#27 MAKING & USING INSTRUMENTS
Topics (Just click on the category you want to view)
Bass----Handbells-Making----Books (followed by COCONUT SHELLS) ----Making Boom Whackers, Thunkers, Boom Pipes
Cornstalk Fiddle and Shoestring Bow ----Cowbells----Curriculum ----Didgeridoo
Drums, Drumming ---- General Teaching IdeasGlass Harmonica ----Jews Harp----Kazoos
Lummi Sticks, Tinikling Poles ----Sand Blocks
Oboe-demonstrateShakers, Maracas, Tambourine, Rhythm Sticks----
Rainsticks (Making)---- Rainstick Games, Songs & Activities
Double Reed-Making----STRINGED INSTRUMENTS ----Trumpet
Boomwhackers, Etc.,: Ideas, Books, Websites, Teaching, Introductions
----Web Sites
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BOOKS
ROOTS OF RHYTHM:(FREE ONLINE) [is an] integrated curriculum. All the information integrates cultural studies with drumming, and each chapter includes simple directions for students to make their own instrument from the country being studied. I have found this to be a ton of fun for me and my students. The supplies were cheap to get and directions simple enough that we could make the drums in my 40-min classes. The best part is that all curriculum materials and music are free for downloading and printing. Go to www.playdrums.com and click on Roots of Rhythm. There are 2 books: Roots of Rhythm (10 units) and Roots of Rhythm Extensions (5 more chapters) complete with all music, worksheets, and instrument-making directions. Check it out, there's some great info there!Publisher is Craig Woodson, Ph.D.Ethnomusic, Inc., www.WorldDrumming.net -- Karyn Hirt
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COCONUT SHELLS
01/07 The coconuts need to be sawed in half (NOT an easy chore for someone like me, with not-too-great strength in my hands and a crummy saw...) Saw cocnut in half. After it is cut in half, you need to scrape out the coconut meat. It's solid and will resist your efforts, but can be done--with patience. I recommend sandpapering the outer surface [and edges]. The large coconuts are hard for tiny hands to manage, so if you happened to find a SMALL coconut, I'd definitely get it! I used my coconut shells a LOT. -- Louise Eddington, Muncie, Indiana----------------------
01/07 One end of a coconut has "eye" looking dimples. Use a nail to pound a hole or two in the eyes. Drain out the coconut milk by inverting it over a cup or bowl. When most of it is drained, you can cut the coconut in half with a hack saw. Big tooth saws like circular saws tend to shatter the shell. Bake- yes bake!- the halves at 350 degrees until the white fleshy part just begins to shrink away from the outer shell. (I can't remember how long- maybe 20 minutes?) Cool and then pull or scrape the white out. Voila! (Not to be confused with Viola.)-- as posted by Camille Page on 12/09/06 in the MK8 archives
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CORNSTALK FIDDLE AND SHOESTRING BOW
The main corn stalk is round, and there are rings at intervals called nodes. You need to find a section of the green cornstalk with an ear of corn still attached. Pull off the ear of corn, and you will see that under the ear the cornstalk is not round, but has a groove in it where the corn was growing. The groove will run between two nodes. Cut off a piece of the cornstalk anywhere from 12"-18" long, and make sure that you have stalk on both ends of the nodes on either end of the groove. In other words, the groove is about the center of the fiddle, and there is extra stalk on both ends.There is a sort of ridge at each side of the groove, and these ridges will become the strings of the fiddle. The next part involves cutting, and of course you can't let the students do that. ( I had 19 parents with me on my trip, and they each did the cutting for their small group.) Between the two nodes, along each side of the groove, you need to cut under the ridge on each side, but leave it attached to the node at both ends. All you do is stick the knife in and cut a thin slice under the ridge on each side, so that you create a "string" on each side. If you accidentally cut it loose at one end, just pull it off and make a new cut. It doesn't seem to matter how thick the strings are, so if you feel safer cutting them thick, go ahead. Now, you need to find a small stick, no more than 1/4 inch in diameter, and break off two pieces, each about two inches long. Carefully lift your strings and insert the sticks under the strings. Move them back toward the nodes. These are the bridges, like the bridge on a violin, and they hold the strings up from the surface of the cornstalk to allow them to vibrate. That is all there is to the cornstalk fiddle, but of course you can't play it until you have:
Shoestring Bow:
To make the bow, you need a flexible stick anywhere from 12"-18" long and 1/2" or less in diameter. Willow branches work great, but any flexible stick will do. ( I used the thin flexible ends of suckers cut from the bottom of our maple trees.) Take all of the leaves and stems off of the branch, so you have a bare stick. Now, again with the cutting.... put the stick down on a hard surface and cut a slit about 1/2" into each end of the branch. You might be tempted to stand the stick up and push the knife down into the cut end of the stick, but believe me, that is a good way to get yourself cut, so LAY IT DOWN! You now have a bare stick with a 1/2" slit in each end. A cotton shoestring works well.
That is why they call it a shoestring bow. However, after some experimentation, I have found that one of the best bowstrings is 1/4" cane, like you use for caning chairs. I have a friend who canes chairs as a hobby, and I just asked if I could have several lengths of old cane. I soaked the cane in water for several hours before the kids made their bows, and cut it into 18"-24" lengths as they were ready to use it. Gently work the piece of cane, or the shoestring, into the slit at one end of the bow and tie it in a knot at that end of the bow. Work the other end into the slit at the other end of the bow. Now, brace it against a table or your thigh and pull the bow into a curve by pulling on the loose end of the cane and bending the stick. The stick will be shaped like an arc. Tie the second end of the cane in a knot, making sure that the string is tight. The kids did amazingly well at this. It isn't nearly as hard as it sounds. The bow is now ready, but you will need to rosin it. I brought two cakes of rosin, and it was lots of fun for the kids to rub the cane across the rosin! There are various playing positions. Lay the fiddle on your lap, stand it up on your leg and play like a cello, or, a favorite, stick one end of the fiddle in your armpit to steady it. Pull the bow across the strings, and you'll get a "lovely" screeching sound, sort of like chalk on a blackboard. My kids were great at sawing away to keep the steady beat.
The cornstalk fiddle is an authentic folk instrument, perhaps originating in the midwest. - Contributed by Becky in WI
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***********************************************************************CURRICULUM
See #21 Instruments of the Orchestra for extensive ideas on teaching about orchestral instruments.
Kindergarten - Percussion
1st and 2nd - Brass
3rd and 4th - Woodwind...fits nicely with their recorders
5th and 6th - Strings and Percussion
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***********************************************************************GENERAL TEACHING IDEAS
My sound carpet project was with 6th graders - although you could certainly use it with 4th or 5th graders. I chose six picture books that contained several sound words. Each group consisted of four students (I never like to use more than four in a group), and each group chose the book they would like to work on. They first read through the book, and listed the words that they wanted to "illustrate" with classroom instruments, consisting of pitched and unpitched percussion. They then chose instruments to correlate with their listed words. One student in the group read the book, while the others performed their sound carpets for their 3rd grade buddy group. (Often, the reader also had instruments as well.)I used "The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything" (Linda Williams) as an example before they worked on their own. I have worked with several sound carpets that I or another clinician created, but this is the first time that I had the students create their own.
The following are the books that I chose for the project: 1) "Rain Talk" (Mary Serfozo) / 2) "The Animal Boogie" (Debbie Harter) / 3) "Listen to the Rain" (Bill martin Jr. and John Archambault) / 4) "Snake Alley Band" (Elizabeth Nygaard) 5) "Bear Snores On" (Karma Wilson) and 6) "Traveling to Tondo" (Retold by Verna Aardema) - this book is rather lengthy, so we only used part of it. -- Linda in St. Louis
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***********************************************************************JEWS HARP
12/03 http://www.folkmusician.com/93366.htmlhttp://www.jewsharpguild.org/ (The Jaws Harp Guild)
http://www.musantiqua.ca/mus/fich/jhe.html
http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/ss_jaws_harp.html
-- Contributed by Sandi Augsburger
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I keep little sterilized hand wipes in my classroom. They are provided by my schools. Everyone gets a wipe and if they want to try to play it, they wipe it off after the person before them tried it. I do the same with other instruments in my room. - Contributed by Kristin Lukow
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***********************************************************************LUMMI STICKS, TINIKLING POLES
TINIKLING 07/05 There are lots of instruction using the music Tinikling in ¾ at: http://ecsrd.ca/st.marguerite/tinikling/basicsteps.htm-----------------------------
To avoid the damaged ankles when learning tinikling, my sets use 2 wooden pegs in the 2x4 end pieces. When the "holders" move the poles together, they slide the poles across the 2x4s and hit the pegs, leaving several inches open between the poles. So therefore, they tap the poles thusly:
1. tap both poles on the 2x4 end pieces
2. repeat above 3. slide the poles inwards on the 2x4s until they tap the pegs The 2x4's look something like this: ________|___|_________
That way we have no bruised knuckles on the holders, nor bruised ankles on the dancers. Now, coordination of the students is a WHOLE different problem!!! -- Pat Price
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06/05 It is a "national" Filipino dance using two long and large bamboo poles that are held parallel and horizontal to the floor, and alternately banged together and separately while dancers move in and out of the space created, trying to keep their toes from getting smashed! Here is a website with info: www.likha.org/galleries/tinikling.asp If you google there are many others. Spell it Tinikling (not with an e). -- Judith Cook Tucker, Publisher
World Music Press (ASCAP), www.worldmusicpress.com
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TINIKLING 06/05 I taught to the kids before we brought out any poles. The need thing about this is it give everyone something important to do even when they are not jumping. Sort of like a jump rope rhyme.
mah koo we tahh na
Melody:: in 3/4 1 beat pick up..
s|sms|sms|sfmf|frf| [ ta|ta ta ta|ta ta ta|ta ti ti ta|ta ta ta] tie s-s over measure 2/3 tie f-f over measure 3/4
frf|frs|sfdm|d [ ta|ta ta ta|ta ta ta|ta ti ti ta | ta ta ] tie s-s over measure 2/3 tie m-m over measure 3/4 GEE this is cumbersome without notation.
Anyway it will work with most any three four recording that is not too fast. I get the poles from carpet stores.. They use them inside rolled carpets.. sometimes will give them free. Also garden centers not as free. Practice with one or two students and others watching first.. Make it a kind of contest to see who can do it. Can start with just tape or even chalk lines on black top. Once everyone gets the hang of it bring out the poles. First step... straddle poles on 1... hop inside poles on 2-3 so its out - in - in... have jumpers say Out - in - in... everyone else is singing chant;. first variation: Out - in- turn 180 degrees - out - in - turn back . avoiding dizziness.
2nd var: two jumpers together 3rd more together 4th var: Two jumpers with turning. This is a good time to bring out the poles Time to teach "poling" you have a short scrap board under the poles at each end perpendicular to the poles at the knees of the "polers".. this prevents scraped knuckles. pattern: tap poles apart against board... slide poles together tapping... tap together again.. and repeat in 3/4 pattern. Not everybody can do this. You need two people who have good beat.
NEXT pattern: [this all takes place over a series of lessons] stand outside poles...as warm up stick one toe in middle on 2 and 3 as if into cold pool [still without poles...] on 2 hop inside on Right foot... on 3 hop to left foot.. on 1 hop outside poles to opposite side of poles.. then same thing: on 2 : hot inside on left foot one 3: hot [still inside] to right foot, on 1 hop out back to original side. and keep going. Once you get the hang of it you are pretty much centered over the poles and you once foot just steps out on 1 each measure. Var 1:with two jumpers together var 2: with 2 jumpers starting from opposite sides. var3: with more jumpers if you have long enough poles Advanced pattern: four poles crossing each other forming a small square in the middle. four jumpers doing same pattern on each side [use any of the patterns above] and for the grand finale: have some one or two jump through the little opening and closing square in the middle. . By then they will have had a lot of practice. Only a few will be able to do it but it is a nice challenge for you athletes and a show stopper too! -- Anne Brazil
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Why not try this activity when you are in charge of large groups? I have even taught this game to groups of sixty children at a time in the primary grades. The throwing moves are the only moves that I do not teach first graders. Lummi sticks can easily be made by cutting 3/4" x 36" dowels in half, but that can get costly for big groups. Here is a way to make them by recycling your old newspapers. The finished sticks are also safer since the children will be less likely to get hit with a flying stick, and the children tend to be more daring by trying more difficult moves.
Supplies: 12 sheets newspaper approximately 14" x 24" each 2 sheets butcher paper, fadeless, or wrapping paper approximately 8" x 14"
masking tape permanent pens white glue
Directions:
1. Place 6 sheets of newspaper on top of each other.
2. Make a fold on the bottom of the pack of newspaper about 1/4-3/8". Fold over twice more until it rolls easily. Then roll into a tight tube as straight and even as possible.
3. Wrap strips of masking tape around the top, bottom, then 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 of the way down the tube.
4. Make the second tube the same way.
5. Glue the sheets of butcher paper as you roll the paper around the tubes.
6. Decorate the tubes with the permanent pens.
Playing the game:
Learn the song first since it is the glue that keeps everyone together. Then partners sit cross-legged Indian style facing each other no more than
two stick lengths apart, vertically hold lower half of the sticks. Sing each rhythm pattern twice.
Do each verse twice: (Change the move for #3 in each new verse.)
Rhythm: 1-2-3- Lummi stick pattern for verse one.
Ma-------koo-----ay-------1. Hit bottom of both sticks down on floor
G--------G-------E--------2. Hit top sides of both sticks tog.
1--------2-------3---------3. Hit tip of right stick on floor.
Ko-------tay-----o---------1. Hit bottom of both sticks down on floor
G--------G-------E--------2. Hit top sides of both sticks together
1--------2-------3---------3. Hit tip of left stick on floor.
Ay--------------koo-ee---1. Hit bottom of both sticks down on floor
G--------F------E--------2. Hit top sides of both sticks together
1--------2------3----(+)-3. Hit tip of right stick on floor.
tah-------------nah-------1. Hit bottom of both sticks down on floor
F--------D---------------2. Hit top sides of both sticks together
1--------2-------3-------3. Hit tip of left stick on floor.
Mah------koo-----ay-----1. Hit bottom of both sticks down on floor
F--------F-------D-------2. Hit top sides of both sticks together
1--------2-------3--------3. Hit tip of right stick on floor.
Ko------tay------o-------1. Hit bottom of both sticks down on floor
F-------F--------D-------2. Hit top sides of both sticks together
1-------2--------3--------3. Hit tip of left stick on floor.
Ay---------------koo-ee--1. Hit bottom of both sticks down on floor
F-------E--------D-------2. Hit top sides of both sticks together
1-------2--------3-(+)----3. Hit tip of right stick on floor.
tah--------------nah------1. Hit bottom of both sticks down on floor
E----------------C-------2. Hit top sides of both sticks together
1-------2--------3-------3. Hit tip of left stick on floor.
Other verses -- the same moves for 1 & 2, then the new move for 3 beat:
2. Tap the tips of both sticks on the floor.
3. Hit tip of R. stick to partner's R. stick, then tip of L. stick to partner's L. stick.
4. Partners hit both sticks together at the same time.
5. Turn the R. stick toward your body, let go when it is straight up, and it will fall right into your upturned palm. Do the same with the L. stick.
6. Flip both sticks at the same time.
7. Point both sticks flat toward your partner, toss both sticks to your opposite hand by throwing the left stick over the right stick.
8. Partners throw R. sticks to each other at exactly the same time, thenL. sticks
9. Partners throw both sticks at the same time. (One throws sticks through the center, the other throws outside, carefully keeping the sticks vertical.)
I always sit on the floor and demonstrate the sticks by first hitting the sticks on the floor 4x, then flipping them one hand at a time
4x, then tossing sticks to the other hand 4x, then flipping both sticks at the same time. The children are always impressed with the flipping
movements, even though they are quite easy to do. Have fun becoming skillful at Lummi Sticks.
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Tinikling poles: I used 1" PVC pipe. I also glued an L fitting on each end of the PVC pipes so that the kids wouldn't bang their fingers on the floor. I didn't have to buy blocks of wood then to raise them above the floor when playing them. The kids didn't trip over them, either.
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Tinikling Poles Two players are seated holding ends of poles in each hand. They strike the poles against the ground (or little wooden blocks) once with poles held apart and then strike the poles against each other twice. This sets up a 3/4 rhythm of apart, together, together, which keeps repeating throughout the dance. Students jump in between the poles when they are apart and back out immediately. There are several patterns to learn for the dance, sometimes hopping in with one foot and sometimes with two, sometimes turning around as you hop in and out, sometimes with a partner, etc. Try Lyons 1-800-292-4955. They used to carry the record or cassette that has the instructions. The record/cassette is called Tinikling, Authentic Philippine Dance - All Ages by Mrs. Carmen Kazan and I think it was by Kimbo Records.
