Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Try having a 5 year old say that 5 times in a row! Rimsky-Korsakov is my new composer for this month. About three times a year I try to introduce the preschoolers to a composer and at least one of his or her compositions. The children are now very familiar with Papa Haydn and the Surprise Symphony, so I decided that it was time to introduce another name to their vocabulary. Rimsky-Korsakov.
When I introduce a composer, I always print a picture of him to show the children. Preschoolers are not very observant of the differences in old pictures and when I held up the picture of Rimsky-Korsakov, all the children began to call out "Papa Haydn! That's Papa Haydn!". So, I pulled out my picture of Haydn and compared the two pictures: "Does Papa Haydn have a beard?" "No!" "Does Rimsky-Korsakov have a beard?" "Yes!" "Does Papa Haydn wear glasses?" "No!" "Does Rimsky-Korsakov wear glasses?" "Yes!". Young children need help recognizing these differences because all they see is an old picture.
The song that I use with my Rimsky-Korsakov unit is The Flight of the Bumblebee from R-K's opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Preschoolers can buzz puppet bees or fly around the room like a bumblebee while the music is playing. It's also a wonderful song to use to introduce several instruments of the orchestra. I have recordings of The Flight of the Bumblebee that are played by piano, trumpet, flute and marimba and I use the recordings to help the preschoolers learn to identify the sounds that each instrument makes. With older preschoolers, you can even introduce the instrument families (woodwind, brass and percussion families).
After two weeks, the preschoolers still can't pronounce 'Rimsky-Korsakov' very well, but they know who he is and that he wore glasses and that he wrote The Flight of the Bumblebee! Maybe they won't remember his name in five years, but I bet they will remember The Flight of the Bumblebee and flying their bee puppets around the room in their preschool class!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Bumblebee Chant
Buzzing, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing bumblebee
You're as happy as can be
Buzzing, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing bumblebee
Won't you buzz with me?
(C. 2011, Rohde)
Simple chants like this one are great for teaching preschoolers about rhythm. Either use rhythm sticks or hand drums or just let them clap the rhythm; you want an instrument that can produce a strong, distinct beat, so jingle bells and egg shakers are not appropriate for this type of activity.
First, speak the chant through a couple of times. This particular chant is repetitive enough that 3-5 year olds will be able to catch on very quickly. When the preschoolers can speak the chant, have them clap it with you. You want to clap on every word. When the majority of the class can speak and clap the chant, pull out the rhythm instruments and have the children speak and tap the rhythm.
As you are doing this, you can casually mention the difference between rhythm and pulse in music (the pulse is steady like your resting heart beat and never changes, but rhythm can change). The preschoolers won't quite understand the difference, so just mention it casually, you will be planting a seed for future musical instruction
You're as happy as can be
Buzzing, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing bumblebee
Won't you buzz with me?
(C. 2011, Rohde)
Simple chants like this one are great for teaching preschoolers about rhythm. Either use rhythm sticks or hand drums or just let them clap the rhythm; you want an instrument that can produce a strong, distinct beat, so jingle bells and egg shakers are not appropriate for this type of activity.
First, speak the chant through a couple of times. This particular chant is repetitive enough that 3-5 year olds will be able to catch on very quickly. When the preschoolers can speak the chant, have them clap it with you. You want to clap on every word. When the majority of the class can speak and clap the chant, pull out the rhythm instruments and have the children speak and tap the rhythm.
As you are doing this, you can casually mention the difference between rhythm and pulse in music (the pulse is steady like your resting heart beat and never changes, but rhythm can change). The preschoolers won't quite understand the difference, so just mention it casually, you will be planting a seed for future musical instruction
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
A New Twist on Musical Chairs
Musical Chairs: ahhh, that rather simple game where participants dash for a chair when the music stops playing. Play this game with preschoolers and you are liable to end up with at least one or two children in tears. But how about if you play Musical Chairs where no one has to sit out and everyone gets to participate all the time?
In this musical game, you will be introducing preschoolers to a variety of rhythm instruments. Here's what you do:
Set up chairs in a circle; one chair per child. On each chair place a rhythm instrument (shakers, rhythm sticks, hand drums, jingle bells, a glockenspiel, hand bell, tone block, etc). Play some lively music as the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, they face the chair directly in front of them, pick up the instrument and shake, bang and tap until the music begins again. When they hear the music start up, they must place the instrument back on the chair and walk around the chairs again, until the music stops.
Before you begin this musical game, you may want to take a few minutes to show the students how to play each instrument.
