)
•        2^nd time: Move around the room like a butterfly. Put some of the movements you explored with your hands into your whole body.
•        3^rd time: Each student gets two scarves, one in each hand. Move around the room like a butterfly and use the scarves to extend those movements.
•        4^th time: Move in small groups while others watch. Ask the observing students what they noticed and what they liked.
•        5^th time: Each student receives a butterfly net. Use the nets to feel the larger phrases of the piece, arching dramatically as you follow those big phrase lines. You will probably want to join them to help demonstrate.
•        6^th time: Split into two groups, one with the butterfly scarves and one with the nets. Then switch and do it again!  Pro tip: Keep these two groups on opposite sides of the room or you will end up with someone’s net on someone else’s head. But you already knew that… 

Mystery Song

Flight of the Bumblebee, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

This is my very favorite listening activity for just about any piece of music. It is versatile, engaging, and truly higher order thinking.  And, it can be done in the last few minutes of class, or it can be paired with history and a discussion for an entire lesson.

At its simplest, I hand students a blank piece of paper and say, “Draw the picture that comes to mind when you hear this piece.”

The Flight of the Bumblebee is a great piece for this exercise because it has distinct sounds that will provoke a variety of mental images. Even if they haven’t heard it before, many of your students will pick up on the idea that this sounds like a chase or running and some will even think of bees.

I do not tell students anything about the piece, they are just doing a cold listen. Typically, I play the piece a few times and allow them time to draw and then I suggest they give it a name. "If you were the composer, what would you title this piece?"

The most important part of this activity is the discussion afterwards. I find that students are almost always eager to share their artwork and explain what they noticed and how that translated to their picture.

As you discuss, connect their drawings to the elements of the music like: the quick tempo makes us feel like we are running or the ascending and descending runs in the violins make us picture something flying up and down.  Use as much music language and terminology as you can, and eventually they will begin to use it too.

Music Listening Egg Hunt

Morning Mood from Peer Gynt Suite, Edvard Greig

An awesome way to make a regular activity extra fun is to turn it into a scavenger hunt, and what could be more perfect for spring than an Easter eggs?

I print a list of listening questions on small slips of paper and hide them in eggs around the room. Students hunt quietly for a single egg while they listen to the music; when they find an egg they return to their spot, open the egg, and read the question. After listening through the entire piece, everyone should be back in their spot and it’s time to ask for volunteers to read their question and provide an answer.  

I print multiples of each question, so some students will be listening for the same thing. This fosters meaningful and somewhat organic discussion, because students will have the same questions but inevitably have different answers.  Here are the questions I used for this piece:

•        Name one instrument that you heard.
•        How would you describe the tempo (speed) of this piece?
•        How would you describe the mood (feeling) of this piece?
•        What do you hear in the music that reminds you of spring?
•        If you heard this song on a movie soundtrack, which movie would you be watching?                 

Happy Listening!

Tutorial and Teaching Tips: Googly Eye Dice

Have you noticed that dice and googly eyes seem to be incredibly popular right now in teaching circles? They are all the rage at the moment, in both music and non-music settings, and I've seen some really fun music blog posts recently on using them in music lessons.

Reading those blog posts reminded me of a project I did several years ago that uses BOTH - yes BOTH dice AND googly eyes! Googly eye dice! They are a perfect tool to use in music lessons or in your classroom in a ton of different ways, so here's a really easy tutorial to show you how to make your own googly eye dice! Plus, they bring on the giggles, which is always a good thing  😁

Ready to get started on this fun little adventure? Let's go!

Favorite Music Education Resources

You all have a book like this...one that is coffee-stained, dog-eared, and almost falling apart. These books are the ones that we love so much we use them all the time! Today, I'm writing about my top ten favorite music education resources, ones that I use repeatedly and that have helped immensely with writing lessons, putting together programs, and more! Click on each picture to purchase the book on West Music. Here goes!

"An American Methodology" by Eisen and Robertson

This resource is a GREAT introduction to the Kodaly philosophy. It includes processes for using preparation, presentation, and practice strategies, specific ideas for each stage, and tons of songs and singing games! It also includes art music examples, which are great for expanding students' listening and literacy skills!

"Lesson Planning in a Kodaly Setting" by Rita Klinger

This is such a great resource for lesson planning, written by the late Rita Klinger. Even if you haven't been Kodaly trained, it has lots of great suggestions for writing lessons, creating transitions, and more! I've used it as a required resource when I've taught Kodaly Level I because it is truly so helpful.

