Author Archives

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Feeling Together, Feeling Creative

Even though my todo list this summer is a hundred miles long I keep chugging through it. Why? because I feel the more I complete the better person I’ll be. I constantly am looking for ways to be better and rise above the rest. Most of this stuff ends up on my to do list and it takes eons for me to cross it off..but isn’t that any music teachers life? You think of a new and creative idea or you find one at a conference and put it on your to do list but when it gets busy it gets pushed to the side over and over again. It’s time to take charge of the to do list, I personally and determined to complete everything on it not only to make my life easier but to gain that feeling of accomplishment and the thought that I’ve done something good. The thought that I am doing good keeps me going, it should keep everyone going. One thing you cross off your to do list can do so much good even if you don’t realize it.

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Obwisana

Look up the song, great to teach to the young and old. Originally from Africa the translation means “The rock has crushed my hand Grandma, The rock has crushed my hand”. I usually sing it, make up a story about it to tell the kids about a rock crushing the boys hand, then We all sing it. After that I add drums usually using the rhythm Ta Ta Ta TeeTee. It goes for 8 measures. You can switch up the beat if you would like, as long as it fits it’s alright. We play drums then we sing again, then we play and sing. This activity can usually last 30-40 minutes depending on the age.

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Amazing fact

Did you know that the now popular music of Bhutan does not stem from it’s traditional folk music? It is one of the few that do not! Folk music is the foundation for a lot of popular music in many countries such as the US and England that we hear on the radio today, but Bhutan completely disconnected from their traditional music to create their popular music today. Bhutan is a small country right in the area of the Himalayas near Nepal and India. It was once one of the least developed countries in the world and in a few short years a lot has changed.

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Sing some songs

A great way to bring some different cultures into the class is to substitute  a few songs you normally would sing with your students with a few different childrens songs from other countries. Or translate a song you already sing to a different language as something special for the kids (http://babelfish.yahoo.com/  has a wonderful translator). This way your students get a taste of a different language without changing a lot of their set daily schedule.

http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=eh  Is a great site to get started on finding some new songs!

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Show their work!

If you are not the only specials teacher in your school (Most of the time specials teachers include P.E, Library, and Art teachers) Try teaming up with them and put on a performance. You could all work together to bring the school together for one large performance with each grade using a culture and the Art teacher could have them do crafts relating to that culture, the P.E. teacher could do dances or children’s games, the librarian could relate it to books or movies, and you of course could handle the music. Do at least a few weeks of this unit with each grade or class as they come around to you in their weekly rotation. You could practice for it choosing songs for each grade that they could sing to or have the older kids do instrument performances (African drum circle for instance). At the end put a concert on for the parents and the school to show off what you and the other special teachers have been working on with the students. Decorate the performance space with all the art projects, have a few classes do some dancing on stage, have some sing songs, and maybe they librarian could have some small groups come up from each grade and do a small presentation talking about each culture.

         Make this performance something to remember because it would be great advocacy to let the school and the parents know that specials are not just for show, they have a well deserved place in the curriculum.

          This performance could take the place of a spring general music concert if desired!

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Ways to keep safe

There have been some recent US cases involving anthrax and African drumming. I myself had a scare due to a recent gift of an Indonesian djembe I received for Christmas that has a goat skin head (the same type of head that has carried the anthrax spore in two other drums.) I’m safe so not to worry! But the spread of infectious through cultural instruments is always a concern when bringing them into a classroom. Keep an eye out for recent cases of disease, always look for treated materials especially TANNED hides. Tanned hides are treated and have a much lesser risk of caring spores and diseases! Also make sure you are buying from an accomplished distributor one who has sold more than one or two drums and knows what they are doing so they can sell you a proper drum. Also please buy from areas not known for carrying diseases in previous products (such as Haiti, that as an area notorious for carrying infected instruments). My recommendation is to NOT buy ethnic instruments for your entire class buy a few and have them tested before they enter your classroom. Then go synthetic, Remo is an amazing distributor known for quality and have discounted buys if you purchase more than one instrument! Synthetic instruments stay around longer, keep a better sound, most can be key tuned, AND they can take a beating and keep on playing!

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What should you do to get culture in the classroom?

Start small, maybe sing a song that is in a different language, play a song that is traditionally from another country (be sure to mention where it is from and if you can find the meaning behind it that would be even better!) Videos are a great way to show students performances that could have taken place millions of miles away. Another trend that is happening in schools is African drumming. It promotes health and wellness, rhythm, and is very hands on when it comes to learning. Drums can be very cheep especially if it is for educational purposes! Remo Kids percussion is a wonderful set that is inexpensive and the drums can take a beating and still work!

Tips of the day!

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Don’t be a chicken..DANCE

Think you have no time to learn a new dance? Do you have the time but just are too afraid to teach your students for fear of doing it wrong? Well fear no more. JUST MAKE IT UP!

Of course there are many traditional dances out there that require many ornate and exact steps but you do not have to teach a traditional dance to your students. Pick a song according to the culture you are teaching and create the movements yourself. I love to just make up movements myself because I can cater the difficulty of the dance to each class!  I do stay within the style of dance though, Celtic jigs and step are very hard and fast movements, African dance varies from song to song with either slow and connected movement or faster and very grounded. Latin dance is very simple and grounded as well, or you could go as far as Asian with very connected and meaningful story-like motions.  What ever you chose, feel free to just experiment and have fun with it. No one is going to correct you in a classroom (unless you of course have an expert there).

Dance gets students up and moving, which many of them do need during the school day! The more they move around, the more into the lesson they are!