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***********************************************************************DIDGERIDOO
http://www.didjshop.com/shop1/index2.php?pagecall=http://www.didjshop.com/shop1/ake_your_own_didgeridoo.htmlHow to make your own didgeridoo for less than ten dollars
We've had lots of people ask us how to make their own didgeridoo as they haven't got the money to buy a real one. If you can't afford a good genuine Didgeridoo, one of the next best things in sound quality is a plastic pipe - and it’s certainly the cheapest option. There is one source for a Didgeridoo, which can be even cheaper and that is the cardboard rolls used by fabric merchants to roll the material on. You can probably pick those up for free at fabric retailers. It's advisable to give them a coat of varnish or wood glue to harden them and improve the sound of the didgeridoo.
Fantastic Plastic
Back to the fantastic plastic. Here's some didgeridoo-making advice straight off my video:
I recommend you get a PVC pipe from your hardware store, with an internal diameter of 40mm. Get it cut or cut it yourself to exactly 104cm long and your PVC Didgeridoo will be in the key of E or 118 cm long for a D or 132 cm long for a C. These are the best keys to learn on. Sand the ends of the pipe smooth.
Then get yourself a small piece of natural beeswax from a beekeeper, hardware store, health food shop or saddler. Lay it inside a glass jar in the sun for half an hour (if you got any sun) or nuke it in the microwave for 10 seconds or put it into the oven at very low (~50-60°C). When the beeswax is nice and soft make a snake out of it, that is about 5 to 10 mm thick. Press that beeswax snake in a circle onto one end of the pipe, smooth and seal the inside of the mouthpiece and then do the same for its outside. Then work the beeswax so you end up with a hole about 35 mm across. It can be slightly oval, but should be even without hills and valleys. The more even the hole is in both dimensions, the easier it is to get a good seal with the mouth.
That's all! Your didj is finished! Give your didgeridu a blow! Give it a go. If it doesn't feel quite right, try to make the hole slightly larger or smaller. That can make a big difference to how easy the Didgeridoo is to play. To learn circular breathing, we recommend The Didjshop's one-hour How To Play the Didgeridoo video. In the tutorial video, half the time is spent teaching circular breathing - and there are lots of useful exercises. -- Contributed by Patricia Albritton
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***********************************************************************DRUMS
Also see: #24 Junior High/Middle School Music/Drumming 12/13 Lynn Kleiner's Sound Drum comes with cd. The activities are directed from the cd.-----------------
12/13 DRUMMING I think that with the Primary students you could very easily have them do the first part. The drums are easily use with Nursery rhymes as well. However, I usually have the students play on the rests. For instance, Hickory, Dickory Dock, drum, The Mouse ran up the clock, drum, The clock struck one, the mouse ran down, Hickory Dickory Dock, drum, drum! Try other nursery rhymes and you will probably be able to fit the drums in, in some way shape or fashion. Being in a school that has many languages within the population, our students have not heard American nursery rhymes, so this is an excellent way to introduce them to hearing the language and the rhyming, which is essential for reading and speaking English! ---- Caryn Mears
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12/12 HOMEMADE: Five gallon bucket lids are $1.28 each - 12" thick plastic circles! HD also had a twist on lid that I'm thinking I could use to lift the congas off the carpet...Kinda like these $30 wooden conga sound plates. ------ Lee Cain
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12/12 NOISE: The noise level was one reason I attached the rubber shelf liner to my plates/lids. It also gives you the bounce of a drum pad. I have the kids use various things for sticks, depending on the grade level and the lesson. sometimes we use rhythm sticks, sometimes recorder cleaners, sometimes I make sticks by rolling newspaper and wrapping in duct tape. Robin Lavinder
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06/07 Now you can download a complete copy of the latest Drum Circle Music Iconography. “DCMI” was created over four years ago to help anyone who facilitates group drumming (or music). It's simple, effective, and easy for anyone to use. The current PDF shows you how.
Applications include: Training Settings, Music Classrooms, Music and Arts and Journaling
Here are your links:
http://www.drumcirclemusic.com/downloads.html
http://www.drumcirclemusic.com/images/DCMI.pdf
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06/05 STORAGE: I adapted the drums that I do have (and compiled what I had at two schools and lugged around a Rubbermaid tub for two weeks!:-) ),with mostly hand drums, a couple of African talking drums and a couple sets of bongos, plus shekeres and other shakers, and did drum circles anyway, using Will Schmidt's book. My kids had a blast with it. I used it for all grade levels, doing echoing, "sentence-finishing", and worked on trying to put together a Calypso piece to do for grandparent's day with my fifth graders ( no time:-( ). In my bigger classes, I used the tub itself, and a couple of other smaller storage containers in addition to the drums! I really encourage everyone to give drumming a try, even as a small unit. The kids really love it, and they truly hone in on their listening skills, especially in echoing. -- Karen Stafford
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06/05 MALLETS Call George at American Drum to order them.
http://www.americandrum.com/
George is a real sweetheart. He's usually at most conferences, also, with a booth so you could try out the mallet. I bought with my own money his Orff mallets because they are so durable. I have them downstairs with all my stuff. My response: I needed new mallets and I LOVE the A.D. mallets. Shall I name the reasons? Price, quality, absolutely fabulous people to deal with. AND the blue handles have 4 little white lines right where the pointer finger and thumb grip the mallet, making my instruction sooooo much easier. You can also send the worn-out mallets back and have them rewrapped for a nominal fee. What a deal. I also discovered that George is tops in my book when I called the store to find out about some stuff. He answered all my questions - the guy knows his stuff - and even suggested that I look at the new short mallets. I decided to try them. They are total maybe 8 or 9 inches long, but weighted perfectly. My small people find them much easier to use than the long dudes and they are just fine with me as well. They take a second or two to get used to but other than that, they're just as good. American Drum. Martha in Tallahassee
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06/05 REMO SHAPE DRUMS I loved those shape drums too and used them alot with my K-1s. The teachers loved the fact that they reinforced the teaching of shapes and colors. I loved the fact that they are inexpensive and take up very little storage space. When the kids each had a drum I would dismiss them by saying "All triangles line up, all reds line up, etc."-- Judy in Wi.
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06/05 RAISING DRUMS HIGHER: Stick some heavy duty erasers on the bottom...at least three or cut some old garden hose into about three inch lengths then mak a notch in them to fit the edge of the drum. [This raises the drums high enough to let air out and protects the bottom of the drum.]Susan Michiels
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06/05 I took some djembe lessons from a sabar and djembe drummer from Segal. He was just wonderful. He simply uses soft belts...like the karate belts....to keep the drums up. You tie it on to the drum (one end) then you wrap it tightly around your waist and then under your bottom as you sit. You need to do it tight enough that the drum is slightly propped off the ground...better yet...have it so it just lightly leans on your feet (turn your feet so it goes on the sides). You don't go all the way around the waist before putting it under your bottom. The drum get's tied at the center (in front of you) then wrap 3/4 around your waist and under your bottom. -- Rhonda in WI
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06/05 This is more of an activity than a craft......but here goes.....My kids LOVE to do "sing downs" It's pretty simple....They get ot work in small groups (I allow them to choose their own, but when working with different grades, I usually ask each group to include 3 or 4 from each grade). Each group has a pencil and paper, Then I give them a topic, ex: colors, they get about 5 minutes to list every single song they can sing that has a color in it....they must have at least 1 person who can sing the line with the color in it). Then it's performance time. Each group gets to sing 1 song from their list....there are no duplicates allowed, so if another group has that song, they must cross it off. The winner is the group that has the last remaining song! (If they have more than one song left, they sing each song and get a point for each). My kids love this and I have done it with groups as small as 10 and as large as hundreds... questions? Feel free to ask and I will try to clarify.-- elissa57
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End-of-Year
I choose for very active community dances - in the last couple of weeks, my k-1's learn some children's play parties, and we head outside to the shade of a large tree to play them where they originated (most likely an outdoor game created by kids) I love doing Shenanigans songs with my 2's and 3's (Syncopated Cyril is a favorite with the 2nds), this year go to the New England Dancing Masters for Alabama Gal with 3rds and I also for 4th with Sweets of May and/or Galopede, and my last adoring looks at the 5ths I've raised for 6 years comes from Zemir Atik, in the Weikart series. But this year, my Composition project ran late, and so I'll be trying to squeeze in a few student performances as well in 4-5. -- Linda Agnello
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10/04 “A "gamelan" is a gong-chime orchestra of gongs, tuned metallophones, drums, xylophones,strings, and flutes. These bronze or iron ensembles are found throughout Southeast Asia.”
http://glue.dialup.umd.edu/~satu/gamelan/faq.htm#anchor68201
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05/04 TECHNIQUES
Base: (B) whole hand (including base below thumb) hits center of drum parallel with drum but bounces off right away
Base Mute: (BM) as above but remains touching the drum head
Tone: (T) Fingers together, hit side of drum with only the fingers hitting edge of drum
Tone Mute: (TM) as above but remains touching drum head
Slap: (most difficult) (S) fingers open, palm hits side edge of drum (hard) and fingers follow thru onto drum head
Slap Mute (SM) as above but remains touching drum head
The idea behind these different techniques is to get a variety of pitches, Base being the lowest and Slap Mute being the highest.
It is fairly easy to teach the base and mute tones. You can do alot of rote echo drumming with these tones. - Contributed by Sandy Toms
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09/03 Just today the Culligan water people called me to tell me that they had "leakers" to donate for drums. So I drove over and picked up 16 5-gallon water containers. They are going to be wonderful drums. When you hit them on the side you get a very nice resonant bass tone, on the bottom a higher tone. I can hardly wait to try them with the kids. I can see it now: The Culligan Corps! One of our teachers also donated large size baby wipe containers which will make nice smaller drums. - Contributed by Sarah in SC
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09/03 These activities work for grade 3 and up, both inexperienced and experienced drummers will have fun.
Warm up: 16 beats of eighth notes with fingertips at the edge of your drum. (this stroke is known as tones.)
Switch to 16 beats of quarter notes.
Repeat with 8 beats of eighths, 8 beats of quarters, now 4 beats each then 2 beats each and build back up to 4 beats, 8 beats and finally 16.
Next time teach (Bass tones) using the same exercise by playing all quarter notes with the flat of your hand in the middle of your drum. you now have 2 distinct sounds on your drum and you are off and drumming. I believe Jim Solomon used this Warm up at a National AOSA Conference I attended.
Put 2 together and develop 4 beat phrases.
examples Mississippi, mississippi, mississippi, River Mississippi, River, Mississippi, Mud
I abbreviate with ( Miss R Miss M )
Now you are ready for some fun.
I put a 16 beat blank grid on the board or overhead. Next ,work your way around your circle having each student fill in one beat for your phrase. After every 4 beats practice that phrase, create the 2nd phrase, practice it. Add it to the 1st, create a 3rd, add it to 1 and 2, create the 4th phrase and now your have 4 4beat phrases. This is a great place to stop. Now, play your class creation. Great to see the variations if you try this with more than one group.BUT, If not everyone has had a turn, have the next child change 1 beat in the first phrase .
Another day come back and compose a new piece by starting with the original 16 beats and adding a quarter rest to the list of choices.
Looking to practice notation? Now have your students transfer the words to stick notation / notes. - Contributed by Jeri Langemo
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09/03 I do a lot of drum circles at the Children's Hospital in Houston. After we've had a good long chance to just make organized, controlled sound, all breathing together ala Kalani (hi if you're out there, looking forward to TMEA) I break them into small groups. Each group comes up with a phrase that can be spoken in 4, 8 or 16 beats. For example, "Lab technicians steal your blood!" (cresecendos to a fine finish) or "Help, they're coming. Hide me!" Each group has a chance to say their phrase first so everyone can hear and enjoy it. Then they layer in and out with the drums on their phrase. It's a simple way to encourage creativity in people who may not think they're creative. - Contributed by Andrea Cope
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Just today the Culligan water people called me to tell me that they had "leakers" to donate for drums. So I drove over and picked up 16 5-gallon water containers. They are going to be wonderful drums. When you hit them on the side you get a very nice resonant bass tone, on the bottom a higher tone. I can hardly wait to try them with the kids. I can see it now: The Culligan Corps! One of our teachers also donated large size baby wipe containers which will make nice smaller drums. - Contributed by Sarah in SC
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09/03 I use drumming each week with my 6th graders, and there's a few things you can easily do.
1. Start a 4 beat pattern, and let each player pick it up, one at a time, going around the circle. When everyone has it, just keep it going for a while, being careful about not speeding up.
2. Same as above, but once it's been going a while, start another pattern. Everyone keeps playing the first pattern until the new pattern "reaches" them.3. Split the group into two parts: have one group begin a pattern and repeat it, then add the second group with a complementing rhythm.
4. Play "What's for Dinner?" You, as the leader, play the two-beat pattern of dotted eight, sixteenth, eighth, eighth while saying, "What's for din - ner?" The students must answer within a two-beat pattern, for example: ti-ri-ti-ri ti-ti (that's the rhythm they'd play) for hamburgers and french fries. Lots of fun! - Contributed by Beck Luce
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07/03 DRUM CLUB:
I started my D.R.U.M. Club with a $1500 discretionary grant from a local
social services organization (PACT4 Families Collaborative - Willmar, MN). I also received funds from other local organizations including Kiwanis,
The Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, and Wal-Mart. I ended up with about
$3500 total.
With the money, I have purchased conga drums, a couple of xylophones, small percussion instruments, club t-shirts, a small keyboard amplifier, and teaching resource materials. We use the Sienta Series from Peripole Bergerault that Kalani mentioned in an earlier post. We love them and I do not regret the decision to go with congas rather than the Remo tubanos that many other drum ensembles use.
D.R.U.M. stands for Discipline, Respect and Unity through Music and comes from Jim Solomon's book of the same name.
I have 16 students in the group. Eight are fifth graders and eight are sixth graders. Students can be in the club for two years and I choose new fifth graders at the beginning of the school year to replace the outgoing sixth graders.
Students are chosen based on their need to boost self-esteem and their need to belong to some positive organized group. The process of choosing students is rather subjective. I use input from the classroom teachers and the school social worker. I also use my knowledge of student behavior in my class. Musical ability is not really considered, but most of the students are not involved in band and do not take music lessons outside of school.
The group started in mid April of the past school year. We didn't have a lot of time to get started, but what we did get done was a huge hit. We performed for the student body, downtown at our local popcorn stand, and in our town festival parade.
We practice weekly (Mondays after school) for 45 minutes during the school year. It's a very short amount of time, but that's all I've got before the second load buses leave. Most of these students don't have parents that are willing to come get them from school, so I have to follow the bus schedule.
The resources I have used so far are World Music Drumming by Will Schmid and Conga Town and D.R.U.M. by Jim Solomon. I'm looking into the Walt Hampton books for next year because the kids would like to add a little more xylophone to our ensemble. I'm also planning to do some things with xylophones and drums out of the Orff volumes (Murray ed.)
Well, that's it off of the top of my head. If you have questions or would like more details about anything, I'm happy to fill you in. - Contributed by Beth Spreen mailto:[email protected]
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07/03 You will need to take care with them (you'll see why), but they sound great. I'll be making 6-8 of different sizes.
Materials: Quick-Tube (heavy cardboard forms to create cement footers), 5/64 inch plywood or luan (may need to check out, woodworking/hobby stores), Kilz or Binz (oil-based primer), Paint or Cloth to decorate (we used acrylics; I plan to try some cloth on my new ones) pieces of 2x4 to re-inforce base, Varithane (water-based polyurethane), 2 or more paint brushes (one for oil, one for water), Gorilla Glue, Watco Oil, Saber/Jig Saw, Router, Orbital Sander
1. Quick-Tube (also known as sono-tube) comes 4-ft. lengths in varying diameters. Use the saw to cut into two or more sections. Cut openings into bottom of drum (look at tubano pictures)
2. Cut plywood/luan slightly larger than diameter (doesn't need to be neat - you'll trim it up later).
3. Prime quicktube with kilz/binz, let it dry.
4. Use Gorilla Glue to attach plywood/luan to quick- tube (warning - it sticks to everything). Let dry overnight, remove drips, touch-up primer.
5. Use router to round/smooth edges. Decorate the drum, give 2 coats varithane when dry.
6. Decorate your drum!
7. Sand the top (use 260 grit first, then 15 micron).
8. Apply Watco to drum head.
9. At sometime in the above stages, cut 2x4 blocks and glue to bottom to provide some stability. -- Contributed by Jan Morris [email protected]
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Warmups: These simple exercises are based on the work presented by Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. . Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. is a neurophysiologist and educator with more than 28 years of teaching experience. In her best selling book "Smart Moves", Dr. Hannaford states that our bodies are very much a part of all our learning, and learning is not an isolated "brain" function. Every nerve and cell is a network contributing to our intelligence and our learning capability. Many educators have found this work quite helpful in improving overall concentration in class. Introduced here, you will find four basic "Brain Gym" exercises which implement the ideas developed in "Smart Moves" and can be used quickly in any classroom. They are surprisingly simple, but very effective!
* Drink Water
As Carla Hannaford says, "Water comprises more of the brain (with estimates of 90%) than of any other organ of the body." Having students drink some water before and during class can help "grease the wheel". Drinking water is very important before any stressful situation - tests! - as we tend to perspire under stress, and de-hydration can effect our concentration negatively.
