In our February training we featured a piece from the Making Music Grade 3, Wood Chuck. Barbara said she had used it with her kids before training but was now extending the lesson to include playing classroom instruments for this piece. The class I watched was a 3rd grade class. Here they are reviewing the different parts to the speech piece.
After the students had reviewed all the parts and remember the word and rhythms that went with each Barbara got out the instruments. She just used what she had in her classroom: castanets, rhythm sticks, drums, and shakers. The students were divided into 4 groups and each group was in charge of one of the ostinatos (repeated patterns from the speech piece). They played their parts and at the end of the song they put their instruments down and rotated to the next instrument and part. The kids thoroughly enjoyed getting to play this piece!
Another class I watched Barbara teach was 4th grade. They had been working on a piece from the Making Music Grade 5, pg 52 called Rock Island Line. This is a super fun song to sing for the kids but even better, it has two rhythmic patterns written out that are easily performed with the song. Barbara reviewed the song with the students and then reviewed the ostinatos (repeated patterns) separately. She divided the class in half and gave them some simple classroom instruments to play. During the chorus the students got to sing and play their pattern with the music and on the short verses they just sang. Halfway through the song the students switched parts and got to play the other ostinato. What a great to get those students reading, playing and singing at the same time!
Barbara has also been working on teaching recorders to her older students. They had been playing for just a few weeks and are working on the Recorder Karate program. I really appreciated that she had them play the Recorder National Anthem for my visit! And for just a few weeks they sure sound great!
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