I had the pleasure to attend Bluffridge Elementary's Christmas Program in the beginning of December at Clearfield High School. There is nothing quite like 900+ students singing Christmas tunes and dancing for you! Annie Caldwell is an amazing fun loving teacher who finds a way to reach every one of her students. You can tell just by her smile (and cute sweater) just how much fun she is to be around. Here is a peak at all the kiddos! And yes! That whole stage is full and so is the auditorium.
My favorite part of the night was when everyone on that stage began to sing and dance to "All I Want for Christmas is You"!. As you all know, the song begins with some great slow phrases to which Annie had her 6th grade girls AND boys do some lip syncing to. I wish I was recording during this,..oh wait I was.. but I missed the very beginning. I hope I don't out laugh the kids. If you look close, those 8 soloists from the beginning of the song are center stage on the top dancing their hearts out. It was fantastic!
If you look really close in this picture, Annie is not just directing her kids, but she is accompanying them on the piano at the same time and right next to her is a group of students with simple percussion instruments also accompanying the choir. Kudos to Annie for getting the kids involved in more than just singing!
I guess by now you all know what we had hiding in these HUMONGOUS boxes!
It has been so much fun to get out and deliver a new set of boom-whackers to every school. I have loved seeing you all even if it was just for a few minutes. I have especially loved all of the wonderful things I have seen happening in your classrooms (even though I got stuck in 3 snowy parking lots and had to dig myself out, lol!).
One snowy morning I stopped by Clinton Elementary where Angie Cammack is the music specialist. As I entered her room this is what I saw...
...12 6th grade BOYS standing around the piano singing the most beautiful song ever! Edelweiss! And guess what? they were all singing with a natural high voice, free from strain (that's a state standard and objective...teehee). Who says 6th grade boys can't sing? They can and they will when they trust you and you expect it from them. If you look closer into the picture you will see Angie's face with the biggest smile telling her boys how wonderful they were. That is what they want and need to hear form us teachers.
Here is a clip of the same class of 6th graders rehearsing a song they will be singing later in the year for a school program. Angie spent a few minutes before they sang talking about posture and breathing, but take a listen to her positive reinforcement as they get ready to sing...and listen to the beauty!
A few days later I was able to attend the Christmas Sing-a-long and Adelaide Elementary in Bountiful where Shanda Stenger is the music specialist. Shanda is a certified teacher who works hard on getting her kids engaged in the music through singing and playing. Shanda has recently been teaching Ukulele to her 5th and 6th graders and they both performed using their Ukes at the sing-a-long.
6th Graders...Go Tell it on the Mountain
5th Graders...Run, Run Rudolph
4th Graders...Jolly Old St. Nick on Boom-Whackers!
I super duper wish I was recording when the 3rd graders performed. Shanda was skeptical of their performance but it was AWESOME! She included Orff instruments (which she had to haul in from her far away portable all by herself) and had the kids playing beautiful accompaniments to Christmas is Coming.
Here's a pic of those 3rd graders....
Sorry...Not a very good photographer...
Dear Santa, I've been nice...mostly...
Can I get a better camera...something that's not on my phone. PLEEEZ!
Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you have a fabulous week!
Some of you have expressed a desire to be able to better communicate with the other music teachers. We've created a facebook page to help this happen. Head on over and join!
Merry Christmas, Teachers! We were so excited to get to bring you all gifts and see you all doing great things in your classes and schools! Shannon and I both went to as many programs as we could, and I'd like to share some of the fun and great programs I saw. I wish I could have attended more. If you have video or pictures you'd like to share, please send them our way so we can post them to the blog!
Lisa Bate, Adams Elementary
This is Lisa's first year teaching music. You wouldn't know this was her first time ever teaching music or doing a music program. Lisa really wanted the children to feel the excitement and reward of a performance, and planned carefully so each grade level could perform on the stage. The students ran the show, with a pre-show to keep student engagement as classes were entering, and student led transitions (short songs and performances) while each grade transitioned on and off the stage. I wasn't able to stay for her whole program, but I loved every bit I saw. Lisa's students also added to the singing by using movement, older students holding pictures (symbol or iconic notation, yay) for younger grades, actions and simple costumes, and instrumental accompaniment.