* "Brain Buttons"
This exercise helps improve blood flow to the brain to "switch on" the entire brain before a lesson begins. The increased blood flow helps improve concentration skills required for reading, writing, etc.
o Put one hand so that there is as wide a space as possible between the thumb and index finger.
o Place your index and thumb into the slight indentations below the collar bone on each side of the sternum. Press lightly in a pulsing manner. o At the same time put the other hand over the navel area of the stomach. Gently press on these points for about 2 minutes.
* "Cross Crawl"
This exercise helps coordinate right and left brain by exercising the information flow between the two hemispheres. It is useful for spelling, writing, listening, reading and comprehension.
o Stand or sit. Put the right hand across the body to the left knee as you raise it, and then do the same thing for the left hand on the right knee just as if you were marching. o Just do this either sitting or standing for about 2 minutes.
* "Hook Ups"
This works well for nerves before a test or special event such as making a speech. Any situation which will cause nervousness calls for a few "hook ups" to calm the mind and improve concentration.
o Stand or sit. Cross the right leg over the left at the ankles.
o Take your right wrist and cross it over the left wrist and link up the fingers so that the right wrist is on top.
o Bend the elbows out and gently turn the fingers in towards the body until they rest on the sternum (breast bone) in the center of the chest. Stay in this position.
o Keep the ankles crossed and the wrists crossed and then breathe evenly in this position for a few minutes. You will be noticeably calmer after that time. -- Contributed by Patricia Albritton
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02/03 And don't forgot those great water bottles from the water coolers. One of my former students works for Culligan and gave me a whole carful of "leakers" a few years ago. If they have even the slightest little crack they leak and can't be used but they make wonderful drums! I too LOVE free stuff!! Last summer the custodians were cleaning my room and wanted to discard them as they thought they were junk. Thank goodness I just happened to be there and let them know they certainly are not junk...they are drums!!
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04/02 RHYTHM ROPE (AKA JUNK DRUMS)
This activity can be done with kids of any age, indoor or outdoor. Materials: long rope (at least 2 feet per participant), recyclable (metal
or plastic items, or sturdy items found in nature), hammers, nails, roll of
string or fishing line, dowels (8-12') or sticks for mallets. Students
can bring in items from home, or you could provide them all. The idea is to
attach the recyclable with string (you can use hammer and nails to make
holes in them if necessary) to the long rope, and then hang it from two
trees or across the room. Give each person two dowels and they can tap out
rhythms to some favorite piece of music (live or recorded). Keep the
strings short to avoid items swinging and hitting students! A great
activity for camps.
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01/02 I have seventy-five gallon cans, courtesy of my cafeteria ladies, I'm going
to go ahead and have every kid make a floor tom. I took a weekend trip to
Home Depot and found, in the bathroom aisle, these great funnel-shaped metal
fixtures that are meant to connect a large pipe to a smaller one ... and the
smaller end just HAPPENS to be the same diameter as the gallon cans! So I
bought four, for $4 each, and made some djembe/doumbek drums (gotta love duct
tape). I'll have extra cans, even after the in-class projects, so I'm going
to let some of my fourth-graders, who hang around after school and beg to
help with whatever I'm working on, make some tall "congas" with two cans
duct-taped together vertically. I've experimented all week and have a
KICKING drumhead going. Very easy, too. Here's my set of directions, in
case anyone's interested:
1. Use a can opener to remove the ends of the can. Smooth over any sharp
bits with duct tape.
2. Tape all around the edge that you're going to put the drumhead on, to pad
it.
3. Cut a square of weather-proofing plastic that's just larger than the end
of the can. (It should be the kind of plastic that shrinks when heated.
Thanks to whoever suggested this on the list). Use duct tape to fasten this
to the end of the can, as tightly as possible. I used a north-south,
east-west approach -- taped one side, then the opposite side, then did the
right angles. This left four little "tufts" of unsecured plastic, one at
each corner of the drumhead. Twist each "tuft" until that corner is taut,
then tape down the twist.
4. Heat the plastic drumhead with a hair dryer. Don't get too carried away
or you'll melt it. I know this from experience.
5. Cut a square of unbleached muslin or other thin cotton cloth that's the
same size as the square of plastic. Repeat the taping/tufting/twisting
procedure, over the top of the plastic. Use colored duct tape (another Home
Depot special) to run decorative horizontal bands around the top and bottom
of the drum. (I used red. Black's good, too.)
6. Use a spritzer bottle of water to dampen the cloth.
7. Coat the damp fabric with a thick layer of glue. Elmer's is fine. I
used the blue gel stuff. Not as goopy.
8. Reach up inside the can and press the plastic against the cloth. Try to
get all the bubbles out, if there are any. (So far, I've had minor bubble
issues with the drums I've made, but it doesn't appear to impair the
performance of the drumhead significantly).
9. Allow to dry. Repeat the spritzing/gluing process twice more. While the
last coat is still wet, you can use glitter glue to create a decorative
pattern on the drumhead, as an optional touch. My favorite so far is a loose
spiral design that radiates out from the center of the drumhead ...
especially since the drum lessons stress the circle as a sign of equality.
10. Decorate! I'm having my fifth-graders decoupage their drums -- keep
reading for a blow-by-blow. The results are stunning.
Decoupage:
1. For fifty kids, I bought two yards each of six different, but
coordinating, patterns of fabric. I got a madras plaid, a polkadot, two
solids, and two random prints in primary colors.
2. Use pinking shears to cut the fabric into pieces of different shapes and
sizes.
3. Dilute glue with water. You can't use Elmer's for this -- it has to be
tacky glue or some other craft brand that'll work on bare metal.
4. Dip a piece of fabric in the glue/water mixture and apply it to the can,
patting it gently down with your fingertips. It's easier to work around the
can from top to bottom. The pieces should overlap slightly, though it's okay
if a little can shows through here and there, and they shouldn't all be
square to each other -- the more random the better. Cover the whole can.
The edges of the cloth should overlap the duct tape at the top and bottom of
the can.
5. Using a sponge brush or other small paintbrush, go back over the edges of
the cloth pieces with more diluted glue, to make sure the corners stay down.
A coat of diluted glue over the cloth will make it shiny, sort of like the
fabric finish on the Remo drums, and increase durability.
6. If you have glitter glue (Elmer's makes it; I bought a six-pack of
assorted colors at Staples for six bucks), you can choose a color and fill in
any little "holes" in the decoupage -- anywhere you see silver tape or metal.
7. Let it dry!
I showed the kids my "prototypes" on Friday, and they're really excited about
starting to make them tomorrow. I'm pretty psyched myself. I've got digital
pics of the djembes, if anyone's interested in taking a look. They look
REALLY good, and they sound great. I'm sensing a photo op for the local
paper ....
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7/01 Steel Drum site: http://www.blarg.net/~toucans/aboutPan.html
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Have the cooks in your school collect the LARGE cans that veggies and fruit come in. The lids will already be off and the edges are usually smooth.Cut construction paper to fit the can. Have children decorate. Tape the paper to the can. Have each child provide 2 unsharpened pencils. Show them how to wrap the eraser with yarn. Secure with tape. Voila! Drum with mallets!
Lions Roar - put a hole in the bottom of a Coffee can. Tie a knot in a shoe lace. Pull through hole in bottom. Use a damp rag to pull down the string making a very loud roaring sound.
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Formula Cans make great drums -- perfect size for little hands! We paint them, fill them with dried beans/rice/seeds/whatever! to make them "shaker drums". We play them with our hands or with unsharpened pencils. Also, since some of these cans are "ribbed" you can make them "scraper/shaker drums" which is always fun. (grades pre-K-1)
Water/Juice Bottles make great guiros. (Also a great way to recycle.) Make sure they're thoroughly dried inside and you can fill them with neat things: confetti, raffia, ribbon, or any shiny/sparkly crafty thing you've got! Color a craft stick and scrape away! (Or you can buy a box of already colored ones from the Oriental Trading Catologue) (I do with grades 2-3)
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Drums from Coffee Cans
I made some pretty good sounding drums from 3 lb coffee cans opened on both ends. For a drum head I used the plastic sheeting used to insulate windows here in Michigan. It is really inexpensive. I made a dozen drums with $3.00 worth. After cutting it to fit and taping it fairly tightly across the top with clear packaging tape, I heat it gently with a hair dryer and it shrinks to fit. It lasted a long time with my special ed classes. We played them with wooden mallets. They have a nice ringing sound. After awhile the heads loosened a bit but tightened up when heated once again. If the heads do puncture, they are a snap to replace. This clear plastic is easily decorated with permanent markers. The kids like that!
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Drum Heads
Drum heads can be made from grocery bags soaked in cornstarch and allowed to dry. These are then stretched between embroidery hoops. Cardboard is then used to form drum sides and separate the two heads.
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Drums: On the hand drums. Get the clear packaging tape from Wal-Mart. It is about an inch and a half wide. Cut both sides off of the Gallon Coffee can and on one end cut the tape and stretch it across the top of the can. Crossing the tape each time such as this.an astrict. (SP) * You can make the top as strong as you need it. I have one that I made three years a go. and it still has the same tape on it. It makes a very firm head. You can also do it with a five gallon bucket.
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I have made some Palm tree drums with Elementary students using hollowed out palm trees and Raw hide. They make great bongo and conga drums.
Tin Can Timbales
Materials: 6 clothes pins, A large "tin" can (tomato juice or coffee size is fine), A smaller can (about the size of a garbanzo bean can), Pair of chopsticks or pencils
Directions: Entirely remove one end of each can, check for jagged edges Make tripod by clipping sets of three clothes pins on the open end of each can lay on the top (remaining edge) with your chopsticks They sound great and look good too - like a miniature set of floor toms.
Pitched Instruments
Kazoo - Take a toilet paper tube, decorate. stick one end in a pan of glue. then place on waxed paper till it dries. Punch a hole in the other end, trim around the waxed paper and hum away. (1 45 min. class)
BACK to Making Instrument Topics
***********************************************************************KAZOOS
12/11 SOURCE: kazoos.com, orientaltrading.com,http://www.kazoos.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=KK&Category_Code=KFO
06/06 I give one to each student and have them write their names on them with permanent marker. I collect them when we're done with them, and store them according to class. - Jane Rivera
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06/06 Periodically I put out a call for toilet paper tubes, and collect them in giant plastic containers. Every two or three years, I have the kids decorate a tube for themselves, and put it in a separate Zip-Lock sandwich bag (I actually use the name brand, since the boxes have Boxtops for Education on them) with their name on the sandwich bag as well. I keep each class's set in a giant Zip-Lock for organization. I add a piece of wax paper on one end, secured with a rubber band with a tiny pin prick in the center.
[NOTE: When you use a store-bought kazoo, you close your mouth around the kazoo and hum. When you use a toilet-tissue-tube kazoo, you put the kazoo around your MOUTH and hum - - with your lips open.]
We practice playing kazoos for five or six weeks, and then we go on a parade around part of the school building, playing kazoos as we go. This year was a kazoo year. The Art teacher had had them make crowns to demonstrate taking a two-dimensional object and creating a three-dimensional object. They wore their crowns and played their kazoos. I positioned myself in the hall with the boom box on a tall rolling cart, the classroom teachers had the kids lined up at their doors with crowns and kazoos in place. The Art teacher went from door to door adding classes to the parade. They paraded up the long hall from their wing, past the school office, and out onto the front steps where they lined up to play. As soon as they got into the hall where they could hear the K-8 recording, they started humming The Wheels On the Bus, which was our "travelling music." Once in position on the steps, they played/hummed Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald Had A Farm (both these songs were done with action added by Fourth Grade helpers with Costco animal puppets! !), and rounded out the program with Take Me Out to the Ball Game. [These songs were] all K-8, although not all specifically for kazoo. Having provided ample photo opportunities, they then paraded back down the hall to their rooms playing The Wheels on the Bus. We were supposed to parade around the building and re-convene in the bus circle green space, where Third Graders were supposed to dance the May Pole for them, - - but the one lone Third Grade that was supposed to do it on that day (others had other days of the week) crapped out and couldn't come, so our program came to an early close. The kids loved it. The teachers loved it. The administrators loved it. The parents loved it. Even without the crowns, it's a pretty easy thing to do, and you get a lot of bang for your buck, public-relations-wise. Save those t.p. tubes, and enjoy! !! Humming is a great way for kids to get control of pitch, and they LOVE it! ! ! - Carol Cantrell
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06/06 I use waxed paper and the combs that are used foir the kids on picture day. I puit them through the dishwasher after having soaked them in a mild bleach deteregent mix. I just provide a can for the photographers to throw them in after they use them and so every year I get over 200 combs! All I have to provide is the waxed paper! We then baggie the combs and paper. -- Sue Michiels
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06/05 BUY: http://www.musick8.com/html/instruments.tpl?findme=kazoo&find=e1
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06/05 CLEANING KAZOOS: After using my kazoos, I drop them in cups of alcohol, about 1 inch deep, so that it does NOT get the little paper membranes wet. Then I have to wipe each mouthpiece with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball, then rinse in clean water. The rinsing in water is not absolutely necessary because you can't really taste the alcohol after it dries, but I do it anyway. I checked with the school nurse and she said that the actual rubbing is what does the disinfecting, so that part is necessary. Before that I had just soaked the mouthpieces in alcohol. Luckily I never had a problem, but now I'm a little more careful. I'm sure the germicidal solution would work the same way. But you can't just drop them in unless the little membranes are the screw-off type like some of mine are. But even then, you have to keep up with the little papers and put them back just so. What a pain! So I just do a few cupfuls at a time until they're all done. Maybe that's why I don't use them too often! :) Pat Price
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You can get kazoos from LMI priced at $0.59 for six or more. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/lmi
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06/04 A few years ago my co-worker and I did "Eine kleine Kazoomusik" and had three classes of second graders playing kazoos. We ordered kazoos from kazoo.com ( or kazoos.com??) with money from our VERY generous PTA.
We then put each one in its own ziplock baggie with a number on it, and assigned each kid a number. I wrote the number in my grade book by their name because they NEVER remember......and then kept each class in a separate bin/container.
When we meet we handed them out and after collected them. I know nothing about the maintenance of a kazoo, though. We ordered extras so if there as a problem we were able to give out replacements. -- Contributed by Monica in CT
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Inexpensive kazoos (like dollar store - several in a package) sometimes do not have the vibrating paper, so cut a very small piece of wax paper and insert under cap.
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The site: kazoo.com has "seconds" that are also available for purchase at a highly discounted price, in bags of 25. the kazoos work perfectly fine. the reasons they're "seconds" is because a company logo may have been stamped on crooked, there was an overrun of a logo, etc. i've found these kazoos to have a MUCH BETTER tone than those available at the party store.
http://www.kazoos.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=KK&Category_Code=KFO I did get myself a metal kazoo tonight at Craker Barrel just for fun. The Kazoo. com company says they are the only American made Kazoos that they know of , but the one I bought tonight is also from a US company located in N.Y. - Contributed by Julie Kellum
Cut 8 tubes : _____________________22 1/8"________I ______12 1/8 "____
Cut 8 tubes : ____________________20"__________I ______14 5/8"_______I
Cut 8 tubes: ____________________16 1/2"_____I ____________16 1/2"____
Measure precisely, there's no room to waste. On the D/C tube and the G/G
tube, you'll have a small amount to trim at the end. I suggest trimming off
the end with the finished opening. It has a metal ring inside that makes an
annoying rattle when you whack it. On the E/A tube, there's no trim, so
you'll leave the ring on.
Find 5 colors of tape to wrap the ends, so each length is color coded.
Several of us music teachers got together one summer afternoon with saws and
tape and measuring tape and made a party of it. In one afternoon we all made
a full set. At the next Orff meeting we brought our sets and everyone had a
grand time! Have fun! http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/musician/virtualarmonica.html
12/13 LESSON: I do a lesson on this every year with third graders. Ties in with Colonial
music, inventors, science and did I say music...
I do this lesson over several weeks b/c I have so many things to do at
Christmas time. and I like to leave my kids wanting more....:)
Rainsticks We've just been making them at church in kids choir. We used cardboard tubes, beans, aluminum foil (a log of it inside to slow the beans down-tape both ends to outside) Straight pins stuck into tube in circular rows to also slow beans; cover with plastic wrap and paper mache (3 layers) then paint.
African Rain Sticks Materials Needed:
To add to my "music library" I bought the book "The Rainstick, a fable." The kids love it, and at the end of the book is an explanation and instructions for making a rainstick. The story is written by Sandra Chisholm Robinson. The story revolves around a young African boy who journeys into the rain forest in the hopes of helping his village recover from a drought.....
We used rainsticks with the book "Listen to the Rain"(Bill Martin Jr.) ......very effective.
