Week of April 13th, 2015

FUN WITH RESONATOR BARS!

It was a lot of fun using our resonator bars!

This xylophone with removable, resonating bars is in the C major scale. I played each note for the children, singing two scale songs (perfect for yesterday's drizzyly weather):

For the ascending major scale from C: "Up, up, up, up, rain is filling up my cup!"

For the descending major scale from C: "Down, down, down, down, rain is falling to the ground!"

The kids really enjoyed singing along with these and watching how the mallots were "taking steps" up the resonator bars!

We also took turns individually playing the resonator bars with the scale activity, and practiced a static, steady beat while singing songs like, "Rain, Rain, Go Away" and "Hickory Dickory Dock".

I also showed the children what 2 harmonious pairs of notes look like, using the resonator bars. We talked about discord (when two notes don't harmonize and sound  discordant or a little "funky") and discussed things that come in pairs (like socks, shoes, glasses and gloves!).

Check out the cute video below of a fingerplay we did this week as well, called "There Was A Little Grasshopper".

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1) Did you play a resonator bar this week in music class? What color was it?

2) What do you hit the resonator bar with, to make a sound? A mallot, or a striker

3) Can you tell me about some things that come in pairs?

Week of November 7th, 2011

Sound waves: you can hear them, but you can't see them, right? Not today!

It was an interesting, educational and scientific music class as we explored vibrations and sound waves!

Vibration is one of those "magical music words" that we talk about often in music class. Your child may even be able to tell you what produces sounds in instruments and other things by simply asking them what "magic music word" you are looking for. Often the students will shout out right away, "VIBRATIONS!"

Today I demonstrated that, though you can't always see vibrations and sound waves, you can hear them and often feel them. There were many giggles as we experimented with shouting behind a friends back to see if they felt the sound when it was near them. I also played the drum kit in Fellowship Hall and while the beat was going, the children lined up and walked by to see if they could "feel" the bass drum and other drums being played. They all confirmed that yes, they did feel the sound waves hitting them, and there was a lot of dancing and finger snapping going on! :)

The next experiment was in the dark. Using a can with a balloon on the end of it, I had attached a small hand mirror which would then move when sound vibrated the can. To see this visually, I shined a flashlight on the mirror while doing this, and the light oscillated back and forth like a sound wave. We tried this experiment with the guitar as well. The kids really enjoyed seeing the light move.

Finally, we got to see a sound wave up close and in person with the fantastic modern technology of computers. Using my recording program, we were able to simultaneously view and experiment with sound waves and volume. (The picture above is a snapshot of a real soundwave we recorded today.) Naturally, the kids were absolutely elated to both use the microphone and hear their recorded voices played back to them!

Listen to the following audio file below and, as you listen, follow the visual sound wave I've posted next to it, which is the actual graphic representation of the wave. See if your child can predict when the sound is coming and going. It's so interesting to see this right before your eyes!

"SOUNDWAVES" mp3 file (click to play)

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY with the Toddler Class

This morning, as I was walking in with one of our families, one of my students was singing "Rain, rain, go away!". It was steadily drizzling outside and Dad joked, "Gee--who taught them to do all of this singing?" I laughed and I was reminded of those teachable moments, when the weather and other events in our lives create perfect opportunities for fun games and songs with children. In the toddler class this morning, I decided to improvise a fun version of this song where we interjected the name of each friend. Maybe you can sing this on the way home today if it is still raining on your way home!

"Rain, rain, go away...come again some other day... __________ wants to go outside and play, so rain, rain, go away!"

WASHING MACHINE CHANT with the Infant Class

We're always looking for fun and musical ways to stretch and move our bodies to the music in infant music class. Check out the video below for a quick and easy song you can sing with your child to stimulate motor skills and maybe get a giggle or two, if you're lucky!

"We are clothes in a washing machine

We wiggle and we jiggle until we are clean!

We are clothes in a washing machine

We wiggle and we jiggle until we are clean!

Then mama hangs us out to dry and hangs us on the clothes line high!"