Teaching Notes, 20151007

Today was the last day before the intersession break, and so I wanted to squeeze in one more time with the rhythm sticks.

1. Intro: Fine Friends Are Here.  This is indeed becoming a great introductory song, and while I had to remind the students to try to do hand solfege, the students were getting more comfortable with the song.
2. Sticks: review.  This was basically a review of some common practices I wanted the students to do, including having the sticks at rest, above their heads, behind their backs, etc.  Basically I varied how the students could hold their sticks without making sound.  We also reviewed a few different ways to make sounds, including hammer, rub, drumming (on the ground), all with three taps each.
3. Sticks: Bongo Joe.  I told the students to try to hit the sticks in a series of three, and to watch when to do the tapping.  I went through the song one extra time, with the students hammering the sticks.
4. Sticks: Written Rhythms.  I had the students stick rhythms based on what I wrote on the board; I reviewed single (quarter note) hits, and rests.  I then added a pair of eighth notes, and that turned out to be more challenging than I expected; we didn't really dive into the handling of the eighth notes, and I moved on.
5. Stick to song.  I played the old classic Choo'n Gum (Teresa Brewer), and I had the students copy my sticking to the song.
6. Cleanup: Hello World.  The cleanup was a lot faster this time around for some reason - perhaps the students are indeed also getting used to this.  I had the students do a simple echo of the chorus of the song, and I only needed one time through to get all of the sticks.
7. Choo'n Gum.  I reviewed the song with them, having them echo me.
8. Little Bird, Fly Through My Window.  I had the students review this song with me, and I chose a student to fly through the windows formed by the students in a circle with their arms extended.  The students were instructed to "close the window" at the end of each stanza when the tune also ended in a descent.
9. The Longer The Faster.  We revisited this, and I more carefully walked (no pun intended) the students through the rules of the game.  The students were able to follow for a bit, but near the end of the song the students seemed to lose focus a bit, especially with the tempo accelerated.
10. Closing: Goodbye My Friends.  Just like last time, I had the students sing to their seats as the closing of the class.

When class resumes, it will be the single class before Halloween, and so I'll be able to re-use a lot of material from past years.  It should be fun!

Teaching Notes, 20150930

Today was the first (slightly) rainy day, and so I couldn't take the class outside.  And so, I figured I'd try to introduce more solfege hand signage whenever possible.  I also was hoping to redo The Longer The Faster, but I didn't have enough time.  No matter - I'll be sure to use it next week!

1. Introduction: Fine Friends Are Here.  Even before the students were fully migrated to the carpet, I started singing the song - and about half of the students responded.  I had them practice-hum the two responses with hand-solfege, and I was able to get most of the students to follow.  I then had the students respond with the song one more time with the solfege.
2. I'm In The Mood For Singing.  I sang through this once, and then I had the students echo their response.  It's always tricky to get the students to sing a slightly higher response for the second response, but I didn't have them try to get that perfectly accurately.
3. Ukulele introduction.  I tend to use the ukulele a lot, and so it was time for me to introduce it to the students.  I taught them the etymology (uku + lele) and I played it a few times.
4. Little Bird.  Next, I wanted to ask the students about the sounds that they heard recently, mostly focusing on birds.  I had the students make various bird songs, and then with the ukulele in hand, I had the students echo each line of this song with me.  I didn't have them sing it all the way through on their own; echoing was just fine.
5. In The Fall.  I sang through the fall song once and many of the kids followed.  The students are really having a lot of fun with the "apple", and so we took an extra long time with taking a bite out of the imaginary fruit.  We then talked about how the fall was becoming colder, windier, and rainier.  I then had the students echo with me the second stanza about the air becoming crisp and colder.  The students didn't quite sing with the same authority, and so after the echoing, I had the students sing the first stanza with me.
6. Oats Peas Beans.  I first had the students keep a beat while standing (knee tap, clap, shoulder tap, shoulder tap), and then I started to sing the song - the students followed pretty easily.  I stopped after the first stanza, and then I asked the students if they remembered how one would grow oats, peas, beans, and barley.  Few remembered, and so I walked them through the steps and the essentially the second stanza.  We then sang through the second stanza, followed by the first stanza.
7. Old MacDonald.  I asked the students if they knew another song that was about a farmer, and eventually one student suggested Old MacDonald.  A few students immediately noted that it was a "baby" song, but I acknowledged the suggestion, and we started singing.  After one time through, I asked them about the E-I-E-I-O part of the song, and if they had heard it before.  No one said that they did, and eventually I had to sing the second response of Fine Friends to them.  I then had the students echo E-I-E-I-O with hand solfege.  I don't know if a lot of the students made the connection, but we moved on.
8. John The Rabbit.  With the students still a bit focused on a farm, I made up a story about how Mrs. MacDonald had a garden that was under constant siege by a rabbit named "John".  I then had the students respond with "yes ma'am" as I sang each line of the song.  I like to use the Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke version, which ends with a long "noooooooo, ma'am" at the end of each stanza.  I used that a way to force the students to watch me before singing "ma'am" in that final response.  We went through all three Key Wilde stanzas.
9. Closing: Goodbye My Friends.  We sang this one time through.  However, similar to what we did with the opener, I had the students try singing the song while walking back to their seats.