Stuck in the Middle … strategies for Middle School General Music that won’t break the bank…

Stuck in the Middle…strategies for Middle School General Music that won’t break the bank… NNMEA All-State Music Conference workshop presented by Jan Delgado, APS Music Teacher delgado_jan@aps.edu

Stuck in the Middle With You Gerry Rafferty & Joe Eagan - Stealers Wheel, 1972 Well, I don't know why I came here tonight. I got the feeling that something ain't right. I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,and I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs. Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right,Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.  Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,and I'm wondering what it is I should do. It's so hard to keep this smile from my face - lose control, yeah, I'm all over the place. Well you started off with nothing,and you're proud that you're a self-made man, and your friends they all come crawling,slap you on your back and say, ”Please? Please?” Oh, I'm trying to make some sense of it all,but I can see it makes no sense at all. Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor? ’Cause I don't think I can take it no more.

Inspiration for the workshop— • Keynote address at NM All-State 2012 by Scott Schuller, NAfME President • Big three (BOC – Band, Orchestra, Choir) attracts only 20% (on average) of secondary students. Guitar is growing (NM is a pioneer!) but there is still a huge percentage of underserved students. • Even though a General Music course is an elective, students are often not volunteer. Student motivation and assessment are different than BOC. • However, by actively making music, General Music can be a positive musical adventure for both students and teacher. • Classroom management can be incorporated into the curriculum within the process of what to teach and when to teach it.

Problems Middle School Students: Want to be accepted, to be “cool,” but adolescence makes them unsure Will avoid embarrassment Often do not have musical skills General Music Class: Listening Notation Composition Instruments Singing?? Movement?? Assessment No budget

Possible Solutions Middle School Students: Want to be accepted, to be “cool,” but adolescence makes them unsure Will avoid embarrassment Often do not have musical skills General Music Class: Listening Notation Composition Instruments Singing?? Movement?? Assessment No budget Gain trust – Provide safety net of consistent class rules and routines Choice of curriculum– music and activities focus on manipulatives rather than self Be flexible – learn when to let students “hide”

Technology • Hardware - • Sound system and LCD projector • Laptop computer/iPad • Students have iPod, cell phones • Document reader, overhead projector • SmartBoard/Promethean • Software - • Internet resources: • YouTube (download) • iTunes (application is free, purchase songs) • Always preview songs and video!! • Invoke school rules of profanity, etc. • Composition and recording: • Audacity, Noteflight (URL on website) • Garage Band (on Macintosh computers)

Teaching Beat and Rhythm - • Start with Speech (mnemonics) • Add Body Percussion (snap, clap, pat, stamp, etc.) • Combine two rhythms as soon as possible. • Add instruments as soon as possible. • Teach written notation after aural rhythms are learned

Flavors of the Southwest by Luis Delgado

Teaching process for Southwest Flavors Say the words first, then add body percussion: Snap for line 1, clap for line 2, pat for line 3 Students should learn all lines Divide class into 3 groups (ABC) and assign each group one line Perform piece, all parts starting together. Rotate parts so all students have chance to perform lines 1, 2, and 3. Variations: Layer in one line at a time “A” group starts with line 3 (dessert is first!). Note: starting with line 1 is hard, as it starts with a rest They perform the whole line and will repeat it many times. “B” group (line 2), comes in when A group is starting their second pass. “C” group (line 1) starts when B is starting their own second pass. Variation: Layer in parts, starting after only 2 measures.

No instruments? No problem! Look in the recycle bin! After students have a rhythm vocabulary and can perform with Body Percussion, experiment with sounds in recycled materials. How to tap is as important as what to tap with. Remember that music is organized sound and silence. Check out what STOMP does with trash… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8ra8mjZljA

Replace body percussion in Southwest Flavors speech piece with recycled instrument sounds.

Guided Listening activity: In the Hall of the Mt King, byEdvard Grieg • On the board, draw a grid, label the categories and write in the the form on the first line, as above. What to put in the categories on the left column depends on what the • teacher wants to emphasize in listening. • Students copy the grid and categories onto their own piece of paper. • While listening to music, students write what they hear.

Guided Listening activity: In the Hall of the Mt King, byEdvard Grieg Afterwards, students report and discuss how to describe music and use musical vocabulary. Above text is possible answers. From here, it is only one more step to create a Listening Map. Many listening maps are available in the MacMillan, Spotlight on Music, and Silver Burdett, Making Music curriculum series.

Movement activityto “Ghostbusters,” by Ray Parker, Jr. Teach “musical stepping,” which is short steps and keeping weight over feet to enable quick directional change. A: step 4 steps forward (or to right) 4 steps back, B: roll hands, C: free dance D: robot motions.

Examples of Assessment • Start from here and plan backwards…

Strategies for Middle School GENERAL MUSIC:

Stuck in the Middle … strategies for Middle School General Music that won’t break the bank…