Voyagers and Visionaries:
the Movement Journey in the
Orff Classroom
Professional Development Workshop
For
Texas Gulf Coast Orff Association
I B
Presented By: BethAnn Hepburn
[email protected]
October 15, 2016
Dipidu Singing game
Establish the Meter
Land on beat one over the line or inside the hoops
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Begin by playing the steady beat and ask the students to walk the beat.
TEACHER TALK: Choosing your instrument
This activity is best led on an instrument that can change either pitch or timbre. For
example, if leading on a hand drum you can strike the head on beat one and tap the rim on
the off-beats. If you are playing a djembe (our preference) you’ll play a bass on beat one and
tones on the off-beats. When leading on a piano you can play a bass pitch on beat one and
a higher pitch on the off-beats.
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Establish meter in two by having the students step on beat one and snap (or clap) on
beat two.
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Switch to meter in three and have the students step on beat one and snap on beats two
and three.
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Alternate between meter in two and meter in three every eight measures to prepare
the form of the song.
Discuss the difference in the meters. Guide your students to discover that the patterns
are grouped in sets of two and three. “What are the strong and weak beat patterns?”
Sing the song as the students explore which metric pattern fits each section of the song
(step, snap, snap or step, snap).
When the patterns have been discovered by the class, teach the melody by rote.
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PATHWAY TO Play: Singing game
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Begin scattered in self-space around the room. Accompany this game with drum
patterns in 2/4 and ¾.
Students travel around the room to the beat as you play a rhythmic ostinato in 2/4 meter.
When you change to an ostinato in three, the students face a partner and perform the
following pattern:
Pat
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clap
partner clap
Sing the song (and accompany yourself on the drum) while the students play the game.
Encourage the students to sing along when they are able. The game can be played with
one partner singing first, and the second partner singing the second greeting, or both
singing together on both phrases.
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When the accompaniment changes back to meter in two the students sing and dip on the
word “du” and clap each other’s hands on the word “dip.” The teacher plays a 2/4 drum
pattern for several 8 beat phrases while and the students leave their partners and travel
around the room exploring pathways, levels changes, and body facings. They keep
exploring on their own until the return to meter in three.
When the drum pattern returns to meter in three the students sing and perform the hand
clapping pattern with a new partner.
Extension with older students:
 Students can create their own drum compositions that alternate
between twos and threes, one great way to do this is with speech or
icons:
Example
“In principal, no Schulwerk lesson should be
without movement exercises.”
Gunild Keetman, Elementaria
Movement at the GüntherSchule
Applied
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External
signal/music to
drive the
movement.
Eurhythmics
Mensendieck
Gymnastics
Elemental or “Free”
Austrucktanze
Internal expression of
movement.
Often inspired from an
idea/poetry/object.
Improvisatory
Laban Movement Efforts
These basic movement efforts were categorized by Rudolph Laban, a
contemporary of Emile Jacques-Dalcroze and Carl Orff. Historically Laban is a
leading pioneer of Modern Dance. Laban was a teacher of Mary Wigman, whose
elemental movement style or “free movement” was studied at the Guntherschule
by Carl Orff’s music students. They also did “applied” movement, in the style of
Dalcroze Eurythmics, and Bess Mensendieck. It was from the FREE ELEMENTAL
MOVEMENT, that MUSIC WAS COMPOSED.
The gesture descriptors:
Weight: light or heavy
Time/length: sustained or sudden
Direction: where the movement is heading: is it random & indirect, or
purposefully heading somewhere? direct.
Float
Glide
Flick
Dab
light
light
light
light
indirect
direct
indirect
direct
sustained
sustained
sudden
sudden
Wring
Press
Slash
Punch
heavy
heavy
heavy
heavy
indirect
direct
indirect
direct
sustained
sustained
sudden
sudden
Adding “weight” or
inner resistance
changes the efforts to
the bottom row.
