Assessment
 Back up marking during practices
 Tick and flick book
 Paper test but check books
 Refusing to perform not E but NE (no evidence)
 3 options: perform in front of class, solo in front of teacher, or perform in front of principal
and principal will give mark (need to check this with Vic)
 Assessment in 5 areas: general knowledge, creating, performing, reflecting and responding
 5 comments per grades in different areas (ie rhythm, melody) for ind comments but overall
grade in achievement
 Multiple marks to make overall mark
 Most students C
 Comment – lack of participation/not completing work
 Deb O'Shea's test sheets - these work as standardised tests and cover all areas of the
curriculum.
 Kookaburra student books (written by Jan Smith and Debbie Sweetman) - they provide an
excellent reference for the kids and cover the basics of the curriculum in a well-set out
format.
 Year One - Assessment Overview
Checklists
Semester 1
Pitch Matching
Beat within group
high and low - octave and wider
Written Test
Summative Aural Test:
Timbre
Aural identification of known melody
High and low
soft and loud
Performance
Assessment Task
Individually sing Sea Saw while
pointing to beat representations
(icons) on a chart.
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Semester 2
Pitch Matching
Beat – individual
Rhythm – Individual
high and low - minor 3rd
Summative Aural Test:
±Öµ - identification and dictation
Aural identification of known melody
Melodic Contour
Aural identification of sm patterns
Timbre
Soft and loud
Staff positions
Write the rhythmic pattern of Sea Saw
in paddle pop sticks. Sing the correct
rhythmic pattern while pointing to the
stick notation they have created.
Year Two - Assessment Overview
Checklists
Written Test
Semester 1
Pitch Matching
Rhythmic reading and writing
Melodic reading and writing
Summative Aural and Written Test:
±Öµ £ identification and dictation
Add bar lines ²¼
Identification and dictation of msl
melodies in stick and staff notation
Aural identification of intervals –
Minor 3rd and Major 2nd – skips and
Semester 2
Pitch Matching
Rhythmic reading and writing
Melodic reading and writing
Summative Aural and Written Test:
±Öµ £ ° identification and dictation
Add bar lines ¦¼
Identification and dictation of dmsl
melodies in stick and staff notation
Aural identification of intervals –
Minor 3rd and Major 2nd
Main Assessment
Task
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steps
Staff positions - msl
Timbre
Read rhythmic patterns from the
board using untuned percussion
Staff positions - dmsl
Piano and forte
Violin – string family
Lucy Locket while performing a four
beat rhythmic ostinato
I think clapping flashcards (saying rhythm names as well as clapping) is always a quick way to
individually assess musicality and understanding of rhythms taught.
Also, at this age, great to assess individual singing so you can see where they are at and how
much more help some of them need to get this - I assess this in two aspects - can they
differentiate speaking/singing voice and do they match and maintain the given pitch. A great
song for doing this is Charlie Over The Ocean or any other simple echo song....last Semester I
used Oh My No More Pie. This Sem I have also used Bounce High (with them having
individual turns singing) and a call and response type Hello song - think it is from
Playschool....."Hello, hello,hello and how are you", "I'm fine, I'm fine and I hope that you are
too". I had indiv children sing the response (with a pop up poppet as a prop (taking the focus
off them) after I sang the call.
I assess visual rhythm - read and clap rhythm from songs - e.g. lucy locket, or read and clap
rhythmic flash cards.
I also do Aural rhythm - using paddle pop sticks - they use to make ta, titi etc. patterns - I
nearly always clap 4 beat patterns. I also use 4 x 4 beat charts - or draw with chalk on carpet
and they point to beat for assessment - I also get them to clap the beat.
I assess singing voice - e.g. singing lucy locket. do they sing with correct pitch (in tune)?
Correct rhythm and beat? Is singing voice clear? Do they use a talking voice? etc.
I also assess solfa patterns - both reading and and performing and aural identify. I use paddle
pop sticks - to form a line, then counters for the so and me - so counter on top, me on
bottom. I play so me patterns on recorder -with my hands hidden behind a book and they
use counters to make the pattern i played.
