Music

Music in the Catbird class has included singing, finger plays, movement, rhymes, listening games and lots of fun!

We have been building on some of the musical concepts I spoke about last month such as steady beat and recognizing the different ways we can use our voices (speaking, singing, whispering etc…)

In addition to these we have begun listening and mimicking high and low sounds and small and big voices!

Some of the games we have been playing are helping us listen and isolate the location of a single sound on a specific instrument (normally on an egg shaker or a bell).

I have introduced fast and slow music into our movement activities so that the children can begin to hear and respond appropriately. Within one piece of music (Pacabell’s Cannon) we were able to feel different musical pulses and responded to them by jumping, (half notes) marching, (quarter notes) and tip-toeing (eight notes).

Here are the words of some new songs, rhymes and finger plays we have been working on:

Ladybug she creeps along,

Here and there, everywhere
Ladybug she creeps along
Will you land on me?

As we sing this song we pass our ladybug beanbag around the circle. There is one person in the middle of the circle (this person is ‘on’) with their eyes closed when we finish singing the song everyone hides their hands behind their back. The person with the ladybug makes a high squeaky sound. The person in the middle opens their eyes and must guess who has the ladybug and where the sound is coming from!!

Little black bug

Little black buy
Where have you been?
“I’ve been under a rug”
Said the little black bug

This rhyme creates a solo opportunity for a child to be the voice of the bug and hide somewhere in the room. They can change the line to suit where they hide e.g. “I’m under the piano”

Buzz, buzz, buzz

Busy bumblebee
I can tell when you are coming
By your busy buzz, buzz, buzzing
Buzz, buzz, buzz
Busy bumblebee

Movement activity – music: Flight of the bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov (listening to fast music)

Bees fly in swarms! We must move together in a group!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYAJopwEYv8 

Five little ladies going for a walk
Five little ladies stop to talk
Along came five little gentlemen
They all danced together
And that made ten!

Finger play! We tried this using our feet too!!

En nuestra Tierra tan Linda (On our pretty planet Earth)
Pronto va a salir el sol (the sun is about to shine)
Pronto va a salir el sol
En nuestra tierra tan Linda

Alicia helped us to speak the Spanish correctly, and then we added the music and movements! 

Here is the beehive

Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody see
Watch and you will see them come out of their hives
One, two, three then four and five.

We are just starting this challenging finger play /song. We have to practice holding up our fingers 1,2,3 then 4 and five!

Star Dance movement to the music Traditions of Christmas by Chip Davis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoxmcFscC7c

This is our story of two stars. Ask your child to tell you the story or maybe they can show you!

I will take some pictures the next time we do this activity and add them to this blog!