LISTENING - Chapter 1

The skill of LISTENING is ESSENTIAL in EVERY Subject.

LISTENING is a LIFE SKILL.

Listening to music is the one musical activity EVERYONE can participate in.
The art of listening is cultivated and enriched by building a vocabulary. Developing and practicing Active Listening Drills everyday is an important building block to increase the knowledge and skill of the Art of Listening.

Every voice has an unique tone quality / TONE COLOR  by which it can be identified whether it is heard alone or in combination within a group. 

QUESTION: How would you describe the CHARACTERISTICS of your voice?

Possible ANSWERS: Soft / Bright / Raspy / Deep / Dramatic /  Vibrant / Light / Twangy / Thin / Rich / Nasal / Heavy

THE LISTENER

1. Seat a student, with his/her back to the group.
2. This student is called The LISTENER.
3. Have the Listener close their eyes.
4. Instruct the group that when you POINT to a single student or TAP them on the shoulder, they are to speak the "given word" out loud.
5. Give the group a word to speak.
6. Once the LISTENER can not see you, POINT to or TAP a student on the shoulder from the group to speak the "given word" out loud.
7. The task of the LISTENER is to identify whose voice they heard.

OPTIONS:

• Have 2 students speak the "given word" at the SAME time
• Have 3 students speak the "given word" at the SAME time
• Tell the LISTENER the names of 3 students but only 2 of them will speak the "given word". The task of the LISTENER is to identify the student who DID NOT speak out of the group of 3 students.
• Chose 2 students to speak. 1 student speaks the "given word" while the other speaks a DIFFERENT word at the SAME time. The DIFFERENT word is UNKNOWN to the LISTENER. The task of the LISTENER is to identify the DIFFERENT WORD

GENERAL SINGING VOICE CATEGORIES

Female / Women

Male / Men

Children

TRAINED SINGING VOICE CATEGORIES

SOPRANO: Female Voice. High Pitch Range

MEZZO SOPRANO: Female Voice, Medium Pitch Range

ALTO: Female Voice, Low Pitch Range

TENOR: Male Voice, High Pitch Range

BARITONE: Male Voice, Medium Pitch Range

BASS: Male Voice, Low Pitch Range

MORE VOCAL CATEGORIES

1. VOCAL SOLO: when one sings alone
2. VOCAL ENSEMBLE: a group of singers
3. CHOIR: a group of church singers
4. MEN'S CHORUS: a group of men's voices
5. WOMEN'S CHORUS: a group of women's voices
6. MIXED CHORUS: a combination of both men and women voices
7. A CAPELLA: when a person sings without an accompaniment (instruments)
8. DUET: 2 people singing
9. TRIO: 3 people singing
10. QUARTET: 4 people singing
11. QUINTET: 5 people singing

A CAPELLA and MIXED CHORUS - "One Voice" by, Barry Manilow

SOLO & DUET - "Scales and Arpeggios" by, Disney's The Aristocats

 CHILDREN'S CHOIR - "We Are The World" 

MEN'S CHOIR - "You Raise Me Up" by, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

WOMEN'S CHORUS - "Hava Nageela" by, JMU Women's Chorus

Follow my Video Picks board on Pinterest!  Clancy's Classroom Video Picks

TRAINING THE EAR: 

LISTENING FOR PRONOUNS

1. On the board, write the pronoun or list of pronouns you want your students to count throughout the song.
2. Have your students use TALLY MARKS to keep track.
3. As your students listen, have them write a Tally Mark EVERY TIME they hear the pronoun or pronouns you are having them track.
4. Play the song only ONCE!

"I'll Be There" - by, The Jackson 5

"YOU" is heard 17 times

"I" is heard 8 times

"WE" is heard 1 time

"ME" is heard 3 times

"HE" is heard 2 times

"MY" is heard 7 times

TOTAL of all 6 Pronouns is 38

"Thank God I'm A Country Boy" - by, John Denver

"ME" is heard 17 times

"I" is heard 26 times

"I'M" is heard 11 times

"MY" is heard 8 times

"HE" is heard 2 times

TOTAL of all 5 Pronouns is 64

Click on the link below

"What Do You Hear?" Bundle Winter Holiday Set 1 Answer Key, Worksheets, Posters:Instrument and Vocal

for all you do!

Have a Great Day and remember to take time for yourself EVERYDAY!

Donna Marie & Mary

Gotta DANCE! Gotta MOVE!

Everyone has musical potential. 
Even if you have never taught or choreographed a dance before, you can still give your students the opportunity to learn DANCE through the exploration of Basic Non & Loco-motor MOVEMENTS, Sport & Game MOVEMENTS and Elements that change movements.

