PoetryandPercussion:ADemonstrationofLearningProcess

WithStudentsfromBoulevardElementaryClevelandHeights,Ohio

SabastiannaCostanzo,MusicTeacher

OMEA2017

RogerSamsDirectorofPublicationsandMusicEducationSpecialist

MusicIsElementarywww.MusicIsElementary.comroger@musiciselementary.com

FromWibbletontoWobbleton

Fromtheupcomingpublication,PercussivePlay,byRogerSamsandMichaelVasquez

AnticipatedSpring2017

PATHWAYTOLiteracy:Learningtherhymethroughrhythmreadingandbodypercussion

• Studentsclapthefollowingredrhythm; h 4

• Studentspatthefollowingbluerhythm: h 4

• Studentsstampthefollowinggreenrhythm: 4 4 4 $

• Studentsperformthefollowingcolor-codedscore.Rednotesareclapped.Bluenotesarepatted.Greennotesarestamped.

h 4 h 4 \ 4 4 4 $ h 4 h 4 \ 4 4 4 $ h 4 h 4 \ h 4 h 4 h 4 h 4 \ 4 4 4 $

• StudentsperformtheBPpieceandspeaktheword“Wibbleton”everytimetheyperformtheclappingpatterninred.

• StudentsperformtheBPpiece.Theyspeaktheword“Wibbleton”everytimetheyperformtheclappingpatterninredandtheword“Wobbleton”everytimetheyperformthepattingpatterningreen.

• StudentsperformtheBPpieceandaddtotheclappingandpattingwordsof“Wibbleton”and“Wobbleton”bysaying“Fifteenmiles”duringthegreenstampingrhythm.

• Studentslearncompletetextbyrote,orbyreadingitonthewhiteboard. FromWibbletontoWobbletonisfifteenmiles. FromWobbletontoWibbletonisfifteenmiles. FromWibbletontoWobbleton,fromWobbletontoWibbleton, FromWibbletontoWobbletonisfifteenmiles.• StudentsperforminABAForm.

ASection:Speakrhyme BSection:PerformBP ASection:Speakrhyme

• StudentsreversetheABAForm,beginningandendingwithBP.• TransferBPtoUTP.Ifyourstudentshaveexperience,allowthemtomake

instrumentchoicesforthethreedifferentcoloredrhythms.Ifthestudentsarenewtothiskindofchoicesmakingyoumaywanttodirecttheirchoicemaking.Welikered=woodblocksorrhythmsticks,blue=smallhanddrums,green=largehanddrumsortubanos.

• StudentsperforminABAFormoninstruments.PATHWAYTOPart-work:Round

• Theclassspeakstherhyme.Youenterfourbeatslaterinaround.• Dividetheclassinhalfandhavestudentsperforminaspeechround.Tradeparts.• StudentsperforminABAForm:

ASection:Unison BSection:Round ASection:Unison

• ReviewtheBPandstudentsperformasaBPround.• ReviewUTPandstudentsperformasUTPround.

PATHWAYTOPart-work:Rhymewithostinato• ModelBPostinato.Askthestudentstowatchyouperformtheostinatoatleast

threetimesandjoinyouwhenthey’vefigureditout.

• StudentsperformtheBPostinato.Youspeaktherhyme.• Dividetheclassinhalf.HalfperformstheBPostinato.Halfspeakstherhyme.

Tradeparts.• TransfertheBPtoUTP:

Snap=triangle Clap=handdrum Pat=tubanoorcajóns

• StudentsperformUTPostinatowithrhyme.Rotatestudentsthroughinstrumentalperformanceoptions.

• Studentstransfertherhythmoftherhymetorhythmsticks,orotherwoodsound,andperformwiththeUTPostinato.

PATHWAYTOMOVEMENT:CanonicChoreography

• Asaclass,choosetwooppositewallsoftheroomtobeWibbletonandWobbleton.Helpfulhint:Placeapieceofpaperwitheachlocation’snameoneachchosenwall.

• Speakthroughthetextandperformamovement(leaning,pointing,stretching)inthedirectionofeachlocationwhenitismentionedinthethefirsttwolinesofthepoem.Insistthattheyallremainfacingforwardwhileperformingtheirmovements.

• Studentscomeupwithagesturerepresentingtheirconfusionofallthedirections(pointing,questioning,complaining)andusethemduringthethirdandfourthline.Foranaddedchallenge,studentscandecidetoincludeachangeoflevelwhileperformingthesegestures.

• Studentsturnaroundinthreestepsandfacetheoppositedirectioneverytimethepoemsays"fifteenmiles."Studentsmaygetconfusedaboutwhereeachlocationisatwhentheyturn.Remindthemthattheyarealwaysstartingtheirmovementonthesamesideoftheirbody.

• Performthepoemtwotimesinarowandtheywillendfacingforward.• Dividetheclassinhalf.Halfoftheclasspracticesthechoreographywhilethe

otherspeaksthepoem.• Tradejobsandrepeat.• Performthepoemandmovementincanonatfourbeats.• ADVANCEDCHALLENGE:Mixupthestudentssotheyarescatteredaroundthe

room.Thiswillmakethecanonicmovementstandoutmorebutrequiresindividualstobeveryconfidentwiththeirpart.

We’retheHeartbeat

Fromtheupcomingpublication,PercussivePlay,byRogerSamsandMichaelVasquez

AnticipatedSpring2017

PATHWAYTOLiteracy:Readingrhythmicnotation• Studentsreadthefollowingrhythm,pattingandsayingrhythmsyllables.

