Percussion Playground: Exploring Rhythm in the Elementary Music Classroom - Ep17

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Are you an elementary music teacher who's frustrated and overwhelmed? I'm Jeanette Shorty, a happy music teacher who loves teaching every day. But it wasn't long ago I was in your shoes. Join me Wednesdays to help you find happy in your music classroom. It is crazy up in here in the music room. I mean, really, I don't remember.

Having an end of the school year like I had this year. Now it could be because I was out. I was out for like three solid weeks because my boyfriend and partner broke his leg and I needed to be home taking care of him. But I don't know. I mean, I've talked to many other teachers and. Everybody sort of feels the same way that this end of the school year has been the hardest, the kids have been, the craziest.

It's just been a really, really challenging end of the year. So did you see my real, my meme a couple weeks ago? It was all about teaching in May, and it was really funny because it was so true. It talked about how I didn't think it could get any worse, and it wasn't my voice. It was a man's voice, and you know how the memes go.

And then it was like, I don't think it's can, can get any worse, or something like that. And then it's like it got worser. It got worser. It, I mean, The behavior's ridiculous. I was pulling out all the stops. Now I'm gonna tell you I am very blessed to be done. I have been done for four or five days, but I was pulling out.

All of the instruments for the end of the school year, and I was trying to do some just easy and really fun activities with my students. So here's what I thought. Let the percussion party begin. I say grab all of those fantastical non pitch percussion instruments. The instruments that your kiddos have been dying to play all year.

The ones that they're like, Ms. Shri, when are we gonna play the Gong? Or Ms. Shri, can we play that? Like, um, silver thing? What they're talking about is my steel drum. I have this really cool steel drum. It has a beautiful sound. I didn't, it didn't cost that much. And so, I'm trying, or I was trying, I can't say I am trying because I'm not in school right now, but I tried to get out all of my really cool instruments that the kids wanted to touch and feel and, and, you know, use of course.

And that gave me an opportunity to talk to them about how to use the different instruments. Talked to them about multicultural instruments, cuz I've collected a lot of those over the years, et cetera. And so then I got out like just my regular normal instruments. So it would be, um, like if I was creating a circle of non pitch percussion, it would be a couple of instruments that they knew how to play, and then maybe one or two that they didn't.

And one of the ways that what I found is that, When you do a circle of instruments and it's more than just a couple, it can be really tricky. It can take you like 10 or 15 minutes just to explain all the different instruments and how to play them and what they're called and all that good stuff. So what I did this year to help me in my journey as a happy music teacher, because I am in a constant journey.

Always to be a happy music teacher and make my life easier without degrading my curriculum. So what I did is this year I thought, you know what? I'm gonna have the kids take some guesses on how to play it. So what we did is the ones that they knew how to play, they, they knew how to play right. And so I, and the ones that they didn't, um, what I did is I had my kiddos.

Sit down behind an instrument and let me tell you how I bring them in. Probably similar to what we talked about last week. If you wa, if you listen to last week's podcast and I have them come in like they're in their line and we just do the duckling follow. I don't call that. That with them, because I have fourth and fifth graders and they would be super irritable with me.

But we go ahead and, um, they follow me like little ducklings and I find a spot and I tell the person in the front of the line to sit down at that spot and they may just fill in. So that way you don't have people like running in and trying to grab like your. Quote unquote cool instruments first. So that is how they sit down.

And then I'll say to them right away, okay, boys and girls, if there is an instrument that you know how to play, would you turn and show your neighbor how to play it? And I'll say to them, Neighbors. Even if you know how to play it, I want you to listen because the person next to you may already know how to play it, but they also may not.

And you may be like, oh no, that's not how you play it. You, you play it like this and make sure you don't disagree. If there's a disagreement, who do we talk to? We talk to me. So, so that's the first thing is we'll talk about the instruments. They already know how to play. Then I'll have my students rotate and we rotate like this.

Move down, move down, everybody move down, move down, move down. Everybody move down and they have to say it. If they don't say it, we stop. We go back to the original instrument and we do not move down, and then the next time we'll try again. So, That is a really effective way of getting them to move down.

They're using the steady beat. They are talking, they are saying those move down words, so then they're not gonna be talking. So that is my strategy for keeping things nice and easy when they're switching instruments and you can have them just sit down behind the next best instrument. Or if you have your, your.

Instruments set up in like, um, let's say wood, metal, shaker, scraper, uh, drum. Then you could have them just move down, count four instruments and move down that way. So whatever works best for you. But that is how I do it. I keep their mouths. Busy so that their mouths are not talking. So that is a really good strategy to use.