• EVERYDAY MOVEMENTS: Walk, Run, Gallop, Shake, Turn, Roll
• CREATE Dance Movements while moving to: Music & Singing, Poem, Stories
• Kinesthetic Movements: Making Letters, Patterns, Numbers, Shapes with their bodies, animal movements
• RESPOND to Dance through: Talking, Drawing, Writing
• CLASSROOM PERCUSSION / RHYTHM INSTRUMENTS sometimes CONNECT a culture to a Dance. Examples: Tambourines, Shakers, Drums, Sticks, Bells
• SAFE PROPS: Scarves, Streamers, Hoops, Small Parachute, Ribbons, Ropes, Bean Bags, Balloons

3 Movement Descriptions

1. Body prone on floor
2. Keep body as log, roll over and over

OPTIONS: 

• Change directions
• Keep arms at sides
• Keep arms over head
• Alternate directions

1. Step on Right Foot, lifting Left Foot slightly off the floor
2. Transfer weight onto your Left Foot by lifting your entire body off the floor, landing with a slight bent knee

OPTIONS: 

• Change leading leg
• Lift high
• Go far
• Move slowly

OPTIONS: 

• A train going by, shaking the ground
• You are cold
• You are scared
• Grow your shake from your feet to the top of your head

♫Explore other reasons why some one or some thing may shake♫

• Students learn Basic Movement and Choreographed Skills, working independently, with a partner in CREATING and PERFORMING Dances
• 4 NON-LOCO MOTOR MOVEMENTS: Bend, Twist, Stretch, Swing
• 8 BASIC LOCO MOTOR MOVEMENTS: Walk, Run, Hop, Jump, Leap, Gallop, Slide, Skip
• 5 More LOCO MOTOR MOVEMENTS: TRAVELING: Forward, Backward, Sideways, Diagonally and Turning
• CREATE shapes: Low, Middle and High Levels
• DEFINE and MAINTAIN Personal Space
• PERFORM accuracy in moving to a Musical Beat and RESPONDING to Tempo changes

2 Non-Loco Motor Movement Descriptions

1. Face Forward and Turn Torso from side to side, leaving feet in the same place

OPTIONS: 

• Let arms wrap around body after the twist
• Change body levels

OPTIONS: 

• Pretend you are a tree in the wind
• Pretend you are picking up a penny
• Pretend your hands are stuck to your feet

2 Basic Loco Motor Movement Descriptions

1. Stand with both feet on ground, knees slightly bent
2. Push Off the ground with BOTH FEET at the SAME TIME, straightening the knees as you go up
3. Land with BOTH FEET at the SAME TIME, knees slightly bent

OPTIONS: 

• Jump in place or travel forward/backward/sideways/diagonally
• Jump over something
• Use various arm positions while in the air
• Finish Jump in different positions

1. Stand on 1 Foot and Bend the Knee
2. Lift weight off floor while straightening Leg in the air
3. Land on starting Leg bending the Knee slightly

OPTIONS: 

• Use various Arm Positions
• Change Legs
• Travel the room

4 FOCUS Elements That Change Movements 

OPTIONS: 

• Slowly
• Quickly
• Use a count of 1,2,3,4 etc...

♫TAKE A CREATIVE MOVEMENT BREAK♫

☼BRAINSTORM☼EXLORE☼IMPROVISE☼

2 Creative Movement Suggestions 

OPTIONS: 

     EXPLORE

• Times when something might spin
• Things that might spin

     PRETEND YOU ARE 

• A Spider Spinning a web
• A Merry-Go-Round
• An Ice Skater
• Caught in a Tornado

OPTIONS: 

       EXPLORE

• When something might melt
• Things that might melt

     PRETEND YOU ARE 

• Bacon in a frying pan
• Butter on a hot potato
• The Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz" when the water was thrown on her
• Ice Cream in the hot sun
• Snowman in the hot sun

Did you know you can Macarena and Bunny Hop to Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride”? 

Click on the link below to download the FREE Dance Step Routine!

Dance Movements: FREE "Sleigh Ride" Macarena & Bunny Hop

"Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson (John Williams & The Boston Pops)

Click on the link below to see videos on how to do the Macarena & The Bunny Hop.

You will also find other Dance Break Videos and various Music Videos.

Clancy's Classroom Video Picks on Pinterest

♫TAKE A DANCE/MOVEMENT BREAK♫

Just Dance Kids ABC by The Jackson 5

Click on the link below

Rhythm/Lummi Stick Activity "Let It Snow" Grades 2-3

for all you do!

Have a Great Day and remember to take time for yourself EVERYDAY!

Donna Marie & Mary

It's Show Time! Winter Holiday Ideas

Let's face it, when you have anywhere from 80 to 100 Elementary students on risers, there is little room for physical scenery. This is where Banners, Costume Props and Small Props come in handy.