I also sometimes play songs we have learnt throughout the term and they have be guess
what song I have played. Another thing for rhythm is using my 4 beat flash cards - i put 4
cards on the floor and play one - they have to guess which one i played.
For older kids I get them to write down their aural patterns - I assess both rhythm and
melody at the same time - but mark it separately - as some kids are good at one and not the
other.
I hope this helps - I assess something nearly every week - it all adds up and my assessment
book (which i do up at start of year and bind - i make my own cause i go to 6 schools) looks
really impressive for whoever wants to see it.
Teaching
 Units of areas ie rhythm, melody?
Ukuleles
 http://www.qpac.com.au/event/Ukulele_Britain_12.aspx?utm_source=enews&utm_mediu
m=email&utm_campaign=17nov11
 James Hill Ukulele in the Classroom
 I use fingers for strumming to keep it traditional. From what I understand, the strumming is
meant to be above the end of the fretboard, not above the sound hole. I get a lot of kids
complaining about sore hands and usually it’s when they strum over the sound hole.
Because the strings have a greater gap between the body and strings, the strings hit their
little fingers too high up. If they strum above the end of the fretboard, their fingers can’t go
down low enough to hit that nice soft skin above your fingernails. I also liken then
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strumming action to shaking water off of your hands (a bit of flick in the wrist, not just the
arm moving).
Youtubes of Ukulele Mike
BUMS (Brisbane Ukulele Musicians) website has some easy songs in their free songbook (eg.
In the Jungle - GCD)
Students at our school learn guitar, but for fun you can play all your ukulele hits (in a
different key) on the DGBE strings of a guitar
Uke info: I started playing at Christmas when I received a cheesy $25 ukulele, but have since
bought a Kala concert ($130ish) and a Kala baritone ($200). Kids need a soprano size, but for
you I suggest you pop along to a music shop and feel the difference between a soprano,
concert and tenor. The fret spacing is wider with each, but they are all usually strung GCEA
(some have a low C string). The baritone is a joy, and is strung DGBE. You will notice a richer
sound with the better strings (eg. Aquila) that come on the more expensive models
Purchase: Of the three cheap brands in cheery colours we have, my favourite is a $25
KeAloha (I think it came from Allans/Billy Hyde just prior to Christmas/The best ones at the
moment are Kehalo ( approx $25 each), Makala ( has a little Dolphin Bridge) and Ashton to
name 3 of them. The strings must be good quality ie they must be different thicknesses and
feel strong/Mahalo Uke
Use bread ties for pics or fingers
As for the brand of uke - my personal uke is a tanglewood concert size and I paid about $160
for it which included a hard case. The uke's I bought for the students are Ashton (concert
size) for about $80 each and then bought uke stands on top of that
I use websites like http://www.alligatorboogaloo.com/uke/ ; chordie where you can
transpose songs into C tuning for ukulele ; http://www.ukulelesongs.com/,
http://www.ukulele-tabs.com/
The Sing books are also excellent for finding songs. Peter Combe's song "Mr Clickety Cane" is
fantastic for playing F and C (There is a great version in the Red book from the Karate Belt
recorder series). At the end of last term we played Bruno Mars' "Marry You" and Wes Carr's
song Been a long time.
The 3-chord approach is, of course, an obvious choice - yes, Lorna, I have been to a Mike
Jackson workshop, and he does well at making a living teaching people to play 3 chords, but I
reckon we can extend that easily to encompass a broader sense of musicality - allowing for a
greater range of styles and learning opportunities...
As a quick example - and I mentioned this quickly before - starting with one-finger chords: C,
C7, Am in that order. They sound fine together because C and Am are Relative keys. Then
teach F after Am... why? The 2nd finger stays 'concrete' while the first goes on the E string.
Then go crazy on 2-chords songs that allow rhythmic concepts to be reinforced as well.
When everyone's awesome, use the F chord fingering to teach the 3-finger G7: 1st finger is
now concrete, 2nd drops to the C string, 3rd finger hides underneath in the 2nd fret, 1st
string...
Then practise sliding the 3rd finger up to the 3rd fret, taking the others off, and you're back
to C!