Materials:
1. Take a sheet of aluminum foil about 4 inches longer than the tube, loosely fold into a log and light scrunch toward center (this will slow the movement of the beans) then insert into tube and fold ends over outside tube and tape. How To Make Rainsticks
We also sang a song about “Layers in the Rainforest” (sung to "If You're Happy and You Know It"):
WEBSITE: STOMP address for rainsticks: http://www.stomponline.com/percuss3.html" Part 2: Rainforest Section: http://www.stomponline.com/
GAME: The children stand in a circle. One student walks around to the beat in the middle of the circle. As he walks (and as the students sing the song) he moves the rain stick back and forth to the beat of the song. When we get to the lyrics: "Little Johnny wants to play," the child in the center stands in front of someone in the circle. That person then sings: "I want to play" - using "sol mi la sol mi." That person then does a four beat pattern - anything he desires as long as it is non-locomotor. Then the rest of the students copy his four beat game. After that (the beat never stopping) the student who made up the four beat game gets the rainstick and goes to the middle of the circle. The process begins again until you want to stop the game. The students loved this (from K to 5th grade.)
ACTIVITY: S.A. Rainsticks Since we studied that rainsticks are from Chile (at least that's the research we found but I have heard otherwise too), I bought a CD of South American music (instrumental). I had around 100 kids with rainsticks so we surrounded all four walls of the gym with the rainsticks. One student stood up front at the mic and talked about the history of the rainstick. When she was finished, I played one of the instrumental songs. I told the kids to wait a bit and then begin turning. It was wonderful!!!! The sound inside the circle was just fabulous. They turned until I gave my "line leaders" the cue. The lines dropped their rainsticks into boxes I had in front of the stage and continued up the steps to the stage. I kept the S. American music playing until all kids were on stage. VERY effective and I highly recommend! It was a buy on a whim at Camelot Music. I found it in there multi-cultural section. It's titled, Music from South America: Chile. It is produced by Laserlight Digital. The UPC code, which may or may not be useful, is 01811154202. It's not a bad S. America sound. There is a bit of vocals and alot of guitar sound. I thought it was very effective playing in the background of the rainsticks.
SONG: I start with rote - *rain, rain go away* add rainsticks so the first moment is a *real* musical experience.
BOOK: There is a book called "The Rainstick" by Sandra Robinson, illustrated by Peter Grosshauser. It is a fable drawn from the rich traditions of West Africa. A boys quest for rain takes him from the dry savanna to the tropical rainforest, where he discovers the instrument which answers an ancient riddle. -- Caryn Mears How about Kibungo, from The Singing Sack? A kibungo is the Brazilian version of Big Foot. Cute story of Jabuti, the tortoise tricking him and a great song in Portuguese that is easy to add a xylophone ositiato to. We added a bit of drumming and rainsticks at the beginning and had great fun with it.
SONG: MK8 6:4 has a song entitled "The Music of Life" which has a rainstick part written in it, along with a lot of other nature sounds. My students have loved it every year. I have used it with 4th and 5th graders. We have used gift wrap tubes and paper towel tube, toothpicks, and rice and sealed the ends with masking tape, then paper mache' the outside and decorate.
BOOK: A Fable by Sandra Chisholm Robinson, Peter Grosshauser (Illustrator) It's based on a Liberian folk tale
SONG: There's a nice partner style piece called "Rhythm of the Rain" by Jerry Estes, published by Alfred, #17730. We did it with rainsticks last year in our Back to Nature program.
BOOK: I have had great success with The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. It is a fabulous book for a sound story with boas, monkeys, axe, etc all in a rain forest. -- as posted by Camille Page on 8/04/07 in the MK8 archives
POEM: Langston Hughes "April Rain Song" -- Linda Zaudtke
Light Bulb Maracas (SHAKERS) - Take a standard size or slightly larger light bulb. Shape paper-mache around the bulb. Let it dry. When it has dried and hardened, give the bulb an easy blow against a hard table edge or the like, breaking the glass inside the paper -mache and thus providing the material to make the sound when the "maraca" is shook. Let the students paint and decorate the instruments. (Note: Exercise care and close supervision to avoid breaking the bulbs prematurely and risking any injury.)
Maracas: Glue a piece of aluminum foil to one end of a toilet paper roll. Put some rice in the roll. Glue the other end with aluminum foil. Decorate with construction paper and wha-la. Instant "Maracas".
'Australian' Maracas Cut two pieces of cardboard about the size and the shape of a boomerang. Next glue craft sticks the size of tongue dispensers to each side of the cardboard. I used six per side. That is a total of 24 craft sticks. The students can decorate the instrument after it is dry. Each student will need two. These make great rhythm instruments and my classes loved making them. I used these in grades k through 3.
Fruit Shakes MATERIALS NEEDED (plus S.F. Bay Area prices in quotes) assorted plastic fruits (80 cents to $2 each) #8 buck shot ($4/pound in a small quantity. Cheap in lg. bags) light brown or tan wax letter sealer ($3) glue gun small drill or awl to make a hole in the fruit; stickers from the fruit that you buy at the grocery store
"Can" Do Shakers - Take washed out and dried soft drink (soda for the northern audience) CANS, place just a FEW dried peas inside (avoid rocks, BB's, and other things that will make too much noise), then cover the top of the can over with a glued on construction paper cutout. (Note: If you do not remove the pull tabs yourself and cover them over, be very careful that a student does not have to deal with any jagged metal pieces.) Have the students decorate the shakers by painting them or by decorating a construction paper cut-out to glue around the can. (This could also be done with cleaned milk cartons from the cafeteria or other suitable containers)
Paper Plates Shakers - Provide each student with two heavy duty paper plates or saucers. Have them decorate the outside of each in any way they choose. Or, you can let them do something that will reinforce a particular song/topic you are currently studying, hopefully with which they could use their shakers. Have them place one plate on the table and put a FEW dried peas in it. Then, invert the other plate and place it directly on top of the plate on the table. Either glue or staple the plates together. If you glue them, be SURE to WAIT until they are completely dry before using them (unless you think it would be fun to see dried peas flying around the room).
Use empty 35mm film canisters (usually available free at your localphotography place). fill with rice. Decorate with stickers. Shakers!
Shakere They could give you more information on it, or connect you with the teacher. Their web site is www.panix.com/~openctr/
Collect Pringle's cans. Cut construction paper to fit the outside. Have children decorate with markers or crayons. Fill can with rice or dried
beans or small rocks. Tape on the lid with a heavy clear tape. Tape the decorated construction paper to the outside. Voila! Shaker!
Jingle Bell "Tambourine" - Give each student a plain, white, heavy duty paper plate. Allow them to paint, color, or draw on it a Christmas, winter, or other decorative scene or motif. Use a hole-punch to punch a whole in the edge of each plate at approximately the ten and two o'clock positions (more if you like; this can be done ahead of time if you prefer). Take short lengths of various colored pipe cleaners and let the students insert these into the back of loose jingle bells. Attach the bells to the paper plate, through the holes, with the pipe cleaners.
Then, have a blast with "Jingle Bells" and other suitable Santa type songs. A slight variation: use the same basic idea, but for the decorating part, let students create a Santa "face" on the plate using cotton balls for fur and beard and gluing a cut out Santa cap to the top edge of the plate between the holes for the jingle bells. The jingle bells would then appear to be attached to Santa's "hat."
Rhythm Sticks-Cut broom or mop handles (preferably DISCARDED mops or brooms!) or dowel rods into ten to twelve inch lengths. Let the students paint and decorate two sticks each and, presto...a pair of rhythm sticks
for each student.
C (narrow red) 11 7/8"
It is important to use the exact colors if you use the Boomwhackers Games
CD and some of the other Boomwhackers books. They tell what color
Boomwhackers to use when.-Contributed by Denise in SC
2 G's can be cut from one tube (with at the most, 1" of waste)
Thunkers are played by holding them in one hand and thunking them on the palm. By playing them on the palm, the children realize it quickly if they are hitting too hard. If their hand starts stinging, they just hit the palm with less force! Emphasize that they are not played on other people, and the thunker will be taken away if used as a weapon. (I seldom have to take away a thunker. If I do, these children just clap instead of thunking.)
1. as a primitive brass instrument. Put your lips inside the tube and blow. It is difficult to get a good sound that way, but the children think it's funny.
Steve's measurements are from the open end of the pipe to the bottom of the cap. If I had measured the pipes with the caps off, each measurement would be slightly less.
This works really well for me when I work with groups of 'Stomping Pipers' to play triads. For example, Black, Black, Yellow, Yellow; Black, Black, Yellow, Yellow ... = C C d d C C d d ...
I believe the other instrument you are referring to (Boomwhacker) is called a Thongaphone here, because the plastic footwear which some people use to 'whack' this instrument with are called thongs here in Australia.
The easiest and quickest way initially, is with chord changes in the song.
For instance: CCCC FFFF CCCC GGGG Etc.
Use for every quarter note, or half etc.
Also use for a bass part in an arrangement to augment the Bass Xylophone, or Bass Metallophone.
I should also say, that boom pipes go extremely well with recorders.
Using the same method of using them for chord changes, with Soprano and Alto Recorders....a beautiful sound.
Use them to replace a simple bass line ostinato pattern - my older kids love to do "Louie, Louie" - ccc ff ggg ff ccc ff ggg ff etc.!
01/02 DIDJERIDOO
I really enjoy composing in the classroom with chants and boomies and with kids in small groups. Here's one of my favorite activities for grades 2nd-5th. (about 8 to 11 years old) Assign parts that must be performed; require that there be something that keeps a steady and obvious beat; require that every person in the group must have a part that is audible. The assigned parts include a bw drone, broken or plain, and/or a simple ostinato, a steady beat instrument, speakers for the chant. Work that through. Then assign or let the kids choose a boomwhacker array/ tone set. Change the speaking part to a boomwhacker part. They have to puzzle out which bw play which words. And maintain the bordun and steady beat instrument sounds, although the players may switch parts if they choose. Then perform it as an AB or ABA piece. Another day, change out everything to non-pitched percussion for timbral variety. My kids had great success with 2,4,6,8 Meet me at the garden gate, although lots of chants would be great material. --- Martha Stanley In the key of C: Yes, they do offer many teaching opportunities. In the short time we've had them, I've already used them to teach rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic concepts in my K-3 classes. The high school band teacher used them to reinforce interval lessons in theory class, and his boys liked them so well that they want to perform "Whacky Do Re Mi" for the whole band.-- Contributed by Connie Herbon 1. Hold the tube about half way, or where the label is. For the longer ones, if the kids hold them up high, they can bend if they come down too hard. 1) Good King Wenceslas - Boomwhackers - taught for note-reading purposes, they weren't allowed to write the note names under the notes. 2) Two Stomp Groups - they had to bring their own "instruments" to school and compose their own songs with rhythm and form. 3) An Orff piece - Spielbuch for Xylophones #21 (I think that's the right #). A fun xylophone piece in F pentatonic. We learned about the pentatonics and the correct ways to play the instruments. This was the piece they chose out of 3 we learned. 4) Songs from the Hot Marimba! books - Balafon, Two Three and Mbira Jam. They LOVED these. We used our brand-spankin' new marimba too. These were taught mostly for fun, but there were performance aspects of marimba music we learned as well as how to play as a group with a leader who decided which part would get a solo at which time, when to get louder or softer and when to stop at the "end." The K, 1 and 2 students were invited, and they loved the whole thing. They especially loved the Boomwhackers which are new to us this year.-- Contributed by Jennifer Schroeder I Meet the tubes: have 1 diatonic set up on the chalk tray for show. -show tubes, highlighting their features (length=pitch) and limitations (thin breakable plastic, not a real loud sound, etc). -demo basic basic holding/playing technics II Rules: III Formations: At this point we will move the chairs away and I will pass out 3 sets of Music Alphabet cards, 1 card/per student. I will draw a line formation on the board by pitches. IV Time to play. V Rhythm scale warm-up. VI Hot Cross Buns (in 3 keys) section A: Hey, hey, whadda you say? The 3rd & 4th graders really enjoyed it. We sang the song a few times, then added the boomwhacker accompaniment, using the c, f, a & g tubes. I just wrote the ostinato out on a sentence strip and all were happily engaged Then we go to playing position (which for us is hitting into our hand) just for uniformity and a not-too-loud sound. I choose a rhythm flash card (maybe ta-ta-ti-ti-ta, or ti-ti-ti-ti-ta-ta) and we play the scale up and down with each pitch playing the 4-beat rhythm on the card. Then we play the scale with just two quarter notes on each pitch ascending and descending. Then we go to just one quarter note with an immediate turn around at the top of the scale.I like to do these scale warm-ups with my electric/flash metronome giving us a solid beat to work with. Otherwise they tend to rush.Next I dictate Hot Cross Buns in three keys. We talk about the home tone and how HCB starts on the third pitch. We turn out boomwhackers horizontally and sing HCB showing the melody levels with our boomwhackers. I dictate the melody for them to play in C (E-D-C), then go to the key of F (A-G-F), then finish off with the key of G (B-A-G). Be sure to send your high C kids to another boomwhacker, or down to join the low C line, or they won't get a turn during this portion of the lesson. After each successful segment we all do whacky applause.Then I finish the lesson with Chris Judah-Lauder's "Listen for Your Letter." We sing the melody and then I dictate a four beat pattern in the key of C. The kids have to play back the patterns on their boomwhackers. I make them progressively harder.They do love the boomwhackers! We venture into literature in later lessons.
My 3rd and 4th graders love this one. We begin the lesson when I play the
melody to "If You're Happy and You Know It" and ask the kids to just
clap when they think they should. After some puzzlement, of course they
get it right.
Then I ask them to look to the board where I have this:
During this we sing, "If you're happy and you know it, play an A etc.
Then we move on to chords, and the song changes to : If you're happy and
you know it play chord five (one, one).
On the board is this:
Have Boom pipes play the following (all on quarter notes @64)
The pipes each came in on their beat one at a time in this order:
After everyone was in, we changed the end a little.
This melody came down from the back of the auditorium and was played in the pit while on stage a group of students hit two high "d" pipes on the stage any time they wanted and passed the pipe to others who were moving around on the stage. I was also lucky enough to borrow my daughters black lights and strope light from her dancing group and painted glow-in-the-dark paints for the boom pipes. It was wild and fun.
Lesson:
The 6th graders had not used the Boomwhackers before, so first I had them
each get a Boomwhacker (I have 4 diatonic sets) and discussed the rules of
how to play them. Then I asked those who had C, E, and G to play
quarter-quarter-eighth-eighth-quarter. I told them that they were chord I.
I then asked those with F, A, and C to play the same pattern and told them
they were chord IV. Then I asked those with G, B, D, and F to play the
pattern and called them chord V. Then I told them to play the
quarter-quarter-eighth-eighth-quarter pattern in this order: chord I, chord
IV, chord V, chord I. Then we did the same thing but added a I after the IV
(I IV I V I). Then I showed them the Lean On Me poster and we read the
chord numbers to get a feel of the slow tempo of the song (I realized when I
tried this with the first class that the kids tended to try to play it too
fast.) I told them they would play once for each time their chord was
written on the poster. Then we played through it while I (and any kids who
could) sang along. With a few of the classes we had time to do it a second
time with some kids volunteering to give up their Boomwhacker and sing.
The kids really did well on this activity and we had a great time doing it!
The song is a little low for them, but they had fun.
08/02 I like the Brad Bonner series called Beat Bags. He has several levels that are really easy to follow.
as of 11/21/03 a bag of 25 "seconds" costs $7.35 (.30 cents per GOOD QUALITY kazoo) - (this does NOT include shipping).
Here's the site blurb:
"These are the exact same kazoos as our regular Kazoobie Plastic Kazoos, but are either over runs, not perfectly printed, leftovers, or otherwise don't fit into one of our regular categories. If you want the cheapest kazoos, and you don't care what colors they are or how the imprint reads, then this is the deal for you. Except for the issues described above, these are perfectly good playable kazoos. We pack them in polybags of 25 kazoos each. "-Contributed by Jerri Gradert
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11/03 We make kazoos from toilet paper cores. . . tape colorful tissue across one end, and let the kids decorate the cylinder - - - They are SO cute that the kids who primly "bring their kazoos from home" to keep from using a toilet paper core always feel left out and wind up defaulting to the home-made kind. . .Yes, it takes time to collect the cylinders - - that's why there are huge bags of toilet paper cores on tops of my bookshelves. If anyone asks, I make some claim about modern art. - Contributed by Carol Cantrell
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11/03 The first one I tried, I accidently breathed in and sucked the wax paper back into my throat! I ended up taping all of the kazoo's for 1 and 2 grade and they didn't work as well of course. I just warned the older kids. Then it turned into a game to see if you could get your wax paper into your throat! - Contributed by Linda Barnhart
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11/03 I've done the Oriental Trading route, but found that their quality was very questionable. Over a third of the kazoos that came either had missing papers or tops or were just poorly made. Harmonicas were even less in quality. I learned that, although they were more expensive, I would stick with kazoos.com. - Contributed by Nancy Schwerdt
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11/03 The 99cent store has them but also consider cheap combs with waxed paper
then you can throwaway the waxed paper and put the combs through the
dishwasher! I got over 100 combs at one school on picture day for free! - Contributed by Susan Michiels
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11/03 I think the regular kazoos were fairly low cost if you get the grab bag of mixed colors. Most of my kids are willing to buy their own kazoo for the program. I ordered ones with lanyards for $1 cause I thought they looked cool and also got a few less expensive for me and the kids who only have $.35 cents to spend. My kids have to hold them for at least 30 minutes before we get to do our part of the program so I thought the lanyard a good idea. Now to keep them quiet during that time!
