listening and responding index

Composing

Using patterns

Games

Using stories and poetry

The Brementown musicians

I'm Skeleton

Sun song

Lesson plan

Resources

Listening and responding

Performing

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Using stories and poetry to create music

Children love to represent stories in 'sound'. Select stories/poetry which contain images that are easily represented in sound with percussion instruments, tuned percussion, and any other available items that create the sound the children are looking for.

Children can also be given a detailed picture to represent as a sound picture using sounds.

Here are some ideas to start off with......

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The Brementown musicians

The first time you open 'The Brementown musicians' the sound files will be slow, but bear with it, as this delay only happens when the file is opened initially.
Use the interactive story book to teach the story to the children, or alternatively, read the story to them.

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Now get the children to re-tell the story, using only sounds to represent each animal, no words!
Initially the sounds can be vocal sounds, but then challenge the children to seek percussion instruments to represent each animal.
This activity can be taken to a higher level of composition by asking the children to use a tuned instrument to compose a little motif /tune or 'sound byte' to represent the animals, bearing in mind that the tunes are built up in layers as the story develops. The composed pieces could be played each time the animals move on in the story. Children will need to record their tunes with a recorder, picture notation, or on a stave. (otherwise they will forget what they are playing) It may be helpful to limit the duration of each tune to 4 or 8 beats/counts, so that they will all fit together