Exploring with Sudden and Sustained Movements
Night at the Museum:
Mannheim Steamroller Halloween CD In the Hall of the Mountain King
Movement Accents: Sudden and Levels Changes
This is a game where you take a museum “tour.” The teacher calls out a location and you have 8 beats
to morph into an appropriate statue or museum item (i.e. dinosaurs, Neanderthals, Modern Art, Air and
Space). Once we have practiced morphing into shapes, we play the game.
q
K
e
t m
o
One person is the night watchman, who moves through the museum. If the watcher is not watching
you, you quickly morph into another shape. If the watcher sees you move, they call out your name. The
goal is to try and not have your name called out.
How does the change of music effect the movements? What if we were at the Art Museum and Debussy
was playing?
Sudden vs. Sustained: Connect to staccato or accents and Largo
Sustained
Mirroring
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Younger children often experience difficulty when first mirroring, color-coded items can help, or
simply try without an visual aid and help those moving opposite sides.
Mirroring is a common choreographic technique, but also helpful for processing instrumental
parts, so the more experiences provided for your students to mirror, the better it will help them
at the instruments as well.
Encourage students to move slowly, so you can not tell who the leader is at any given time. Use
music that is legato and a slow tempo to help slow the children down.
The Kilkenny Cats
PATHWAY TO Poetry: Rote teaching and form analysis
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Speak the poem for the students, with the text on the whiteboard for them to follow
along. Analyze the five 4-beat motives: a a b b a
Teach the poem by rote, through echo imitation
Students speak the poem with you.
Students speak the poem without support.
PATHWAY TO Ensemble: Speech ostinati
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Students read the rhythm for the bottom ostinato.
Students add text to the bottom ostinato.
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Students perform the bottom ostinato. Once the ostinato is established, speak
the poem on top of it.
Divide the class in half. Half speaks the bottom ostinato. Once it is established,
the other half speaks the poem on top of it. Trade parts.
Students read the rhythm of the top ostinato.
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Students add text to the top ostinato.
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Divide the class in half. Half speaks the bottom ostinato. When this ostinato is
secure, have the other half add the top ostinato. When these two ostinati are
established, speak the poem over the ostinati.
Divide the class into three groups and perform in three parts. Rotate through the
parts so that everyone has a chance to perform each part.
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PATHWAY TO Movement: Choreographing a dance to illustrate the
form – a a b b a
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Lead the students in exploring cat shapes that are in high, middle, and low levels.
Have the students create a pattern consisting of three shapes.
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Students perform their three-shape movement motive on the a motives and travel
like a cat (preferably on two legs) during the b motives.
When the students demonstrate understanding of this basic form, encourage them
to make a change for the second b motive. It might be a change of body facing,
direction or movement quality.
Give them time to create a cat dance that pleases them.
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Put the students in pairs. Based on the previous movement exploration, have them
choreography a cat fight consisting of a three-shape a motive, a locomotor b
motive, with a change for the repeated b motive.
Students share their dance duets with the class.
Accompany these dances with the spoken poem or with the UTP ensembles created
in the previous pathway.
Deta, Deta
(The Rising Moon)
PATHWAY TO Creative Movement: Flashlight Follow
TEACHER TALK: Glide
Gliding (light, direct, sustained movement) is an excellent kinesthetic connection to the
concepts of phrase length and legato. You can lead the students’ gliding movement utilizing a
flashlight and a recording of music with long phrase lengths, such as Debussy’s “Claire de Lune,”
or a Japanese Shakuhachi flute recording.
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Begin with the students scattered in self-space around the room, facing the same
direction (all towards one wall).
Turn off the lights. Use a flashlight to guide the students’ movement. The students
move a specific body part, following the light. Move the light across the wall or
ceiling very slowly to ensure the students’ movement is sustained and direct. Coach
the students with, “Follow the light with your hand.” or “Follow with your elbow.”
Lead the class through vertical motions, with the light moving up and down against
the wall.
Lead the class through horizontal movement, with the light moving across the wall.
