INTRO: The ideas and activities presented have emerged from the following assumptions:

Transcription

1 CAEYC 2013 State Conference Make a Difference! Motivate, Educate and Advocate! San Jose, CA March, 2013 Music As A Creative Language: Constructivist Implications For Early Childhood Music and Literacy Presenter: Dr. Paul Morehouse, Early Childhood Music Specialist musicmeansme@gmail.com Website: MusicMeansMe.com INTRO: The ideas and activities presented have emerged from the following assumptions: * Children learn through play. Children s play can be spontaneous or structured. Games are a form of structured play. The concept of game is central to our workshop today. * Children understand the concept of making-music. However, they do not regard the act of making music as artistic expression. For young children, making music is like playing a game. Just like all games, there are rules for making music. Children understand the rules of making music. * Making music is a game that children and adults can play together. Children need an adult Music Leader in order to create real music. This creates a win-win situation because making music together is fun and beneficial for the children AND the adults! * Music and language occur naturally together. This results in what we call a song. The simple language concepts found in songs are very beneficial for children s language and literacy development. * The language in songs help create the rules for the game of music because language patterns create rhythms which organize the song. Besides vocalizing the language patterns, it is extremely beneficial for children to perform these patterns through the use of simple, familiar percussion instruments. 1) Early childhood educators are aligned with developmentally appropriate practices when juxtaposing music and language for interdisciplinary teaching and learning. 2) Using a game form is an especially effective pedagogy for framing music and language activities in early childhood education. Repetition = Patterning, Structuring for Learning and Development Like books, songs live through repetition. Children thrive on repeating favorite songs. Literacy is learned through repeated language experiences (oral and printed). Children spontaneously and playfully repeat catchy word phrases. Games usually have obvious patterns. Children thrive on the repetitious nature of games. Percussion Instruments: Tools of the trade * Children enjoy playing with manipulatives. Manipulatives are tools for learning through play. * Percussion instruments are sound-producing manipulatives, or tools, for music-making. * Children love to make sounds and interact with musical instruments. * Sound must be organized/structured/patterned in order to become music. * When an adult takes the role of game leader for playing the game of music with a group of children, he or she simply guides the organization of sounds. This musical Zone of Proximal Development virtually guarantees an authentic, satisfying, music-making experience for all involved. 1

2 REAL musical instruments of the percussion family are REAL game pieces for the game of music. DRUMS : Tap or hit a membrane (or, skin ) with your hand or a drum mallet. MARACAS (and other shakers): Hold and shake. ( Shake-a, shake-a, boom, boom! ) CLAVES (and other wood blocks): Click a stick! (Or sometimes, you scr-r-r-rape it!) TAMBOURINES: One hand holds the tambourine while the other hand hits against the tambourine. ( It s like clapping your hands while you re holding a tambourine! ) Two Rhythms children know: 1. Pulse ( Groove ) el ritmo de corazón! 2. Word-rhythms el ritmo de las palabras! PRACTICE SONG: DAY-O Refrain: Day light come.i wanna go home! Verse: I work all night til the morning come! (refrain) I pick bananas til the morning come! (refrain) Chorus: Day-o, me say Day-o! Daylight come and I wanna go home! I. Brother John ( Sister Sue ) A. SONGS Are you sleeping, Are you sleeping Brother John, Brother John Morning bells are ringing, Morning bells are ringing, Ding, ding, dong! Ding, ding, dong! Musical theater for preschoolers! Note: Students have instruments, holding them quietly until cue. ML begins story: One day all his friends were looking for Brother John (or Sister Sue). They asked, Where s Brother John? Maybe he s still sleeping? So they tip-toed over to his bedroom and asked a question. Do you know the question? ML and children sing softly the first two lines of song. Are you sleeping, Are you sleeping Brother John, Brother John Stop suddenly and give a surprised look. Normal voice: Hey, he s still sleeping! We have to ring the bells* and wake him up! All join in with voices and instruments: Morning bells are ringing, Morning bells are ringing, Ding, ding, dong! Ding, ding, dong! * Note: Use bells if you have them but any instruments can pretend to be the bells! Repeat several times. Opt: All stop. Did he wake up? No? Let s try again! Sing and play Morning bells again. Opt: If you perform Brother John first, then ask: What about Sister Sue? Is she still sleeping? Repeat whole game asking Are you sleeping, Sister Sue? Also use student names. 2

3 II. THIS OLD MAN. A small group of children with instruments will wait until it is time to Give the Dog A Bone. One child is soloist. Adult Music Leader (ML) begins to sing a verse. Children can also sing along. Music Leader is using a percussion instrument to keep the beat. One student soloist with instrument will keep the beat along with ML. (Precise rhythm accuracy is not necessary.) This ol man, he plays one, He plays knick-knack on my thumb, With a knick-knack paddy-whack!.[stop abruptly!!] ML: Okay, now ALL instruments help Give the Dog A Bone ready. Slowly and with emphasis, all children with instruments vocalize and perform accents: Give - the - dog - a - bone! (Opt: Let s do it again! Repeat the phrase in like manner.) Then, ML to group: Everyone, back to the song! Resume the original beat with regular singing of the final phrase; all children with instruments now help to keep the beat : This ol man came rolling home! (repeat several times) B. BOOKS 1. Brown Bear, Brown Bear A Musical version a. Low structure: Accompany with Pulse (beat) on instruments throughout. b. Moderate: Turn-taking for each animal; children perform word-rhythms for Question and Answer. c. Most structure: Children perform word-rhythms for either Question or Answer. Examples: Question: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see? Answer: I see a red bird looking at me! Advanced : ML & Grp A keeps a beat; ML voices Question; Grp B performs Answer with voices and instruments. 2. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom A Musical version Create a musical refrain from story text; repeat more times than it appears in the book. a. Begin text: A told B and B told C, I ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree Whee said D to E, F, G I ll beat you to the top of the coconut tree! b. Refrain: Call and Response ML: Chicka chicka boom boom (children echo) ML: Will there be enough room? c. Continue text: Here comes H, up the coconut tree And I and J and tag along K All on their way up the coconut tree! d. Repeat Refrain as before. Continue with text. e. Who likes FUNNY words? (No page numbers in book! This follows after all letters fall from tree.) f. Musical finale Perform all together or as Call and Response (Softer; voices only?) Dare double dare, You can t catch me I ll beat you to the top of the coconut tree (voices and instruments; Chicka chicka boom boom, Will there be enough ROOM? C & R or all together) Chicka chicka boom boom, Will there be enough ROOM? 3

