First Steps in Music

Super excited to have attended a workshop by John Feierabend.  Also excited because my librarian is ordering all of the picture books in his series for our school library!  The workshop I attended was only  half day, so I feel like I got a taste of what First Steps is all about.  Here is what I have done so far...

1. Vocal Warm up
     Part of the program is to warm up and explore the voice each day.  While I have done some of this in the past, I am guilty of just jumping in to the lesson without taking time to do this.  After the workshop I went on Teachers Pay Teachers and found some great Halloween themed vocal explorations here.

2. Echo/ Call and Response songs:

    My kids are huge fans of this section.  The songs are fun and upbeat and the students don't have to memorize or spend time reading words to get to the music making.

3.  short songs

    I have been taking short songs they will learn in kindergarten and first grade and singing them here.  I want the student to learn the songs so later we can pair them with concepts.

4. Arioso land

   The first time I did this with students, I expected them to have difficulty.  However, we have sang different things to each other throughout the year, so they took to it like it has always been part of our music class.

5.  Movement warm up

   Students focused on moving their body to the directions tend not to talk.  Which is awesome!  I feel they are listening more to the music and it gives me a perfect moment to introduce them to quality classical music!

6.  Movement for form and expression

   I am ordering the Move It books, but here is where I have done some finger plays such as: Two Little Black Birds, Five Little Pumpkins and such.

7. Movement with the beat

    My students had a fun time playing the drum yesterday as I sang "Listen Listen."  Their favorite part was playing really fast, but a few students would vary the dynamics.  My first graders are beat competent, so we are starting to move putting two pulses on each side.

8. Song tales

  This has been the most fun.  Students attention is excellent as they listen to these beautiful art songs. They love the stories and it broadens their world as they hear these masterfully told stories in song.