(address of the outlet shop) - shipping is $7 for orders under $50 i think. I haven't gotten my kazoos yet so don't know if they are as good as the site says they are.BACK to Making Instruments topics
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DOUBLE REED-Making
- Take a strip of paper - 8" X 2". I precut the strips. - Fold once across the middle to make a large "V."
- Turn the point of the V up and fold each of the sides up to meet the point. Crease all folds sharply.
- Now you should have a "W" shape.
- Make a tear into the middle fold. I tore down about the width of my pinkie finger.
- Here's the tricky part. I'll "over describe" it, and maybe that will make it clear. Lay the paper down so it looks like a tent with a large flap sticking up on each side. Put a thumb under each flap and your index and middle fingers on top each flap.
- Pick your "tent" up and push those fingers up against the folds, pushing the tent bottome in until it's about a 1/4" opening.
- Put the opening up against your mouth, with the fingers pressing the flaps tightly against your lips.
- Now blow hard. Adjust the opening, mouth position, and finger position until you get the squawky double reed sound as the air makes those two torn-paper reeds vibrate. It took a few moments practice, but most of my 3rds were able to get quite a satisfying (to us) sound. I did remind the students that this was "not" something they should do around most adults if they wanted to keep their reeds! -- Contributed by Connie Herbon
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TONE TAPPERS
7/01 You can make a
set of 40 pentatonic Tone Tappers (8 each D,E,G,A,C) for under $15. Anyway,
here's how to make 'em:
Buy 20 Golf Tubes. Price was 50 cents each when I got them. 20 tubes @ 50
cents= $10 plus tax.
Buy the basic tubes, not the deluxe heavy duty ones. They should be 34 5/8"
long. Follow these instructions to make a pentatonic set.
( D -- C ) (I trim off the rim)
( E -- A ) (nothing to trim)
( G -- G ) (I trim the rim)
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SOURCE FOR GOLF TUBES: Charter Products Golf, Inc., 111 Gateway Rd., Bensenville, IL 60106, (630) 616-1922
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We made cardboard tube kazoos this week with my 1st and 2nd graders. They colored a trumpet and cut it out. We taped a square of wax paper to one end. Then we glued the trumpet onto the side and then we started doot-doot-dooting!!
I taught them: Charge!!!! THAT was a riot! "When the Saints Go Marching In" "Taps" And...we did "J. J. J. Schmidt" and included a teaching on dynamics. (They used the kazoos on the da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da part.)
Cut a small square of wax paper,then tape it or rubber-band it to a cardboard tube. You can also decorate the cardboard tubes. Iusually tape and rubber-band the wax paper, so it won't come off with a good breath.
This whole unit culminated our study of instruments with a focus on brass. I tend to introduce and review all the instruments each year but focus on one (or two) families per grade level.
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BASS
Make from Air Conditioning Duct: The bass' body is made from a 5' section (about) of stainless steel duct work that is used for air-conditioning (found at the dump.) Attached to the body is a neck/fingerboard (bringing the height to probably 7' - he's 6'5ish himself.) I know that he used a real bass bridge and put that at the bottom for the strings to run across but I'm not sure how the strings are attached at the top - however, I know it's tunable. He experimented with weed whacker line for strings but I think he ended up buying real bass strings. He made a fingerboard with frets (similar to a guitar) and can use a clamp which he attached wood to for a great big capo. There are baby carriage wheels at the bottom of the bass' body to make it easier to move. It's really quite the invention! And, it really does work - no bow, just plucking out the bass line. Lots of fun!
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TRUMPET-Making
"Cut the bottom section off a clean two liter bottle. This will become the bell of the instrument. I let the kids make construction paper decorations to tape on this section. Go to you local Home Depot or Lowes or Builder Supply and beg for their best price on plastic tubing. 5/8" to 3/4" works best and the round kind versus the oval. I use a 6 - 10" piece of tubing for each instrument, though it is fun to try different lengths. Tape the tubing to the bottle with masking tape. Then wrap masking tape around the outside open end of the tubing. This will become the mouthpiece so you will need many layers. Flare the masking tape a little if you can. The longer the tube, the easier the overtone series is to get! I'm talking 4-6 feet or more. you can also use a real trumpet mouthpiece if you have one. Now you are ready to buzz away! Have fun."
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HANDBELLS-Making
Last year my second graders made hand bells from clay, glazed them, and fired them in art class. They also made clackers separate with a hole through one part, then threaded string through the hole and hot-glued it to the inside of the bell. They didn't always make the best sound, but if they were glazed well they sounded pretty good. The kids all made different sized bells (not on purpose), but it went right along with comparing a tuba to a piccolo!
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OBOE-Making
We used a drinking straw, pressed one end together and cut two cuts from center to outer edge each about 1/2" long. (shape it similar to an oboe reed) Squeezing the straw together, We used a hole punch to punch some holes in just the front of the straw for our fingers. (1 45 min. class)
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I like to have my students cut drinking straws similar to an oboe reed shape. Different lengths produce different pitches and we have even used a hole punch to make some holes in the straw and play various notes on one straw. Panpipes can also be made this way.
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STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
To show how a stringed instrument produces sound using vibration, could you rig up a rubber band, or large string (from a bass guitar, cello, etc.) with a strobe light? I don't have a light to try it with myself, but I think the strobe effect would make the vibration of the string slow enough to be easily observed. You could then make the display interactive by providing a way to change the length and tension of the string (to show how different pitches are achieved) and make a chart explaining the amplitude and wavelength of a sound wave.
Ok, I just tried it by plucking a stretched rubber band in front of my monitor screen. Try it for yourself and see what the vibration looks like. This works because a video screen is really thousands of little pixels that turn on and off very rapidly. Even waving your hand in front of it gives a strobe effect. I don't know if something like this would be easy to set up in the context of a science fair or not.
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HANDMADE: http://www.menc.org/IHWE/ihwes1.html#instruments (has instructions)
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BRASS-Making
Would you like a set of very primitive brass instruments? Here's how you can get all five notes of the pentatonic scale: Go to the hardware store and ask them to cut some inch-and-a-half conduit pipes to the following ratios:
-------x is do
7/8 of x is re
4/5 of x is mi
2/3 of x is so
3/5 of x is la
It's been a long time since I've done this, but if I remember correctly, a three-foot long pipe gives you C below middle C. These instruments don't give you the most dulcit sound in the world, but they're good for a novelty. I find that children are able to play the lower notes more easily than the higher notes. Besides serving as wind instruments, the instruments can give a percussive effect by the player patting one end of the pipe.
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GLASS HARMONICA-Making
GLASS HARMONICA collect eight 2 liter empty pop "bottles and fill them with varying levels of water to create a scale. Then, blow across the top to demonstrate the sound. (Glasses and water may also be used, but plastic bottles are not breakable.) Discuss how the amounts of water affect the pitch. Students could even create their own tunes using the pop bottles perhaps accompanied by other students with their home-made rhythm instruments.
Week 1 - read the 1/2 of the book Benjamin Franklin's glass armonica but I cover
the title, don't want them to see it yet. Homework if they want to.. Can
you find out before I tell you what instrument did old Ben invent?
Week 2 - finish story, ask questions like why different sized bowls? why did
he put colors on the rims of the glass? Do we have any other instruments
that have similar colors? (Boomwackers and melody bells) So many questions
that you can ask. Next the fun.... I divide the kids in groups usually no
more than 4 and I give them my wine glasses, yes I do...all different
shapes and sizes, different thicknesses and I give these instructions.
Find out which glass makes the easiest sound by wetting your fingers and
rubbing the rims, which one makes the best sound, which one doesn't make
sound. Why do you think this happens. Add more water or take away water
does it change the sound. I have a lot of towels out for this lesson and I
have carpeted risers. They know that they are to be super careful and I
have been doing this for years. It is so much fun.. They then figure out
that this is hard and that Benjamin's idea would make things easier.
I give each group 3 wine glasses and sometimes 4. and several cups of water
. I pre-pour water into the glasses and I have the stations set up before
the kids come into the room. Too messy if I don't do this. The kids can
try all the glasses at their station but they don't switch stations.
Week 3 - This week I show music videos of the sugar plum fairy played on the glass
harmonica and also one on the crystal glasses. They always like the glasses
better.. ---- Pam Hall
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MARIMBA-Making
In his book "Make Your Own Marimbas", Jon gives step-by-step instructions for the process of community marimba making and tuning (including optionally tuning the overtones). I believe that the sole US distributor is John's Music Center in Seattle - (800)473-5194.
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RAIN STICKS
10/08 Collect a lot of pop can rings that six and eight packs come in. Then stuff several of the plastic pop can holder things into the tennis ball tubes add rice or ball bearings or beads etc. Join two tennis ball tubes and attach with duct tape in the middle.
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06/06 PAPER ROLLS: I didn't use laminator rolls, but empty map rolls from the county surveyors office which I think are similar - about 3-4 feet long, 4 in. in diameter, heavy cardboard. If you use nails, etc., you will be hammering till the cows come home!!! I used crushed up chicken wire - worked GREAT! The wire was approx. the same width as my rolls were long, so I just unrolled about a foot or so and cut it off for each roll, then curled it and crunched it and stuffed it into the tube. I used paper plates for the end caps. Draw around the end of the tube on the plate, then make cuts in from the edges to the circle you drew. Place the plate on the end of the tube and fold the wedges formed from the cuts down over the end of the tube and duct tape in place. Fill with 1-2 cups of unpopped popcorn kernels for a great sound. I have done this for science fair night for the last two years and it's been a great success. I've made 64 to date. Pat Price
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06/05 TUBES: I once had tubes that were very thick and hard to pound nails in. I "scrunched up" chicken wire and inserted it into each tube (with leather gloves on - teacher needs to prep this first) and had the students tape the paper onto the ends, add the rice and decorate the tubes. The sound was very nice with the chicken wire to baffle it, and it was ALOT easier and cheaper than using all those nails. -- Monica in WI
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10/02 GAME: The children stand in a circle. One student walks around to the beat in the middle of the circle. As he walks (and as the students sing the song) he moves the rain stick back and forth to the beat of the song. When we get to the lyrics: "Little Johnny wants to play," the child in the center stands in front of someone in the circle. That person then sings: "I want to play" - using "sol mi la sol mi." That person then does a four beat pattern - anything he desires as long as it is non-locomotor. Then the rest of the students copy his four beat game. After that (the beat never stopping) the student who made up the four beat game gets the rainstick and goes to the middle of the circle. The process begins again until you want to stop the game.
The students loved this (from K to 5th grade.)
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05/21 My third graders are just finishing up their rainsticks and they have turned out great and sound wonderful. We used tubes from the local theater that they get movie posters in. They are very heavy duty and a good size. Instead of pounding nails we stuffed them with the plastic rings that hold six packs of pop together. With some experimenting I found that 7 or 8 of them fastened together at the ends with a twist tie (so you have a long string of plastic) gives the right amount of interference for the rice to flow through the tube. We fastened each end to the tube so it would stay stretched out. One cup of rice seems to be the right amount of rice for our tubes and it really sounds nice. Being from Oregon we feel we are somewhat the rain sound experts. :-) We are now painting them and they are looking really cool.
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When I was doing the music for camp two summers ago, the crafts person had the kids making rainsticks out of 2"-3" diameter (donated) mailing tubes...don't know where she got them. What amazed me was what she used for the inside. She gave each kid about six plastic baskets that strawberries come in. The kids crumpled them and shoved them into the mailing tubes. They had cut circles of plastic for the ends and taped them with clear packing tape for packages. They put about a cup of bird seed inside.
Large Cardboard Tube (at least 4 feet or longer, approximately 1/4 to ? inch thick) Nails (polished, at least three different sizes), Hammer, Brown Paper Bag, Scissors, Glue, Small Paint Brush, Fabric (cut to fit the circumference of the tube, but a little longer that the tube on both ends) Rice, Seeds, Beans, Tiny Shells (any other small objects to go inside), Yarn (or other material for decorating)
1. Hammer long and short nails into cardboard tube in a spiral.
2. Using brown bag, cut two circles, 2 inches bigger on all sides than the
circumference of the tube. Cut slits around circle.
3. Using only one circle, apply glue to slits. Cover one end of tube with the circle. Fold down the slits and gently press them to the side of the tube to secure. Allow time for section to dry.
4. Fill one-tenth of the tube with the filling of your choice. Seal the open end of the tube in the same manner as before.
5. Carefully apply glue to a one inch strip down the length of the tube Attach one end of the fabric to glued area and gently press to adhere. Continue applying glue and attaching fabric around the tube. A larger section can be glued at this time if you feel secure. Make sure you smooth out the fabric as much as possible as you attache it to the tube.
6. After the fabric has been placed around the tube. slit the ends of the fabric in the same manner that the paper circles were cut. Apply glued to one side of the slits and firmly but neatly press fabric down to cover ends .of the tube. Allow entire tube to dry completely. When tube is dry you can leave it as is or decorate the outside with a few embellishments to add a personal flair to your rainstick. If you have any questions e-mail me or call me at Happy rain making.
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I don't want to nail or toothpick, so listen to this! Take a piece of tin foil one and a half times as long as the tube, roughly(not tight)squeeze together like a long log and stuff inside the tube. Attach one end of the foil to the end of the tube and the other end also (so it doesn't slide inside the tube). Seal one end. Pour in your seeds, sand, popcorn, or whatever, and listen! The foil slows everything down beautifully (sand sounds especially nice). Seal the other end.
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S.A. Rainsticks Since we studied that rainsticks are from Chile (at least that's the research we found but I have heard otherwise too), I bought a CD of South American music (instrumental). I had around 100 kids with rainsticks so we surrounded all four walls of the gym with the rainsticks. One student stood up front at the mic and talked about the history of the rainstick. When she was finished, I played one of the instrumental songs. I told the kids to wait a bit and then begin turning. It was wonderful!!!! The sound inside the circle was just fabulous. They turned until I gave my "line leaders" the cue. The lines dropped their rainsticks into boxes I had in front of the stage and continued up the steps to the stage. I kept the S. American music playing until all kids were on stage. VERY effective and I highly recommend! It was a buy on a whim at Camelot Music. I found it in there multi-cultural section. It's titled, Music from South America: Chile. It is produced by Laserlight Digital. The UPC code, which may or may not be useful, is 01811154202. It's not a bad S. America sound. There is a bit of vocals and alot of guitar sound. I thought it was very effective playing in the background of the rainsticks.
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Bamboo Rainstick Materials:1 tikki torch--buy the tallest, straightest one you find. They can be found at import stores and garden departments of hardware stores during spring and summer, 1 package of bamboo skewers, 1 tube of wood filler--We used ZAR Wood Patch, neutral color latex, leather scraps for the ends, about 6 of 1 thick Styrofoam, cork, or wood circles, strong glue--We used E-6000 Adhesive Sealant. fine steel wool, garden clippers that you can easily hold in your hand to cut the skewers a pencil, a nail or small file, a 1/8 drill bit and a drill (A drill press saves much time.) a hammer and metal pipe or similar devise to pound out the center, membrane of thin bamboo in the bamboo stick, a saw, masking tape to wrap around the torch for a smooth cut when sawing, some fish tank gravel (approximately 1/4-1/2 cup per stick) You can use a wood burning set, permanent pen, leather scraps, beads, and feathers to decorate the rainstick when it's done.
1. Saw the torch off the bamboo stick. You can make two 2 1/2 ft.
rainsticks or one 5 ft. rainstick. If you saw below the joint, you will have only one end to seal. Wrap masking tape around the place you plan to saw for a smoother cut.
2. Take the hammer and pound the metal pipe in end of the hollow bamboo tube to break the thin membrane of bamboo so the rock will be able to go the full length of the rainstick. Leave the membrane on one end if that is possible.
3. Drill holes starting about 1 1/2 inches from the top and bottom. Make the holes about 3/8 inches apart in a 45 degree spiral, like a barber pole, all the way down the stick. In a two foot rainstick, Joy drills about 100 holes. There are about four inches between rows as the holes spiral down. Drill only through the top layer. Do not drill through the other side of the rainstick!
4. Next, insert the dull end of a bamboo skewer into the hole until it touches the other side of the rainstick and cannot move any more. With a sharp pencil mark on the skewer where to cut it, so that it will be flat when it is cut. Then pull it slightly out of the hole, and cut it slightly below that line. Use the garden sheers to cut. Then take the file or nail and push the skewer firmly into the hole. It should be indented enough to later put a small amount of wood filler in the holes to keep the skewers in place. Smooth with a damp paper towel. Later when it has dried, lightly rub the wood filler with steel wool.
