1 Singing in the Kindergarten Brain 1 Presenter: Catherine West i This session follows on from Singing in the Brain, a session on music and cognition presented by Dr. Sean Hutchins and Catherine West at Interlude 2017. Dr. Hutchins will be available to provide commentary during this workshop. Cognitive Skills at a Glance! In the RCM s new Smart Start curriculum, our activities are created by music specialists in consultation with neuroscientific experts in order to emphasize both musical and cognitive development. Our activities are designed around four key cognitive skills: Attention, Memory, Perception, and Cognitive Flexibility. Attention is the ability to focus the mind on one particular object or idea, while ignoring distractions. Activities that emphasize attention often involve selectively focusing on one aspect of a song (such as rhythm or timbre) while ignoring other aspects. Other attention-related activities include waiting for a signal to respond or Memory involves retaining or recalling information that is no longer present. Activities can emphasize memory through either short-term tasks, such as echoing back a musical phrase or movement, or long-term tasks, such as memorizing larger chunks or music or keeping track of prior turns or ideas that have already been tried. Perception is less about purely hearing or seeing the world (which is what neuroscientists refer to as sensation ), and more about the ability to bring structure and patterning to the information coming in through our senses. We emphasize this skill through activities such as keeping a steady beat or recognizing musical patterns. More generally, this is the skill that allows children to have an intuitive sense of music. Finally, Cognitive Flexibility is the ability to control one s own mental processes, and to use other skills, such as attention, memory, and perception in a deliberate fashion. This skill is emphasized in activities that involve switching between different tasks, categorizing aspects of music forms, or suggesting thoughtful creative contributions. All of our activities in our Smart Start curriculum utilize these cognitive skills, and will emphasize one or two in particular. The section Cognitive Skills lists the particular skill or skills that are highlighted in each activity.
2 Caney Mi Macaro Cognitive Skills: short-term memory Musical skills: pitch matching 1. Ask the children to copy exactly what you do. Sing the leader s part of the song, adding a new simple action on the beat to each phrase, e.g., pat your head, wave, pound fists, stamp. The children copy as exactly as possible. 2. Repeat the song several times. 3. Ask each child to take a turn to make up the leader s action and invite them to join you in singing the leader s part for one phrase of the song. Continue until all have had a turn. 4. As the song becomes more familiar, some children may be able to lead it without vocal support from the teacher. 5. Distribute instruments and repeat the song. This time each child demonstrates a way of playing their instrument when it is their turn to be the leader. The others copy the leader.
3 Anna Banana Cognitive skills: cognitive flexibility, attention Musical learning: rhythm, form 1. Teach the rhyme, incorporating a gesture and/or movement for each of the 4 phrases. 2. Perform in various ways e.g., walking the beat, clapping the rhythm, audiating, in canon. 3. Provide a selection of vegetable images, vegetable-shaped shakers or toys. While the class recites the rhyme, invite 4 children to select a vegetable and arrange themselves in a row. At the end of the rhyme, the class recites and claps the word rhythm pattern created from the vegetables, twice. 4. The card holders give their cards to 4 new children, who have the option of keeping the card or exchanging it for a different one. 5. Continue until all have had a turn to hold a card. 6. Distribute hand drums or sticks to the class. Invite the children to suggest ideas for transferring the rhyme to instruments. Four children select vegetables as before, and the all play the resulting rhythm on the instruments, twice. Anna Banana Anna Banana jump into the stew Gravy and carrots are good for you Good for your teeth and your fingernails too So Anna Banana jump into the stew! From Jelly Belly by Dennis Lee Try the same idea with another rhyme e.g., John Had Great Big Waterproof Boots On (use articles of clothing), or Hallowe en Dress-ups (use Hallowe en images).
4 Japanese Frog Song (Based on an activity developed by Catherine West for the Royal Conservatory of Music s Smart Start program. Used by permission.) Cognitive skills: cognitive flexibility, perception Musical Learning: pitch contour, rhythm, (canon) 1. Teach the song, identifying that gwa is ribit in Japanese, and gero is the word for frog. 2. Follow the pitch contour with hand levels. Pat the beat then repeat, clapping the rhythm. 3. Line up against one wall and step the rhythm of the first two phrases showing the pitch contour: M. 1-2: 4 steps forward, 3 steps backwards to starting place M 3-4: 4 steps forward, 3 steps backwards to starting place M 5-6: jump across the whole width of the room (4 frog jumps) M 7-8: turn around and cross back to starting place (8 jogging steps followed by 3 frog jumps) 4. Provide a visual of 2 x 4 lily pads and 6 frogs. While the class performs the song, two children arrange frogs on the lily pads. At the end of the song the class claps and reads the resulting rhythm, saying gwa for each frog. Repeat, giving turns to other children.
5 Activity Extensions Create visuals of 2 small frogs who can share a lily pad. Combine large and small frogs on the lily pads using the same game. Say gero for the 2 little frogs and gwa for the single frogs when reading the rhythm. Play the melody on Orff instruments or chime bars. Play the word rhythms on any unpitched percussion instruments. Perform the song in 2 or 4 part canon with older children.