I bought 15 ukulele's (enough for 1 between 2) and I have made up and booklet they share
between their partner. My 5s and 6s I teach as a whole class and they take it in turns with
their partner (peer teaching). I intend to teach a new chord each week (C, F and G7) as these
are the three chords for the majority of the songs in the booklet and we play along to Mike
Jackson CDs. The year 7s I taught them the three chords in one hit because I have them for
an 1.5hrs each week and then once I have shown them the chords they find somewhere
quiet with their partner and practice for the rest of the lesson. This seems to work well and
those groups that I know that wont stay on task, I keep them in the classroom where I can
keep an eye on them. I have a teacher aid that helps with one of my year 6 classes and she
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Ipads
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commented that the ukulele is such a wonderful instrument for the kids to learn and that
she can even pick it up and help teach it. My year 6s did guitar at the beginning of the year
with another music teacher and hated it because for many of them, their hands weren't big
enough to reach the strings. With the ukulele's some of the students have even come to me
and asked if they can practice during lunch times. For their assessment I will have the
students sing and play a song - for the younger students I expect them to play three chords
and sing to receive an A and for the year 7s I have said a minimum three chords to receive a
C and have included in their booklets songs up to 10 chords (over the rainbow/what a
wonderful world) for those who are quite musical and need the extra extension songs.
I have gone for the concert size ukulele rather than the soprano because I find the soprano is
just a little small. I bought the Ashton brand and they stay in tune really well. I pretty much
teach ukulele all day on Thursday and held their tuning really well - only had twig a few of
them. I also purchased a ukulele tuner (clips onto the head of the ukulele and tunes the
strings through vibrations) - can also tune guitars as well.
Mike Jackson sticker’s method
Prep: all the preppy stuff, learning basic rhythmic and melodic concepts by the end of year...
Yr 1: all the Yr 1 stuff, focus on orchestral instruments, instruments from around the world,
identifying simple rhythms in songs, etc
Yr 2: begin recorders - I still believe that this is the best instrument for learning to read and
create music tangibly...
Yr 3: continue recorders - by Term 4 they are playing low D to high D' tunes with simple
harmonies, and begin learning ukulele in Term 4 based on open string notes plus B initially,
then onto alternate fingerings and other notes (They can do this quickly because they know
note names from recorder playing!)
Yr 4: begin chords on ukulele - 1 finger, then 2 finger, etc... Continue while learning songs
from other cultures, pentatonic songs - in short any songs that support existing units?
Yr 5: Intro TAB notes - some may say this is cheating, but hey, it really speeds up learning
new notes and songs when written under staff notes... (I taught them Blues scales and basic
melodic/chordal progressions last term - lots of fun!)
Not up to Yr 6 yet... hmmm...
http://midnightmusic.com.au/index.php/2011/07/super-round-up-ipads-in-musiceducation/
http://www.sibelius.com/products/avid_scorch/index.html?intcmpid=SB-HP-AUMU1
www.isleoftune.com
1. Read music from it. Either using a pdf reader, sibelius scorch or dedicated music viewers.
All your music in one handy iPad.
2. Play audio from it through a dock or other audio system.
3. If you have wi-fi available, you can use it to control you computer. Good for audio and
video playback.
4. As a portable recorder. Either use built in mic or a plug-in mic. Can record student
assessment, immediate feedback of performance. (Pitch, rhythm, part-work etc)
5. Apps such as Garageband are handy for recording, mixing etc. Good visual work surface.
6. We've got a DJ app complete with 2 turntables/ scratchpad. Students can run their discos
from this. We don't hire any DJ's for our disco's anymore!
7. Keyboard apps.
8. Tuning Apps
9. Music dictionary always at hand.
10. Hook up to data projector/smartboard. Oh the possibilities!!
11. Many mixers have iPad apps to control them wirelessly.
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12. Oneschool! (If wi-fi is available) Imagine walking around the classroom and marking the
roll, entering behaviour issues straight in.