5. After all of the holes have been filled with skewers and wood filler, find or make a plug for the open end(s). Measure the diameter of the opening(s) and get something that will fit snugly. Possible solutions could be a circle of wood, Styrofoam, or cork. If you have two openings, glue a plug into one end.
6. Fill with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fine fish tank gravel. Cover the other end with your hand, tip the rainstick to make the gravel fall to your hand, and listen to the amount of seconds it takes for the sound rain to stop. The longer it takes, the better the stick. When you are satisfied with the sound, plug the other end.
7. Trace around the ends onto a piece of scrap leather. Cut and glue the circles onto both ends. Use your imagination to decorate the rainstick further. We like to burn Indian designs into the sides, then attach feathers and beads with leather thongs. Making one of these authentic rainsticks requires much time and patience, but the completed product is well worth the effort. In the next issue I will tell you how to make a novelty rainstick that is far from authentic, has a sharper sound, but requires much less construction time. If you have and comments, please write to me at 21012 Summit Rd., LosGatos, California 95030-8501.
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Rainsticks: Materials:
Materials: a black 1 1/2 inch x 10 foot plastic plumbing pipe, have the clerk cut a 1 foot width of 48 inch wide, 1/2 inch hardware, cloth (It looks like chicken wire with 1/2 inch squares.) tin snips, a dog leash and a dowel or pipe to pull the mesh inside the tube, 10 white 1 1/2 inch PVC caps, Approximately 2 1/2 cups of fine fish tank gravel (smaller than 1/4 inch rocks), isopropyl alcohol or acetone, work gloves
1. Remove the white lettering on the black pipe with isopropyl alcohol. If that does not work, use acetone.
2. Saw the plastic pipe into five 24 inch lengths. (about 10 minutes by electric saw)
3. With the tin snips, cut a 1 1/4 inch width of 48" hardware cloth for each rainstick. (about 5 minutes each)
4. Hook the dog leash onto one end of the strip, and drop it through the tube. Start folding the strip in a zigzag. Push the strip as you go with the dowel, and gently pull with the dog leash. Keep folding until it is spread out the entire length of the tube. (about 10 minutes each)
5. Place one cap onto the end. Then, pour about 1/2 cup of fish tank gravel into the open end. Cap the other end. (about 5 minutes each) Tip the rainstick on one end, and listen to the rocks fall to the other end. Then tip it upside down. This simulates the sound of rainfall. In approximately 2 1/2 hours of construction time, you will have five rainsticks that look like magic wands. I have watched both children and adults mesmerized and completely relaxed as they sit and tip rainsticks over and over. The sound of rainsticks is very effective when singing rain songs or reciting rain poetry. Teachers, students, puppeteers, magicians, storytellers, , and even stressed-out executives enjoy them. If you have discovered a unique way to use a rainstick, please share your idea by writing to me at 21012 Summit Rd., Los Gatos, CA 95030-8501.
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RAINSTICKS
carboard tube, aluminum foil, dried beans (preferably very hard such as navy, pinto), heavy tape (masking or packaging), saran wrap, materials for paper mache (newsprint, wallpaper paste), paint
2. Pour in 1/2-2/3 cup of dried beans (This is negotiable, cover tube ends and listen for sounds, judge for yourself amount of beans) Seal ends with tape. (Note: some beans will stick permanently to tape.
3. Cover entire tube with saran type wrap and seal with tape. (to prevent warping when paper mache-ing)
4. Paper mache 2-3 layers in strips (1-2") allowing drying time between layers. (Note: if children are doing this, use smaller strips)
5. Paint with solid color and then when dry, decorate with permanent markers or other paint.
6. Spray varnish to seal paints.
BACK to Making Instrumentstopics
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RAINSTICK GAMES, SONGS, ACTIVITIES
07/13 I did a program with 1st graders using rainsticks (we make them in class every year) using the book "Rain Romp". But, the book isn't about the rain forest. It is about a little girl who wakes up to find it is raining and is grumpy about it, but then learns rain can be fun. We make a rainstorm in the middle of the book with our rainsticks and body percussion. ----- Sandy Laird
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One of the songs that I use ith rainsticks is called SOUNDS ALL AROUND US from Music K8... I think it is in Volume 8, #2. The kids love the rhythm of the song and there is an instrumental section where we use the rainsticks and assorted percussion instruments. ---- Caryn Mears, Kennewick, WA
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07/13 IDEAS: 1. Go to: http://www.musick8.com
2. Click on the Resources button in the navigation bar (at the top of any MusicK8.com page).
3. Click on the Idea Bank link.
http://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=482
Quick Homemade Rainstick http://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=1288
Rain, Rain Go Away Rainstick Game http://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=414
Rainsticks With Styrofoam http://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=629
Washers for Rainstick: http://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=1346
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07/13 PROGRAM: This year a teacher at our school did a class project on Rainforests. Each child made a rainstick. Then she asked me to help her incorporate them into a short programme for their parents. Eventually we did a class composition depicting the sounds of the rainforest, starting with a sound carpet then adding animal sounds one by one....layering it up to make a huge cacophony of sounds....Then we had instruments depicting chainsaws and machinery chopping down the forest....then silence and then a slow regrowth of the forest sounds. This was based on a book called the Great Green Forest by Paul Geraghty.
There are layers in the rainforest, yes indeed, yes indeed, There are layers in the rainforest, yes indeed, yes indeed
Emergent, canopy and the understory; There are layers in the rainforest, yes indeed, yes indeed
The emergent is home to birds and butterflies, butterfliesThe emergent's home to birds and butterflies, butterflies
The trees are so high that they almost touch the sky.The emergent is home to bird and butterflies, butterflies
The canopy is like a big umbrella, big umbrella; The canopy is like a big umbrella, Big umbrella
Monkeys, sloths orangutans, eat all the fruit they can; The canopy is like a big umbrella, big umbrella
The understory is home to many snakes, many snakes; The understory is home to many snakes, many snakes
They eat cats and bats and rats, And they like the gnats for snacks; The understory's home to many snakes, Many snakes
The forest floor is dim, dark and wet, dark and wet; The forest floor is dim, dark and wet, dark and wet
Oh, the ants go marching by, As they watch the birds up high.
The forest floor is dim, dark and wet, dark and wet ---- Lesley Ann Hill
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07/13 SONG: How Beautiful Is The Rain!! By Mary Lynn Lightfoot, for two equal voices, piano and optional rainstick, text by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Great song.SAND BLOCKS
1. Buy the little stretchy gloves at the dollar store. Ours just happened to be black, but I think bright colors would be fun if you could find them.
2. Now, this is the most time consuming and hardest part... trace your hands, or a child's hands ontocardboard, and cut them out, marking left and right hands. You'll need as many of these sets of cardboard hands as you have pairs of gloves if you plan to make all of them at one time.
3. Take the cardboard hands and put them into the gloves. Go ahead and label the cardboard with each child's name now, too. (If you make the cardboard wrists a bit longer so that they stick outside the gloves, you'll have a good place to write the child's name.)
4. Lay out the gloves (with the cardboard inside) with the palms up, thumbs at the far left and far right sides ...this is important!
5. Now, for the sandpaper. I asked my husband what kind we used, and he said it was automotive grade wet/dry sandpaper. (It needs to be gritty!) He bought it at Advance Auto,or Auto Zone, or any of those type places should have it, maybe even the auto areas of Wal-Mart or K-Mart would have it. We cut squares of the sandpaper that covered most of the palm of the gloves, but if you wanted to use a different shape, it wouldn't matter.
6. Making sure that the gloves are facing you palms up, brush glue onto the back of the sandpaper liberally, especially on the edges. I think we used Aleene's Tacky Glue and a paint brush.
7. Position the sandpaper on the palms of the gloves, check for "sticky-ness," add more glue if necessary, and wiggle the gloves loose from the cardboard underneath. Our glue dried clear and pretty much invisible.
8. I've forgotten how long the drying time was, but don't plan to wear them right away. Check again as they dry to make sure all the sandpaper is stuck down.
9. When you're ready for a test run with them and the kids, make sure you have safety pins to pin each pair together. You can always stick a piece of paper with the child's name on it inside the glove to label them.
10. I had my kids to use a sliding up and down motion to "play" their gloves. I had them to keep their hands behind their back until the downbeat of the chorus, when we "played" our gloves. They make a wonderful sound.
11. You might like to keep one pair without sandpaper for you to wear when you direct. I did this, and modeled the motion I wanted them to use, and it went beautifully. (Your hands will get warm, and be ready for your whiners to be complaining, "My hands are too hot!")
12. By all means, keep these gloves after you make them. The children will beg you to take them home, but you can tell them that they know how to make their own, and it would be a fun "at home" project.
13. If anyone has a church choir and would like the song I used the gloves with, e-mail me your mailing address, and tell you how to get it, or loan it to you.
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SHAKERS, MARACAS, TAMBOURINES, RHYTHM STICKS
12/12 SHEKERE: There are a variety of ways to make the net or skirt. The most common method is the following:
1. Cut a piece of string to use as a "collar" around the neck of the gourd. Tie it. It should be long enough to easily tie and hang loosely a little below the curve of the neck. When in doubt, leave extra. Most people prefer to use a thicker string for the collar.
2. Measure 15 to 30 lengths of nylon string, depending on the size of the gourd and the desired tightness of the weave. Each piece should be 6 to 8 times the length of the net. It is better to have too much rather than too little. Burn the ends of each length of to avoid raveling (no need for scissors).
3. To attach the strings to the collar, fold each string in half. Take the closed end (formed at the halfway point) and place it underneath the collar. Thread the two loose ends through the loop and tighten. This forms a slip know. Tie a "loop" knot right below it to secure it (form the shape of a "6", bring the ends back through hole, and tighten). Continue this process with all the strings and place them around the collar at equal distances apart (1/2"-1"). When the strings are in position, tighten the loop knots to hold them in place.
4. Thread a bead onto one of the strings. Thread another bead on the neighboring string (not the other half of that string). Push the beads to the top towards the neck, and tie off loosely with a loop knot. Continue this process horizontally around the circle and finish the first row completely before starting on the second.
Note: There are many variations on beading patterns. You can put 2 or 3 beads on each of the strings or on only one string in the pair. Some people put both strings through each bead. Be creative! Be consistent! Make sure the beads hang loosely.
5. When the net reaches the bottom of the gourd, you can finish it in one of two ways:a.) Cut another piece of string the length and thickness of the top collar. Tie it to form a "collar" for the bottom. The circle should be about an inch smaller than the bottom diameter of the gourd. Tie each set of double strings to the collar with a loop knot (more than one if needed). When finished and secure, burn the ends off below the knot. Tighten or loosen the top or bottom collar to adjust the tension.
For smaller gourds: b.) Cut another piece of string about 8" long and tightly tie all the loose ends together forming a "tail". The net should hang loosely a few inches below the gourd. ----- D. Brian Weese
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02/02 1. Pringle Can shakers: Have the kids decorate an 8 x 11 piece of
construction paper with any sort of design they'd like. Help them fit it
around the outside of the Pringle can and tape it securely. Fill the inside
with rice, small pebbles, etc. Put on the top. (I usely hot glue the top
shut!) Voila! Fun shaker!
2. Go to Wal Mart or any other place that processes film. Ask if you can
have LOTS of empty film canisters that they usually recycle. Purchase
plenty of tiny stickers. Fill the shakers with rice, small pebbles,
etc....decorate the outside with stickers. Hot glue the tops on...More
shakers!
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01/02 I have a bunch of egg shakers, but I do think they are a bit expensive.
One of my first graders brought me a great shaker idea. She saved the
little bubble container from a gum machine....you know, the kind that
comes with a small toy inside? She filled it with aquarium rocks, so it
is pretty, too. She's brought me several and they have a really nice
sound. A good recycling project, too. I was thinking about asking the
students to save these for me.
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5/01 You can use prescription bottles for mini maracas and clean
them in the dishwasher. I have used those same containers, but contacted my
local WALMART pharmacy who sold me BRAND SPANKING NEW containers and lids in
a variety of sizes for a dime each. The local Vet gave me a bunch of new
containers for FREE!!!
WARNING: Hands must be washed after handling lead shot. Not for children under 3
DIRECTIONS: Drill a small hole in the bottom of the fruit, only as big as you need to put the buck shot in. Put a couple teaspoons of buck shot in the fruit. Seal hole with the glue gun. Melt a little of the brown wax over the glue gun plug to disguise the hole because the plastic is clear. Stick a fruit market sticker on the fruit to make it look more real. (I got great organic stickers.)BACK to Making Instruments topics
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MAKING BOOM PIPES, WHACKERS, THUNKERS, ETC.,
05/03 INSTRUCTIONS: The lengths of the tubes can be found in the Idea bank on MK8's web site.http://www.musick8.com/ You can easily find the golf club tubes at Walmart around here for about 64 cents and each tube makes two tubes. The dimensions on the web site don't mention that the left over piece can be made into a high F. Don't throw it away! -- Contributed by Susan Michiels
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09/03 INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING: Recipe for homemade boomwhackers:
1. Get golf club tubes. (They're black plastic tubes about 36
inches long with a diameter of about 1-1/8 inches.) You can get them at
Walmart for about 64 cents each.
2. It is important to have a different color for each note to make
it easier to recognize each length. Hardware stores often sell packages
of varied colored tapes. I have also used colored duct tape that works
well and is very durable.
3. Cut the golf tubes slowly with a radial arm saw, very sharp
scissors (I never had much luck with scissors), or a hacksaw. I found a
good small saw at Home Depot. It was about $10.00. I have used a paper
cutter too and that is the best thing to use! Wrap wide colored tape on
ends - a different color for each note. On the C's, I had a wide strip
(4") for the low C and a narrow red (1 or 2") for the high C. I wrote the
name of the note on the tape in permanent pen. Here are the lengths:
A (purple) 14 1/4"
G (dark green) 16 1/2" or 16 1/8"
E (yellow) 19 1/2"
D (orange) 21 7/8"
C (wide red) 24 5/8" or 24 3/4"
F (light green) 18 1/4"
B (fuchsia) 12 3/4"
Two G's can be cut from one tube (with at the most, 1 inch of waste)
D and high C can be cut from one tube (exactly)
E and A can be cut from the same tube (exactly)
F and B can be cut from the same tube
Low C takes one tube and the other part is waste.
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MEASUREMENTS: They're black plastic tubes about 35 or 36 inches long with a diameter of about 1 1/8 inches.) I went to the golf store and bought a few to try, then ordered a whole box of 50. It cost me probably $20-$25 to make a dozen sets of six.)
It is important to have a different color for each note to make it easier to recognize each length. (Hardware stores often sell packages of varied colored tapes. Maybe your school district even has some various colors of tape at an instructional materials center.
I cut the golf tubes slowly with a radial arm saw and wrapped wide colored tape on the ends...a different color for each note. On the C's I had a wide red strip (4") for the low C and a narrow red (2") for the high C. I wrote the name of the note on the tape in permanent pen. It took me about 3 or 4 hours to do everything....I wrapped the tape watching TV. These are the lengths if you want to make them:
11 7/8" C (narrow red)
14 1/4" A (yellow)
21 7/8" D (orange)
24 5/8" C (wide red)
D and high C can be cut from one tube (exactly)
E and A can be cut from the same tube (exactly)
Low C takes one tube and the other part is waste.
2. as a cider jug. Put one hand over one end and blow across the edge on the other end.
3. as a seashell. Hold it up to your ear. The zephyrs in the room are just active enough to play the pitch continuously on a very soft dynamic
level. I can't swear to it, but I think that you can get the same pitch by standing the pipe up on a table and striking it on the edge with a
xylophone mallet. I tried to get the same pitch by drawing a violin bow across the edge, just so that I could brag that the instrument is a
combination woodwind/brass/percussion/string instrument, but alas, it didn't work that way.
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MAKING BOOM PIPES
I cut a carpet square into small pieces to fit at the end of the boom pipe. I was going to glue these pieces to the bottom of the boom pipes so I could have movable pipes (my floor is linoleum) I first attached the carpet with duck tape as an experiment but they never came loose (almost a year now) so I never had to glue them. This may help your thumping noise.
Boom Pipes Measurements
Hi to Lo
E 19
D 22
C 24 3/4----25----25
B 26 1/4----27----26 3/8
A 29 1/2----31----29 3/4----31
G 33 1/2----34----33 3/4----34
F# 35 1/2
F 37 3/4----38----38----38
E 40 1/2----41----40 1/2
D 45--------45----45 1/2----45
C 50 1/2----51----51--------51
B 55
A 61--------61
G 68 1/4----68 1/2--68-1/2
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MAKING: Recently Mathew and myself build thirty Stomping Pipes in my back garden here in Ivanhoe, Australia. We used 9 cm diameter pipe for the lowersounding Stomping Pipes and 6 cm diameter for the higher ones. After we had tuned these and after we had put the plugs in etc, we placed colored tape (electrical tape will work, but off cuts from the signwriter shop are better) around the tops of the Stomping Pipes. Eg: All C, E, G, pipes have black tape rings, all D,F,A, pipes are yellow, all F,A,C pipes have Blue rings (note some pipes have several colors).