Taylor Elementary, Sarah Hatch
This is also Sarah's first year teaching music. You can tell how much she loves music as you watch these clips from her Christmas program. Sarah brought in a couple a capella songs that really allowed the purity of the children's voices to come through. She also accompanied one of the songs on her guitar. You'll love the song her 6th grade performed, (Once There Was a Snowman, by Voicemail) and you may just want to steal it for next year. They have a tradition of exiting the auditorium dancing and singing the Christmas Conga. Check it out!
Valley View, Gayle Bleak
This was Gayle's first year in charge of a school Christmas program, and she only had three weeks to prepare. She would tell you it was rough because it was the first time for the school following this format (both in song and seating), but it didn't show on the outside. Transitions were very seamless. She brought in a lot of variety and let the students run the show. Gayle thought of having students perform both on the stage and in the center of the circle so everybody could see. She had a student running the ipad to provide the accompaniment, and the narration was entirely student led. Some of the songs were just movement, some involved the whole school joining in on the refrain, and some were accompanied on instruments by the students themselves.
King Elementary, Patty Johnson
Patty did a Christmas around the world theme. The school sang their school song right away, which I loved. I know some of you have been writing school songs for your schools this year. What a great way for the students to feel a part of a school community. The program began with the students all singing one Christmas song together, followed by grade level performances, and a song all together at the end. I wish I could have captured more, but my camera ran out of room. The students really got to shine by announcing their own songs for the program.
We had a great turnout for our training last night. We know many of you wanted to be there and couldn't, and we appreciate all of your efforts in coming to the trainings on a regular basis.
We covered a lot of material and had a blast doing so.
There are jpegs of the packet below. I'm also sending out an email of the digital files I used to create the music strips and symbol notation for Christmas is Coming.
If you have a chance, we'd love your feedback: *click here* We had a teacher fill it out after our last training, even though she couldn't attend. She wanted us to know why, and it was very helpful information.
Thanks again!
Teach the accompaniment parts for Christmas is coming as a 4 measure ostinato, or repeating pattern. These parts can be sung or played.
We used these sing-a-ma-jigs at our training last night. They are excellent for showing children how to open their mouths nice and tall while singing. If you have more than one, you can also use them to demonstrate harmony.
As promised, below is video of Round and Round the Christmas Tree. This was taught to a second grade class at Knowlton.
First though, a little bit about the way I teach...
Whole to Part Teaching
If you were to put a puzzle together, which method would make more sense?
1: Look at the picture on the outside of the box and use it as a reference as you work on individual pieces and sections of the puzzle.
or
2: assemble the puzzle without seeing the overall picture first.
I'm guessing most of us, (unless we're feeling like we want an extra challenge) would prefer to put a puzzle together already knowing what the picture will look like at the end. The picture on the box provides a framework or a reference for us as we work on small sections, or pieces, and put them together.
In teaching a song, children will be more successful in the long run if they have a picture of the whole before they work on the parts of the song. It's best to sing the song as a whole first, and then if sections of the song need reviewed those can be focused on individually, then put back in context with the song as a whole. When I teach songs to children, especially folk-type songs, I sing the song as a whole and add movement or ask questions to help the students create meaning as they learn the song. Students will join in singing when they are ready. They might sing small bits and pieces and listen to other parts as they learn. We learn songs off of the radio this way, we learn to speak this way, it follows that we can teach songs to children this way as well.
Challenge the Brain, Engage the Learner
Children learn when their brains are appropriately challenged. A large part of taking challenges is feeling safe. If children are too afraid to fail, they won't feel safe enough to try. If the challenge is too easy, or not really a challenge, children will disengage as well. Support children by asking questions to direct their learning and thinking. Use your questions and feedback to create understanding and give meaning to students learning. Provide specific, positive feedback for both behavioral and academic objectives. Trust can be built through specific feedback, and inviting children to participate when they feel ready.
