FIVE BIG DINOSAURS

Five big dinosaurs stompin' all around
Stompin' and a boppin' swayin' to the sound
There goes one dinosaur, oops, say goodbye
Four big dinosaurs still left behind


Jack Hartmann's song, Five Big Dinosaurs is a favorite among preschoolers of all ages.  The lyrics of the song provide for several different ways to present the song to your students.

1. Do a simple finger play with 5 fingers, 4, 3, 2, 1...

2.  Use dinosaur finger puppets.

3.  Let older students act out the song.  Choose 5 students to stomp and bop in the middle of the circle.  One by one the "dinosaurs" leave until the very end when they all return "ready to play together as friends".  Kids love doing this.  It allows them to use their imagination and develop stage confidence and requires that they work together as a team.

For more information on Jack Hartmann and his music, visit his website at www.jackhartmann.com

1, 2, 3 COW

I just came across this idea while trolling the internet for inspiration. This is a 2006 response to a call for teaching ideas for using drums to teach music to preschoolers.  The idea is posted by someone with the ID of "la la".  La La, if you're out there, I'm re-posting your idea!

1, 2, 3, Cow (good for [ages] 2-5) 

Sit in a circle all together, and get them clapping their hands (or tapping rhythm sticks, or slapping their knees, or whatever -- but stick with ONE) in a steady beat. Count together "one, two, three, four." then, after that's established, explain that you're going to go around the room and everyone will get to choose a different animal that they put into the rhythm in place of the number 4. So, "One, two, three, crocodile!" or "One, two, three, moose!" or "One, two, three, cow!".  Warning: they'll really get the giggles with this one. you can also do it with favourite foods. 

I have a couple of suggestions to enhance this idea:

1.  With two year olds, I would revise this by printing out pictures of animals and then show the children one picture at a time and add that animal into the 4th beat.  Don't let the children choose, just guide them in the activity.

2.  Three and four year olds will probably have a difficult time coming up with an animal on their own.  Again, print out some pictures and let them choose an animal from the lot.

3.  This is a perfect activity, as is, for pre-kindergartners and children in kindergarten.  Something fun to do at the end of the activity is to tell the children that when you count 1-2-3, everyone will say the name of their animal all at the same time.  It might take a try or two for them to understand what you want (What?  You want us to speak all at the same time??!!), but once they understand, they will laugh and laugh with the chaos that it causes.

You Forgot Your Music? Again?

Teaching piano, like any profession, has it's challenges.  Students forgetting to bring their music to lessons is one of those challenges. When a student forgets to bring their music to class, it's usually not a problem.  We can spend that time working on scales, sight reading, ear training, lead sheets, or having a music history lesson.  There are a lot of activities that can keep us busy that doesn't involve the use of printed music.  And sometimes, I have extra copies of  music, so it's not a problem at all.  But I don't have extra copies of all of my student's music - and sometimes I've loaned out my copy of the music.

My frustration with forgotten music is not with that student who forgets to bring their music once every 6 months.  My frustration lies with students who forget to bring their music 3 out of 4 weeks every month for several months in a row.  I realize that students today are much busier that students were when I was a child.  It's not unusual these days for a kid to be involved in 4 or 5 different activities at any given time.  But, I can't imagine a kid showing up to baseball practice without his glove, dance class without her shoes or a violin lesson without an instrument.  Piano students need to show up to their lesson with their music.

Generally, I have extra copies of standard repertoire on hand, but when I purchase single sheets of music for Late Elem - Intermediate level students, I do not buy two copies of the music.  I will often buy single sheets of music for one of three reasons:  1.  The student is getting restless in lessons and so I purchase a "fun song" for them to play - folk music, the Harry Potter Theme Song, a simple arrangement of a Beatles song - something to keep them interested in lessons.  2.  The student needs to work on a specific technical skill (like chromatic scales,  arpeggios, staccatos, etc) and I don't want to give boring drill work for it. 3.  For duets.  I've yet to find a book of duets that thrills me, so usually in the summer, I purchase duet sheets for students to work on.

There are some negative consequences that results from continually forgetting to bring music to class:

1.  Even if an extra copy of music is on hand at the music studio, students do not get the benefit of having notes written into the music for them.  I can write notes on a sheet of paper (don't forget rit. at ms. 16 or pay attention to the articulations in the B Section, etc.), but let's face it, that sheet of paper gets lost before the first home practice begins.  

2.  If an extra copy of the student's music is not available, students slow down their own progress.  I've had very talented students who did not make the progress that they should've in a semester (or a year) because they were always forgetting their music.  I would assign a piece to learn and 5 weeks later they would bring the music to the lesson, another month later, the music would show up again, etc.  The inconsistency of working on music in lesson time meant that it might take 3 months to master a song that should've taken 3 weeks.  Even if the student was practicing at home, they are often practicing incorrectly and thus negating the whole practice session!

Generally, the students who are consistently forgetting their music are middle school students, ages 11-13.  This is no surprise.  Middle schoolers are notorious for being a bit spacey (but we love them anyway!). There are some actions we can take to help our young students become more responsible:

1.  Keep a stash of inexpensive tote bags and give one to the student, explaining that after EVERY practice session, the music needs to be put into the bag.