Pause at fixed points to create static moments, movements that stop or pause.
Strive for beauty in movement.
Have the students feel the phrase length with a sustained motion, while you sing the
song.
Consider giving the flashlight to student leaders.
PATHWAY TO Literacy: 4 h $ and do re mi so la
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Students read the rhythm, speaking rhythm syllables and clapping.
Students read the melody using solfa and hand signs.
Add text.
Students sing the song together. Emphasize beautiful, lyrical singing.
PATHWAY TO Ensemble: Song with three rhythmic ostinati
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Students read the rhythm of the drum ostinato.
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Students perform this ostinato with two levels of BP, clapping and patting.
Divide the class in half. Half sings the song while the other half performs the BP
ostinato. Trade parts. For an advanced challenge have the students perform both
parts simultaneously.
Transfer to HD, with down and up strokes.
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Students sing the song again and snap on the rests.
Transfer the snap to triangle or finger cymbals.
Put drums, triangle, and singers together.
Students read the rhythm of the rhythm stick ostinato, clapping and saying rhythm
syllables.
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Transfer to rhythm sticks or other wooden sound and combine with singers.
Divide the class into four equal groups: three instrumental groups and one group of
singers.
Put all four parts together. Begin with the drums and layer in the other parts,
adding rhythm sticks next, then triangles, and finally, add the singers.
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PATHWAY TO Creative Movement: Group shadowing with glide
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Students create group choreography using gliding movements inspired by Japanese
characters.
Begin with individual exploration. Students “draw” the images with their arms.
Give them time to explore various ways to interpret the written character for firefly.
Play appropriate recorded music throughout the exploration.
Firefly
Wind
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Moon
Night
Frog
Star
Review the concept of mirroring by leading a mirroring exercise with the whole
class mirroring you.
Consider student leaders.
Lead the class in shadowing. Shadowing is following a leader who is not facing
you. Students are scattered in self-space, facing the same direction that you are
facing. (Your back is to the students.)
Model how to change body facing. This changes who the class is following.
The student on the side that you turn toward, is the new leader.
The students are all now facing a new direction.
Once the concept has been explored as a group, form smaller groups.
Place the students in groups of four in a diamond formation.
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Give each group a different Japanese character to inspire their movement, and a
haiku poem to recite before, during, or after their movement. You may wish to
collaborate with the classroom teacher and work with haiku poetry that is written
by the students.
Consider adding appropriate props if preparing for a performance, such as Japanese
fans, lanterns, flashing lights, or rice paper umbrellas.
These movement sections can be done as contrasting sections to the song and
performed as a Grand Rondo.
longing for the grass
at the bottom of the pool
those fireflies
Mirror-pond of stars…
suddenly a summer shower
dimples in the water
Buson
Sora
Come, come! Come out!
From bogs old frogs command
the dark
and look . . . the stars!
Kikaku
Swallow in the dusk
spare my little buzzing friends
among the flowers
Old dark sleepy pool….
quick unexpected frog
goes Plop! Watersplash!
Basho
Basho
Why movement for students?
1. Movement provides a way for students to demonstrate what they are
hearing.
2. The kinesthetic memory that comes out of doing movement to music
provides students with an experience they can recall when they are
making music.
3. Some students may be kinesthetic learners and thus need the movement
to learn concepts. All students can benefit by experiencing concepts in
the kinesthetic modality which differentiates the learning.
4. Musical concepts, that are aural & abstract for students when first
experienced, can be made concrete. Particularly rhythmic awareness is
heightened through movement & naturally be experienced through
movement for each individual child.
5. Music and movement games also develop concentration and coordination.
Eurhythmics Exercises for Kinesthetic Preparation Example
Come to the Fair!
Purposeful Pathways Book III, © MIE Publications 2015 used with permission
PATHWAY TO Rhythm: Prepare and label 84
8
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Students sit crisscrossed on the floor facing a partner.
Each person puts their right palm up and their partner places their left hand on
top.