Makes your life so much easier cuz then you're not having to go, oh boys, girls, shh, let's quiet down. Or using your like, be quiet strategy or anything like that. So they move down. And then I'll say, okay, boys and girls, if you got an instrument that you are not sure how to play, would you experiment and see if you can find a way to get it to make a sound.

Now, before we do any of this experimentation, I am sure to review my rules of playing. Beautiful music and not nasty noise. So I will say, remember that you always bounce. You never bang. Remember that if you want to play louder, you bounce higher. If you want to play softer, you bounce lower. And that works for most instruments.

And then if you have something out that they're not bouncing to, then you know, you can rephrase and, and, you know, add an additional instruction. So then they get a chance to not only explore, because now they get to play the instruments right away, which, you know they wanna do. They're already picking them up and, and so rather than, Have them, rather than correct them and be like boys and girls, we are not touching the instruments yet until I get a chance to explain them.

They get to play them right away, and that's what they want to do. Now, if someone doesn't play it appropriately, they bang. Or, um, you know, they're, they're doing something they shouldn't with the instrument. Then you have a couple choices you can take it. And I just walk up with my handout and I say, I'm so sorry.

And, um, and I know that I'm apologizing to them, but they know by this time that I am sorry that they made that choice. Or you could say, I'm so sorry you made that choice, and you know, no further. Or just walk up with your handout and. That is a really good strategy, so you don't have to have a whole conversation.

And they know right away, especially your bigger kids, but even your little ones are probably, maybe not your kinder, but like your first and second graders. They've been with you all year. They've been with you last year probably, so they kind of know your procedures, so. As little talking as you can do is going to make your life as easy as possible without degrading your curriculum.

So that is how I get them in, and it's how I get them set up and it's how I save some time by allowing them to explore. And what I'll do next is I'll have the students, like as soon as I see somebody that is playing their instrument the right way, I'm gonna be like, Okay. Sally is doing a really good job, Sally, would you show us how you're playing that instrument?

That is exactly the way to play that instrument. So now you've also called out Sally for doing the right thing, which is, I mean, don't we all want to be called out for doing the right thing instead of the wrong things? So these are really good strategies to not only make your life easier, But also make music more fun for your students and keep everyone happy.

And it's also a good way to develop leadership skills in your students. So what do you do from there? Well, one of the things that I love to do is I love to do that, what I said at the beginning, the percussion party. So, I will choose some music that my students are super into. And if you're not sure, I mean your best policy is just to ask your, ask your students.

So three styles of music that you might not think of when it comes to instrument play. First one is epic video game beats. So if you. Know that your students love, say Fortnite or um, Roblox, find that music, or we know that Super Mario just came out, find that music and I mean, you can search it on YouTube.

It is super easy to find and. You can use that music as a way of playing so you can play. Um, we will talk in a moment about what types of activities to do, but I want you to be thinking along these lines. Like, I want your kiddos minds to be totally blown. Like, oh my gosh, I can't even believe that Ms.

Ms. Shorey knows that I love this. She, she must have like gone into my phone. And figured out exactly what I love, or she must be following me on TikTok because let me tell you what all the fourth graders are on TikTok, because I'm on TikTok and my fourth graders are always like, Ms. Surey, I found you on TikTok.

But anyways, so, um, it, look at those. Epic video game beats and use some of those. So you've got Super Mario Brothers, you've got mine cracked, you've got, I mean, the list goes on, right? And they love that music. Number two Viral Me music. So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I mean, the, the, the viral meme music is like, you've got things like never gonna give you up.

Um, right now, one to buckle my shoe, I mean, How amazing is it that that old time, I mean like super old school rhyme, is back in the norm right now. So use that meme music as something to play along to number three pop tunes. Now do not cringe at me. We are at the end of the school year. Or maybe you wanna start it right at the beginning.

If you're of your new school year, if you're already out of school, it is okay to bring in the pop music. Obviously it is not all you want to do, but I am telling you that bringing in pop music is. Just gonna open doors for you. It's gonna open doors of trust, it's gonna open doors of loyalty. And yes, you wanna bring in your folk tunes.

Yes, you wanna bring in your sea shanties. Yes, you want to bring in your classical music, you wanna bring in all the things, but there is a place and a time for pop music as well. So, Think about, um, all the new Taylor Swift music. I mean, they're all about that. There are, so if you just go on to YouTube and search.