MSO Learn
Cleartune
Metronome app
IHarmony
Lesson Plan (under Education)
Voice Record app
Music App
 My first classical music app (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW9NCO3aGFI)
 Splashtop
 http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/notability/id360593530?mt=8
 Mad Pad
 Thumb Jam
Music Sites
 www.musictechteacher.com (www.musicteacher.com)
 www.midnightmusic.com.au
 http://www.fromthetop.org/
 www.binarymusic.com.au
 Music Interactive Classroom
 Jamstudio
 http://www.musictheory.net/ - interval ear training, downloadable offline edition (previous
version), free
 http://www.classicsforkids.com/
 http://www.themusicinteractive.com/TMI/The_Music_Interactive_-_Classroom_Apps.html
 Mr Neil’s Magnificent Music Place:
https://elearn.eq.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/cou
rse.pl?course_id=_66162_1
 http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/piano/
 Http://www.ameritzaustralia.com/
Programs
 Mozilla firefox
 RealPlayer (http://www.real.com.au/?mode=rp)
 http://www.keepvid.com/
 Groovy Music from Sibelius
Computer Games
 Staff Wars
 Rhythm blocks
 Rhythm dictation
 Boomwhacker freebies
Fun Stuff
 Mystery Guitar Man
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB0pS3rPbwA&NR=1&feature=fvwp)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=OK7b9fViElU)
Virtual Classroom
Lessons
 Half hour performing (reading, playing music in solo or groups); computer activities
 Half hour singing, aural, games etc
 Lots of games, recorder work, writing, fun!
 With the 4-7s, I use a piece of music (mainly instrumental, like theme songs from movies, or
indian based music for example) for them to listen to for 2-3 minutes, and they lie down,
close their eyes, and listen to the music. Then we discuss the music they heard, emotions
that came up, etc.
 Begin lesson with rhythmic or melodic dictations
 Move it DVD’s (John Feierabend)
 Units of work such as Peter and The Wolf, Peer Gynt, Carnival of the Animals are great to
work over a number of weeks with the whole school as they can all get involved on their
own level
 Solo singing games – Doggy, doggy; Kangaroo, Bee Bee, Lucy Locket, Little Mouse, Love
Somebody
 One activity I have had great success with recently is Rhythm Rondo (reminded about again
recently by Debbie O'Shea - thanks!). I write a 4 beat pattern on the board (I used titi ta
titika ta) and we all clap it....try it piano/forte/allegro/presto/largo etc for prac. and also
reinforcing dynamic terms. Then each student creates own 4 beat pattern using known
rhythmic elements. My only 3 rules were that it was 4 beats, different to mine (even if only
slightly), and had a maximum of one rest in it (to avoid "rest rest rest rest"). then we made a
rondo pattern with my pattern being the A pattern and then going around the room
alternating between everyone clapping my pattern and individuals clapping their own
patterns. (ABACADAEAFAetc). Could also use percussion instruments to make it more
exciting A simple assessment activity too....could extend it to having groups of 4 performing
their own rehearsed rondo rhythm. Could also do this improvisation in rondo form using
melodic elements instead of rhythmic.
 Another great rhythmic activity I have used with success with difficult classes is "Rhythm
Postcodes". Write 4 X 2 beat patterns on the board and number them 1-4. Then clap two of
them in a row and children id which two (eg 2 then 4 which is "24") build up to doing 4 in a
row (eg "4112") like a postcode. I draw 4 boxes on the board like on the front of an envelope
and we fill them in with the answer. Once students are good at this add more rhythms so
there are 6 different ones to choose from and then build up to having ten different rhythms
(number ten called "O"). Have some students write and then perform their own postcode
for other students to identify. I did this with my year sevens recently but made a couple of
the numbers performed at the same time so they were listening to two parts and identifying
them (performing them on different instruments makes it easier aurally). Eg rhythm 1 and 2
at the same time then rhythm 1 by itself then 3 and 2 at the same time then one by itself hope that makes sense - hard to describe in words!!!
 IWB - if you have one - LOVE youtube. Songs that are current - with lyrics on the screen - I
did Dream Catch Me as a treat - it was fabulous. (Naturally you check them out first)
 Writing! My most difficult classes have responded to writing! "Sit silently and do this" sort of
approach. Writing in notes over given letter names, drawing treble clefs, writing in missing
bars, transfering stick to staff notation.... It might be worth copying some booklets of written
work.
