Monthly Archives: December 2011

Issue 17: Gaudete – Steeleye Span

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

Years ago, I played this track to Keystage1 children in a music lesson around Christmas time.  The children were fascinated by the strong contrast between the gruff, strong singing of the chorus, and Maddy Prior’s clear solo voice in the solos.  (There … Continue reading →

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Issue 17: Rewards and Incentives – Stars and Scissors

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

Everyone knows that children – small children – will do anything for a sticker. This simple reward loses its power as the children grt older and the children become totally blase about even super-shiny-glitter-stickers.  There is a way to increase … Continue reading →

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Issue 16: Welcome to The Music Jungle

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

December! Where did the months go! In this week’s issue there are some book recommendations, a way of improving note reading skills for new beginners, and an Early Years activity the “The Noisy Box“. I’ll leave you to read on … Continue reading →

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Issue 16: The Inner Game of Music and Musicians

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

In every human endeavor there are two arenas of engagement: the outer and the inner. The outer game is played on an external arena to overcome external obstacles to reach an external goal. The inner game takes place within the … Continue reading →

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Issue 16: Can’t they read music yet?

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

So, you have been teaching the children for a whole term, and they still can’t read the music yet!  How hard can it be to read just three notes? The most single effective tool I use in assessing whether the … Continue reading →

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Issue 16: Early Years Music-Making – The Noisy Box

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

This is an idea I came across; You have a small, decorative box with a lid, which is the Noisy Box. You explain to the children that it is full of sounds. Then you open it up, “take out a sound” … Continue reading →

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