Recorder Time!!

It's my favorite time of year!!  Recorder time!!  The students love this unit so much that it really energizes me!  There is just something about putting a recorder in a student's hand that makes music come alive for them.  It is such a great way to synthesize all of the information that they have been learning throughout their elementary music career: rhythms, notes, vocabulary, score-reading, musicianship, and much more!

Fourth graders begin learning about the history of the recorder, parts, basic technique, and the first 3 notes: B, A, and G.  We use the Rockin' Recorder Method Book (created by Allison Friedman) as our main curriculum.  The students love this book because of the up-beat tracks that go along with each song.  We also supplement with lots of fun recorder warm-ups and games!

The classes have really enjoyed playing the game, "B-A-G Roll and Play."  It is a very simple concept but really engages them and allows them to practice their note-reading and technique individually.  Each group member takes turns rolling the dice and playing that numbered example on their card. 

I asked the partners to take on the role of "Recorder Doctor," an idea I got from "The Sweetest Melody" music blog.  As their partner plays the example, they "diagnose" any problems they hear:

As they play, this is also a great time for me to walk around and assess the students.  I can note which students are having trouble with fingerings, sound quality, or note-reading and which students are excelling in those areas.  It provides the students time to help one another with their weaknesses and allows me to work one-on-one with students if they need it. 

 

Another recorder game that 4th graders have really enjoyed is Recorder Rumble.  The students divide up into two teams (they usually prefer boys vs. girls) and compete to earn the most points by correctly playing the 4-beat patterns provided. 

This gives the students sight-reading practice and also a chance to play individually.  It's a great assessment tool and the students enjoy the game format.  I have each student take a turn to play a pattern and then, if they need to, they can consult with their team for help.  It has been so neat to watch them encourage each other and compliment each other's performances!  They've learned that good sportsmanship has its place in music as well! 

Beanbag Boogie!

Kindergartners participate in LOTS of movement activities in the music room!  One of our Kindergarten standards is to "respond to contrasts and events in music with gross locomotor and non-locomotor movements."  We use a variety of props to help us experience this standard: scarves, streamers, parachutes, stretchy bands, and beanbags!  One of their favorite movement activities is the "Beanbag Boogie" by Greg and Steve.  The students listen to the song and place their beanbag on different parts of their body.  The song works on movement, balance, following directions, tossing/catching, and freestyle dancing.  So fun!  Here are some snapshots:

 

Elbow: 

Ear

Back

Forehead

Mallet Madness!

First graders have been really enjoying our unit on mallet instruments!  We have been focusing on mallet grip, basic technique, and playing on cue.  These skills will prepare them for the Orff pieces they will play in 1st - 5th grade!  They have had a blast participating in activities from Artie Almeida's Mallet Madness and Mallet Madness Strikes Again - LOVE her stuff! 

 

Since we don't have quite enough for the students to have their own instrument, they have been pairing up with a partner.  One activity that they loved was echoing rhythm patterns on their instruments.  Since they just completed a unit on basic rhythm patterns, this was a great connection!  First, I would play various rhythm patterns on my drum and they would echo that pattern on their instruments (in pentatonic).  Then, I would say a pattern using syllables and they would echo that as well.  Next, they tried this same activity with their partner calling out the rhythms to them. 

 



 

 

 

 

(A note to Orff people:  We are still working on getting those fingers wrapped around the mallets.  I use the "pinch and wrap" technique but they revert back quickly.)

 



 

 

Another favorite mallet activity used hoola hoops!  I found this fun activity on YouTube.   One student is chosen as the leader and they step into the 3 hoola hoops randomly.  The other students must play their instruments according to what color the leader chooses.  The xylophones would play if the leader stepped into the orange hoola hoop, the metallophones would play when the leader stepped into purple, and the glockenspiels would be yellow.  Sometimes the leader would try to be tricky and step in two colors at the same time.  This was a great way for me to assess their mallet techniques while also giving the students practice following the cues of a "director."

 



 

Here the students are demonstrating the correct technique for removing and replacing the bars on their instruments.

 

 

First graders LOVE the mallet instruments!

Note Identification Centers

The 4th and 5th grade classes have been spending some time reviewing lines and spaces in preparation for our recorder unit.  I love using centers to help students practice certain skills.  It gives me a chance to assess the students as I observe.  The students love centers because they get to play fun games!  Here are the centers I chose for our treble clef study:

1) Staff Wars: A Smartboard Game - There are many online games like this but my students enjoy this one because it is all about speed and of course, it's play off of Star Wars.  The students can play the game in a variety of ways.  Some work together as a team to identify the notes and others compete against each other.  I've had a few groups see which team member could get to the highest level or get the most consecutive right answers.  While assessing, you can quickly see which students have the notes memorized and which are still relying on their mnemonic devices. 

2) Board Games: Trouble and Connect Four - I got both of these games at the Dollar Tree, added some flashcards, and - voila!  Students LOVE board games and I usually add a few "Lose a Turn," or "Move Ahead 3 Spaces" cards to make the game more exciting. 

3) Staff Spelling Bee - We do this as a whole group activity in previous lessons so that the students understand the concept.  I print off a bunch of words using letters from the musical alphabet (i.e. BEAD, ACE, BAG, etc.) and the students take turns drawing words and having the group "spell" them on their staff boards.  The student that draws the word gets to be the "spell-checker" and some groups even chose to do speed rounds.  You could even have them try to come up with a funny sentence.

4) Beanbag Toss - At this station, the students will take turns tossing a beanbag at the staff and identifying the note where it landed.  After a few rounds, the students can try tossing more than one beanbag and identify all of the notes.

5) Boomwhacker Station - This station allows the students to put into practice the note-reading that they have been practicing.  They divide the 8-note scale between the group members and work together to play the provide melodies. 

After all this practicing, my students are MORE than ready for recorders!!  Now, the question is ... am I ready??  ;)

Music is Everything!

Kindergartners LOVE the Boomwhackers!

As a part of our winter unit, Kindergartners learned a song about a snowman.  The students really enjoyed using their imaginations and pretending to build their snowmen while we sang the song:

Once they learned the song and practiced several times, they were very excited to add the Boomwhackers!  Boomwhackers are colorful plastic tubes that are various lengths and pitches.  I tell my students that they are called Boomwhackers because they make a "boom-ing" sound and you "whack" them on things. ツ

For this activity, we played them on the carpet.  The students took turns playing up the scale while we sang and then down the scale when the snowman melts at the end of the song.  It was a great visual for them to see that as the notes got higher, the Boomwhackers were shorter.  They did such a great job!  Here are a few pictures of them with their instruments:

It takes a LOT of self-control for Kindergartners to keep all of their Boomwhackers on the floor! ツ

They love to play the "Big Reds."

Someone knows how to pose!  haha.

Silly shot!

YAY Boomwhackers!

Ice-Skating in the Music Room!

Kindergarten classes have been doing winter activities in music class!  One of their favorite activities has been ice-skating.  They love pretending that the music room has turned into an ice-skating rink and that paper plates are their ice skates.  :)  This is such a great way for the students to practice expressive movement (MKGM.1.a. Respond to contrasts and events in music with gross locomotor and non-locomotor movements) while also being exposed to various classical pieces.  Here they are skating away...