Month: January 2020

Old Brass Wagon – Introducing Tika Tika

Old Brass Wagon.

We have been having a lot of fun learning this song in music class. This year, I have been spiralling it through my K-2’s. I thought I would share with you my process for introducing tika tika. I introduce this rhythm in grade 2.

  • Intro the song and the dance.

My students have been loving this. I am taking it as an opportunity to reinforce maintaining a circle. Not easy with K-2’s. There are so many verses for this little tune. My favourites come from my daughter’s kindermusik class.

Circle to the left

Everybody Clap

Circle to the right

Everybody Jump

Everybody Swing

I think their favourite part is Everybody Swing. They shake hands and then they hook those elbows. I ask them to make sure they are looking in different directions.

  • Draw the phrases in the air. How many are in the song?

For my purposes, our phrases are 4 beats long. We draw rainbows in the air. When we mirror phrases, I make sure I am moving right to left, so they are moving left to right. Love those early literacy skills. Then we draw them on the board.

I define phrases as musical sentences. I tell them the beginning of the phrase is like an upper case letter and the end of the phrase is like a period. All the notes within the phrase were put together to make sense. I think my Reading Recovery roots are showing.

  • What do we need to put at the end to show the song is over?

Why, a double bar line of course! I follow this same process when we are notating any songs in music class. It has just become second nature for my students.

  • How many beats are in phrase number 1?

If they say 2, I notate 2. If they say 3, I notate 3. Then we check. If they make a mistake, I give them an opportunity to correct their response. I am hoping it will help them self-monitor their own work.

  • How many beats do you predict will be in phrases 2,3, and 4? Remember music likes patterns.

Once this is notated, I invite a student to point while we sing to double check that we were correct. It’s a great moment to check steady beat, reading left to right, and remembering the return sweep.

  • How many sounds do you hear on each beat?

This song is great for tika tika because it is the only new element in the song. When we discover we don’t know a rhythm with 4 sounds on 1 beat, we label the sixteenth notes. Sometimes, a student will know them from other music enrichment opportunities outside of school.

  • Notate the rhythm and sing the song with the rhythm syllables.

Now some rhythm exploration fun! I work with a super talented music teacher. These next few ideas were inspired by Dorothy. She had introduced me to these cute generalization activities and I created the visuals. I want my students to play and just practice the new rhythm.

  • Roll a Rhythm

We just ordered these great re-usable dry-erase pockets. They arrived yesterday!!!!!

I am going to slip the Roll a Rhythm sheet in the pocket and they play the game with white board markers.

  • Write your own copy of Old Brass Wagon.

I love this idea. Thank you Dorothy!!!! They write out their phrases, beats and rhythm. When they fold the sheet it becomes a little book they can take home. So sweet!!!

All of these visuals are on my PDF page. Let me know what you think about my process. Would it work for you?

Take care,

Syndi

So Much Snow

During the Twelve Days of Orff, I shared a little about this great story by Robert Munsch.

I am using this story with all my grades – K to 3, and they are loving it. I thought I would share my process and you can try it out for yourself.

  • Read the story inserting the melody.

Robert Munsch’s use of patterns in his writing makes it perfect for the music classroom. I wrote this little melody for Jasmine’s song in the story. The lyrics are repetitive and really easy for the students to learn.

  • Using the first set of lyrics, echo the melody.

When I am teaching a melody by rote, I use a cone puppet, When the puppet is inside the cone, they listen. When the puppet is out, they echo. Here is my little “Westy”.

  • Intro the instrument parts using Body Percussion.
  • Transfer Body Percussion to instruments.

My Orffestration changes for each grade level so it is developmentally appropriate.

For my K’s,  my focus is on playing a glissando going up after “Winter time is Fun”. My students face me and they mirror my movement moving from right to left across the front of my body. Of course, this is BACKWARDS for the teacher.

Grade 1’s add the rhythm “Winter time is fun” on the drum. (or the rhythm sticks, tambourine,maracas… whatever you have.) We clap the rhythm and use the body percussion above for the glissando. Transfer to the instruments is easy peasy.

Grade 2’s are more than ready for a broken bordun. Facing the students, alternate pats starting with your right hand first. We sing “D A D A” as we pat and then add the song. Transfer to the Bass Xylophone.  Add the drum and glissando.