6 Mi Cuerpo (Based on an activity developed by Catherine West for the Royal Conservatory of Music s Smart Start program. Used by permission.) Cognitive skills: attention, cognitive flexibility Musical Learning: rhythm 1. Learn the song and actions. 2. Prepare four rhythm flash cards: titi ta, ta titi, titi titi, ta ta. Read and clap the rhythm flash cards. Which card shows the rhythm for cha, cha, cha? (titi ta) 3. Challenge the children to perform the rhythm you point at (instead of the original rhythm) as you sing the song. Repeat, pointing to a different rhythm after each is performed (use all 4 cards during one repetition of the song). 4. Give the cards to 4 children and ask them to stand in a line (any order) at the front of the class. Perform the rhythms in the song in this order. Repeat the game until all have had a turn to hold a card. 5. Play the rhythms on instruments in a subsequent class. Under a Rock (Based on an activity developed by Catherine West for the Royal Conservatory of Music s Smart Start program. Used by permission.) Cognitive skills: cognitive flexibility, memory Musical learning: pitch, timbre (vocal inflection), form Learning the Rhyme and Acting in Role 1. Speak the finger play with the gestures. Repeat, encouraging the children to join in.
7 2. Invite three children, in role as the rock, the worm and the speaker, to act out the rhyme as everyone speaks it together. Encourage the child in the speaker role to say, good day as a solo. 3. Repeat the game until everyone has had a turn to act. Exploring Graphic Notation 4. Post the examples of graphic notation and play a guessing game: make a vocal sound representing one of the cards. The whole class echoes, then give three children a turn to guess which card it was and why. 5. Discuss how each performance idea fits the graphic image, encouraging the children to identify, in their own words, how the score can encode basic elements of music like pitch and rhythm, and expressive controls such as dynamics, articulation, and tempo. 6. Repeat the game, a number of times, with the children contributing the ideas. Applying Graphic Notation to the Rhyme 7. Ask the children which image is most like a wiggling worm, most like a rock, most like a worm popping its head up, and most like a person saying, good day. 8. Put these four cards in order and refine how to perform each. 9. Conduct the performance. As your finger tracks along the cards, the children perform the sound they agreed on. When you reach the fourth card, quickly move the first card into fifth card position for the ending. Culminating Experience Incorporating Movement 10. Everyone gets a partner. Each partnership works out a movement idea for each card. After a few minutes, conduct a joint rehearsal, then share the performances. Conduct the movement performances as you did the vocal sound improvisation. 11. Combine the finger play and speech with the vocal improvisation and movement into a final performance, in an order suggested by the children. Under a rock where the ground was firm (make right hand into a fist) Under a Rock Lived a wiggly, jiggly, squiggly worm. (wiggle left index finger underneath right hand) He popped out his head and I said, Good day! (pop up left index finger between right hand fingers) But the wiggly worm just wiggled away. (wiggle left index finger away from right hand) Activity Extensions Play a reverse conducting game. One child performs the vocal part while another tracks where they are on the cards by listening. This can be a partner game. Perform the graphic notation using non-pitched instruments and/ or Orff instruments.
8 Down Down, Yellow and Brown Cognitive Skills: Perception Musical Learning: pitch direction 1. Sing the song moving a scarf or leaf to show the pitch direction of the song. 2. The teacher improvises music at the piano, incorporating appropriate cues for getting higher, getting lower, twirling around in a circle, moving faster, moving slower and landing. The children move their bodies and leaves in response to what they hear. Use the same activity with other rhymes or songs about flying (birds, airplanes, seeds, feathers, etc.).
9 Hakof (Based on an activity developed by Catherine West for the Royal Conservatory of Music s Smart Start program. Used by permission.) Cognitive Skills: perception, cognitive flexibility Musical Learning: pitch Game 1 1. Hakof is a monkey so all movement can be done in role as monkeys. 2. Find the highest sound in the song ( oleh ) and high five partners. Find the low sound ( yored ) and stamp feet. 3. Hold hands and turn in a circle for al hanad ne dah. 4. On the last phrase, walk away from partner waving one hand. 5. Find a new partner and repeat the game. Game 2 6. Make a single circle of partners, facing each other (as for Bow Wow Wow). 7. High five partners and stamp feet as before. 8. Hold hands and trade places with partners on, al hanad ne dah. 9. On the last phrase, turn backs to partners and greet new partners. Instruments 10. Appoint two guessers who stand at the board ready to place a monkey card at the top or bottom of a palm tree. 11. Appoint two improvisers; seat them at two SX in a hidden location so that the guessers cannot see them play. 12. Perform the song. The improvisers each play 8 beats, one at a time, ending on either high or low lah. The first guesser places the monkey at the top or bottom of the tree depending on what the last note of the improvisation is. The second guesser does the same for the second improvisation. 13. The guessers become the next improvisers. Appoint new guessers and repeat until all have had a turn to guess and improvise. 14. Add a bordun based Orff orchestration if you wish.