 One person taps the steady beat on their partner’s hand. Play 4-beat echo
patterns. The other partner echo-taps on the beat-keeping partners upward
facing hand.
 Begin with four beat rhythms containing hand 4
 Partners trade jobs.
Help the students’ notice that the rhythm person is always tapping on the beat, but
sometimes there are sounds in between the beats. For example, show the following
patterns enclosed in heart beats. One student taps the beat and one taps the rhythm.
Trade parts.
4
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4
h h
Now show the same rhythm with eighth notes written as single eighth notes.
Partners echo.
4
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4
88 88
Partners perform all eighth notes:
88 88 88 88
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Partners echo 8 4 8 4 4,
Repeat the rhythm and ask the steady beat partner if the rhythm partner tapped
precisely on every beat? (No. There was no tap at the beginning of beat 2.)
Explain the syncopation by tying the eighth notes together:
88 88 88 88
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Show the rhythm again with quarter note:
84
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8
4
4
Each child keeps a steady beat as you speak the poem. With text on the
whiteboard, ask them to identify which words match 8 4 8
Come to the fair! Come to the fair!
Come to the fair this sunny day. (You’ll like it!)
Come to the fair! Come to the fair!
Come to the fair and play!
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Each child keeps a steady beat as you speak the poem. Ask them to
find the syncopated rhythm.
Students read the rhythm, with syllables, once they have decoded the
notation.
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Students speak the text as they read the rhythmic notation.
PATHWAY TO Partwork:
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Play an improvised traveling rhythm on a drum. Students step on the beat as they
travel and explore the space.
Ask the students to travel as if they are going to go to the fair. As they travel, prompt
them to think of things they may see at a fair, such as a cotton candy stand or the
game where you throw a ping pong ball into a tiny fish bowl to win a goldfish.
On the given rhythmic signal (84 8) the students stop traveling and perform a
non-locomotor miming gesture of something people do at a fair while you play 16
beats on the rim of the drum. Give a clear signal at the end of the 16 beats to help
guide the students feel the phrase.
Return to a traveling rhythm on the head of the drum; students travel throughout
the room until the return of the signal. (84 8)
Students mime a new activity seen at the fair for 16 beats each time you play the
signal. (84 8)
Repeat this process several times to allow students the opportunity to explore many
gestures, aurally reinforcing 84 8.
Speak the rhyme. Students listen for repeated patterns and form.
Have a discussion about the repeated patterns (84 8 ) and the form of this rhyme.
(a b a c)
Students speak the rhyme with text, and then with rhythm syllables.
Model the speech ostinato accompaniment.
Students join you on the speech ostinato.
Divide the class in half. Half speaks the rhyme. Half speaks the ostinato. Trade parts.
PATHWAY TO Partwork: Layered ostinati
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Talk about barkers at the fair, whose job it is to use their voices and bodies in
interesting, expressive ways to entice people into spending money at their booth,
ride, or attraction.
Model the Ferris wheel ostinato with appropriate gestures and bellowing,
expressive long tones. Encourage the students to join you when they are ready.
(simultaneous imitation)
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Students speak the Ferris wheel ostinato. Model layering the Whack a Mole
ostinato in on top of the students’ Ferris wheel ostinato with appropriate gestures.
Students learn the Whack a Mole ostinato through simultaneous imitation.
Divide the class in half and perform the two ostinati together. Begin with the Ferris
wheel ostinato and layer in the Whack a Mole ostinato on top of it. Trade parts.
Perform the tasty treats ostinato with appropriate gestures. Ask the students to join
you when they are ready. (simultaneous imitation)
Divide the class into three groups and layer in the three ostinati, beginning with the
Ferris wheel ostinato. Trade parts.
Consider transferring each ostinato to UTP, to create a layered UTP ostinati piece.
Lead a discussion about these layered ostinati and help the students realize that the
ostinati:
o are about three different kinds of experiences you can purchase at the fair
(rides, games, foods)
o each move at a different pace (slow, medium, and fast)
o are three different lengths (16 beats, 8 beats, and 4 beats)
PATHWAY TO Composition: Layered ostinati
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Divide the students into small groups.