A word of warning: Preschoolers will try to walk slowly in order to stop in front of a preferred instrument. One way to avoid this is to have the children move in a variety of ways around the chairs: hop, skip, tiptoe, etc. Most likely, you will still end up with a child in tears because she didn't wind up in front of the instrument she wanted or you will have children arguing over one instrument. Gently remind the students that if they participate politely in the game, everyone will have a chance to play every instrument and if they can't be polite, then they will have to sit out for a while.
In this musical game, you will be introducing preschoolers to a variety of rhythm instruments. Here's what you do:
Set up chairs in a circle; one chair per child. On each chair place a rhythm instrument (shakers, rhythm sticks, hand drums, jingle bells, a glockenspiel, hand bell, tone block, etc). Play some lively music as the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, they face the chair directly in front of them, pick up the instrument and shake, bang and tap until the music begins again. When they hear the music start up, they must place the instrument back on the chair and walk around the chairs again, until the music stops.
Before you begin this musical game, you may want to take a few minutes to show the students how to play each instrument.
A word of warning: Preschoolers will try to walk slowly in order to stop in front of a preferred instrument. One way to avoid this is to have the children move in a variety of ways around the chairs: hop, skip, tiptoe, etc. Most likely, you will still end up with a child in tears because she didn't wind up in front of the instrument she wanted or you will have children arguing over one instrument. Gently remind the students that if they participate politely in the game, everyone will have a chance to play every instrument and if they can't be polite, then they will have to sit out for a while.
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Music Teacher Who Lost her Mojo
Mondays and Thursday mornings are my days to work on new lesson plan ideas. Very often I try to incorporate my music lessons around the curriculum themes of the preschools I visit. Usually, I immediately come up with one or two ideas that I can expand upon. But this past month, ideas have been scarce for me. I've been relying upon tried and true lesson plans for my preschool music classes this week, and that is fine. But I hate it when I am in a creative slump and would really like to create something new and fresh for my classes. My internet search for new ideas has not helped me either. A year ago, I could visit a couple of my favorite online preschool music sites and be inspired to teach a skill I had never tried before or would learn about a new song that I could incorporate into my classes or get some new idea that would re-spark my creative juices. This month, even my favorite resources have left me uninspired. I'm sure that most teachers experience a time like this in their careers, so I can console myself with the knowledge that I am not alone. Teaching is such a personal endeavor because good teachers leave a bit of their spirit with every class they teach. I just have to remember that this slump will pass. In the meantime, I will teach every class with enthusiasm and will continue to share the joy of music with every child in my classes.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Five Classical Songs to Use in the Preschool Classroom (or at home!)
Sometimes you just want a quick and easy musical activity to do with your preschoolers. Here are five songs and activities that need little to no preparation and can be used to fill in the gaps when you have a lull in the day or when it's too cold or rainy to go outside and play:
1. Beethoven's 5th Symphony, 1st movement - have children listen for the dah-dah-dah-dum theme in the first few measures and then tap or clap the pattern each time they hear it in the music.
2. Saint-Saens, The Swan from The Carnival of the Animals - this is a great piece to incorporate with a bird or duck theme. Let the children demonstrate how they would swim like a graceful swan or pull out the scarves and let the children dance around the room.
3. The Cat and The Mouse by Aaron Copland - this song can be used for 4 and 5 year olds to hone their listening skills; see if they can tell when the cat is looking for the mouse and when the cat is chasing the mouse.
4. Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov - pull out bee puppets (laminated pictures of a bee taped to a popsicle stick) and let the children buzz the bees around the room while the music plays.
5. The Toy Trumpet by Raymond Scott - let the children pretend to be nutcrackers or toy soldiers that have come to life.
1. Beethoven's 5th Symphony, 1st movement - have children listen for the dah-dah-dah-dum theme in the first few measures and then tap or clap the pattern each time they hear it in the music.
2. Saint-Saens, The Swan from The Carnival of the Animals - this is a great piece to incorporate with a bird or duck theme. Let the children demonstrate how they would swim like a graceful swan or pull out the scarves and let the children dance around the room.
3. The Cat and The Mouse by Aaron Copland - this song can be used for 4 and 5 year olds to hone their listening skills; see if they can tell when the cat is looking for the mouse and when the cat is chasing the mouse.
4. Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov - pull out bee puppets (laminated pictures of a bee taped to a popsicle stick) and let the children buzz the bees around the room while the music plays.
5. The Toy Trumpet by Raymond Scott - let the children pretend to be nutcrackers or toy soldiers that have come to life.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Observing Music Together
A couple of years ago I observed a Music Together class. Music Together is an international music curriculum geared to children birth-age 7. I admit that I was a bit curious as to how my approach to preschool music education differed from other programs. I had done a lot of reading about programs like KinderMusic, KinderGarten and Music Together, but had not seen a class in action before. I learned a lot that day about what I was doing right, and what I could do to improve the effectiveness of my own teaching. Let me take you on a tour of what I observed that day.
