Testing, 1, 2, 3?

Today is the day for my first "official" mini-lessons. My lessons were for one class each of Kindergarteners, 3rd graders, and 4th graders.

Kindergarten:

We sing really HIGH!
We sing really LOW!

My original plan was to sing C in two octaves, but it was advised by Mrs. Ward that the range of Kindergarteners is somewhere around D4 to A4. Since D and A are do and sol in the key of D Major, I just used those pitches. We first made a beat to our tune, and then learned by rote (from me) the words, which used the rhythms Ta, Ta, Ti-ri, Ta. They were too young to have Tiri's integrated into the lessons, so I used a neutral syllable.
The basics of this lesson was to figure out HIGH pitches and LOW pitches. We spoke-chanted, then sang, and then physicalized it. To move, we marched to the beat in a circle, then pointed to the sky with HIGH and squatted/pointed to the ground for LOW. In this lesson, it was 8:30am...and it being my first class, I definitely messed up a few times. At this school, the beat is patted on the legs while the rhythm of a song is clapped. (Kodaly teaches consistency.) I instead had the beat with the feet, while patting the rhythms. The K's were confused, and I don't blame them! I think next time, I am going to use the "Seesaw Song" to demonstrate high and low pitches in a different way. I struggled with this lesson.

3rd Grade

Bluegrass: Nickel Creek

I originally planned to use Allison Krauss and Union Station, asking the students to identify the instruments heard. Instead, I was given more time, and I changed to Nickel Creek at the last minute. I also used a completely different plan. I decided to have them listen to an "up tune" in comparison to a ballad. We talked about bluegrass and how a ballad in bluegrass still has fast tempi/rhythm even though it is a song about a story. It was really neat--I was able to get them calmed down through the ballad "Lighthouse Song" by just listening to the story of the song. (I decided to not let them hear the ending verses, talking about the suicide of the lighthouse's keeper dying because his love was dead. I thought that was too much for 3rd Graders!) We talked about how the story was sad with the words, but how it could be mistaken for an up-tune if the words did not exist. We reviewed terms such as verses, chorus, refrain, and genre.

4th Grade

Original Aboriginals

I felt that this lesson was the most-planned and succeeded the most. Students entered the room to didgeridoo music. I wish I had grabbed my didgeridoo from home, but I completely forgot it. (I am not being sarcastic! I really do have one!) Honestly, it was good to not have the distraction. Mrs. Ward suggested that if I do bring it next time, to hide it until the very end.
After the didgeridoo song, we listened to two Aboriginal chants. The chants took up most of the lesson--they were the core! I asked questions, we did some rhythm stick imitation, listening, and voila!

All done.

Note that next time in Chant #2, demonstrate ABA style with the two patterns of rhythm displayed even in folk Aboriginal (non-Western) music.
A=Ti-ta, Ti-ta...
B= Ta, Ta...
A=Ti-ta, Ti-ta...