Kookaburra
Activities
* Small movement
* Resonator bells
* Round-singing
Music
D Major
Starting pitch: A
Swing meter
Basic activity
Start by holding your hand up like a bird's beak and pulsing it to the beat. You might add some bird
calls, caws, and chirps for effect; then begin to sing the song, swaying to and tapping the beat. Refer
to the song page for other ideas.
Resonator bells
If possible, have seven pairs of A and D bells—one beli for each child in a class of twelve, one for
you, and one extra—plus twice as many mallets, so each adult can share a child's beli. Teli the
children to get "one beli, two sticks." If you don't have enough to go around (and they are expensive!) get at least a few pair—one to demonstrate with and a few to hand out—and supplement with
triangles, finger cymbals, and other ringing instruments.
Show the larger pulse in your body and begin tapping the beli on the beat (1-2-3-4) as you sing.
Sing the song through again, tapping every second beat (1 - 3 - , 1 - 3 - ). Then play every four
beats (1 - - -, 1 - - - ), pulsing your arm in a big are to fili the time and space between taps.
While you may be more comfortable holding the beli with one hand and striking it with the other,
also model striking the beli as it sits on thefloor,which may be easier for children. Also show some
of the ways a child might naturally explore the instrument, such as tapping the wooden part, holding the beli vertically, or using it as a telephone.
Singing in rounds
Please see the description on the song page and "How to Lead Rounds" in the introduction to this
book. It's important to clearly communicate a few key points: how many times to sing the song; how
the group is divided; when each group is to come in. Practice cueing with your arms and torso to
offer the families a visible signal.
Try to identify at least one strong adult singer who can help anchor each group. The first week, you
may have the entire class sing the song while you sing the round against them. Next week, try two
groups; then, two groups with you singing the third part; and finally, a full three-part round. This is
very doable, especially with a song already familiar to many people. Just remember how to
pronounce "oops!" and allow this to be a delightful music experience rather than a goal-driven one.
Additional ideas
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Kookaburra
Traditional, arranged
by K. Guilmartin
Merrily (J~J =J Ì )
D
' 4
G
*
* D
«
1. Koo - ka
2. Koo - ka
Mer - ry
Eat - ing
Laugh,
Stop,
0
^
i
8
D
J
your
some
I
*1
J
=
sits
sits
in
in
the
the
old
old
gum
gum
tree,.
tree,.
mer - ry king
of the
ali the gum - drops
bush
he
is
can
he._
see..
•
bur - ra
bur - ra
ka - bur - ra,
ka bur - ra,
.
Gay
Leave
J
=
Koo
Koo
j
I
f
«
0
d
life
there
must
for
.
laugh,
stop,
4
Koo - ka - bur - ra,
Koo - ka - bur - ra,
—._
i
be.
To create a round, additional voices can begin singing when the first voice reaches the asterisk (*).
Fingerplay: Make bird beaks with your hands and pulse them to the beat as you sing. On "Laugh,
Kookaburra," throw your hands up in the air as if you were laughing. Mime eating candy on the
second verse, moving your hands rhythmicaliy toward and away from your mouth. Create your own
rhythmic movements for "stop" and "leave some there for me."
Vocal play: Experiment with your voice by singing a verse up high, on laughing sounds, or in a quiet
or loud voice. Try singing it on different syllables, perhaps sounds your child makes or likes.
Round-singing: One singer begins the song, and the next singer starts after the first sings "old gum
tree" (see asterisks above to guide you). A third and fourth singer can join in this way, too, and the
music goes around and around, as each singer finishes the song and starts again.
Note: A Kookaburra is a large, noisy bird that lives in family groups in the forests of Australia and on
the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. It is the largest member of the Kingfisher family and has a
very loud cali that sounds like people laughing. These birds live long lives—up to twenty years—perhaps because they sing and laugh with their families.
Recording: Guitar, bass, drum set, whistling
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