They can be used in place of bass bars to enhance bass xylo parts.
You can use them as the bottom note of chord changes - I vi VI V - I like to use them with the songs "I Love the Mountains" because the bass line is the chords in ostinato. They also make a fabulous visual when lined up sid by side to show how the pitches get higher/lower as compared to the longer/shorter lengths!
Boomwhackers has a web site with ideas on it. It is www.boomwhackers.com
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Instructions: http://www.concord.k12.nh.us/schools/bgs/Music/pipes.html
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06/05 LABELING: I was making some more homemade boomwhackers the other day. I have 8 diatonic sets but I needed 4 more sets so I made some more. Anyway, I have colored Duck tape on the golf club tubes but had to put sticky book covers on some of them. I have been able to find the tape at Walmart and Big Lots. I ran out of orange tape and was able to find some at Lowes. I searched high and low several years ago and no one had it. Walmart now has PURPLE Duck tape for a limited time and I found FLAMINGO PINK and a lime green at Ace Hardware. My Duck tape colors actually match the real boomwhacker colors. I thought I'd share with everyone just in case anyone wanted to use those colors. -- Denise in SC
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10/04 OCTAVATOR CAPS: Hitting the octavator caps on the carpeted floor is the only way we use our Boomwhackers, with the exception of tapping two together occasionally. I have 7 diatonic sets, all capped by me before they were ever played. I pound the caps on tightly and have never had one fly off or any problems with pitch change. We usually hold the tubes just above the caps - between the caps and the shiny plastic label. The only person who ever takes caps off is me, and I do it rarely. -- Connie Herbon
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04/03 LABELING: Have the students use their hands with the boomwhackers/boom tubes. If you make boomtubes from golf club holders you aren't out much money and they are easy to replace. The tubes each make two boomtubes and only cost about 64 cents. I put electrical tape on the cut ends for protection. I also use Avery colored circle labels to place on the tubes where the best sound area is for hitting. Since all the tubes are black it also helps with identifying the letter sound of the instrument. There are a few colors that I have to make from white labels with permanent markers. I then place clear Scotch tape over the label. I only use the real Boomwhackers when I want to use caps for the octave lower. You can store a boomtubes inside a real boomwhackers therefore taking up less space in my pillowcase storage bags.-- Contributed by Susan Michiels
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CRACKED ENDS...you may want to try wrapping the outer edge of the tube(s) with duct tape or some similar substance (colored electrical tape, perhaps?) to reinforce the end and to prevent the crack from getting any longer. It shouldn't interfere with the sound/resonance produced by the tube. Another thing to consider is that each tube has a "sweet spot" located a few inches from the end of each tube that, when struck, produces the best tone. To extend the life of your tubes, you may wish to advise the kids about this sweet spot. It may encourage them to not whack the ends of the tube so much...or not. :-)
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06/04 MAKING BOOM PIPES: If your school has a laminator, save the empty rolls that the film came on.
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COLOR CODES: For Primary, I have strips of construction paper with the different boomwhacker colors and when they see their color they continue to play ta-titi-ta until their color disappears. Then I let them "converse" with a partner on them. For Intermediate, I picked five student names in every class with different rhythm patterns (Michelle Smith would be ta- ta- ta rest and Jennifer Smith would be titi-ta ta) and we begin by first clapping the different rhythms. When we add the boomwhackers and they hear the harmony, they love it.
Materials: glue, duct-tape, scissors, scraps of wrapping paper, plain
white paper, markers, cardboard tubes (the stiffer the better: poster
tubes, wrapping paper tubes, etc...)
*Duct-tape one end leaving a rectangular shaped hole approx. the size of
a half-dollar. Be sure to wrap a long piece around the outside
perimeter to seal up the funky tape ends that are folded over the edge.
*the kids then cover them with wrapping paper and/or self-made designs
on plain white paper.
Voila! not quite the real thing, but a good knock-off version. and
CHEAP and EASY!
Take them to a couple web sites (below, for ex.)to hear the real things
and if possible demonstrate on a real didge. I let them all try mine
and they were all able to get the drone going.
www.brandichase.com/didjeridu/wandering/wrobrt.htm
www.didjeridu-uk.org/
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BOOMWHACKERS: IDEAS, WEBSITES, BOOKS, INTRODUCTIONS
07/13 TEACHING: Put up the score in whatever form you will use, letters, notes, etc. Assign each kid a note. Seat them in low to high notes. It's easier to conduct! Have them say their individual notes as you point to the score. Have them clap when you get to their individual notes. Then let them use the BW on their notes. And then do it again and again,..... they WILL get it. ---- Martha Stanley
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10/12 COMPOSING:
1.Give each group a pentatonic set and a sheet with a row of 8 (or 16, 24?) boxes.
2.In the boxes the group would color the boxes so everyone got to play at least once. Maybe there would be 2 or 3 rows of 8 boxes, each set of vertically aligned boxes would be played simultaneously (chords)
3. Practice and experiment in groups.
4. Play for the class.
D. Brian Weese, Music Teacher, Walker Park Elementary School, Walton County
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12/09 I use Bradley L. Bonner stuff. It is very simple and gives instructions as you go along.
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12/09 ACTIVITIES:
First and second review pitch placement with PowerPoint slides and Boomwhackers. They have to read the note and decide whether to play it or not. With older kids, I can write a song on the board, either in color or only black, and let them play it on Boomw. as an introduction to the song. It gives me a visual to refer to the rhythm, a 1st/2nd ending, or a new pitch; and at the same time, they're hearing the melody and really paying attention.
I put the kids (4th and 5th), in small groups with the task of creating an 8-beat rhythm and performing in on Boomw. for the class. They create it and practice with clapping. That's the easy part. Most go all out and decide who plays which color, which part of the rhythm (boys on eighths playing yellow, girls on red playing quarters, or such).
Adapted from Phyllis Weikart: We're only playing steady beats, but the class helps me choose which color plays on which beat in an 8-beat pattern. As we play the pattern over and over, I write a rest under a color, or draw a pair of eighths under another color, to change the rhythm. --- Kay Lovingood
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12/09 RESOURCE: I use Bradley L. Bonner stuff. It is very simple and gives instructions as you go along.
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12/09 RESOURCE: Boomwhackers Games
http://www.musick8.com/store/alphadetail.php?product_group=843&uks=MP-BW930
and is intended for PreK-2. Each recording has a "practice" track before doing the actual activity. I like how it incorporates movement with the boomwhacker too - for instance, there's a track called "Boomy Whacky" that's supposed to be like the Hokey Pokey. Another track I like using with the K's is "Downtown" - where you can incorporate movement like stepping, marching, skipping, and so forth. And you don't even need to worry about what boomwhack the kid has!--- Erin Canha
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12/09 RESOURCE: With the older grades, I like to do "Whack Attack". I'm not sure which volume it's from, but it is MK8, To work on a song, we start off by figuring out the rhythm and saying it all together. Then we move to the boomwhackers. I have everyone play everynote, no matter which boomwhacker they have. Then when they have the rhythm down, I'll add the notes and have them play only theirs. It works really well. I've only done it with 4th and 5th. I use them with younger grades, but just as a percussion instrument.---Heather Jackson
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12/09 RESOURCE: For the little ones, I like to use "Red Boomwhacker" MK8 vol. 15 no. 1 p. 56. As the name implies, you only use the high and low C's. I had my Kinders play a steady beat instead of the rhythm pattern in the song. They loved it - worked great as an intro to the instruments for them.
Also, I know a teacher who uses them for daily rhythm practice – she hands them out quickly and has them echo her and then play the rhythm patterns of the day for practice, then she takes them up again and moves on. She just hands out the ones that make a chord so it doesn't sound too cacophonous.
Finally, I have several charts that I made of boomwhacker songs from MK8, and for note heads I used the round labels that come in different colors. I use the flourescent pink and green ones from a multicolored pack for B and F, and I ordered packs of one color from an office supply company (Office Depot, I think...) for the others. I have them read the rhythms first, then they play when the note matches the same color as their BW. One of the favorites, even among the bigger kids (boys especially) is Whacky Ogre, but that may be from an earlier volume than you have - oh, actually, it's in 15-1, so you should have that one! ~Ann in GA
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12/09 ACTIVITIES: There are endless ways of using these fun tubes. I, personally, prefer not to use them in the “bell chime” approach. While you can indeed use that approach, I prefer to use them as an accompaniment, layered ostinati, or improvisation similar in writing an Orff arrangement.
It is very easy to incorporate them in a pentatonic song, (la or do based), both with the little ones and middle school. Reinforcing mallet technique is also easy to apply. With older students, you can reinforce chord structure: 12 bar blues in 6th grade is very fun, or use songs that have only two chord changes. The larger boomwhackers work effectively as a bass line using the tonic note of the chord. But again, use songs with few chord changes. There are many folk songs that fit this mold.
Reading rhythms is also fun and productive, especially if you are using boomwhackers from a pentatonic scale. This allows you to combine the various ostinati. I often put the melody line on either a SX, SR, or voice, with the underlying complementary rhythms played on the boomwhackers. A nice timbre and balance.
Another great combination is boom pipes and boom whackers. Wow… very cool stuff. And of course, movement and boomwhackers go hand in hand. Give the students a structure and away they go!
One quick suggestion: Do not allow the students to hit their boomwhackers against another boomwhacker. The tube will crease and split. --- Chris Judah-Lauder
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TEACHING: I purchased paper plates in Boomwhacker colors at the local party store. With stick-on magnets placed on the back, I put them on my magnetic chalkboard in the melodic order that they are to be played. For chords, I stack them. Black plates are rests. I am thinking of extending the idea with die cut notes glued to the plates so that my older students will have symbolic representation of the duration of each "whack". This should transition them to the point where they don't need the colors anymore because they are reading the notes from the staff.
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Another option: Instead of the roll of stick-on magnets, it is cheaper to buy the sticky magnets that are made to put on the back of business cards. Cut into strips with a paper cutter and then into smaller squares. I put magnets on all my manipulatives that I use on the board.-- Contributed by Donna Roye in Virginia
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06/06 CHORDS It is great fun building chords such as major (CEG, GBD, FAC) which I call happy chords then contrasting with minor chords (EGB, DFA, ACE) which I call the sad chords. Then having the kids find out which are the happy and which are the sad chords by themselves. I then introduce them to the dominant seventh chords and they learn that some notes are in two chords so I use the thumb to signify chord I, 4 fingers to indicate chord IV and then thumb plus 4 fingers to indicate the chord of V7. Then I lead into blues chord sequences and also we work on accompaniments to easy songs like Frere Jacques, Mary had a little lamb , Hot cross buns etc. and also playing the melody line.....oh there are so many things you can do with boomwhackers...... teach solfege...... use them for borduns..... Sue Michiels
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EARLY ELEMENTARY: I use Boomwhackers a lot in my K-3 classes, but I seldom use them for "Boomwhacker pieces." I just added an 8th set of diatonic tubes and also have 4 sets of chromatic tubes. I cap them all, so the students play mostly vertically, although my 1st graders are getting quite good at tapping the strong beat vertically on strong beats and hitting the length of the tube horizontally on weak beats. Here are some of the ways we use our Boomwhackers: - Full chords and/or borduns (1-5) on primary-type songs in K. - Add simple two-pitch ostinato patterns by 1st. - Play cued patterns to reinforce concepts. (e.g.. high & low C patterns on "High-de-high," MK8 Network, vol. 15-3) - Add full chords in 2, 3, and 4-chord songs to accompany singing. This is an easy way to add harmony with lots of students getting turns in a short time, and it's certainly easier to "tune" Boomwhackers than our six autoharps. I just gave my 1st graders the charted chords for "Curious George" song, and within half a class period they could play a respectable Bb Cm F Bb progression and keep it going through multiple repeats. (They have their hearts set on this for our concert, and they'd be insulted if the 2nd's had to accompany them!!) - Add pitches to rhythm patterns, especially syncopation, and use with ROCKIN' RHYTHM RAPS when 3rd's do this unit. - Pretty much any activity to which I'd add xylophones, I double or adapt the xylo parts for Boomwhackers. -- Connie Herbon
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06/06 BOOK: For a $20 investment (approx.), you can get Denise Gagne's COMPOSING WITH BOOMWHACKERS. It has 20 standards-based activities for using Boomwhackers in your classroom. A CD is included, and the pages are reproducible for student use. I wanted some sequential Boomwhacker activities to leave for the new teacher inheriting our collection next year.
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06/06 PARTNERS: 1) Put students in pairs. Give paired students 2 identical boomwhackers so they can mirror each other. Have them make up 2-note melodies to echo for each other. 2) Same as above, but let them make up 2-note question and answer melodies, i.e., each student makes up his own melody and they "talk" to each other with their melodies. 3) Use them for student created ostinati for simple songs, esp. rounds that have repeated or simply harmony. 4) have students play simple songs with the boomwhackers. 5) have students play simple chord patterns with boomwhackers. These are just off the top of my head that I've done most recently. -Meredith Harley Inserra
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10/05 MAKING: You can find pictures, instructions and measurements at my Boom Pipe page. http://www.concord.k12.nh.us/schools/bgs/Music/pipes.html -- Steve Daigle
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10/05 PARTNERS: One thing I do with Boomwhackers is put children in pairs, give the pair matching Boomwhackers and have them echo each other by taking turns making up melodies with the two notes. I, of course, model this with a child first before I let them loose. Make sure, when they whack the floor, that they keep the Boomwhackers close to the floor or you'll get dents in the long ones. After they are comfortable echoing their partner, let them create contrasting phrases to answer their partner instead of echoing. It's a fun and creative way to get aquainted with the Bwkrs. - Meredith Harley Inserra
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06/05 NOTATION: I (often) just notate the rhythms instead of having a staff. For color coding, I use 3/4" round labels that I ordered from Office Depot online - red, orange, yellow, green, and purple. I have a set of flourescent stickers that I had bought for something else that I use the green and pink out of for F and B. I use the regular darker green stickers for G, even though they're not quite the teal green of the boomwhackers. -- Ann in GA
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06/05 BOOK(curriculum): I love her [Ellen Focannan] curriculum!!! She works for Boomwhacker's now. I would e-mail someone from the boomwhacker website and ask about it. If you haven't seen her demonstrate the curriculum, find someone who has or find a workshop she's doing! It's so great!!!
http://www.boomwhackers.com/edu.htm#BAT
RaeAnna Goss
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06/05 BOOK (curriculum): Ellen's stuff is great! I have used it for school and summer church camp. I bought it from Ellen a few summers ago and then she told me she was moving from Kansas to Arizona to work with Whacky Music! I emailed her a few months ago and she is doing great. They sell her curriculum in various places such as West Music. Another place that is good to order from is Musicians friend. They have all kinds of things. If you order $199 worth of stuff they give you FREE shipping!!! Some of their prices are a few dollars off of the retail price too! Their web address is: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/lmi -- Denise in SC
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06/05 SONG: I've taught the Music K8 Boomwhacker song, "Boomrocker" (12/4) Plank Road Publishing: http://www.musick8.com/, to my students a couple of years now, and decided to add recorders. Boomwhackers play their written part and recorders play the echo part played by the guitar. It works really well, and is easy to play. It is really a rockin' tune! Monica Autry
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06/05 HIT ON CHAIRS: I use plastic chairs for my boomwhackers. I have two students to a chair and they put the chair with the back facing them. They hit on the top of the back rest. I also usually put 4 students to each boomwhacker and we use the octavators caps. I have them hold the octavator side in their hand and they hit the open end of the boomwhacker on the chair. I usually have them hit the end of the boomwhacker so that their is about 4" overlaping the back of the chair. This makes the boomwhacker louder. If you hit too close to the very end of the boomwhacker the sound becomes softer. I hope that makes sense. Since you're in a gym the sound should carry with no problems even with a packed gym. Tami Mangusso
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09/03 CHORDS: If you sit students in rows of 8 and then give each person one boomwhacker in the color order, starting from the right hand side with low C, when you as the conductor/teacher are standing facing them, it is really easy to teach how to build chords.
Chord I : Red, yellow, dark green
Chord IV: light green , pink, red.
