My third graders just learned ta-dimi, an eighth note followed by two sixteenths, so we listened to “Fossils” from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns this week. My students have heard this piece in the past. In second grade they heard it and read the first four beats of rhythm: takadimi…
Post Office Rhythm Game
It’s the beginning of another school year and time to review, review, review! All those previous concepts must be reinforced before preparing new ones. I put a new spin on a game Lamar Robertson taught in Kodály training called Post Office. There are three free sets for download: quarter and eighth…
Choosing Elementary Choir Repertoire
Each Fall semester, my after-school choir performs six pieces, give or take. The choir is made up of fourth and fifth graders and meets for approximately fifty minutes once a week. Students have the opportunity to perform a variety of pieces and experience musical training beyond the classroom. Program selections…
Book Review – Jazz Baby
Book: Jazz Baby Author: Lisa Wheeler Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2007 “Brother’s hands tap. Sister’s hands snap. Itty-bitty Baby’s hands CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!” Jazz Baby uses body percussion, singing, scatting, and dancing. The text mentions drummers and bass players, but we do not see any instruments, only a record player. The rhythm…
Simplify Concentric Circle Games
My classroom is rather spacious, but pull out the risers and a few instruments and suddenly the movement space dwindles. Here are a few ideas for implementing exciting lessons in small spaces. Tideo and John Kanaka both have concentric circles as part of the game formation. However, I teach Tideo…
Drumming
Yesterday two groups of music education students from the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor visited my elementary music classes to observe drumming lessons and they were great! In my district, we teach twelve 25-minute classes on Fridays and see half the school. I like to use these class times to reinforce…
Quarter Rest Prep
My awesome colleague, Cindy Hayes, shared this idea with me and gave me permission to share it here. This technique could be used with multiple songs, but the chart I made matches the rhythms to Pease Porridge Hot. While you’re preparing quarter rest, show the students the page with the…
2015 Winter Encounter
The 2015 Winter Encounter is ready for viewing! This is the quarterly publication from Kodály Educators of Texas (KET) that features my Tech Time column. The topic in this issue is using Freemake Video Converter. You may also wish to join the Facebook page for lively discussion and resource sharing. Enjoy!
Syncopa Practice
It’s that time of year again. My fourth grade students have learned “syncopa” or “ta-di–di” and we’re practicing it every which way. It’s a good idea to have students read it from flashcards, posters, or displayed on a projector, and I highly encourage you to use the highlighting feature if you…
Book Review – This Jazz Man
Book: This Jazz Man Author: Karen Ehrhardt Illustrator: R.G. Roth Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2006 This jazz man, he plays one, He plays rhythm with his thumb, with a snap! snap! snazzy-snap! Give the man a hand, This jazz man scats with the band. This Jazz Man introduces nine well-known jazz greats to the…