Part 1: Singing the song, movement in place
(This part is optional and flexible. The song can be sung here more or less times depending on the level of trust, confidence, familiarity with this type of teaching and learning, and developmental levels of the students you are teaching. Students do not have to know the song perfectly to do part two, they will learn as they go as long as you encourage singing and ask questions that engage students in the music or the words.)
Key parts of the process from the video above:
Movement is key in helping children learn. They focus better and retain more when they move. The more we can create movement that gives meaning to the song, the better. I chose to have the children keep the beat. Because I planned to have the children later move in space as change those movements with the phrases of the song, I chose to change the placement of the beat with each phrase.
Also later, the first two phrases will be marched in one direction, with students side by side. The second two phrases the children will spin or do-si-do. The spinning of the hands mirrors the movement that will happen later.
Represent the rest/freeze on the pause. The children may or may not know, but they are learning to keep track of rests with the freezes. So often children (and adults) speed through the rests. It's important for children to learn that rest takes up space in music as silence. I teach that a quarter note, or ta, is a beat of sound, and a quarter rest is a beat of silence. The other reason this is important to emphasize also relates the the dance the students will do later. In the dance, children will change direction on the rests. I sometimes will have the children clap on the rests, or put their fingers to their mouth, make a funny face...there are lots of ways that could be adapted to your preferences and style.
*in-tune singing - when the students weren't matching pitch as well as I felt they were capable of, I quickly did some vocal play, accessing the high voice, had them match one pitch, and jumped right back into the song.
A few other movement in place ideas for movement in place:
Conduct the phrases: Draw a rainbow shape in the air with each phrase.
Move hands or body up and down in relation to the pitches of the melody.
Demonstrate meter: only do a movement on the strong beats/down beats, or do a different movement for the strong beats than the weak beats. (Ex: pat, clap, clap, clap)
Part two: Movement in space
Key parts of the teaching process for movement in space:
Model with one partner first. Don't tell children what to do each step of the way. Instead, let students discover, and use the music as your guide to discovery.
After modeling, and throughout, ask questions and give prompts such as, how did you know to change directions? What did you hear in the music that helped you know to change directions? This time, listen for which words you hear when we spin? Which words do you hear when we march in a straight line?
Have two or three groups of partners model next. This is a great way to assess student understanding, and to be able to know what questions to ask to guide student thinking before having the entire class try. This also gives students who aren't as confident more time to process before they are required to "perform." They are still participating and engaged by watching, especially if you are requiring them to figure it out rather than giving them step by step directions.
If your small group of students modeled correctly, add more students to the mix. Have each student standing grab a new partner. Eventually the whole class will join in. If they modeled incorrectly, use it as a chance to create repetition and add meaning to learning. Ask a question specific to the part that needs correction, than have students watch for the answer as you model.
Give students time to process and build trust. Ask for students to raise their hands if they want to be chosen as a partner. Tell students if they don't feel ready yet they can continue to take a watching turn until they feel ready to try.
The first time I taught this to a class, I partnered with the students every time instead of watching them. I thought I knew what they were doing, because every time I looked over at them they looked spot on. After watching the video, I realized I needed to not partner with a student after the initial modeling, unless it is necessary for instructional purposes. Being able to watch more closely helped me to give the students better feedback for success.
How could this song be used to create deeper musical understanding in consecutive lessons?
In a follow-up lesson, you could discuss or label the inherent concepts and skills that were experienced in the first lesson:
moving to the beat
feeling the rest
recognizing and moving to phrases
singing a melody in tune
Write the rhythm on the board and ask the students to guess the song..
Write the rhythm and melody on the board and ask the students to guess the song.
add pitched or unpitched instruments (harmony can be added here, or just melody played. To add harmony, use these pitches for each measure:
G G G D
G G G G - this one could also split the third measure of the phrase with two pitches G G G/D G
G G G G
G G G G
Add dynamics and expression, especially in conjunction with the phrases.
change the movement in space
Students march alone, then grab a partner at the do-si-do
Students stand in one circle and change directions as they march with each phrase
Students stand in two circles (one inside the other) and move opposite directions for the first two phrases, than do-si-do with the partner opposite them on the last two phrases.
Students can follow song or listening maps, or create their own. I included a few different maps below for reference or use. Email me if you'd prefer the pdf of these.