Chord V: since the kids have seen you miss out one person in the previous chords it is easy to move to the fifth IE G and then B but since you have no D you ask them if there is another D anywhere that you can borrow! IE orange
I also introduce the V7 chord by saying can we jump another third and then you include the F (light green)
Then when we play chords I, IV,and V7 children get to know that C is in chords I and IV, D is in chord V only, E is in chord I only, F is in chords IV and V, G is in chords I and V, A is in chord IV only, B is in chord V only.I taught fourth graders last year how to build D minor chords and Eminor chords too. They really became very good at saying whether a chord was sad or happy (major or minor). - Contributed by Sue Michiels
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10/04 I LOVE THE MOUNTAINS - I did this song today with my 5th graders using boomwhackers. No, they didn't get any double-entendres from the name! lol! First I wrote the notes F D G C on the board then I played the song. We sang that as an ostinato. Then I had them play the ostinato on the boomwhackers. It was simple, but fun and they enjoyed it :-) -Cheryl Elder
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10/04 I LOVE THE MOUNTAINS - was in MK8 a couple years ago. After my 3rds had enjoyed learning the song with the recorded accompaniment, I added the Boomwhacker ostinato. I think we did G E A D to get the song in a better singing key for them. It made a nice concert piece and was certainly not too hard for 3rds. -- Connie Herbon
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12/03 TWINKLE LITTLE STAR Some possibilities, assuming you want to accompany yourself on the Boomwhackers (or Xylophones)
Add a broken bordun - C G C G on the steady beat. This works best for us if one player has both the C and the G, similar to having two mallets. For a little more interest, make the rhythm pattern of the bordun C G-G C G / C G-G C G etc. If they can handle this, add the "cross-over" of high C from another player, making the ostinato pattern
C G-G C' G (2 times per phrase). Some students play while others do the singing.
A single strike by finger cymbals, triangle, or glock at the end of each phrase (every
8th beat) will give the song a little more color. While the song can certainly be harmonized with I IV V7 chords, it can also be done with just the bordun (I chord) for
quick success. - Contributed by Connie Herbon
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11/03 Make a poster with the boom whacker Avery colored circles on it and hang it on the back of a music stand facing the kids. You can then lead them through it with a pointer. - Contributed by Susan Michiels
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11/03 TEACHING A SONG: When I teach Boomwhackers I break the music down into phrases (4-8 measures). I then
assign each phrase a color. When I assign the students a tube they are also assigned a
group with a color. I no longer color code the notes to the tubes. I find by breaking
the music into phrases I no longer have the same student(s) playing all of the C's in the
music. This fixes the problem of students complaining about how so and so gets to play
more. It also makes teaching and memorizing the music easier because they don't have as
much to play. I've been teaching my 3rd graders "Singin' in the Rain" from the Boom Boom! Popular movie and TV songs book. We now have all of the accompaniment line learned it took 3 class periods and we only spent 15mins on it each day. The Orff instruments will play the melody line. I like to combine Boomwhackers with the Orff instruments. I will have the alto's and soprano's alternate on the melody. I am teaching all the parts to the entire class, but for the program I will only pick 3-4 students from each 3rd grade lass (4 classes total). To pick who will get to play on the program I take volunteers and make of list of who is interested. I will then just pull sticks with numbers on them (my students are assigned numbers for various things) until I have all parts assigned. --Contributed by Tami Mangusso
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10/03 SONGS: Note: Plank Road Publishing publishes a magazine, MK8 Magazine, (5 issues per year) accompanied by CD accompaniments which has several songs in each issue (which are copyable for students) including (usually) a song especially for boomwhackers. They make great program songs. See their website for more detail:
http://www.musick8.com/
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ELFIS LAND:
http://www.musick8.com/elfis/elfisland.tpl
Stop by and check out the Elfis downloads, performance photos, links, and ideas. If you already own one of the Elfis musicals, this section of the web site will give you a lot of additional resources.
If you don't own one yet, check out _Elfis Goes West with Lewis and Clark_, Teresa Jennings' latest Elfis musical, which is now available and shipping:
http://www.musick8.com/store/alphadetail.tpl?productgroup=1093
(Links to all three musicals can be found at Elfis Land.)-Contributed by James Ziegler
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WHACKY HALLOWEEN (to teach) (MK8 song by Plank Road Publishing) I put mine on my big easel pad.....Is that not a good thing? I just use the alphabet letters..... D E F G A etc..... I use barlines and rests.... I put the first and second endings.... the Coda sign..... We talk about where the music goes. I point to the note/chords - Contributed by Patricia Albritton
05/03 BOOK: I like to start with Bradley Bonner's Boomwhacker Games. You can find it at the West Music website: https://www.westmusic.com/
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STORAGE: I store my boomwhackers in 5 gallon buckets. 3 sets store easily in these. Plus...you have a handle to pick them up and move them easily as well.We hit them on the floor, parallel, and on our bodies. It's a great way to discuss timbre. Where you strike the boomwhacker makes quite a difference in the sound quality. We like the head!As for musicality, they do not sound glorious but they are accurate and a wonderful representation of size to pitch ratio. My students really understand the scale now! -- Contributed by Kristin Lukow -- [email protected] -- http://www.geocities.com/klukow/music.html
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05/03 STORAGE: My 6 sets of diatonic (8 per set) fit into a box about 12" square and 40" high. Each set comes in a net bag, but we store them by pitch rather than by set. We added octavator caps right away to all the tubes. In my opinion, this greatly improves the musical quality of the sound. Although the students enjoyed tapping them lenghwise on the floor, they seem happy to hold them vertically and tap the caps on the carpeted floor. I also bought rolls of the webbed rubber shelf liner someone suggested, so now we can play on tile or wood floors. I don't find the sound of uncapped Boomwhackers tapped horizontally on the floor to be very musical, and tapping them on legs and hands was difficult for my younger students.
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HIT WITH WHAT?: The boomwhackers are very musical (in their own way) and fun to play. What do you hit them with ANYTHING!!!! :-) Your hands, the floor, any surface and the pitches sound the same. They come in mesh bags and are easy to store. But you can come up with other creative ways to store them besides the bags. Someone in the Network section of MK8 posted a picture of a box they made for storage of their boomwhackers. Kids love them because they are so acessible. You can teach rhythm, melody and harmony with them. Hope this helps.-- Contributed by Cheryl Elder
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05/03 HELPFUL HINTS: Some things I've found helpful:
2. To keep them quiet & not playing, I remind them these are INSTRUMENTS, so must only be played when it's their turn, or they must bring it back up (for a few minutes' timeout)
3. I find the best sound is starting with them about an inch from the floor & coming straight down, with the end caps on.
4. "Rest position" is resting the end cap on the floor & not bouncing it. If we are going to need our hands, I have them lay the BW's down on the floor. -- Contributed by Mary Duren
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04/03 BOOK: "Composing with Boomwhackers" which I'm using with a 6th grade enrichment class that I see once a week for 50 minutes. Denise Gagne's lesson plans are clear, she includes reproducible visuals, the activities are varied and creative, and my hard-to-please 6th graders are eating it up!
www.musick8.com (Plank Road Publishing)
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03/03 BOOKS: I love anything by Ellen Foncannon as far as boomwhackers are concerned.
She's at www.Boom-A-Tunes.com http://www.boom-a-tunes.com/.
She has a classical boomwhacke book that is really fun. I also recommend the Totally Tubular kit-you MUST check out the "innertubes" and the boomwhacker baseball.
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03/03 My current 6th graders performed:
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10/02 BOOMWHACKER INTRODUCTION - (Contributed by Gretchen (gtpiano)
Junior High Ages: This is it, the moment of truth. Thursday I introduce my 8ths and 7ths to boomwhackers. I took many of your suggestions from this list, coupled them with my own "methodology," and came up with the following plan. This is simply to lay a foundation, but if you think it's too dull or elementary, I'm open to suggestions. My main purpose here is to set a precident for understanding, order, and fun. Here's the basic overview...
1. No excessive force to be used when playing.
2. No hitting anything other than self or other objects as directed.
3. No contact with mouth.
4. You bend/break, you replace.
5. No horseplay whatsoever.
6. Tubes are to be seen & not heard until permission to play is given
Then I will instruct the kids to arrange themselves in this formation based on the pitch card they are holding. (I will challenge them to do this very quietly and be in place before I get to 20 taps on my hand drum). I will also show them a few other formations we'll be using (circle, semi-circle, and scatterd). I may then have them arrange themselves into a scattered formation, exchange cards with a neighbor, and return again to the line formation (but in new places with their new pitch cards). At this point I'll collect their cards. I need to see that they can conduct and arrange themselves in an orderly & cooperative fashion with pitch cards BEFORE I put the tubes in their hands. Remember, these are the bigger kids :)
-Draw C major scale on board using pitch names only in ascending order. Play scale on piano, then have all sing scale by letters, numbers, and solfege pitches up and back.
-Ask them to refresh their memory of which pitch they'll be playing by where they are in line.
-pass out the tubes (3 per pitch).
-allow a few moments of whacky applause, then resume holding position at the light signal.
-display a simple rhythm pattern (4 bts). All clap, then all whack together.
-Play the scale up and back in pitch order with each pitch playing the card pattern.
-vary the patterns to where they're playing a scale in half notes, then quarter notes w/o pause.
-All sing the song in C. Discuss C as the home tone or do, but how HCB doesn't begin on do, but on mi. Simulate the melodic direction w tubes held horizontally while singing again in C. -move the high C players to low C or other available pitches.
-play the song in C (EDC), F (AGF), and G (BAG).
-circle these pitch groups on the scale on board for visual aid. After ea playing, all provide whacky applause.
Listen For Your Letter. I'm going to skip the little song here and simply have them echo-play various pitch patterns that I sing or play first on the piano in a steady continuous fashion w/o pause.
Whacky Cha-Cha (if time).
Return tubes & chairs.
The class is about 45 min. long.
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08/02 SONG: I used the instrumental version for "Whacky Birthday" (track 21) from the latest MK8 issue (12:5)-Plank Rd. Publishing Plank Road Publishing: http://www.musick8.com/ and inserted these lyrics:
Now you are in (eighth rest) _____ grade (repeat)
section B: Let's all have a good year,
Let's all have a good year! (repeat)
section C: Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do,
Whatcha gonna do to make it come true? (repeat)
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08/02 INTRODUCTION: For our initial Boomwhacker lesson I sit the kids in eight rows. Usually there are three or four kids in each row. (sitting behind one another like on a train.) They look at the C Scale chart on the wall and figure out which pitch they are going to be. I demonstrate C scales on the piano, recorder, xylophone, etc. We sing a C scale using letters, numbers, then solfege.We look at the boomwhackers, talk about size determining pitch, rules for playing, etc. I pass out the boomwhackers and have free whacky time for a few minutes.
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06/22/02 TEACHING: My boomwhacker formations vary depending on the activity we are doing.
1. I have enough for each child to have one. Classroom mgt is better that way.
2. They whack them different places for different activities. Sometimes it's the floor, sometimes a body part, they love when they get to "freestyle and choose their own place to hit them (not on each other, however, that is my biggest rule with them).
3. Sometimes we play simple melodies with them. I put write out the music and put it on the overhead. That way we don't have paper all over the place.
4. Do you have kids of your own or have access to in a church group or somewhere else? If so buy a set and give them to the kids and just watch them play and get ideas from that. I gave my set to my 11 year old and watched her and three of her friends come up with allsorts of musical games and songs to play on them. Kids have great ideas!!!!
5. I like to use them to introduce the scale to little ones. Give them each one and have them line up (I tell them tallest to shortest) Then we play the scale and talk about it. With the older kids we line up in scale order and I teach them about intervals. (who is a third up from, C, etc) They love it.
6. I have a bass set, but hardly ever use them. The bass set was twice the price of the smaller sets and I think I used it about a dozen times this year. If I didn't have it, I would not miss it.Don't be afraid to try using them, the kids love them and look forward to playing them. I sometimes use them as a reward. They are fun, fun, fun!!!!
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BOOK: ("Fun With Boomwhackers") I have them sit in a circle on the floor when using activities from Fun With Boomwhackers. It makes it easier for the kids to see the patterns they are playing. For other boomwhacker activities, we sit in our regular places. I do think it is easier to play them on the floor though. Their chairs don't really allow them enough space in my room.When it is available, I would recommend getting Denise Gagne's Composing With Boomwhackers book. I've had a sneak preview and there are a lot of great activities in there.
I don't have the kids read music for a lot of Boomwhacker activities. I find that I don't need to for rhythm things, many of Chris Judah Lauder's activities, and songs like Whacky Cha Cha (MK8). If I do need the kids to read music, I either make a large chart or put it on the overhead. Keeping track of music and playing a boomwhacker requires a little more coordination than most of my kids have.
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04/02 SONG: I tried this boomwhaker activity before Easter with "Jelly Bean Blues" (MK8: Plank Road Publishing: http://www.musick8.com/) which my students loved!) After teaching the class the song, I wrote the 12 bar blues chords on the board. We then discussed the 12 Bar Blues form briefly, and reviewed how chords are formed. We did this rather quickly, and I think the classes would benefit just doing a chord lesson with the boomwhakers. Anyway, I then passed out the boomwhakers and had the students sit in groups according to which chord they were to play. We practiced playing while I pointed to the chords, then sang along as I or a student directed (pointed to the chords!) the group. They loved this activity, and would have easily been able to extend this to improvise their own blues songs
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04/02 CHORDS: I make overheads and charts and color the notes with the same color as the
boomwacker color. I also have charts like non pitched instruments so when a
boomwacker plays he reads only one line. There might be 3 or 4 lines and these
are all in the color of the boomwacker and then have rest rest half note bar
line, etc.
Red (meter: 4/4) I I d / I I I I/ I d I/
The line in the example would all me done in a red felt. Write the next line
and color note below that and write the color on it. When doing most of my
composing I use Pentatonic because it sounds nice. Once you have them tape
them onto wrapping paper tubes and keep them in a long box so you can reuse
them. (I even have them lamanated now).
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03/02 I keep mine in a tall kitchen garbage can! The kids think it is a riot when
they get their instruments out of the garbage!
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11/01 LOWER ELEM:br>I start by teaching the C scale. We already sing this almost everyday...with my little ones, we sing the body scale as part of our warm-up. So adding the scale on boomwhackers is easy. They LOVE to hear the pitches match their voices!!
Then, we learn Do-Re-Mi and then Whacky-Do-Re-Mi from MK8.
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11/01 BOOMWHACKER SONG AND CONSTRUCTION
Note Sequence: 1. A-B-G (key of G, modulate to C)
2. D-E-C (key of C, modulate to F)
3. G-A-F (key of F)
1. Five: CEG One: FAC (Key of F, modulate to C)
2. Five: GBDF One: CEG (Key of C)
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STOMP: When I saw Stomp live, they did have a portion where they played a melody. This was my version for my spring concert.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
D A F c' B C G E
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
D
D C
D C E
D F C E
D A F C E
D A F B C E
D A F B C G E
D A F c' B C G E
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
D A F c' B C G F E C
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BOOK: If any of you have the Orff Music for Children books, there is a song
entitled Lions in one of them -either green or blue cover, can't remember
which. The rhythm patterns in this song have always been a big hit with my
classes using conga, bongos, tambourines, etc. Haven't felt like dragging
all that out yet - but tried it on boomwhackers. A class I had this morning
sounded great - I assigned a different pattern to each color, and used some
octavator caps. They were thrilled with those - I'll have to buy more, I
only have 6.
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BOOK: Boomwhacker Books! by Ellen Foncannon Written especially for tuned percussion tubes 2-17 players Elementary to intermediate note reading
BOOMA-WHACKA! Volume 1: Original and folk tunes 8.95
BOOMA-WHACKA! Volume 2: The Classical Whacker 8.95
Featuring classical themes by the great composers "Did you know?" music history/composer facts
Special: Both books and free samples from Volume 3 17.00 (inc. tax/postage/handling) Books are spiral bound on quality paper with card stock covers. Whackers and number of players listed for each piece. Kid-tested and teacher approved. What a fun way to teach note-reading! (Suggestions for titles or themes for expanding repertoire welcome.)
Coming Soon! Volume 3: Spirituals and Hymn Tunes (Do something REALLY different for church.)
To preview individual sample pieces, send self-addressed stamped legal envelope to: Ellen Foncannon, 318 S. Elm Drive, Greensburg, KS 67054.
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SONG/CHORDS: I had a really successful day with my 6th graders today and thought you might
enjoy this activity.
Preparation:
I found the song "Lean On Me" in the old Macmillan text, Music and You. The
song uses only I, IV and V7 chords and is very repetitious. I copied the
Roman numerals of the chords (a chord on each beat) on the front and back of
a piece of poster board and wrote the lyrics underneath the chords.
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BOOKS
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You MUST, I repeat, MUST check out Ellen Foncannon's Boom-A-Tunes. It is an entire boomwhacker curriculum that goes from basic to complicated. You can reach her at http://www.boom-a-tunes.com/
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04/02 "Excellent Boomwhacker Book" great book
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02/02 We now carry Boomwhacker Games on the MusicK8.com web site (http://www.musick8.com/). Just type "Boomwhacker Games" into the search box and hit Go!
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BOOK: Ellen Foncannon is popular in piano and choral composing. Her
latest passion is boomwhackers. She has 3 great boomwhacker books (the
only ones I've enjoyed using-the other ones I have are just not what I was
expecting-but I don't have the K8 ones!!). She also has this new
boomwhacker curriculum that if purchased includes the boomwhackers and
everything. Here's the website: http://www.ellenfoncannon.com/
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WEB SITES
12/07 IDEAS: http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/specialfeature/musical_instruments/
http://www.nancymusic.com/PRINThomemade.htm
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http://www.rhythmweb.com/homemade/
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03/02 Make Chinese instruments
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8584.html
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