Remind them of the attributes of the example’s layered ostinati. (content, pace,
length)
Each group will pick one criteria from each category and compose their own speech
ostinato with gestures.
o Content: rides, games, foods
o Pace: slow, medium, fast
o Length: 16 beats, 8 beats, or 4 beats
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Small groups share their ostinati with the class. Class responds with observations.
“Which criterion does this ostinato demonstrate?”
Layer combinations of student created ostinati. This is where your teaching must
become improvisatory. Respond to what the students have created and help them
explore the possibilities for working with their diverse ostinati.
Put the layered ostinati together with “Come to the Fair!” to create a final form.
Simultaneous Imitation Through Non-Locomotor Movements:
(Axial Movement) is movement that moves around the axis of the body (The spine) rather
than movement which takes the body through space.
Simultaneous Imitation Occurs when the students are instantaneously copying another person,
early schulwerk experiences should have many teacher lead examples, as the students become
comfortable & familiar with the structure, the teacher steps away as the leader, and the students take
control, allow the students to be the leaders, and also to learn from other students as models.
“Hand Dance” Folk Dance Process Through Imitation
Music: “Rakes of Mallow” Rhythmically Moving #2
Preparation: facing the teacher, mirror with hands only
 “walk” hands across the floor 2-8’s to the student’s right, then 2-8’s back to the left.
 2 patsch, 2 claps (repeat), in (away from body on the floor) 4 steps, out 4 steps.
Practice with the music, and then transfer to real feet.
This is a primary dance, no hand holds necessary, or left or right footing, celebrate they are moving the
right direction
Build your classroom community; encourage looking at the other people in the circle while doing this
dance, “smile” at someone.
“Upgraded” version
You can add more visual interest, and community communication interest by changing the form from a
single circle, to a concentric circle formation. Be cautious to prepare the students for the fact that they
will be heading toward the people in the other circle & to be mindful of the other dancer’s space.
Form Concentric Partner circles
Add: clapping partner’s hands rather than
Self during the “B”.
Quick Reaction Eurhythmics Movement Activities to Prepare
Literacy and Performance of Rhythms
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Quick reaction changes to 4,h,and H note tempi lead by the teacher on an
instrument of your choice.
The teacher begins with the quarter note pulse, and changes to eighth notes and
sixteenth notes. The students respond by changing as quickly as possible to the new
rhythmic speed. Vary the pattern in unpredictable places.
*
Students response
walking and tip-toeing
Teacher Plays
*
*
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Establish the quarter note pulse while the students continue moving pathways, and
the teacher adds the text of the rhyme for the students to hear as they walk the
pulse on their pathways.
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Examine drawings of pathways made from circles, lines, and squares. Have the
students draw the pathways by pointing, showing where that pathway may take
them across the floor.
The students travel that pathway following the quarter note pulse, played by the
teacher. Reverse the pattern and come back to their starting place.
Explore the same pathway. Can they change how they walked the pathway,
perhaps sideways, backward, low, or high?
Explore the same pathway again changing the tempo to the eighth note pulse, then
sixteenth notes.
Create a new pathway on the board with the class. Repeat the process, exploring
new pathways and different ways to travel on those pathways.
Next, let the students create their own individual pathways. Return to a quarter
note pulse. While they are traveling their pathways, the teacher speaks the rhyme.
Continue to let the students explore different pathways while they learn the poem
through echo imitation.
When the students are able to recite the rhyme without the help of the teacher, ask
them to travel the rhythm of the words in their feet. This will help kinesthetically
prepare the latter labeling of H.
TEACHER TALK: The Piccadilly line is part of the London rail system. The Piccadilly Circus is a
circle off of the line. Leicester Square is another stop along the route. The Piccadilly Circus is a
bustling area. Cars and people going here to there. The term “it’s like a Piccadilly Circus” refers to a
lot of commotion and noise.