2.  Have a chat with the student in front of mom or dad about the importance of bringing responsible for bringing music to lessons. Students will be a bit embarrassed by this but parents will be extremely grateful.  This is not a time for parent and teacher to gang up on the child and humiliate him or her.  This is a time for the student to realize that you have high expectations for him, you believe in him and you want him to succeed at the piano.

3.  If a student is coming straight from school to lessons, enlist the parent to remind the child the night before to put their music bag in their school back pack and keep it in the back pack all day.  Students should not put their music bag in their locker because guess where the bag will end up after school?  In their locker!  Students also should not just leave the bag in the car during school.  What happens if a different parent has to pick the child up from school?  The bag ends up in the wrong car!

As frustrating as it is when a student consistently forgets to bring music to lessons, don't let it interfere with your effectiveness as a teacher.  Keep on encouraging your forgetful student, this phase will pass, and when it does, don't relax, you have another student coming up the ranks who will go through the same phase!

MICHAEL FINNIGAN

There was an old man called Michael Finnigan
he grew fat and then grew thin again
Then he died and had to begin again
Poor old Michael Finnigan - Begin Again!


Michael Finnigan is one of those songs that adults hate, but preschoolers love to sing.  It's silly, fun and it goes on and on and on...

The words of this song make it very easy to initiate some improvised movements; there's fishing, climbing a tree, scraping the chin, growing whiskers, getting fat, getting thin - the kids will have a fun time coming up with some actions for this song!

You can also have one group of students be the "Chorus" and another group be the "Encouragers".  The chorus will sing the song and the Encouragers get to say "Begin again!" after each verse.

Go ahead, sing this song with your preschoolers.  You might have the song rolling around in your head all day (and all night), but your youngsters will have a grand ole time!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY MUSICAL ACTIVITIES AND SONGS

Looking for some songs, dances and musical activities to introduce during St. Patrick's Day?  Here are a few suggestions.  Links to the song suggestions are embedded in the blog entry:

1.  The Kid on the Mountain:  pull out the rhythm instruments and let the children march in time to this toe-tapping slip jig tune.


2.  MacNamara's Band:  a true march you can use for beat-keeping activities.

3.  I'll Tell Me Ma:  a fun song to sing that will give you the opportunity to discuss the ways different cultures use the English language (in America we would never say, I'll tell me ma, we'd say I'll tell my mom...)


4.  When Irish Eyes Are Smiling:  create some simple movements to accompany the singing of this song.

5.  St. Patrick's Day:  read my blog entry on how to introduce a simple dance for preschoolers using this very old Irish tune.


6.  The Sailor's Hornpipe:  form a circle and pretend you are Irish sailors on a ship.  Let the children take turns in the middle of the circle demonstrating their dance moves that will help to scare off scurvy while you are on you voyage.

7.  Anhran Na Bhfiann:  A Soldier's Song - the Irish National Anthem.  Make an Irish flag out of construction paper (or buy one from a novelty store) and teach preschoolers protocol for showing respect to the national anthem of another country.  (Stop, Stay Still and Boys Remove Your Hat while the song is playing.  We only place our hands over our hearts in allegiance to our own country - but it is still a show of respect to stop and listen to another country's anthem).





The link to this song is the Irish National Anthem sung in both Gaelic and English!

ANIMAL BOOGIE!

She goes shake, shake, boogie woogie oogie
Shake, shake boogie woogie oogie
Shake, shake boogie woogie oogie
That's the way she's shaking here and there

The Animal Boogie, with book by Debbie Harter and musical recording by Fred Penner is a delightful addition to any preschool or kindergarten classroom.  The Animal Boogie lets the kids shake, swing and slither through the jungle.  You can let the words guide you and create simple actions to accompany the song, "read" the book while you sing it, or pull out some rhythm instruments and let the children assign an instrument for each animal sound:  shake = maracas, slither = a hand or stick rubbed against a hand drum, etc. No matter how you do it, The Animal Boogie is sure to bring smiles to faces of your kids!

Shake, shake boogie woogie oogie....

A ST. PATRICK'S DAY DANCE

In Irish Dance tradition, there is a very old dance that has been handed down from teacher to student for generations called "St. Patrick's Day".  St. Patrick's Day is generally the first Traditional Set Dance that dancers learn.  In a Traditional Set Dance a specific choreography is set to a specific dance tune and is performed wearing "hard" or "jig" shoes.  

I have choreographed a simple dance for preschoolers that uses the dance tune St. Patrick's Day. 

Here's what you do:

1.  Form a circle.

2.  Patch legs for 16 counts in time to the music.

3.  Walk in to the center of the circle for 4 counts, walk out for 4 counts.  Repeat.

4.  Walk around the circle for 32 counts.

You can adapt the dance for 2 and 3 year olds by foregoing the circle and letting the children twirl in place for the last 32 counts.

Five year olds can be challenged by holding hands while they walk in a circle for the last 32 counts.

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