Month: October 2022
October 2022 Week 4
October music is nearing its end –next week look at November ideas!
There are so many wonderful Halloween songs to try … its a short season squeezed in between Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day, so don’t overlook the classics Five Little Pumpkins and Old Mrs. Witch . Two new songs on the site —There Was An Old Witch and Skin and Bones (? too scary for Grade 3 ?) Twinkle Bat explores variations on Twinkle Twinkle. Try these or use your own favourites –the most important thing in teaching a song is that your real enjoyment of the song will be contagious.
There are parts of Halloween that meld beautifully with music curriculum, without actually being Halloween! Dressing-up, let’s pretend fantasies, acting in theatre, miming to music, teaching minor keys, harvest foods (including turnips and pumpkins). I’m Gonna Be A … (2 versions of this, one for Halloween, one just for “let’s pretend” or “when I grow-up”) which can be paired with the Role Playing Music ; or try dancing to Fossils; or singing Humpkin Pumpkin; and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater. Satisfy those cravings for sweets by making a Making A Purple Stew or chanting I Never Saw A Purple Cow.
Next week: Remembrance Day and Songs about Peace Making
October 2022
Thanksgiving, Autumn Leaves and Halloween –a plethora of musical possibilities.
Red Red Leaves and Red Orange Yellow Brown are very simple in form which gives them many ways to be varied, encouraging creativity. Zip new words into their phrases, accompany on instruments (the mp4 for Red Red Leaves includes playing a scale in C), make a rondo using “Red Orange” as the “A” and improvising a “B”, “C” and “D”.
Young children sometimes struggle to find their “singing” voices. Mimicing the high hoot of an owl is a fun way to encourage use of the high register of voices. Everyone can join in, no English language skills required!
Next week: Dress-Up and Halloween Songs
Last Week: Turkey In The Straw Shoo Turkey