Welcome Back to MUSC 331

1. Welcome Back to MUSC 331

2. Let’s chat about my grade book • Boom chic/dumb strum rubrics • 7 was ‘high score’ • You could have gotten more • Note the current dismal grades in my grade book • FB critiques • Wiki postings • Come on. Get there.

3. Sign up for sample teaching #1 by the end of today! • Matt, can we move you? Then we’ll have Friday as well for more discussion & prep • Don’t forget to post your song! • No repeat of songs!

4. Your goal for sample teaching #1 • 10 minutes • Singing • Start/stop well • In-tune • Age appropriate tune/delivery • accompaniment • Teach something through the song!

5. Let’s look at the rubric together, shall we? • Domain #1: Planning/prep • Content/pedagogy • Knowledge of Students • Selecting instructional goals • Knowledge of Resources • Designing coherent instruction

6. Domain #2 • Classroom environment • Creating an environment of respect and rapport

7. Domain #3 • Instructional delivery • Communicates clearly and effectively • Questioning/discussion techniques • Engaging student in learning • Providing feedback to students.

8. Song leading...What’s important? • In-tune singing • Enthusiasm • Healthy model • Understanding stages of singing • Student range • Falsetto • Student tendencies • Wise theory choices • Wise ‘context’ choice for holding ‘concepts’

9. Research on Song Singing with children • Sims (1987) Children prefer faster tempi • Siebemaler (1999) Children prefer songs that are familiar • McCrary (2000) Children initially prefer songs that are culturally familiar • Elmer (1997) Children learn better in groups than by themselves • Klinger, Campbell & Goolsby (1998) Emersion is more effective than line by line singing.

10. Approximate vocal ranges of children • K-2 • 3-4 • 5-6 and up

11. Gender divide in 6th grade • Girls stay pretty much the same • Boys are all over the place. • Often don’t settle into range for years.

12. Child voice timbre • Much thinner than adult voice • Much quieter than adult voice • Little or no natural vibrato • Nasal sounding

13. Child voice tendencies • Sing-speak-whisper-shout confusion • Monotone singers • Parallel singers • Tonic holders • Intervalic difficulties • Let’s hear/see some, shall we?

14. Songs for children • The younger the child, the more diatonic and limited in range. • Lively tempi are best initially. • Melodic patterns should be obvious and repeat, especially with younger children. • Lyrics should be meaningful and rich. • Song should be as authentic as possible.

15. Get students to sing For enjoyment No conceptual focus No goals other than singing Get students to think For knowledge All conceptual focus Uses singing/playing activities to further educative goals. Prepare to layer teaching skills throughout semester. Song leading vs Music teaching

16. Teacher tasks when singing • Help students start together and stay together • Tonal • rhythmic • Use appropriate ranges • Use appropriate timbre • Pick attractive songs.

17. Appropriateness of the vocal model used in class • clear singing with little or no vibrato • in-tune singing • appropriate use of dynamics • Appropriate live performance • Appropriate range for students

18. Presentation • eye contact • Enthusiasm • KNOW THE SONG COLD!!!!! • developmentally appropriate “hooks” such as props, visuals, games, ect. • gesture cues for entrances and stops

19. So, let’s return to lesson planning • “Chase the Squirrel” lesson • What were the activities? • What were the concepts? • What were the contexts? • What mode of thinking was involved?