Making Connections with Africa

African Inspiration

The intro to my classes this week were inspired by a video I took while visiting South Africa this summer.  On the Boardwalk, the Marimba Trio musicians played and entertained people along the boardwalk in Port Elizabeth.  CFIES students were asked to put the beat in their feet while watching the video.  It was a lead into playing our classroom bass xylophones and metalophones with our songs we've been learning.  They learned what a marimba was and made connections between marimbas and xylophones.

The 5th grade classes have been working on a song  I call "Alfred".  It is a fun nonsense song that allows us to review steady beats and ostinato patterns.  It will also be adding some creativity parts in future lessons.  This week, 5th grade learners add a bass cross-over ostinato pattern and a xylophone 4 beat repeated pattern.  The large tube is to help maintain a steady beat.  This activity is in progress!

      First grade classes have been working on steady beat and the song Bounce High.  We did an activity with balls and bouncing them to a steady beat while singing. 

Then we added a bass two mallet ostinato pattern to a steady beat.  The students will continue adding parts and creative movements to these activities. Stay tuned in to a final product.  

A Brand New Year

Music Room Rules!

Well, it is the start of a new year, lots of new faces, and the opening lesson.  Now with the start of a new year, it's the going over the classroom rules, expectations, and procedures for their first music visit.  Now remember, there are  5 Fifth grade classes, 6 Fourth grade classes, and 7 classes each of Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, and Third Grade.  That is a lot of repetition on my part.  So I would like to share how I have fun with this.  I have my music rules set to rhythm patterns.  (Not my idea...saw it on Pintrest,)  

 This year, I decided I wanted to try "bucket drumming"...so I was looking and pricing buckets this past summer.  They are not cheap...especially if you need to have 32 so each student has their own.  So while I was in Michael's Craft store, I got this bright idea to do Frisbee drumming...Less space required for storage and still able to get multiple sounds from it (when taught to use center and rim)..and bingo only $.50 each.  I can afford that.  (They were on summer clearance!)  I did have to purchase the drum sticks as well, but got a great deal through Musician's Friend catalogue.

Now I would like to introduce my Frisbee Drumming.  Mrs. Jones class is demonstrating each rule and rhythm.

 I have all second through 5th graders practicing reading and playing rhythms on these "drum kits"  so what about Kindergarten and First Grade?  They were introduced to "Beat Buddies."  I had some Ty Beanie Babies, and I put out a request for donations of more and got enough for each student to have one.  So, they get to play their rhythms with Beat Buddies.  This was not my idea either.  The credit for this will go to Richland's Primary Music teacher Holly Beasley.  Thanks for sharing this great idea.   Stay tuned for more fun and activities this year!