One focus in the Primary classrooms this month is reptiles! The children have loved stomping like dinosaurs, swimming like turtles, slithering like snakes, and, of course, learning lots of songs about these fascinating creatures!  

The children also used small toy snakes to move and play along with the music. Props like these help to strengthen coordination, self-control, and fine motor skills, as well as encourage creativity and imagination.

Our youngest students have also been learning lots of sign language in the classroom.  With sign language, important words have a unique gesture, so students can attach meaning to the motion through the word. It also helps students remember the music and better understand new songs when they recognize a familiar sign. Often, with the masks that we are wearing, talking and singing can be a bit challenging. Sign language is a tool that our children can use to help express themselves both creatively and in their day to day lives. 

February 3, 2021

Creative movement is often used as a tool for self expression in our Primary Music classes. During these activities the children are also working on their gross motor skills, spatial awareness, and rhythm and beat recognition. 

January 29, 2021

Our Upper Elementary students have been learning and making music with the ukulele. Some of the reasons for the success of this program is that the ukulele is: 

1. Portable
2. Great as a solo or ensemble instrument
3. An excellent tool for developing ear-training and teaching music theory
4. Relatively inexpensive compared to other instruments
5. Fun! 

Want even more reasons why the ukulele is such a great instrument for students? This article lists many more reasons why playing the ukulele is good for your health: https://www.musicianauthority.com/health-benefits-of-playing-a-ukulele/

What’s a Boomwhacker?

Recently you might have heard your Elementary student talking about playing the Boomwhackers in music. A Boomwhacker is a lightweight, hollow, color-coded, plastic tube, tuned to a musical pitch by length. Boomwhackers are used as musical instruments in the percussion family. Boomwhackers produce musical tones when stuck together, on the floor, or against nearly any surface.

Here are a few ways that we’ve been using Boomwhackers to learn music: 

• Learning solfege and playing tonal patterns: echoing back patterns they hear and improvising their own.
• Experimenting with different sounds and patterns
• Listening and keeping the steady beat
• Playing along to different types of classical and popular music
• Learning chords and accompanying familiar songs 

Boomwhackers are a great tool for melodic composition in elementary music because students can use the color-coding of the notes to add pitch to rhythms.

This month, our Upper Elementary students have been working on bucket drumming. 5 gallon buckets, small trash bins and other small tubs became our drums, while chopsticks and dowel rods were the drumsticks. The students practiced rhythm, counting, and hand positions while playing along with popular and traditional music. They were also given the opportunity to create their own pieces and perform it in front of their classmates. 

Recent research has shown that drumming has myriad mental and physical health benefits and can help boost the immune system, reduce stress and anxiety, and release negative feelings or trauma. Also, a recent study from Northwestern University showed a link between rhythmic proficiency and language skills. Most importantly, drumming is fun!