**Make clapping musical! During quick reaction exercises, and also for pre-instrument playing,
students should be encouraged to clap musically. It also helps visual/ kinesthetic learners to see &
feel the difference from the “abstract aural sounds” of the note permutations.
PATHWAY TO Partwork:
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Poem with BP/UTP ostinato OR VOCAL SOUNDS!
Teacher performs BP ostinato. Students watch and join when ready
(simultaneous imitation).
Divide the class in half. Half performs BP ostinato. Half performs rhyme. Trade
jobs.
Transfer the BP to various vocal sounds or UTP.
Vocal sounds can be imitative of automobiles or other transportation. (Honk, beep,
doors closing etc.) Each body percussion level becomes a different vocal sound.
BP to UTP. Stamp=drum. Snap=triangle. Clap=woodblock.
Perform poem with UTP ostinato.
PATHWAY TO Composition: a a b c form using H
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Do a form analysis of the rhyme, labeling each 4-beat motive: aa’bc
For purposes of our composition project we’re going to work with aabc. (Students
may choose to make an a’ at the very end of the project if they wish.)
Brainstorm possibilities for 2-beat building bricks using the following 1-beat words:
Structures for Composition:
a a’ b a
OR
PATHWAY TO Ensemble: Three Part Accompaniment
a b a c
Shake Them ‘Simmons Down
PATHWAY TO Movement Play: Play party with student created variants
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Students learn the song by rote as they play the singing game.
Students stand in a circle and walk the beat to the right. For the final motive, “Shake
them ‘simmons down,” they put their arms up in the air and shake their hands down.
Circle left for verse 2.
Students trace the melodic contour by drawing it in the air as you sing each phrase.
Students repeat each phrase, singing and tracing.
Sing the song together, tracing the melodic contour.
Ask for suggestions on new ways to perform the song. Everyone performs new ideas in a
large group. (jump around, in and out, backwards walk, spin around, hop on one foot,
etc.)
After trying new ways as a class, the students create new versions in small groups. The
students sing their new lyrics as they perform their version of the song.
Allow time for each group to share with the class.
PATHWAY TO Literacy: Reinforcing low la
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Warm up utilizing the solfa tone ladder. Lead 4-beat solfa echo patterns empasizing
so, la, and do.
Utiziling the solfa tone ladder, identify so, la, and do in the song.
Students sing the song with solfa syllables by following the pitches that you point to
on the solfa tone ladder.
Sing with solfa while reading notation. NOTE: The rhythm of the last measure is
simplified.
*some variations of this folk melody start with s do-do
PATHWAY TO Composition: 8-beat rhythmic compositions
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Students are given fruit manipulatives (or cards) to create patterns.
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Model an example of an 8-beat rhymic phrase:
h
pumpkin
h
H
4
H
h
apple watermelon squash watermelon apple
h
4
pumpkin squash
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Speak the pattern first, then pat the syllables while speaking the words.
Model how to transfer each one of the words to a different level of BP.
o Clap on “pumpkin.”
o Snap on “apple.”
o Pat on “watermelon.”
o Stamp on “squash.”
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Place the students in groups of 3-5. Small groups create their own BP patterns.
Remind them of the steps in the process:
o Create a pattern using fruit manipulatives or cards.
o Practice saying and patting the words.
o Transfer to levels of BP for practice, and then transfer to UTP.
PATHWAY TO Barred Instrument Technique: Playing the melody
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Set up the barred instruments in G=do pentatonic.
Acclimate the students to the key with solfa echo patterns, playing and singing.
Teach each measure, one at a time, through echo imitation.
Students play the entire song on “air xylophone.”
Students play the entire song together on the barred instruments.
Allow time for individual fingertip practice as needed.
Students play together one last time.
PATHWAY TO Ensemble: Broken bordun, color part, UTP ostinato
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Prepare BX broken bordun, by patting and singing:
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Transfer to BX and perform with the song.
