Have you looked at the feature song,  “This Is The Way”?   The first verse has musical notes moving up and down on the staff.   Its not just for entertainment, although it can be entertaining.   Moving pumpkin notes attract student eyes.   Challenge students, even the youngest, to move their hand up and down with the notes.

I don’t have any empirical data that shows this kind of video helps students connect written music to aural music, but that’s my hope.    Its part of pre-literacy for music  i.e.  exposure to written music while hearing the music.    The more ways to attract student attention to the written music, the more effective pre-literacy will be.  Even if you don’t teach the song,  just show and enjoy it with the class then ask:         “Why do the notes go up and down?”

Check out the other two feature songs for different versions of connecting visual and aural music.

I wanted to post  another song on the home page, but as you can see, the fourth space has decided to remain empty the past few weeks.    If your class doesn’t celebrate Hallowe’en, try  “I’m Gonna Be A…”  for two more songs that connect visual and aural music.   They also feature the fun of dressing-up  or  imagining what an adult job might be.

More experienced music students might have fun trying to pick out the places in the songs where the timing of the music pumpkin notes is “off”.    I make the videos with Music Maker and have varying degrees of success in getting everything to synchronize.     Mea cupla.

P.S.  I’ve been playing with “Five Little Pumpkins”  …