The class was held in a community room of a local church. About 10 minutes before the 45 minute class was to begin, parents and children began to arrive. By the time class began, there were 12 - 15 parent/child pairs sitting in a circle on the floor, with children ranging in age from 6 months to 5 years. The class began when the class director greeted the participants and hit the play button on the CD player. Soon parents were bouncing infants on their knees and singing along to the music. After 5 minutes or so, children began wandering around the room - looking out the window, standing in the corner, interacting with other children, etc. The parents of the wandering children kept singing, chanting and moving along with the hand gestures that accompanied the songs. Every now and then the music director would offer up a bit of encouragement to the parents of the wandering children, with statements like, "Don't worry if your child is not participating, she is still learning by being exposed to the educational experience here" or "Children learn by observation. They are just checking everything out". At about 30 minutes into class, when nearly every child was wandering around the room, the director pulled out her box of rhythm instruments. This helped to redirect the childrens' interest and each child came to the center of the circle to pick out the instrument that he or she wanted. For the next few minutes children blissfully banged or shook their instruments. 45 minutes after class began, instruments were stashed away, children and parents sang one last song and class was dismissed.
I learned a lot that day. Most of what I learned was reinforcement of my own pedagogical beliefs. To begin with, I was doubtful of how effective a class could be where the young children's ages were so varied; babies, toddlers and preschoolers all in the same class. In the early years of development, childrens' abilities vary widely. For example, a 3 year old often has difficulty matching pitches, whereas a 5 year old can sing simple melodies quite easily and a 6 month old can make cooing sounds, but cannot sing with any accuracy at all. The philosophy behind the Music Together program is that the younger children learn by observing older role models (parents and older children). Of course, there is truth in this. All language is learned by exposure and many habits and cultural standards are established when the younger generation observes the older generation. However, I am a firm believer that music classes (and all educational pursuits) should be geared to the developmental needs of the majority. Preschoolers should be in class with preschoolers, and toddlers with toddlers, otherwise some material is too difficult for the younger children and some of the material is too simple for older students.
One thing that I noticed about the Music Together class is that no formal teaching occurred. The teacher hit the play button on the CD player and class had begun. This type of experience works well with babies and toddlers, who are not ready for "formal" learning. But 4 and 5 year olds can benefit by brief moments of formal teaching - explaining musical terms or teaching preschoolers to recognize the sounds of various instruments, for example. I often say that preschoolers are capable of learning more than we give them credit for and preschool music specialists should not simply expose children to different genres of music, but use words to describe what the children are listening to and make the names of Haydn, Beethoven, Mancini and Sousa and basic musical terminology, like piano and forte, part of a preschooler's vocabulary.
Because my preschool music program is geared to the preschool or daycare setting, I miss out on the parental involvement that is integral to other early childhood music programs, like Music Together. I teach my classes while the children are in school and the parents are at work. Music Together has a CD and a workbook for the parents to utilize at home. I often wish I had the funds to even send home a worksheet every week - but the printing costs for 400 copies every week are just too prohibitive for my small program. If I could find a cost-effective way to involve parents in the musical education of their preschoolers, I would gladly add this element to my program.
So, here is what I liked about the Music Together class:
1. It was a fast-paced, activity-jammed class.
2. The parental involvement of the program.
3. The CD compilation presents excellent arrangements of standard children's and folk literature.
Here's what I didn't like about the Music Together class:
1. Mixed ages in one class.
2. The class was too long and should've been limited to 30 minutes.
3. No formal teaching was utilized.
4. Teachers do not need any musical skill to facilitate a class - only a love of children and a willingness to go through their training classes.
5. The same music and activities are used for an entire semester's worth of classes. While I understand that children need repetition for learning - if I used the same 12 - 15 songs and activities in my classes for 3 or 4 months at a preschool I was teaching at, I think the director would fire me.