Prepare GL color part with alternating finger snaps while singing song. Transfer to GL.
Perform the song, broken bordun and GL color part.
Add BP or UTP ostinato. (An example is provided in the score, but you should use the
patterns your students create using fruits.) Have one group perform their BP ostinato or
play it on temple blocks or other UTP while the rest of the class performs the
arrangement. Each level of BP can be a different timbre or pitch.
Teacher Talk:
Play parties and folk dances are an absolute necessity in building a safe community for
students to move in the music room. You as the teacher, also have the opportunity to
dance WITH them, model for them, and have fun with them. Make movement a natural
part of music, so they are comfortable. When they have moved together as a group,
they will be more likely to trust the group when doing creative movement. Play parties
can also be done with added moments of improvisation, or Orff arrangements to allow
for student creativity. Folk dances also provide a first-experience with formations.
Quick Reaction Movement for Younger Grades
Mince Pie Fly Lessons From Purposeful Pathways used with permission
Possibilities for the Elementary Music Classroom Hepburn & Sams
PATHWAY to RHYTHM: Eurhythmics Quick Reaction Exercise
Kinesthetically preparing 4 , h, $
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Begin with students in scattered space. Have them match the beat given by the teacher
(on drum) in their feet, stationary first then locomotor.
When the pulse has been established teacher speaks the poem. Ask the students what
Nellie Bly is doing in the poem.
Walk like Nellie on the beat.
When the drum stops, stop traveling.
“Catch a fly” during the space (which they haven’t yet labeled as a rest).
Add traveling the eighth note.
Extract patterns from the poem, for the class to echo, example:
h h 4 $
teacher on drum
h h 4 $
students move rhythm in feet
PATHWAY to LITERACY: Discover the rest
Teacher models the rhyme, while tracking the
steady beat on the fly icons. “Which fly did we catch?” That fly becomes a rest.
$
PATHWAY to PARTWORK
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Students read rhythm.
Add text.
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Teacher creates ostinato using icons, “fly $, fly $ , mince pie, fly $ .”
Half the class on poem. Half on ostinato.
Transfer to UTP.
- Poem on woodblock or rhythm sticks
- Ostinato on hand drum.
Mince Pie Fly
Springing into Composition: Composing with icons or notation
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Individual work with rhythmic building blocks -- icon cards (mince pie, fly).
Create ostinati by selecting and arranging four cards.
4 $
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4 4
4
4
4 $
Students travel around the room performing the ostinati that were created by their
classmates and discovering those who created the same patterns. (May be done after
writing notation on cards.)
Cluster with those who wrote the same ostinato and practice as an ensemble.
Listen to all of the ostinati performed with the rest of the class on the poem
Play Party with added Improvisation: Tideo
Formation: Students stand in concentric circles, inner circle facing out, outer
circle facing in, with partners looking at each othe
Game Directions:
On each "pass," the outer circle does a step-close to the left (CCW) toward a
new partner.
On each "tideo" partners pat-clap own hands-partner clap
On "jingle at the window," partners pat the rhythm of the H words on knees. h
(window)clap, then do the "tideo" pat---clap---partner-clap.
On the ending repeated tideo-tideo-tideo, partners "wring the dishrag"
You can increase the difficulty by having both circles step-close to the left on
each "pass."
Ti
Pat
de
o
clap
partner clap
v
t Smidje
iTunes Lais
Mixer from Belgium
Partners facing Counter clockwise in a concentric circle
Forward, two three hop & turn directions
CCW
forward
**Still CCW
forward
forward
Pairs in skaters hold
CW
forward
hop &
turn
Back
Back
Back
back
(counter clockwise)
turn**Still CW
forward
forward
Pairs in skaters hold
hop &
turn
Pairs traveling CCW
Back
Back
Back
back
Pairs traveling CCW
In skater’s hold for “A”
turn
Hop in toward partner ……then back out
change with with your partner
Hop in toward partner out….send your partner on
Repeat
**This song can also done with Ob-bla-di-ob-bla-da by the Beatles
Trains
Step Lively Track #1 (will work with any 32 beat jig, reel or march)
Formation : Longways set 6-8 couples
All face forward, holding hands with partner, place other hand on the shoulder
of the person in front.
