David Tronieri, band and choir director for the 4th and 5th grades, implemented an interesting music lesson recently that appealed to auditory learners, visual learners, and kinesthetic learners. This particular exercise combined physical education with music education making it a cross-curricular activity. The object of the exercise was to use a parachute to teach students several different movements to reflect the particular beat or dynamic that was being used in the song, The William Tell Overture (Lone Ranger Theme). The students learned how to listen for and move to the micro beat (a series of quarter or eighth notes), in which case they marched in place and in time for the introduction of the song. The students would then gallop to the quarter note pulse during the main theme of the song. They then used an up and down shaking motion to address the dynamics being used, in this case forte or loud. They also used a “popping” motion to recognize and address the macro beat (the big beat that covers the entire measure). Probably the favorite movement was the “mushroom cloud” where the students anticipate the upcoming placement of the beat and raise the parachute over their heads and, when they are anticipating the down beat, they simultaneously pull down together thus producing a “mushroom” shape to the parachute. The act of all the students pulling down at once is a way for them to learn, as a group, how to listen for and feel where they should be coming in during a performance. This is known as the anacrusis or the emphasized beat the conductor gives to the band just before they begin to play. The activity has proven to be very successful in teaching students how to listen for and feel the different beats, rhythms, dynamics, and form to a song. It also allows the students to learn in a manner that best suits them. And, on top of it all, it is a great physical workout and a lot of fun.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 16:25:00 +0000
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