Well, in light of last night's snowfall, we definitely incorporated some snow activities and songs. We started out singing songs and then did some review of last week's material and added in a few fun games.
Snow Songs
Since we all happen to be LDS, it was easy to use some songs from our Primary repertoire.
Snow Songs
Since we all happen to be LDS, it was easy to use some songs from our Primary repertoire.
- Once there was a Snowman - we added in dynamics that went with the motions: forte for the tall snowman, piano for the melted puddle. They love dynamics!!
- Snow is Falling All Around - we talked about the weather and did snow and wind. Yesterday, the wind was so strong it was blowing the kids around.
- Falling Snow - a nice, quiet, pretty song to help settle down for the next instructions!
- Following the Leader - a popular activity from last week that the kids were telling their parents about during the week. It got a little more wild than last week did, so I think I will pass on this next time. It's cute, but they just wanted to run, which doesn't work so well for keeping everyone in line. So, it didn't really do anything for our purpose of teaching how in music, there is a leader. Still, the kids were having fun and singing, so not all bad.
- Leading with a Stick - they are really catching on to this idea. We started with the standing and sitting again. It works well to help them feel confident with being in charge without any technique. Then, we moved to directing a note. I am impressed with their abilities. They gave a prep breath, down beat, and cutoff. It's really cute to see them make their little circle cutoffs! Next week, I will start this segment with having them use open hands to start singing and a closed fist to stop.
- Sound Waves - piano: scrunched down, forte: reaching high
- Forte and Piano Cards - I would hold up a green f for them to say 'forte' loudly and an orange p for them to say 'piano' quietly. I then taught them about crescendos and decrescendo. I held up both cards and would put the corresponding dynamic in front of my face and then gradually slide the cards over and crescendo or decrescendo. The kids thought this was hilarious! I passed out their cards and they did it perfectly. I love these kids!
- We used colored cones to do our rhythm patterns this time. It was so easy that it didn't keep their interest long enough. I'll have to get a board to put the rhythmic notations with the words so they can see them and we can move them around. I know they would catch on to rhythmic notation very quickly, so I just need to organize the materials for it.
- Body Rhythm - stomps, claps, lip flapping, and other body percussion. I would do some and they would copy. I added a new one each time.
- Using a funny song that Abe learned in his choir, I taught the kids solfedge. DO at your belly button, RE like a rooftop, MI is flat, FA with your thumbs down, SOL like a gate, LA like a monster, TI points up to DO, TI, LA, SOL, FA, MI, RE, DO. A huge hit, as always, with little kids! I am so glad that I learned this song!
- Copy Cat - a few solfedge patterns for them to get used to applying it.