 

• MATERIAL: Broadcloth or Heavy Cotton
• Size Option 1: 2 yards L x 26" W
• Size Option 2: 1 yards L x 26" W
• DOWEL to hang Banner from
• STRING / RIBBON to attach to Dowel
• 3 M HOOKS that remove cleanly from walls
• DECORATING MATERIAL IDEAS: Felt, Material, Paint, Foam Cutouts

WINTER OBJECT THEME IDEAS: Kwanzaa, Music, Snowflakes, Star of David, Menorah, Christmas Tree, Bethlehem Star,  Round Peppermint Candies, Candy Canes, Stockings, Christmas Ball Ornaments

WINTER WORD THEME IDEAS: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa in different languages

1. Red Wagons: as a train to carry various props. Line the hallways, foyer, etc... with the wagons.
2. Small Moving Boxes: covered in White Paper. Each box decorated with a letter to spell out a Holiday Greeting. Example: "Happy Holidays" would take 14 boxes including 1 blank box for the space between the words. (you can use any wrapping paper inside out as long as the backside of the printed paper is white)
3. Poster Board: to do "the wave". 1 Letter per student to spell out a Holiday Greeting.
4. White PVC Pipe: lightly sand off the words on the pipe. Wrap the pipe using RED DUCT or ELECTRICAL TAPE to create the stripes of a Peppermint Stick. You can also wrap the pipe with Painters Tape creating stripes and Spray Paint the pipe RED.
5. Various Size Moving Boxes: wrapped as presents.
6. Holiday Foam Cutouts: ex. Candy, Snowflakes. Attach to Dowels or White PVC Pipes. Prop them up in a bucket of sand or in a bucket with a Styrofoam block in it. Option 1: have some students during the opening number in parade style enter in holding these props then placing them into buckets already in position on the stage or around the room. Option 2: Already have these props in place.
7. Tree Branches: Spray Painted White.

1. Attach a cardboard/foam Snowflake to a Red/Green or Navy Blue shirt with glue or tape.
2. Tree Hats
3. Attach Snowflake Foam cutouts to the palm of gloves with glue or tape
4. Holiday Scarves, Mittens, Hats
5. Black Top Hat: Add Holiday Ribbon and a sprig of silk/plastic Holly
   
6. Holiday Shirts, Sweaters or solid color shirts (Red/Green/White/Navy Blue/Gold/Gray)
7. Vests: How to make Holiday Vest Overlays:

• Buy Solid or Holiday Material
• Have each child stand with their back facing you
• Measure the Width of the child's shoulders
• Measure from the shoulder down to the child's hip
• DOUBLE this measurement so the vest covers both the front and back of the child
• Option 1: Cut material into a SQUARE so it lays like a Diamond
  
• Option 2: Cut the material into a RECTANGLE 
  
• Cut a hole in the center for the child's head
• Wear over WHITE shirts
• Wear MISMATCHED Holiday designed socks or colors
• If a child is wearing Reindeer Ears, why not have them wear a Red Bow around their neck and a Gold Name Tag

1. Program (don't forget copyright info and Thank You's especially the maintenance crew)
2. Students Height Formation
3. Student Line-Up Order
4. Prop List
5. Scenery List
6. Equipment List
7. Sketch of any area that will be decorated and label where props/scenery pieces are placed

• Parents/Grandparents/Guardians
• Older Students

If you put the word out - if you invite - and they can - they WILL come ☺

Make a list of what you need and shoot out an email and send a flyer home.

Must Be Santa Movements Power Point Picture Graph PDF File

“Must Be Santa” (PreK-1)

Looking for a cute, adorable, easy to learn song to perform at a Winter Holiday Concert or just for fun? Look no further. “Must Be Santa” is an EASY echo-like song. These Easy to follow, Step by Step instructions of Simple Movements for the students to act out while they sing, require no formal music training! 

The download also includes a PDF File:Teaching Approach, Guide to using/assembling the Picture Graph (if you chose to print off the Power Point slides as Posters) to accompany the teaching section called “Let’s Talk About The Song”. Album information included along with a website link to view the lyrics (words).

I hope your students enjoy pretending to be Santa as much as mine do!

The following Skills are incorporated:
Music: Melody, Rhythm, Singing, Listening
Math: Counting
Art: Color Identification
PE: Gross Motor Movement
Drama: Pantomime, Portraying a Character
Science: Identifying Body Parts, Comet (G1)
LA: Collaborative conversation, answering questions about key details, Speaking audibly, Expressing thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly
Geography: Germany (G1)

for all you do!

Have a Great Day and remember to take time for yourself EVERYDAY!

Donna Marie & Mary