 Playing tuned percussion - if you are lucky enough to have enough - or line up the ones you
have and they have turns. CDs like John Madin Marimba Music for Little Kids - is fantabulous
- the kids love it - it is engaging... (www.crescendo.com.au does happen to sell it)
 The good old Sing Books - there are some great songs.
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I find a set routine for the difficult classes can help. eg. 1 Rhythm Work, Song, Solfa work,
song, play eg. 2 Write, move, sing, play - whatever suites your planning style,
A reward at the end of the lesson - BRIBE them. If they finish the work you need done - they
get their choice of song
Christmas
 So Fresh
 Now
 Wiggles
 Hi-5
 Sing Book 2009 – French carol Petit Papa Noel
 Sing Book 2002/2010 – Feliz Navidad
 Sing Book ??? – Feel the Joy
 Sing Book ??? – Shalom Cavarim with Peace Song
 There's a series out with backing CDs - one's called Christmas around the World and the
other is Christmas in the Southern hemisphere. The cds aren't fabulous quality, but it puts
you in touch with some unusual stuff. I think the publishers are EMU music.
 If you want a christmas tune "I'm getting nuttin for Christmas" is definitely fun. It's in Sing
2010! And the chorus is all 's-m-l-s-m' so easy to sing. Verses for more confident singers.
 One that I like for several young groups - creating a theme - Is using Mulberry Bush - but
changing it to Here we go round the Christmas Tree. Have a chritmas tree on the stage (kids
can decorate in class...). Sing this song between each 'act'. Have several colourful boxes
under the tree (the cheap shop ones that are all Christmassy and easy to open are good).
Have a child from the group about to perform open their box and show the audience their
'present'. This 'present' related to the song that class is about to sing. This way you can use
ANY song that the kids might already know - and it is related to the concert because of the
present. It can be as simple as a toy train and the kids sing Big Black Train and play up and
down the mountain on chime bars, add some egg maraccas with dynamics as the train going
to and from the station etc...That way the parents see a little about what you do in the
music room and you don't have a mountain of extra work.
 Reindeer Boogie (from sing 07 I think)
 It's Christmas (from sing 08 I think)
 Canine Christmas Concerto (from sing 09)
 Winter Window (from Sing 05)
 Whispers in the Trees (from Sing 04)
 German Measles (from Jam 06 or 07 I think) I put actions with it to remember words
 In the same Jam book as german measles is "threw it out the window"
 The Aardvark - from Sing 2010 or Sing 2008 - pretty sure its a purple one
 Peter Combe Christmas album – “Ping”
 It is the Reindeer pokie. It is the same as the hokey pokey but you change the words eg you
put your antlers in you take your antlers out, you put your hooves in you take your hooves
out, you put your red nose in your take your red nose out these are just some example you
could make it what ever you wanted. It is a lot of fun and the kids dress up and dance.
Saving Sound from YouTube
 use mozilla firefox ( great browser that you can addon on an add remover get with it the
youtubetomp3 addon when you are watching one you want click on it it will be on your
toolbar and bobs your uncle .... just make sure once you download it you save
 Realplayer
 http://www.keepvid.com/
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http://www.youtube-mp3.org/
http://youtubedownload.altervista.org/
You Tube goodies
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoUUK3Hy7vM&feature=related - whacky do re mi
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r9LA60BtTw&feature=related - EGBDF
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1v74oWfK8s&feature=related - FACE
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUYEvCly8Fo&feature=related - forte piano
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lYVUWvxLYg&feature=related - major minor
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL2sffgYXwY&sns=em
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvuSfMgFJlQ&sns=em
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSOU4tIymII&sns=em
 More on side bar
 Search “recorder” – see you good or bad instrument can be
 Carnival of the Animal bits
 http://www.youtube.com/storytellermedia - flash mob “We are Australian”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dAujuqCo7s
Removing lyrics from mp3
 www.karaoke-version.com – has Glee versions, normally $1.99 each
 Use Audacity – free on CFT’s. Need Lame to export from Audacity to CD (both free
downloads)
 Buy itunes karaoke tracks - they're just like the original. Cost is $1.69 a track
Misc Information
 Another great way to watch You Tube without seeing the other clips and adds around it is to
add 'quiet' into the youtube link just before the word youtube. For example the address will
now look like this http://www.quietyoutube.com/watch?v=xGpsVmWLRFA
 Richard Gill – great music education advocate
 if you “embed” the font in the document (different ways to do it in different versions of
Word – in more recent versions you go to “save as” and then before clicking on “save” click
on the tools drop down menu and “save options” and there is one box to tick that says
“embed” font), then anyone can read it whether or not they have the font.