4 3. From Head To Toe A Musical version a) Low structure (any ages): An individual child or small group selects instruments and will keep the beat throughout the reading of one or more animals. ML should play along to help children. Note: The beat should be appropriate so as to fit with the words. Not too fast or too slow. b) Moderate structure (3-4 yrs): 1. Discuss questions and answers. Practice: How are you today? I am doing great! 2. ML: I ll start and be the penguin. Then you say the question and the answer. 3. Practice voices only, without instruments. ML: I am a penguin and I turn my head! Children: Can you do it? I can do it! Opt: Direct children to immediately repeat their part (the question and answer). 4. Repeat and perform with instruments. Continue through all the animals taking turns among the children. c) High structure (older 4-6 yrs.): ML: I ll start and be the penguin. Grp 1 asks the question. Grp 2 gives the answer. Practice with voices only. Then perform with voices and instruments. ML: I am a penguin and I turn my head! Grp 1: Can you do it? Grp 2: I can do it! Opt: Direct Grp 1 to repeat the question; direct Grp 2 to repeat the answer. Opt: Let Grp 1 and Grp 2 trade parts. Take turns with more children. 4. Rap A Tap Tap A Musical version a) Low structure (any ages): Individual children or small groups select instruments and keep the beat throughout the reading of one or more pages. Recmnd: ML directs children to vocalize the Response phrase. Note: The beat should be appropriate so as to fit with the words. Not too fast or too slow. b) Moderate structure (3-4 yrs): 1. Discuss Call and Response. ML: No matter what I say, your part is RAP A TAP TAP, THINK OF THAT! Practice several pages, voices only without instruments. 2. Perform with voice & instruments. ML vocalizes Call phrase. Individual child or small group vocalizes and taps out Response on instruments. ML helps with instrument. ML (vocalizes): There once was a man who danced in the streets! Children and ML, voices and instruments: RAP A TAP TAP, THINK OF THAT! c) High structure (5-6 yrs): 1. Select Grp 1 (1-3 children) to perform a steady beat as in Low Structure activity. ML should play along with this group, maintaining the beat throughout. 2. Select Grp 2 who will only perform the Response phrase. 3. As ML keeps the beat along with Grp 1, she will vocalize the Call phrase. Grp 2 will vocalize and play only the Response phrase. a) ML and Grp 1 begin the beat. b) ML continues the beat and vocalizes first Call phrase.* c) Grp 2 performs Response with voices and instruments: RAP A TAP TAP, THINK OF THAT! * NOTE: Because you are keeping the beat with an instrument, you cannot hold the book to read! 4

5 5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar A musical version Spoken: One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and pop! Out of one egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar. CHORUS group voices with instruments (Perform with slow, deliberate beats) - a / VER Y HUN GRY CA TER - PILLAR! a / VER Y HUN GRY CA TER - PILLAR! (faster) a / Ver y, ver y, hun gry / Ver y, ver y, hun gry - / Ver y, ver y, hun gry Cat ter pillar! Voice only: Voice and instruments a. On Monday he ate through /one apple! (Opt. But he was still hungry! ) b. On Tuesday.. he ate through /two pears! c. On Wednesday.. he ate through /three plums! d. On Thursday he ate through /four strawberries! e. On Friday.. he ate through /five oranges! All instruments play a single accent on ONE : On Saturday, he ate through ONE piece of chocolate cake, ONE ice cream cone, ONE pickle, ONE slice of Swiss cheese, ONE slice of salami, ONE lollipop, ONE piece of cherry pie, ONE sausage, ONE cupcake, and ONE slice of watermelon! That night he had a stomach ache! On Sunday, he ate through one nice green leaf and after that he felt much better! (repeat CHORUS) 5

6 6. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie / Musical version with modified text Chorus: if you /GIVE a mouse a cookie, a cookie, a cookie if you /Give a mouse a cookie that s big and round! A Big Round Cook-ie! Verse 1: a. He ll ask you for a glass of milk (simple rhythm based on word-phrase: a big-round-cookie) b. He ll ask you for a straw ( ) c. He ll ask you for a napkin ( ) d. He ll look in the mirror ( ) (repeat Chorus) Verse 2: a. He ll trim his hair ( ) b. He ll sweep the house ( ) c. He ll wash the floors ( ) d. He ll take a nap ( ) (repeat Chorus) Verse 3: a. You ll read him a story ( ) b. He ll draw a picture ( ) c. He ll hang it on the refrigerator ( ) d. He ll ask you for a glass of milk ( ) AND ASK YOU FOR ANOTHER COOKIE! (repeat Chorus) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bonus Song: THE DINOSAUR SONG by Paul Morehouse 1, 2, 3, 4 Once I saw a dinosaur 5, 6, 7, 8 Skating on some roller skates 2, 3, 4, 5 I just couldn t believe my eyes 6, 7, 8, 9 Bring em back those skates are mine! Call and response Little dinosaur! Skating to the store! Skating through the door! Skating up and down All around the store! 6