• Studentsreadthefollowingrhythm,clappingandsayingrhythmsyllables.

• Dividetheclassinhalfandputthetwopartstogether.Tradeparts.

PATHWAYTOEnsemble:UntunedPercussion• ModeltheBPaccompanimentostinatowithtext.Askthestudentstolistentothe

patternatleastthreetimesandthenjoinyouwhentheyareready.

• Transferthispatterntoeitherhanddrumsortubanos.Ifyouchoosehanddrumsandthestudentsarecapable,usethisasanopportunitytoteachorpracticedownandupstrokes.

• Ifyouchoosetubanos,teachorpractice“bass”and“tone.”

• PutthedrumparttogetherwiththeBPlearnedinthepreviouspathway.

• TransferBPtoUTP.Thepattingpreparesthestudentstoplayinstrumentsthat

requiretwoalternatinghands.Thiscouldbeassimpleastworhythmsticksplayingonthefloor.Itcouldbecajóns,congadrums,templeblocks,oranyinstrumentthatrequirestwohandstoplay.Thetoppartcanbetransferredtoanynumberofhandheldpercussioninstrumentssuchasrhythmsticks,woodblocks,guiros,orsmallhanddrums.

• PutallthreepercussionpartstogethertoformanUTPensemble.PATHWAYTOMovement:Exploringcontrastinlevels,bodyfacing,andlocomotormovement

• Studentsalternatewalkingandclappingfourbeatsinplacewhileyouplaythepulseonhanddrum,templeblocks,orpiano.Askthestudentstochangetheirlevelastheyclap.

• Brainstormdifferentkindsoflocomotormovementthatcanbeusedtotraveltoa

newlocation.(march,tiptoe,gallop,slither,etc.)• Spaceoutcuecardsfourstepsapartwithdifferentlocomotormovementsaround

theroominapredictablepathway.Allstudentslineupatthefirstcardandtaketurnsmovingfromcardtocardwhiletheteacherplaysthepulse.

o Thentheymovetothenextcardusingthelocomotormovementoneachcardtheypass.

o Studentsclapfourbeatsinanylevel.

TEACHERTALK:Drawingfocustocontrast

Gettingstudentstoexploremovementsistypicallyeasytoaccomplish.However,gettingthemtoknowwhycontrastingmovementsareusefulisthechallenge.Leadaconversationthathelpsthemtounderstandthatcontrastinmovementmakestheirmovementmoreinterestingfortheaudiencetowatch.Tryusingropestocreatemoreintricatepathwaystoplacethecardson.Thiswillforcethestudentstohavecontrastingbodyfacingchangesanddirectionsoftravel.Frequentlyasktheclasstofreezeintheircurrentpositionsotheycanscantheroomforcontrast.Studentswilltypicallynoticeareasofgreatercontrast.

PATHWAYTOMovement:Creatingchoreographyforpercussionists

• Smallgroupscreatemovementtobeperformedwhiletheyareplayinginstruments.

o Percussionistsplayingthebottompartcreatechoreographythatincludesachangeinlevel.

o Percussionistsplayingthemiddlepartcreatechoreographythatincludesabodyfacingchangeduringthemeasuresofrest.

o Percussionistsplayingthetoppartcreatechoreographythatincludeslocomotormovementduringthemeasuresofrest.

TEACHERTALK:ForminggroupsTherearetwodifferentapproachesyoucantaketoformingthegroupsforsolvingthismovementchallenge.Youcouldtakeawholeclassapproachandhaveallofthestudentsplayingthesamepartworktogether.Ifyoutakethisapproachyou’llhavethreeteams.Eachteamchoreographstheirownpart,withoutpayingattentiontowhattheotherpartsaredoingandyouputthediversepartstogetherforanexcitingreveal.Theotherapproachyoucantakeistodividetheclassintosmallensembles,probablysixstudentsinagroupwithtwooneachpart.Theensemblethenworkstogethertocreateasingledancecompositionthathasthreedifferentpartsthatworktogether.Thesecondapproachismoresophisticatedandwill,likely,producemoreartfulresults.Thefirstapproachiseasierforstudentswhohaveminimalexperiencecreatingdances.PATHWAYTOComposition:Composing8-beatostinatiwithrhythmicbuildingblocks

• Studentsreadthefollowingrhythmicbuildingblocks. H h

H 4 h H H H h h h 4 4 h 4 4 4 $

• Usingtheinteractivewhiteboard,taketheclassthroughtheprocessofselectingandarrangingfourbuildingblockcardstocomposean8-beatrhythmicostinato.TransferthatostinatototheUTPinstrumentsthatyouareusinginyourensemble.

• Smallgroupsofstudents(allfromthesameinstrumentteam)compose8-beatostinatitobeperformedontheirinstruments.

• Smallgroupssharetheirrhythmicostinati.Theothergroupsusetheirrhythmicbuildingblockcardstoplayanotationgameandnotatetheirpeer’scompositions,arrangingtheircardstomatchtherhythmsplayed.

• LayertheseostinatiasacontrastingsectioninABAForm,orusethemtocreateanyformthatyouandyourstudentsdesire.

PATHWAYTOImprovisation:Improvising4-beatmotives

• AsmallgroupofstudentswhoareplayinganinstrumentthatisplayedwithtwohandsplaythemiddlepartandallotherstudentsimproviseforfourbeatsonBPorUTPtofillinthemeasuresofrest.

• UsethisstructureasacontrastingsectioninaGrandRondo.Considersoloimprovisations.