6. Children are not encouraged to participate and roaming around the room during class is considering perfectly acceptable. Below are quotes, re-posted from www.musictogether.com/FAQ:
The class was held in a community room of a local church. About 10 minutes before the 45 minute class was to begin, parents and children began to arrive. By the time class began, there were 12 - 15 parent/child pairs sitting in a circle on the floor, with children ranging in age from 6 months to 5 years. The class began when the class director greeted the participants and hit the play button on the CD player. Soon parents were bouncing infants on their knees and singing along to the music. After 5 minutes or so, children began wandering around the room - looking out the window, standing in the corner, interacting with other children, etc. The parents of the wandering children kept singing, chanting and moving along with the hand gestures that accompanied the songs. Every now and then the music director would offer up a bit of encouragement to the parents of the wandering children, with statements like, "Don't worry if your child is not participating, she is still learning by being exposed to the educational experience here" or "Children learn by observation. They are just checking everything out". At about 30 minutes into class, when nearly every child was wandering around the room, the director pulled out her box of rhythm instruments. This helped to redirect the childrens' interest and each child came to the center of the circle to pick out the instrument that he or she wanted. For the next few minutes children blissfully banged or shook their instruments. 45 minutes after class began, instruments were stashed away, children and parents sang one last song and class was dismissed.
I learned a lot that day. Most of what I learned was reinforcement of my own pedagogical beliefs. To begin with, I was doubtful of how effective a class could be where the young children's ages were so varied; babies, toddlers and preschoolers all in the same class. In the early years of development, childrens' abilities vary widely. For example, a 3 year old often has difficulty matching pitches, whereas a 5 year old can sing simple melodies quite easily and a 6 month old can make cooing sounds, but cannot sing with any accuracy at all. The philosophy behind the Music Together program is that the younger children learn by observing older role models (parents and older children). Of course, there is truth in this. All language is learned by exposure and many habits and cultural standards are established when the younger generation observes the older generation. However, I am a firm believer that music classes (and all educational pursuits) should be geared to the developmental needs of the majority. Preschoolers should be in class with preschoolers, and toddlers with toddlers, otherwise some material is too difficult for the younger children and some of the material is too simple for older students.
One thing that I noticed about the Music Together class is that no formal teaching occurred. The teacher hit the play button on the CD player and class had begun. This type of experience works well with babies and toddlers, who are not ready for "formal" learning. But 4 and 5 year olds can benefit by brief moments of formal teaching - explaining musical terms or teaching preschoolers to recognize the sounds of various instruments, for example. I often say that preschoolers are capable of learning more than we give them credit for and preschool music specialists should not simply expose children to different genres of music, but use words to describe what the children are listening to and make the names of Haydn, Beethoven, Mancini and Sousa and basic musical terminology, like piano and forte, part of a preschooler's vocabulary.
Because my preschool music program is geared to the preschool or daycare setting, I miss out on the parental involvement that is integral to other early childhood music programs, like Music Together. I teach my classes while the children are in school and the parents are at work. Music Together has a CD and a workbook for the parents to utilize at home. I often wish I had the funds to even send home a worksheet every week - but the printing costs for 400 copies every week are just too prohibitive for my small program. If I could find a cost-effective way to involve parents in the musical education of their preschoolers, I would gladly add this element to my program.
So, here is what I liked about the Music Together class:
1. It was a fast-paced, activity-jammed class.
2. The parental involvement of the program.
3. The CD compilation presents excellent arrangements of standard children's and folk literature.
Here's what I didn't like about the Music Together class:
1. Mixed ages in one class.
2. The class was too long and should've been limited to 30 minutes.
3. No formal teaching was utilized.
4. Teachers do not need any musical skill to facilitate a class - only a love of children and a willingness to go through their training classes.
5. The same music and activities are used for an entire semester's worth of classes. While I understand that children need repetition for learning - if I used the same 12 - 15 songs and activities in my classes for 3 or 4 months at a preschool I was teaching at, I think the director would fire me.
6. Children are not encouraged to participate and roaming around the room during class is considering perfectly acceptable. Below are quotes, re-posted from www.musictogether.com/FAQ:
- Most children choose (wisely) to observe more often than to participate actively in class. They are taking in information, which they will act on later at home.
- Most children become accustomed to the class routine and their classmates around the fifth or sixth week. At this point, their participation is likely to increase.
- Children are assimilating important music information whether or not they are outwardly participating. At home, this means it may be important to play the CD or sing the songs yourself even if your child seems to be unaware or uninterested, especially during the first few weeks of class.
I am always a but bemused by this philosophy of early childhood music education. The implication is that the exposure to the class itself is enough. I don't buy it. Yes, children need to be exposed to lots of musical elements, but is the exposure enough to make them musically aware? Is simply playing a CD or singing a song to a child enough? I think not.
