Vocal Union Training: Developing Musicianship through Movement March 2011

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1 Vocal Union Training: Developing Musicianship through Movement March 2011 Music and movement are inextricably linked. Anyone who has sung songs or played music with children will be sure to have seen how quickly their feeling for the music is manifested in movement, as they nod their heads, tap their toes and jiggle up and down to the music. As children first learn to explore and understand the world through movement, it seems natural that movement is also used as a medium through which children s experiences of music can be felt and communicated. In recent years the dual use of music and movement has become recognised as being educationally beneficial. Studies have found that engaging in music and movement activities help children to develop socially, physically (developing both their gross and fine motor skills), creatively, as well as musically. To this ends, movement has become a key element within the National Curriculum for music. In the DfEE/QCA Curriculum Guidance document for the Foundation Stage, for instance, it is stated that: [Children should develop the ability to] sing simple songs from memory, recognise sounds and sound patterns and match movements to music. While the Music National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 states that: Pupils should be taught how to explore and express their ideas and feelings about music using movement, dance and expressive and musical language. This government guidance is recognition of the experience of many teachers: that engaging in music through movement embraces all learning styles (aural, visual, kinaesthetic) and therefore allows us to access the children s full learning capacity. Preparing the Children for Movement: In order for the children to be able to participate fully in a session they must learn to... * Listen and respond to instructions with concentration * Move safely around the space without knocking into anyone or anything! * Start and stop on a signal. These skills can be developed through the following activities:

2 1/ The Bossy Signal Song It s the Bossy Signal Song The Bossy Signal Song Are you ready, are you steady? Open your ears and off we go... Stand up (C-G) Sit down (G C) Wiggle your fingers (GG E G E) Hands on your head (GABC ) Come and make a circle (GFEDC C ) Find your own space (C E G C ) Game 1: The children listen to the song and perform the actions. Introduce the signals gradually (eg. 1 or 2 new signals per session). Game 2: Transfer the melodic signals to a tuned instrument (eg. set of chime bars). This game requires the children to internalise the melodic shape of each signal. 2/ The Walk and Stop Game: Children sing the song and step to the beat, freezing in the silences. At the end of the song children must return to the space in the room in which they started. In doing so they must judge the length of the final phrase. Oh then I ll dance back home. Inner-hearing game: Once the children have learnt the song transfer it to the piano. Can they still perform the actions accurately without the help of the words? Learning to perform to a STEADY BEAT: The ability to maintain a steady beat is pre-requisite of almost all music making activities and therefore should be practised as often as possible. There are many different ways in which a steady beat can be experienced: Step to the beat. Jump to the beat: place a row of ties on the floor. Take it in turns to jump over the ties to the beat of the music. Rock to the beat: swing your arms from side to side. Bend your knees as you swing. With young children you could place a teddy in a scarf and rock it gently from side to side to the beat.

3 Pass an object to the beat: eg a beanbag, ball or paper plate. Eg.Pass, pass, pass the ball Pass the ball around. Pass, pass pass the ball Pass the ball around (to the tune of Old Joe Clark) Move from one shape to another to a decreasing number of beats. In pairs create a wide shape and a small shape. Move between these shapes in a sequence of 8,4,2,1 beats. Division of the Beat: Once the children have demonstrated that they can maintain a steady beat, begin experimenting with divisions ( ) and multiples ( ) of the beat. Play the hip hop game: Clap in time to the steady beat played on a drum. Listen out for vocal signals given by the leader and respond accordingly: Hip= clap twice as fast as the beat Hop= clap twice as slow as the beat Bus Ticket game: Give each child a rhythm card. When they hear their music being played stand up and step the pattern on their bus ticket. When they hear a trill played on the piano, swap tickets with a friend. Jogging walk stride Articulating Rhythm Patterns using the body: Play a series of short rhythm patterns for the children to move to. Place the rhythm pattern in different parts of the body eg. elbows, hips, nose... More advanced activities: Notating a Rhythm Pattern: Play or sing a rhythmic phrase for the children to step. Once they have internalised the pattern physically ask them to notate it using flash cards. Stepping in canon: Play or sing a song that is familiar to the children. Ask them to step it in canon with you.

4 Time by Kroke: Exploring Polyrhythms Many of the QCA schemes of work involve combining rhythmic patterns (eg. Unit 4: Exploring pulse and rhythm, Unit 10: Play it Again-exploring rhythm patterns, Unit 11: The Class Orchestra- Exploring Arrangements). The kroke track is made up of 4 distinct parts: 1. The Tick tock of the clock 2. pattern- plucked on a violin 3. pattern played on double bass 4. Smooth snake charmer phrases. a/ listen to the music and draw the children s attention to these 4 parts. b/ In groups of 4 bring the music to life in movement. Each take a part and translate it into movement. During the descending phrases all melt to the floor. Explore METRE in music: Once the children in your group are able to maintain a steady beat independently they are ready to explore patterns of strong and weak beats. Bouncing and catching a ball: Bounce the ball on the strong beat and catch and hold the ball on the weak beats. Eg. Good day, good day to you Good day, oh dipedu. Good day, good day to you Good day, oh dipedu. Dip dip dipedu Dipedu oh dipedu Dip dip dip dip dipedu Dipedu oh dipedu Rosie Walton (March 2011)

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