Listening Map 1 - beat
Listening Map 2 - beat/phrase
Listening Map 3 - melody
(2 pages)
If we teach this song with the extended activities, check out how many things we have touched on in the DESK standards!
I was at Knowlton with Melanie Bruse this week, and she did such a fun singing game with her class. I asked her if I could video it to share on the blog. She likes to use this singing game becuase it's very flexible on length (great for an end of class activity), and it gives students great practice with beat and rhythm. I also love how positive and encouraging Melanie is with her students. Thanks, Melanie, for sharing!
Check out how Melanie had her students form into a circle. She gave them clear directions while allowing them to think and problem solve.
Some other great things about the way Melanie taught this:
she asked the students to listen first, especially if there was ambiguity.Students learn through repetition with meaning
She gave physical ques as well as verbal prompts, such as "raise your hand" while she physically raised her hand to show the students how she'd like them to answer. She immedietly reinforced her expectations.
Students were given choice: they could use body percussion, the floor, etc.
She gave specific feedback..."That was cool. Do you know why it was cool? Becuase we were all together."
Students were moving to the beat the very first time she modeled the song.
Pacing was quick between repititions so that the students remained engaged.
Melanie added in ti-ti and ta to represent the rhythms. Words help students connect movement and rhythm together. The more modes of learning we can intruduce, the better!
I've underlined everything in the Desk Standards the students experienced in this short singing game below:
The students were also composing and improvising, taking turns, and listening analytically. Can you think of any other skills or concepts we could add to the list?
I had the opportunity and privilege last week to attend a Veteran's Day Celebration at Holt Elementary and to hear the Lincoln Elementary Choir sing at the Kaysville Nativity Celebration. I just wanted to share a couple of pictures of these great teachers and the fantastic things they are doing. I also want to encourage you all to share your performance dates with Valerie and I so we can support you. (I already know I will be at Clearfield High next Tuesday listening to the kids from Bluffridge Elementary sing their hearts out with their teacher Ann Caldwell...pictures to come!)
I love these two pictures of Andrea Scanlon who teaches at Holt Elementary. They show her love and enthusiasm for what she teaches and also her encouragement for the kids to sing their hearts out!
Also...these were right before she saw me snapping photos of her...lol!
At the end of the concert there was not a dry eye in the house, including Andrea and I . I had to wipe my tears quickly because I though it very unprofessional of me to be crying like that...GEEZ! I was so impressed with those sweet kids from Holt Elementary where the majority of those kids come from families who serve in the military, who may be stationed at Hill Air Force Base, who have come from many different places and speak different languages, yet came together to sing the most beautiful patriotic songs. These songs are not taught enough with the emphasis needed and I was impressed as an educator to make an effort to do more with the songs of our nation. Thanks, Andrea for inspiring me and touching my heart!
Saturday, after sitting through an indoor soccer game and cheering my guts out in my not so amazing Saturday attire, I ran over to the Kaysville Tabernacle to see Kimberly Graff and her Lincoln Elementary Choir. They were dressed so nicely! Everyone was in black and white. I could tell they were nervous, but boy did they do awesome! They opened their set with their school song, and a beautiful solo by one of the students. Mrs. Graff accompanied them and it was fantastic.
Right before they started their school song, the soloist was very nervous and had her arms folded up in front of her. I loved how Mrs. Graff gently touched her arms and helped her relax them and put them to her side. It was a beautiful gesture from a teacher that simply said, "You got this. I am here for you and you will be amazing." WOW!
The Lincoln Elementary Choir sang some very beautiful Christmas songs and you know what? Mrs. Graff even had her son and one of her students accompany the choir on guitar while they sang Still, Still, Still. (the picture didn't turn out...bummer!)
BUT.... I did get a recording of them singing My Favorite Things. Click Here to listen.
Thanks for all you do, teachers to touch the lives of the kids you teach. Thanks for giving them opportunities to grow and experience success in their young lives. Not everyone will grow up to be a musician, but they will grow up to be great doctors, lawyers, engineers, dancers, teachers and parents because of what they learned in your music class! Keep up the good work!