10 Vamos a la Mar (Based on an activity developed by Catherine West for the Royal Conservatory of Music s Smart Start program. Used by permission.) Cognitive Skills: Memory, Perception, Cognitive Flexibility Musical Learning: pitch, rhythm 1. Sing the song, asking the children to notice the repeated word. 2. Sing again, patsching on all the tum, tum s. 3. Explain that the words are about going out in a boat to catch a fish. 4. Sing and clap the rhythm, except for the tum tum s which are patsched. 5. Ask the children to suggest other ways of showing the tum, tum s e.g., slap the floor, pat heads, etc. 6. Stand in scatter position. Sing the song, walking the beat. At each tum, tum stop and slap the floor with palms. 7. Give the toy boat to one child. Other children stand on mats (or islands ) scattered around the space. The boat-holder goes for a walk as everyone sings, standing still; they give the boat to a new child on the tum, tum, then sit down on the island. The child who receives the boat sails off to another island. Repeat the song until everyone is sitting down. 8. Appoint 4 finger cymbal players. Sing the song the players put the tum tum s on the instruments. Give the other children shakers and invite them to play during the rest of the song. 9. While the children play and sing the song, give the 4 boat cards to 4 children to arrange on a 2-line stave. At the end of the song, point to the boats and sing the result on low soh and doh to the words high and low, e.g., high, high, low, high. Immediately repeat the little melody, singing, tum, tum, tum, tum. 10. Rotate the instrument parts and cards so that everyone gets a turn to do everything. 11. Play the melody on recorder or piano, accompanying with the instruments. Audiate, playing the accompaniment, then end by singing one last time.
11 Yuki (Based on an activity developed by Catherine West for the Royal Conservatory of Music s Smart Start program. Used by permission.) Cognitive skills: Attention, Memory, Perception, Cognitive Flexibility Musical Learning: timbre 1. Sing the song with actions: Yukia kon kon (fingers flutter down like snowflakes, then pat floor twice on kon kon ) A la le ya kon kon (fingers flutter down like snowflakes, then pat floor on konkon ) Snow on my head, on my shoulders and on my knees, (pat body parts named) (third phrase like the first) Snow falls on bushes, houses, streetlights and the trees. (make low to high shapes on bushes, houses, streetlights and trees ) 2. When the children know the sequence, and can sing the song, have them perform the actions to recorder without any singing.
3. Distribute chime bars in C doh pentatonic. Sing the song with actions, playing the chime bars on kon kon instead of patting the floor. 4. Count in Japanese to 8; all the children walk (with mallet) to another chime bar in the room: (ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi). 5. Repeat the game a number of times. 6. Give the children some time to explore wintery sounds on a selection of NPP instruments (e.g., finger cymbals, bell tree, wind chime, kokoriko, tambourine, guiro, shakers). 7. Distribute pictures for head, shoulders, knees, bushes, houses, streetlights and trees to 7 children and invite them to choose one instrument sound to match their image. The remaining children play chime bars on kon kon as before. Sing the song adding the instrumental sounds. 8. Repeat the last step so that all the children have the opportunity to select and play an instrument. 9. Challenge the children to play their instruments in the right place while the teacher performs the melody on recorder or piano, without any singing. 12
13 Chime Bar Challenge (from Donna Wood) Cognitive skills: Attention Musical Learning: tempo, meter 1. Give each child a chime bar from C doh pentatonic. 2. Play tone clusters in C doh pentatonic on the piano, challenging the children to stop whenever you stop. 3. When the children hear you play a slow beat, they sit and play the beat with you on their chime bars. When they hear galloping music, they leave their chime bars on the mats and gallop around the room. 4. Alternate the slow beat music with the galloping music a number of times, varying the length of the improvisation each time.
14 Deedle Deedle Dumpling (Based on an activity developed by Catherine West for the Royal Conservatory of Music s Smart Start program. Used by permission.) Cognitive Skills: perception Musical Learning: phrasing (form) 1. Teach the rhyme using echoing, beat and rhythm games etc. 2. Give each child a turn to say line 2 as a solo, putting in a different article of clothing (e.g., went to bed with his woolly tuque on ). 3. Take a partner and practise doing a clap-partner touch pattern. 4. Model the following game before playing: Deedle, deedle dumpling, my son John, (Clap-partner touch on the beat) Went to bed with his trousers on, (Partner 1 goes for a walk around the room) Deedle Deedle Dumpling One shoe off, one shoe on, (Partner 1 continues to walk, but returns in time for line 4) Deedle, deedle dumpling, my son John, (Clap-partner touch on the beat) 5. Repeat the game, with partner 2 going for a walk. 6. Count to eight. The children find a new partner by the count of eight, and the game repeats. Activity Extensions Notate the rhythm using ta, titi and rest on 4 cards. The children figure out the correct order. Transfer to percussion instruments, or use the rhythm to improvise melodies in the pentatonic, on Orff instruments. While one partner is walking around the room, the waiting partner can patsch the rhythm of the words on their knees. Teacher Tips The timing in this game is a challenge for five-year-olds. When you model the game, do an example of just on time, just a bit late, and just a bit early. The children explain what you did.
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