Monthly Archives: January 2012

Issue 23: Welcome to the Music Jungle

Nearly six months since we started! How about that then! I have learned a massive amount about al sorts of things since starting The Music Jungle. Writing a couple of articles every week has made me be far more reflective … Continue reading

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Issue 23: Intentionality

Doing things “on purpose” is a key to understanding how to learn – in general, and in music. The problem that many learners have is that this requires slow, purposeful work in the early stages of learning something new. The … Continue reading

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Issue 23: Words and Music

Several primary school music schemes that I have used include extracts of “Stripsody” by Cathy Berberian as a starting point for creative work. (Music Express year 5 and the Oxford Music Scheme part 2). Here’s a very rough description of the … Continue reading

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Issue 23: Winning the Battle with Beginner Recorders

And the battle is “you CAN read the music without writing the letters in”. I am bound and determined that my beginner recorder classes WILL read the dots on the stave, but sometimes it seems little a battle. Or pushing … Continue reading

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Issue 22: Welcome to The Music Jungle

Last lesson idea for Chinese New Year coming up! Also a really neat rhythm game for improving focus and concentration, and a brilliant web site for everything orchestral. The Short Samba course is continuing well. We have spent three lessons … Continue reading

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Issue 22: The Great Wall of China

A lesson I taught last year…. If I was an organised, thinking-ahead sort of person, I would have planned suitable lessons for Chinese New Year well in advance, and have a selection of suitable resources all ready. However, I am … Continue reading

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Issue 22: Don’t clap this one back

This is an incredibly simple little listening game, which quickly sorts out the classes that have learned focus and self discipline from those that have no idea! Keeping an internal pulse going all the time, the leader claps a four-beat … Continue reading

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Issue 22: Dallas Symphony Orchestra website

A colleague reminded me of this website, created by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, for children; http://www.dsokids.com/default.aspx I used to use this site a lot, and then sort of forgot about it. My colleague was enthusing about it as a source … Continue reading

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