The first music lesson allowed for recapping of key musical concepts – duration, pitch, structure, tone colour and dynamics. As a class we looked at how these features give music their character.
We were able to use percussion instruments to create musical pieces, dividing the group into sections (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), as well as body percussion (hand clapping) to create sounds fitting with a recent popular song.
http://www.wimp.com/trombonehappy/
In this video, Bill (2014) illustrates a similar concept: a recent popular song is reworked to provide a varying sound from the original, but the structure is maintained and is certainly recognisable. (Bill, 2014)
Using body percussion or other types of musical play is highly engaging for students, and incorporating songs students are familiar with offers a greater level of engagement and enjoyment. Students experiencing different ways of producing songs that they are familiar with can facilitate interesting discussion surrounding how music can be diversified in this way.
References
Bill, C. (2014). Trombone version of “Happy”. [Video file.] Retrieved from: http://www.wimp.com/trombonehappy/
Gandharva Loka. (2014). Wooden xylophone. [Image]. Retrieved from: http://www.gandharvaloka.co.nz/instruments/images/mi-wooden-xylophone-lrg.jpg
Thoman. (2014). Glockenspiel. [Image]. Retrieved from: http://images.thomann.de/pics/prod/113404.jpg
EDUP3008: A Journey through the Creative Arts 