Or, or even just go on to Google and search top 10 pop music songs for fifth graders. Let's say that, of course you wanna make sure that the lyrics are appropriate and all that good stuff, but it is so easy to find music that your kiddos are gonna love. So let's go back. We've got the Epic video game beats.

We've got the viral meme music, and we've got the pop tunes. So those are three. Styles of music that you might not have thought about. And yes, you are welcome now, um, now that, and you might have thought about it and if you have thought about it and you've done something really cool, I would so appreciate it.

If you would reach out and share, either go to, um, email me at genetic stories that sing.net or you can also. Join my private Facebook group, which is called the Music Teacher Group, and share some things with us there because we all love to learn new ways to do things that our kiddos are really excited about.

So, Now you're probably wondering what do you do with all of those fun percussion instruments? And I'm sure you've got lots of ideas, but I have three for you. So steady beat play along that is a really good thing to do with your littles. So basically all you're gonna do is play along to the beat. Now with your littles, I do not tend to put out.

A lot of instruments because it's too hard. They're, they're too little. Yet a lot of times, unless you've done a certain instrument over and over, um, it, it's just too hard. But you can get out, like your rhythm sticks, your tambourines and maybe one other instrument with your first graders, your kinders. I would do maybe two with your pre-K, uh, which, you know, a lot of us have pre-K.

You can just get out like your rhythm sticks and find different ways to play the same instrument. For example, you could tap your rhythm sticks, you can scrape your rhythm sticks. You can tap them together horizontally. You can tap them together by the tips. You can tap them on the floor. Um, horizontally, or you can tap them on the floor vertically.

You can tap them on the chair legs or the chair if you use chairs, I mean, the list goes on and on. So just steady beat. But instead of just playing tap, tap, tap, tap the steady beat, you're gonna just vary the ways you play the instrument. And then that gives them the experience of different tams. Second.

Rhythm, reading magic. So bring out your rhythm flashcards. If you have digital ones or if you have like cardboard ones and have your students do some echo reading or do some reading, depending on where they are with their rhythm reading. So if it's in the beginning of the year, which some of you may already be out of school, as we talked about before.

So this could be a really fun beginning of the year activity to introduce some instruments and introduce some rhythm skills and you know, you read it, then they read it. Or you can just put it up there and go one, two, ready, go. And they do it. Or you can just point to each rhythm. Or you can have a really savvy student point to the rhythm.

So then you get to get out your like really fun pointers. So these are some good. Ways to do this. Number three, creative compositions. So you wanna give your kiddos as many possible chances as you can to write their own rhythms. So you can split them into partner teams, and then each team can come up with a rhythm and you're gonna give them some stipulations.

Of course. Uh, boys and girls, it needs to be four beats long or it needs to be eight beats long. And you may use TA and tt, or you may use TT and ta, or you may use quarter notes and double eighth notes, whatever stipulations you want to give them. Do not just hand them a paper and be like, oh, go ahead and just write a rhythm.

I mean, obviously you probably know that, but in case you are a newer music teacher, Students need some structure before they are able to do any writing. So you're gonna split them into those partner teams. Each team comes up with a rhythm, they are gonna show it to you before you do anything else. And I love to play the pop music while they're doing their rhythm, while they're writing their rhythm because they love that.

And, um, it gives them a, a steady beat to work with. So that is awesome. And then you're gonna put on that catchy pop music again, once you have approved everybody's rhythm and you're gonna have the partner group say and play their rhythm and the rest of the class is going to echo and play. So those are just three options.

For what sorts of activities you could do with your percussion party. So let's go back and do a quick review. First of all, we talked about walking your students in like little ducklings, sitting them down. And then having them discuss how to play the instruments that they know first. Then they do move down.

Move down. Everybody move down. They have to say it, and they go ahead and sit down behind a new instrument. And if it's when they don't know, then they turn and talk to their neighbor and they try to discuss, either they ask. Their neighbor for help or they try to discuss together. Then three styles of music that you might not think of.

We've got those epic video game beats. We've got the viral meme music and we've got the pop tunes. And then finally, what activities can you do during your percussion play party? You can do a steady beat play along with many different tams on one or two instruments for your littles. You can do that rhythm reading magic.

So you bring out your rhythm flashcards or your digital PL flashcards, and your students either echo or they just read to the music. And finally, creative composers give your kids a chance to write their own rhythms. If you got some great tips and tidbits that are going to help you become a happy music teacher, I would be so thankful if you'd leave me a review.

Thanks so much for your time. Well, that's all I have for you today, but before I go, let me remind you, keep learning, keep growing, and keep being fabulous. You.

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