Joyful Noise Music: January 2018

Week of January 22nd, 2018

THALAMPATA FUN!

We had so much fun today with our homemade thalampata!! In case you didn't know, the thalampata is special Sri Lankan traditional instrument that is included in many dances, specifically the Kandyan dance, of which we watched a neat video in class! Check that out below.

The kids all took turns trying to dance in a way that made the thalampata "clang" together--quite a task!--and had loads of fun along the way.

I took so many high-resolution photos I thought it would be easier to place them in a viewing gallery for you! Make sure to check your email so that you have access to the download pin. =)

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE PHOTO GALLERY

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1. What is the thalampata? Does it make sound? An instrument--yes!

2. What is on the end of the thalampata? Small cymbals!

Week of January 15th, 2018

HAPPY THAI PONGAL!

Each year we learn about this interesting and colorful harvest festival on the Tamil calendar year from Sri Lanka, neighbor to India. We listened today to Sri Lankan Radio on Youtube to get a feel for the music which greatly resembles traditional Indian music in its instrumentation and semi-tones. Check it out below!

We also learned three important things about the festival:

1) People boil rice and milk until it bubbles over in pots, to symbolize prosperity. Sometimes honey is added! We pretended to cook up rice today and talked about how hot it gets.

2) Cows and their milk are considered very valuable and precious in Sri Lanka. Cows are revered on Thai Pongal by adorning them with necklaces. Today we decorated a puppet cow with beaded necklaces and also the children pretended to be cows as I placed necklaces around their necks!

3.) During Thai Pongal, beautiful designs are made in the home on the floor and doorsteps with colored rice or chalk, or other materials. The elaborate designs are called "kolam." Traditionally, these designs are made only by women but today we all gave it a try and also got a wonderful opportunity to talk about geometry and shapes. SO much fun!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1. What animal wears a necklace during Thai Pongal? Cows!

2) What bubbles over in the pot during Thai Pongal celebrations? Rice and milk!

Week of Jan 8th, 2018

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

"CYMBALS ARE LOUD!" many of the kids shouted today, with their ears covered...as they lined up for their turn to make noise. =)

Playing the cymbals is a lot of fun! Today we learned that cymbals are metal and use vibration to make noise! Small cymbals like finger cymbals and hand cymbals come in "pairs"--hey, that was a special music word last week! We also played the high-hat, another pair of cymbals that work together with a foot pedal and are a part of a larger drum kit.

We practiced making sound with the cymbals and "muting" them, or stopping the vibration, by touching/grabbing the side of the cymbal. We also had fun in the four's room doing "freeze running" while the kids took turns both playing the high-hat with drumsticks and stepping on the foot pedal which closes the high-hat and mutes them, which was our signal to stop running!

Extender questions below! =)