Musical Things to Do While Waiting in Line

For one reason or another, I often find myself waiting with students in a line.  It can be challenging to keep them quiet because let's face it...standing in line is boring!  Here are a few musical things to do while waiting in line.

Steady Beat Follow Me
This quiet game is easy and engaging.  Lead students to keep the steady beat with you, but challenge them to stop on exactly the same beat you do.  To be successful, students have to watch closely and remain quiet.  I tap my head, chin, arms, stomach, knees and nose.  I clap with two fingers or snap.  I nod or shrug my shoulders to the beat and whatever else I can think of that makes no sound or very little sound.

As students are following me, I freeze occasionally.  If they are watching closely, they can freeze on the same beat that I do.  Vary the tempo to keep it interesting.

Snap on This Beat
As students are waiting in line I'll ask them to listen to me count a steady beat and snap only on the even numbers.
|: 12345678 :|

When they have established that rhythm, I'll switch it up.  I'll have them snap on the odd numbers, on 1, 4, 5 and 8 or any combination.  Occasionally when I walk a class back to their room we will do this.  It makes me feel like I'm on West Side Story.

More ideas for teaching notes on the treble clef staff

In our last blog post, five of our bloggers collaborated with some engaging ideas for teaching notes on the treble clef staff. In this blog post, we have more ideas from more of our bloggers!

From Melody: I love using chants to help my students learn the treble notes. As they’re learning and memorizing the chant, they’re learning and memorizing the lines and spaces, without even realizing it! Being able to name the lines and spaces quickly and easily is the goal, and once students are able to do this, their confidence rises and they are more excited than ever to sight-read new songs and piano pieces!

First, I teach each part of the chant by rote (first the lines, then the spaces), and as I say the letters of the lines and spaces, I play them on the piano to create an aural connection with the letters they are chanting. After working on the line notes, we follow up with a fun note-naming race worksheet, and then we do the same after learning the space notes. The students also love playing the line and space notes on the piano.

The first image shows the chant with the appropriate rhythms (for teacher use), and the second image shows the handout with visual elements that I give to the students. I try to incorporate as many different senses as possible to give students the best chance of remembering the the treble clef notes.

After students have memorized the chant and completed the note naming pages, we continue solidifying the line and space notes in subsequent lessons with a variety of fun (and sometimes silly!) activities incorporating their senses in multiple ways.

Click here to download the visuals above.

Ideas for teaching notes on the treble clef staff

Hello everyone! We are so excited to write the first blog post of our collaborative blog, Sing. Teach. Love. The blog is meant to be a place to share music education ideas for your classroom, written from the perspective of several different teachers and methodologies! For information on all of the teachers collaborating on the blog, see the “about us” section near the top of the page.

For this first blog post, we thought we’d share specific ideas for teaching notes on the treble clef staff! Today, we're writing with five ideas from five bloggers.

From Aileen: I absolutely love the app Staff Wars, which can also be downloaded as a computer program. Whether you have several ipads, one ipad, or one computer, this game is such a fun, interactive way to practice identifying notes on the treble clef staff! The best part of the app is that you can choose only lines, only spaces, only notes on the staff, and extended staff...as well as bass clef and alto clef! I've seen big improvements with the speed with which my students identify notes on the treble clef staff because of this app!

From Tracy: When it comes to teaching the treble clef pitches I am always looking for activities that get kids out of their chairs. One of my favorite activities is a matching game made from dollar store finds. In the teacher section of the dollar store I look for the matching sets of notecards in clever shapes like ketchup and mustard bottles, fish and fishbowls, peanut butter bread/jelly bread and many more.

Take one of the cards in the set and draw a treble staff with notes that spell out a simple word using letters of the musical alphabet. On a coordinating piece, write the word that matches the other piece. After creating a set, mix them up and have students match them up. For this activity, I recommend using a tablecloth, rug or shower curtain on the floor. This defines the space that students work in and keeps the pieces from spreading out across the room.

From Cori: I try to take any opportunity to get kids up and moving, so having a large floor staff is a must. I use painter’s tape directly on the floor, but you could also tape a staff to a shower curtain or an old sheet for easy clean up. (Or maybe you hit the music teacher jackpot with a staff rug!) There are lots of ways to use your staff, but my favorite is an easy bean bag toss. Students work in pairs or in a large group, tossing a bean bag onto the staff and naming the note where it lands.