If you haven't caught my LIVE on facebook yet, go check out all the past videos at https://www.facebook.com/ofortunaorff
Today I talked turkey. Yes, you read that right. I shared several of my favorites, many from my Sing a Song, Play a Game book and here are some pictures from the google slide you can get HERE. Please note this will force you to create a copy. :)
Last year I posted about the rhyme, Mabel, Mabel and using this to play with meters of 2/4, 6/8, and 5/4 - which is SO much fun and a good challenge for older students!
Click on the first picture for the original post:
Lastly, Pass Me the Turkey is a fun song with a CUP GAME! Check it out by clicking on the first picture to go to the original post.
Happy Thanksgiving! I am so thankful to all of you who have been reading and following along- we are almost at 1.5 MILLION VIEWS!!! I can't believe it! Who knew 12 years ago that I would still be blogging and publishing, editing, presenting, etc. Certainly not me. Be open to all the world offers, friends. You never know where life is going to take you. Blessings!
For the month of March, my students participated in a Rhythm Challenge. Each grade level first through fourth grade (my highest grade) competed against other classes in their grade level and were told there was a "surprise prize" at the end for the winning class. Students read and played rhythm cards appropriate to their level at the beginning of each class along to a rap track. Before reading each card, I would say in rhythm, "Ready go". If one or two mistakes were made on a card, I called it an oops and a forgiveness. If three or more mistakes were heard, I called time and that was the high score for the day. If anyone "fussed" at another student for making a mistake (long chat about how everyone makes mistakes) the class would lose 30 seconds from their score. Thankfully no one lost time off their score. Top score was 2 minutes, 30 seconds. I kept track on the board each week and after 4 weeks or 4 scores (whichever came first) we had winners. Then, the best part- the Surprise Prize - everyone was having a Glow in the Dark Music Party during their next music class! The winners would have the Party for the whole class and the others for half their class (half the class was regular music but would have games and other fun activities we don't do very often). It was a HUGE hit! I posted a video yesterday on my facebook page - @o for tuna orff, and show the setup and talk about activities.
This would be a PERFECT end of the year music party!
Then I realized I needed to make it a blog post! It truly has been one of the highlights of my year and while it takes some prep, is SO worth it!! I even did the Clap Clap song by the Klaxons with my youngest student so they could experience some of the fun. Of course, everyone loved getting to take a glow stick home with them! If you would like a pdf of this, please send me an email at musicquilt@hotmail.com.
Happy Glowing!
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!
Oh, Nutcracker, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways..
Seriously, better than chocolate. Inner music nerd speaking to self, "There is something so thrilling about having a class recognize the music from the Nutcracker!".
My students are in the midst of rehearsals for 3 holiday concerts; yes, 3! My junior kindergarten and kindergarten students have a short one, followed by classroom holiday parties (so smart), then first and second graders have one at 9 AM on the 14th, third and fourth graders at 1 PM same day. Fun, fnu, nuf! Nope, that's not a misspelling, that's how I feel by the end of the day!
While we are practicing for concerts, I am doing a wee bit of Nutcracker with our time remaining in each music class. I especially love Trepak, the Russian dance. It's so quick, lively, and exciting.
1. Trepak Body Percussion and Bucket Drumming (focus on form and beat)
I begin by performing this for the students (listen to the music and you will understand WHEN to do the movements). The sequence happens during the A Section and will be repeated for a total of 4 times. I ask the students to notice everything I am doing.
Have them turn and talk. This is such an underrated and underused teaching tool. I love turn and talk. They literally turn to a neighbor and talk about their observations in "kid speak". I find this to be so helpful. What did they hear/see? How many times did it happen? Was it a pattern or random?
They quickly discover a repeating pattern, and some of my fourth graders will also notice there was no introduction (!). I have the students perform the movements and then listen to the next section- more turn and talk, etc. until we discover the B section and then we perform the following movements:
Patsch: Alternate patting knees for 8 beats
Clap: Clap own hands for 8 beats
Clap Sides: Hands out at sides, clap side neighbors (on each side) hands, 8 beats.
Combo: To half note count: Pat, clap (own), clap (sides), clap (own). Four movements total.
The next parts I teach by imitation to the "interlude" or "C" section; whole notes count: Soldier with one arm going straight up, then other arm, then half note count; arm straight up, switch, then quarter note count right arm, left arm, right arm, left arm.
Back to the A Section for 2 patterns, then clap the beat and continue through the rallentando at the end!
Now you're ready to transfer that to bucket drums:
You can find the previous post AND a video here.
2. Composition and Arranging
One thing I love about the Nutcracker is the timeless appeal it has to every age. The Nutcracker is so deliciously recognizable and I love the various arrangements out there. Students enjoy hearing and seeing it performed so differently and it is a wonderful jumping off point to talk about composers and arrangers.
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy on Glass Harp
Same piece, a capella with Pentatonix
Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Overture
Chinese Dance (I particularly love their use of the traditional Lion Dance seen at Chinese New Year)
3. Another Trepak lesson:
Using pretend brushes, paints, and a visit to a "museum" children use movement to create statues and paintings with this idea from a previous post. Uses the book, "Ain't Gonna Paint No More".
4. Paper Plate and Cup Routines to "March".
Check out youtube, there are many variations! I think Artie Almeida was one of the first (or THE first) to develop this idea and it is fabulous and fun!!
This one I found yesterday on the AOSA (American Orff Schulwerk Association) Music Teacher Facebook page. MANY thanks to composers Trilby Jordan and F. Thomas Simpson for sharing and allowing me to share here! I LOVE this song and added a cup game composition using word chains of disliked Thanksgiving foods. Students performed them for their teachers when they came to pick up the class. LOVED it! Definitely going into my "keep" file for years to come!
