Monthly Archives: September 2012

Issue 58: Welcome to the Jungle

Hello everyone, what ever your name is! I have concentrated on a single theme this week. This is because, three weeks into the term, the children have all learned my name, but I haven’t managed to learn all their names. … Continue reading

Posted in The Jungle | Leave a comment

Issue 58: “My name is Freddy and I like Football”

I found this idea here: http://www.newtunings.com/kidmid/hellonamegame.html I suggest you start with getting a steady pulse going, of the “knees click click” variety before you play the game. This is a cut-and-paste from the site: I start: “My name is Heather … Continue reading

Posted in The organised teacher, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Issue 58: Variations on The Name Game (or The “Concentration” Game)

This is the essential warm-up for the beginning of the new school year when you are faced by a host of bright, shiny and eager little faces and you need to learn 30-odd names in a very short space of … Continue reading

Posted in Songs, The organised teacher, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Issue 58: Learning Names – The Telephone Song

This is a traditional American call and response song. I first came across it when some year 5 children were singing it with great gusto at local a primary school. The first (un-named) child, or maybe the teacher,  sings the … Continue reading

Posted in Songs | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Issue 57: Welcome to the Jungle

And another weekend arrives, not a minute too soon! This week, I have found out how to make my own instruments (thank you, Persil), thought deep thoughts about memorising music, and taught up to 40 children at a time how to … Continue reading

Posted in The Jungle | Leave a comment

Issue 57: How do you teach 40 children to hold their ukuleles?

How do you hold a ukulele? Well, it seems absolutely obvious to me. I have tinkered with a guitar, off and on, over the years, and although I am left-handed, I have always played every instrument the normal way round, … Continue reading

Posted in Ukulele | Tagged | Leave a comment

Issue 57: How long does it take to memorise a piece?

“How long is a piece of string?” Stephen Hough’s article (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/stephenhough/100066281/how-long/ is a fascinating read, and set me to thinking about memorising. The way my first “real” piano teacher, Valerie Dixon, taught me, resulted in me memorising everything that I … Continue reading

Posted in Learning, Piano, Practising | Tagged | Leave a comment

Issue 57: make-your-own-instrument time

Persil are running an advertising campaign called “Get Messy”, including “get messy with music”. Their website has instructions for making your own musical instruments. At first sight they are the usual drums, hosepipe trumpets and rubber band guitars. However the pictures are lively and … Continue reading

Posted in Resources | Tagged | Leave a comment