Vamos a la mar

Let's go to the sea!  I love the ocean - I recently did a video on my facebook site - @ofortunaorff with the ocean in the background while I sang a beach song and used cockle shells!
This is a lovely song from Guatemala and has a rhythm activity where small groups create rhythms using ocean animals. You can choose to have the students create the contrasting sections in Spanish or English and there are four different "sets" of rhythmic building blocks - colored, black and white, with rhythms, and without.
Consider adding ocean drums and rainsticks.  This is also a good one for ukulele - F and C7!
Email me for the full pdf - musicquilt@hotmail.com.
Now make plans to go to the beach!

There Was a Crocodile Substitution Song

I love substitution songs, do you?  These are songs where the subject is sung with a motion, then the next time the song is sung, the lyric is substituted with only the action.  These kinds of songs were a favorite with my Orff Master's Level course teacher, Jos Wuytack.  In fact Judy Sills adapted a book of his songs called "55X Funtastic - 55 Songs with Motion for Children". Not all the songs have substitution games, but most do and they are so much fun!
I recently found this substitution song, my students love it!  This one is about that wonderful critter, the crocodile!
Enjoy!

The Wide Mouth Frog book and activity

Happy Spring! Here in the South, we have green grass, budding trees, and daffodils are swaying in the wind!
This time of year always reminds me of frogs, for some reason, and so I break out all my frog songs in addition to flowers, rain, chicks and bunnies.
This lesson uses a book, The Wide Mouthed Frog, pop up edition, and a frog puppet, which you don't need but it makes the lesson much more fun.  You may also want some young children who haven't learned quarter rest yet or you want to reinforce quarter rest with them. 
For this lesson, you are going to need to head over to facebook and check out the ofortunaorff page - there is a video with me going through the lesson!
You will need this book available here.

And a frog puppet,

Enjoy!

Dan, Dan the Fine Old Man Irish Song/Recorder Composition

My stepdaughter is Irish- her Mom is first generation American.  She is very proud of her Irish heritage and of her 12 aunts and uncles (yes, 13 children!).  They were raised in a 3 bedroom house and her mother has great stories of life growing up with an Irish mother with a very thick accent with 13 kids sleeping in  2 bedrooms!

When I found this Irish poem (similar to Old Dan Tucker), I knew it had to become a song!  Email me at musicquilt@hotmail.com if you would like the pdf - not all the pictures are here as there are 13 pages!  

Happy March!

Melody Hunt Lockbox

 Ever played Escape Room or Exit Strategy?  They are a fun date night or co-worker night out!  You can learn a lot about someone being in a room in which you have to solve a mystery with the clues left for you.  Oh- and the best part- you have a limited amount of time to solve the mystery!
 I am terrible at it - probably because I am very literal and have never been a great puzzle person.  But  it is so much fun!!
You know they say the best ideas are borrowed, right?  This one from a fellow music teacher, Jessica Christine, who shared how to take the idea of "breaking in" to a musical level!  If you would like the pdf, send a request to musicquilt@hotmail.com.  I love to hear how you are using things on the blog!
Happy March!

Painted Music

If I had not been a music teacher, I probably would have been an art teacher or struggling artist/musician.  My love for all things arts and crafts is as deep and as wide as my love for all things musical.  And then there are books.. those lovely pages into which I can meet a Scottish prince, or learn more about history, or make realizations about my own beliefs and values. My parents still talk about how I would come down to the breakfast table with a book in my hand and not let go of it the whole time I was getting ready to eat and while eating. As an adult, I often have several books going at one time, although I have fallen in love with historical fiction and currently am engrossed in  London, England, in 1503 and Henry VIII.  I also cannot pass a book store without going in and immediately am drawn to the children's section to see if I can find something to use for my classroom.
My love of music, art, and children's literature combines with my new book, Painted Music.  Huge thanks to all the publishers of the nine different books for granting permission to use these in the activities and songs!  Another huge shout out to Brent Holl, publisher and editor extraordinaire (Beatin' Path Publications) for his help and experience in putting this together in such a lovely way! 
Hope you check it out- there are tons of supplemental materials online also! 

Broom Dance and Other Favorite Folk Dances!

I love folk dances and love when I see someone post a question on facebook about their favorite folk dance.  I recently learned the Broom Dance from friend Leslie B. on fb and she kindly directed me to Martha Riley, who shared her directions with me and gave permission to share here!  Enjoy!  As always, if you would like the pdf, send your request to musicquilt@Hotmail.com.
This has quickly become a favorite with all my students - a nice 5 minute end to class- and would be a great dance to teach at a family music night!

1.  The Broom Dance

Another Broom Dance!

2.  Wassouma -

Another one I learned from the AOSA facebook page.  This one is from Suriname, a country in North East South America.  Such a great energetic dance!  The music is from "Bulgarian, Balkan and International Folk Dances" from the Folk Arts Center of New England.

3.  Chimes of Dunkirk

From New England Dancing Masters

4.  Yesh Lanu Tayish

Shared with me by another dear internet friend!  My second graders BEG to do this dance!

5.  Chilili

This is another one that is simple, yet so satisfying!  I teach this at my Hands to Hands workshops and it has become a quick favorite!

Hope you enjoy learning some new dances with your kiddos!