In my humble opinion, early childhood music classes should be more than experiential. Early childhood is a time when music specialists can instill a love of music into the life of a child and a time to influence the musical vocabulary of a child. Preschool music education should be fun and entertaining, but above all else, it should be an EDUCATION.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Musings on a Youth Orchestra Concert
The Louisville Youth Orchestra completed it's 2010-2011 season yesterday with it's Derby Festival concert held at the Iroquois Amphitheater. The LYO has been around for more than 50 years and has grown from one small orchestra to 5 graded orchestras, a percussion ensemble, and wind and brass ensembles. Each group meets weekly, has its own director and has its own pedagogical goals (the elementary orchestra exists to introduce beginners to the art of ensemble playing, whereas the most senior group exists to challenge young, gifted musicians.) Each group that played did a great job - I'm always amazed at the quality of performance by each of the groups.
I do want to take a moment, however, to comment on something that happened during the concert that just did not settle well with me. One of the newest additions to the LYO is a brass ensemble. The ensemble consists of about a dozen players, ages from apx 8 - 13. This group of talented kids were slated to play 3 pieces at the concert. As the young musicians were taking their place on the stage, the audience noticed a grown man sitting on the stage next to a very young trumpeter - I assumed that the man was the trumpeter's father and was there to assist. I was partially correct. The man was the father, and he was there to play a duet with the little trumpeter. Now, when I say little, I mean little, maybe 5 years old. For the ensemble's 2nd number, this father and son played a duet. The little trumpeter was quite good and it was clear that he has a true gift. However, my heart sank as I watched the other ensemble members as they sat on the stage and had to concede their months of hard work and practice to the glory of this child.
This concert did not seem like the appropriate place for the little trumpeter to showcase his prodigious talent. The obvious giftedness of the child completely overshadowed the ability of the other, older players in the brass ensemble. If the trumpeter had played in between say, the Percussion Ensemble and the Flute Ensemble performances, I might've felt better. But this truly felt like a slap in the face to the Brass Ensemble. The LYO should be a place where gifted musicians and struggling musicians can each find their place, a place where no matter the level of innate talent, a budding musician can be encouraged and find a place to grow musically. But when one, very young player is singled out for favor, I can imagine that the other musicians can start to feel like, "Why should I even try?".
I do see the flip side of this argument. Children should learn that there will always be someone who is better, faster, smarter than you. Children need to learn to encourage fellow teammates. And if I really believed that this child was just another member of the ensemble, I might have a different attitude. However, it seemed to me that this child and his father were guests of the group - they were just there to show off a bit. Let the Little Trumpeter hone his skills at recitals, church, or community events. But with the declining numbers in student orchestras and private lessons, we need to do all we can to encourage students, not make them feel bad about their abilities. After all, just because a young musician isn't naturally endowed with ability, does not mean that he or she will not practice harder and smarter than the rest of them and go on to a successful career in music.
I do want to take a moment, however, to comment on something that happened during the concert that just did not settle well with me. One of the newest additions to the LYO is a brass ensemble. The ensemble consists of about a dozen players, ages from apx 8 - 13. This group of talented kids were slated to play 3 pieces at the concert. As the young musicians were taking their place on the stage, the audience noticed a grown man sitting on the stage next to a very young trumpeter - I assumed that the man was the trumpeter's father and was there to assist. I was partially correct. The man was the father, and he was there to play a duet with the little trumpeter. Now, when I say little, I mean little, maybe 5 years old. For the ensemble's 2nd number, this father and son played a duet. The little trumpeter was quite good and it was clear that he has a true gift. However, my heart sank as I watched the other ensemble members as they sat on the stage and had to concede their months of hard work and practice to the glory of this child.
This concert did not seem like the appropriate place for the little trumpeter to showcase his prodigious talent. The obvious giftedness of the child completely overshadowed the ability of the other, older players in the brass ensemble. If the trumpeter had played in between say, the Percussion Ensemble and the Flute Ensemble performances, I might've felt better. But this truly felt like a slap in the face to the Brass Ensemble. The LYO should be a place where gifted musicians and struggling musicians can each find their place, a place where no matter the level of innate talent, a budding musician can be encouraged and find a place to grow musically. But when one, very young player is singled out for favor, I can imagine that the other musicians can start to feel like, "Why should I even try?".
I do see the flip side of this argument. Children should learn that there will always be someone who is better, faster, smarter than you. Children need to learn to encourage fellow teammates. And if I really believed that this child was just another member of the ensemble, I might have a different attitude. However, it seemed to me that this child and his father were guests of the group - they were just there to show off a bit. Let the Little Trumpeter hone his skills at recitals, church, or community events. But with the declining numbers in student orchestras and private lessons, we need to do all we can to encourage students, not make them feel bad about their abilities. After all, just because a young musician isn't naturally endowed with ability, does not mean that he or she will not practice harder and smarter than the rest of them and go on to a successful career in music.
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