Music
Kindergarten
The online platform provided a delightful opportunity for the Kindergarten children to connect with each other and engage in music- making and exploration whilst at home. The children adapted quickly to the action of ‘muting’ and ‘unmuting’, echo singing enthusiastic greetings to myself and each other, with many children volunteering for opportunities to sing solo. The children enjoyed finding and playing interesting sounds from household items made of wood, metal and homemade shakers to tap and shake rhythms and beat whilst singing repertoire, such as Little Shoemaker, Jig Jog and Cobbler, Cobbler. Visual prompts enhanced the experience. The song Here Are the Instruments focused on categorising instrument into sound groups - wood, metal, shaker or skin and children waited patiently to perform sounds when their category of instrument occurred in the song, with the finale including all of the instruments!
We discovered the children also had a vast array of instruments at home which became an opportunity for individuals to show and share, prompting discussions on how the sound was made. Importantly, we were often moving our bodies- shaking, jumping, spinning, reaching high and low as we performed actions in songs such as Dingle, Dangle Scarecrow, Then I Stop, Welcome to Music and Jack in the Box just to name a few! We played a 'Who Am I' guessing game before learning Dingle Dangle Scarecrow and Jack In the Box. A couple of children produced real Jack In the Box toys that they had at home and demonstrated for us how the toy worked and the music it played. Soft toy friends also joined us and took turns of singing solos, singing, dancing and snuggling!
Kindergarten children continued exploring concepts in music such as high/low; fast/slow; loud/soft. This is helpful as we begin to explore feelings and mood in music and we are looking forward to continuing this further through listening/playing/moving/ singing when we return to onsite learning.
Lighthouse Keepers and Lofties
Through creative tweaking of repertoire in Music online, children in the Lighthouse and Lofties have enthusiastically sung simple rhymes and repertoire, played rhythmic accompaniments on homemade instruments, played singing games, listened and responded to various genres of music, explored elements of music such as pitch, tempo, rhythm, timbre and moved their bodies with actions and dance! The children have also continued their enthusiastic exploration into the signs and symbols in music. They are excited to learn that sound can be recorded using graphic and traditional notation and are learning to read, perform and practise reading rhythms and notating simple known repertoire, as well as composing their own short rhythmic patterns.
Children are becoming more familiar with the concept of duration of notes as well as how tempo, pitch, dynamics and instrumentation can affect the sound and mood of a piece of music. Lighthouse children have continued learning our song Hello To All the Children of the World and sharing knowledge of greetings in other languages. A favourite learning experience was playing adapted games such as Pegleg the Pirate where the chosen Pirate had to close their eyes and the ‘thief’, when their name was selected on the whiteboard, had to disguise their voice and sing a line solo for the ‘Pirate’ to guess.
The Lofties children online, were thoroughly immersed in the world of Peter and the Wolf. Through watching the animation, narrated by David Bowie, students were introduced to 7 characters, represented by 7 different instruments, each with its own theme. We played a matching game where we matched the instrument we thought belonged with the character. We then listened carefully to recordings of that instrument and discussed why that sound/theme was chosen for the character. The children also really enjoyed viewing, over several lessons, a version of Peter and the Wolf presented by the Qatar Symphony Orchestra. This was narrated by a compere and had the instrumentalists playing Prokofiev’s full version to a shadow puppet backdrop. Finally, we performed a Lofties Online version of our own. We divided into 7 groups to represent the 7 characters. Children chose a group, found a sound or instrument for their character and as I narrated the story each group unmuted and performed their theme each time their character appeared! We are all really looking forward to singing and playing instruments as a whole class when we return to onsite learning.
Sunroom and Peppercorns Music
Music online allowed the Sunroom and Peppercorns students to continue their exploration into the elements of music- beat, rhythm, pitch, harmony, timbre, texture, dynamics, and tempo. In particular, focusing on how composers manipulate the elements of music to create a desired mood in order to connect with an audience. We listened and responded to examples and provocations from various genres and the intention or purpose behind each composition. In Peppercorns Music we looked at examples of music with a message, and music to bring people together, such as You Will Never Walk Alone adopted for the Hillsborough soccer tragedy vigil; Live Aid concerts; songs for the end of Apartheid. We explored the lyric writing process using techniques outlined by Aria nominated composer/artist Olympia and analysed lyrics from other artists. Then students brainstormed their own words and lines around the themes of ‘courage’ and ‘inspiration’.
Our long-awaited return to onsite learning will mean that this term Peppercorns students can work on composing their own songs and lyrics using Soundtrap as a digital composition tool, as well as live instruments. We are also looking forward to putting together a class band with ‘7 Nation Army’ top of the list!
Sunroom Music sessions have also focused on music with a message and how composers can create a desired mood. We looked at images of the natural environment and the effects of pollution, global warming and deforestation. We listened to different examples of music and discussed and made choices on which ones best represented the mood and implied message of the images. Students listened, discussed and analysed lyrics and music of songs written by other people on the same topic, such as Big Yellow Taxi and Animals In Danger. Sunroom students were also introduced to the digital looping program ‘Incredibox’ and we looked in detail at components in song structure which will set us up for our own song writing when we return to onsite learning.
We are looking forward to playing and singing together. We enjoyed several online performances from students and are looking forward to more sharing when we return!
Michelle Priestly & Rose Fearon
Music teachers