 I would highly recommend this font too though, and the Kodaly one which has the symbols
without noteheads.
 http://www.alfredpublishing.com/expressions - good classroom music program resources
EdTube
 edTube is a new section in the Learning Place which is a bit like YouTube but only for EQ. Any
multimedia (pictures, videos, audio files) can be uploaded to an album (similar to an online
folder) and then be shared with anyone in EQ – depending on who the album’s creator (a
teacher) decides. You could have an album, a collection of files, just with your class, with all
the classes in a school you work with, for all the schools you work with, open to all EQ staff
or open to all staff and students. For example, if you were doing a unit on world music, you
could upload all the audio files of individual drum sounds and some example songs or a
video to the album. Then your students could download them and use a program like
Audacity to mix the individual sounds together to recreate or create a song of a particular
style. If they all uploaded their songs to the album, everyone can listen to each other’s
songs, perhaps provide feedback or reflection? Other areas might use an edTube album to
share student work (like a digital portfolio), for stimulus, to share student tutorials… The
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great thing about an edTube album is that you only have to upload it once and it can be
viewed/embedded/downloaded many times over.
There have been a number of OneChannel programs about edTube, or there are tutorials
and quicksteps in the Learning Place Help Centre > edTube.
2012 Ideas
 Ukes?
 45 min lessons (yr 6 & 7)
 Space Encounters
 Music Celebration Concerts end of each term – full school
 Music: Count Us In
 End of Semester Concerts for whole school
 Scarves idea
 Dancing bracelets
 Carnival of the animal clips on You Tube
Choir Names
 Triple M - Mayfield Music Maestros (Seniors)
Mini Maestros (Juniors) at Mayfield
 Mt Petrie Mini Musos (MPMMs) (P-3s)
Mt Petrie Musos (MPMs) (4-7s)
 KFC (Kids Fun Choir)
 Mini Maestros’
 "The Worongary Tiny Tunes”
 "The Worongary Blokes"
 Sopraninos – year 2 and 3
 Magnificos
 Popcorn (year 1)
 TC Singers - TC stood for Training Choir
ANZAC/Remembrance Day
 The Last Anzac
 Can You Hear Australia's Heroes Marching
 My Home Australia - Matthew Johnston (Joey music) choral arrangement 2-part (also suited
for unison)
 Like an Eagle - Carl Strommen (Alfred)
 My Country (I Love a Sunburnt Country) - Trent & Hatch; arr. David Lawrence; choral
arrangements available
 Lest We Forget; Sing 2004 – (both our choirs sang the verses and the whole school joined in
the chorus – they LOVED it!)
 Vine and Fig Tree (2 part canon) 150 Rounds for singing and teaching - Ed Bolkovac and Judy
Johnson
 Anzac day (Remembrance day): I think it is from a Swag of Songs, Words and music Bene
Gibson-Smith, Arranged by JE
 Amazing Grace: a cappella
 The Last ANZAC in The Sing Book 2005, by Michael Travers. Middle to upper primary. Unison
piece. 4 verses.
 In Flanders Fields, Words by Dr. John McCrae, music by John Jacobson and Roger Emerson.
Upper primary. Arranged for SA, but works with unison. Good for high register (up to F).
Beautiful music and the kids love it! Also unison, 2-part and SSA, Sing 2011
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Bette Midler's From a Distance Arr by Teena Chin (I think!!) (We did it very successfully this
year with drum kit on last verse and chorus. )
Abide with Me,
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda etc
A listening song from Birralee’s Come to the Music Cd – it’s called Flander’s Fields and it is
the Birralee Blokes so all men – very haunting and fits the mood entirely!.