Grade 3’s move the glockenspiel glissando to the word “beat” to add some colour to the Orffestration. A Vibraslap at the very end adds a bit of fun as well.

 

I don’t use rhythmic cards to teach the Orffestration but here are some flashcards in case you want them to meet your goals.

  • Use the Orffestration with each set of lyrics. Insert into the story.
  • Introduce Jasmine’s Dance.

I teach my kiddos a little “Jasmine Dance.” They perform it with the song

March 4 beats (Neat Neat Snowy Feet)

Tilt head back and forth 4 beats with their hands on their cheeks (Snowy Feet, Can’t be Beat)

March 4 beats (Neat Neat Snowy Feet)

Tilt head 4 beats (Snowy Feet Can’t be Beat)

Circle on the spot 4 beats (Wintertime is Fun)

Arms up and pose. 

  • Assign Roles

Time to put it altogether. Here are the final roles to play and act it out. Jasmine, Mom, Caretaker, Dog, Nurse, Secretary, and the Principal. You can narrate the story and they act it out or they can improvise dialogue. Have students play the instrument parts and you have a little show. One more thing…

  • Add Snowflake Music.

I like to add some glockenspiel improvisation and scarf movement to simulate the rising snow. The scarf dancers swirl around Jasmine and then pause at the depth of the snow. (Her feet, knees, bum, eyes, and head) The scarves just hang and give the illusion she is being covered. I have the glockenspiels set up in D pentatonic and they improvise while the dancers are swirling.

I hope this gives you some fun over the next couple of weeks. All the visuals are on the PDF page. Please, check it out.

Take care,

Syndi

Twelve Days of Orff – Day 9, 10, 11, and 12

I know, I know. I am late. But… better late than never.

Sometimes life can get in the way of blogging and creating new freebies but, as promised, here are the final days of “The Twelve Days of Orff.”

Freebie Number 9

This freebie is a preview of my product “All About the Piano”

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-the-Piano-4535405

Our littles at Westwood Primary love their Scavenger Hunts!!! This is very similar to acticities also known as write the room. One difference – instead of staying in our classroom, we travel througout the school to find the piano facts. It includes a scavenger hunt, answer sheet, piano worksheets, and visuals for teaching “Chopsticks.” As with all of my products, a clear teaching process is included.

Included in the freebie:

Here is the link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Twelve-Days-of-Orff-Freebie-Number-9-5158643

Freebie Number 10

This freebie is a preview of my product “Star Light – Spiral Through K-3”.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Star-Light-Spiral-through-K-to-3-4985055

I have been fascinated lately with the idea of a spiral curriculum – same song but building on previous experiences. Using different achievement indicators at each level.

For the K level – Star dancing, melodic contour, and star music improvisation on glockenspiels.

For the grade 1 level – Star dacning, melodic contour, sol and mi on the staff, playing sol and mi plus an Orff arrangement.

For the grade 2 level – Reading sol and mi on the staff and transferring to pitched percussion, more advanced Orff arrangement.

For the grade 3 level – Playing Star Light on the Recorder.

Included in the Freebie:

Here is the link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Twelve-Days-of-Orff-Freebie-Number-10-5158656

Freebie Number 11

I love the story “The Snowy Day” bu Ezra Jack Keats.  This is a preview from a lesson plan bundle I created recently.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Snowy-Day-An-Exploration-of-Timbre-2345281

I have given you the vocal exploration cards.

Here is the link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Twelve-Days-of-Orff-Freebie-Number-11-5158667

And FINALLY

Freebie Number 12

This freebie is a preview of a product yet to come – “All About the Clarinet”

It will include a scavenger hunt – of course -, a cup routine to this beautiful clarinet quartet; and a coloring sheet.

I do like the version of this clarinet quartet performed by The Clarinet Quartet of the National Belgian Orchestra” .Their album “Summertime” can be found on Apple Music but this one will do in a pinch.

Here is the link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Twelve-Days-of-Orff-Freebie-Number-12-5158697

Well… that is the end of “Twelve Days of Orff”. I hope you find all these Orff tools, ideas, and lesson plans useful. Please do let me know what you think.

Take care,

Syndi