Part I 1-16 all proceed forward 8 counts and back
17-32 Repeat
Part II Train 1 stays in place, while train 2 chugs around them and back to place
Repeat the forward and back for 32 counts from part I
Then, train 2 chugs around train 1, when they return, everyone stands back to back with their partner
Part III The caller Calls “Bump” (in class I say Jump, like the train jumps the track)
Swing partner to the left 8 beats, then swing partner to the left 8 beats
repeat ends with 5, 6, 7 “tunnel” (all partners, turn and make a tunnel for the head couple to “chug” on
down to the end of the set.
Gustav Skol
Music from: Sashay the Donut: New England Dancing Masters
One couple set steps
repeat first pattern with
in three beats & on four
the other couple moving in
everyone states a hearty “skol”
then head back to place
“La la la” One couple makes an arch for the o
two, who quickly go under & back to place
REPEAT BOTH IN & OUT
then the next set. ***LURKERS TAKE SPOTS!
On the third section, when the couples leave their place, the “lurkers” can bump a person out
of their set. This is a really fun mixer during class
Hill ‘n Gully Rider
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Sing the story of the Hill and Gully Rider to the class, focus their listening: is this a
person you would want to see, who might this be?
Listen again with a partner, one person
Taps the beat, the other the rhythm
Where do they not line up? On which words
This can be done while rote teaching the words to the song.
Label the syncopation.
Students can create “B” sections, or accompaniments to the song, utilizing
elemental phrase forms with one measure blocks, to focus on syncopation, the
constant can be utilizing
8 4 84 $
8484 $ for one of the phrases.
Hill n Gully
Hill n Gully
abba
4
4 hh
Look out! Swinging sickle
4.
Time
84
4
is up now
abab
2
2
Dark skies
h4 h4
Boney feet chasing me!
abac
4
Duck
$
4
$
now!
4 4 h $
Haun-ting specter
hh4 4
Horrifying banshee
4 4 848
Dis-mal Grim reaper
Hill ‘n Gully Rider
2. Oh the moon shone bright down,
3. Oh, my knees they shake down
Ain't no place to hide in down,
An' a zombie come a ridin' down
An' my heart starts quakin' down
An' I run 'til daylight breakin'down.
4. That's the last I set down,
Pray the Lord don' let me down.
Ain't nobody goin' to get me down.
Visual Springboards: POP UP with your hand drum! Inspirations for group drumming
performances
David Carter Pop Up books:
One Red Spot
600 Black Spots
White Noise
Yellow Square
Movement Exploration
 Students explore individually, how the body can move with inspiration from
various words in the book: Coiling Curly Cues, Tipsy Teeters etc.
 Encourage the students to move on various levels, use space around them,
and put the movement in various parts of the body: for example: can you coil
with your elbow? Head? Coil low? Or sideways etc.
 Now explore new phrases with a partner, and a hand drum.
 Now begin to set-up the musical phrase lengths: can they create a movement
that is 8 beats, and repeat it for an additional 8 beats.
 Add vocal or rhythms to the movement with the drums and their partner
 Share with an additional partner set, encourage the students to discuss what
they are seeing, and label the movement concepts that are happening:
o “I see mirroring” “I like the levels changes” etc.
 Set up a longer elemental phrase structure: a b a b : one group is the a the
other the b: perform as a group to give the students an experience performing
within a phrase structure.
 Next combine the groups into 8 or 12, and give each group a book to use as
their inspiration to create an instrumental composition inspired from their
movement. Rhythms can come from the body movements, or by creating
ostinati from the words in the book.
 Teach an interlude: to model how to use the words, and also to use as the
transition between the group’s performances.