Tommy Was A Soldier –
March, March Soldiers – Tune In Level 2; Words by D Hoermann
Simple Song of Peace by Jerry Estes. Alfred 16235. Suitable for upper Primary. Can be sung in
unison or two part. Range: middle C-high D. Quite an easy piece, easy to pickup.
And They March - Source: Sing 1999
I Am Australian
Like an Eagle - Carl Strommen (Alfred)
Vine and Fig Tree (2 part canon) 150 Rounds for singing and teaching - Ed Bolkovac and Judy
Johnson
A listening song from Birralee’s Come to the Music Cd – it’s called Flander’s Fields and it is
the Birralee Blokes so all men – very haunting and fits the mood entirely!.
Peace Round - in a fairly recent Sing Book. It is the tune of Rose Rose Rose Red and has
simple words (What a good thing, if the children of the world, would dwell together, in
peace). We learnt it in two 15 minute rehearsals last year and had a soloist at the start and
then canon - very beautiful!
ANZAC Day website: www.anzacday.org.au - Click on ‘education’ for classroom activities,
including an activity on The Last ANZAC.
Australian War Memorial website: www.awm.gov.au/education Here you can download The
Last Post, Revally, etc.
6/8 Time
 I call them pulses in compound time. 6/8 (and oh how it greats on me to put the slash in!!!!)
is 2 beats per bar with 6 pulses. Just like you would conduct it. 1 & a 2 & a
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I also explain it the way the Americans do it – 8th notes. Kids love it when you tell them that
we call them the proper names and that the Americans haven’t caught up with us using the
more complicated names. So they understand that 6/8 has 6 8th notes. But yeah I agree a
visual tree up on the wall for them to see all the time would be very helpful.
Vive l'amour (partner song with Down the river). Great song for ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti tum. And
for making ta ti conscious.
And Paddy works on the railroad (in some texts it is "Filli me oo re oo re a"). Kids usually love
this song!
Compound time I teach in Grade 4 the same way I teach ta and ti-ti to grade 1's. In semester
1 we just do songs that use tum (1 sound on a beat) and ti-ti-ti ( 3 even sounds on a beat)
then we add zum ( no sound on a beat) and then in term 3 & 4 we learn ta-ti (2 uneven
sounds on a beat- long-short).
Preparing
Allow students to experience all repertoire at different tempos.
Plan experiences for moving to a beat using both fine and gross
motor skills
Ask children to ‘read’ a pictorial representation of the beat of
some familiar songs in both simple and compound time
Presenting
Use a simple and compound time song together, play them one
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after the other.
Sing the two songs keeping the same steady beat throughout
both songs. (Note: ) Does the beat feel the same in both songs?
Yes it’s the same.
Students clap the rhythm of both songs. Are the rhythms the same? No they are different.
Students try to find words to describe the difference. The words ‘smooth’ for simple time
and
bumpy’ for compound time are useful ways of referring to this difference.
Practice
Spend time experiencing both simple and compound repertoire together.
Sort familiar songs into smooth or bumpy. Signature pictures are useful for this task.
Categorise songs under the headings smooth and bumpy.
Repertoire to compare simple and compound: Rig a Jig Jig (has both); Candle Burning
Bright/Jack Be Nimble; Blue Bells/Wash The Dishes; Rain Rain/It’s Raining it’s pouring (in
compound); See Saw/See Saw Margery Daw; Lucy Lockett/Sally Go Round the Sun
I also really love “Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be” as one of my first “conscious”
compound songs as it only has tum and tititi in it.
I also really like what someone said about talking about “pulses”....I say compound has 2
beats but 6 pulses...try keeping a steady beat in one hand and moving from 3 pulses per
beat (compound) to 2 pulses per beat (simple) with the other hand....really feel the
difference. I draw oval “beat circles” for compound so they look different too (initially)
Link it to food/fractions???
See attached files
Peter and the Wolf
 Sesame Street version 'Elmo's Musical Adventure - Peter and the Wolf'
 Kirsty Alley version (book depository, amazon or ebay)
 Disney short of Peter and the Wolf, narrated by Sterling Holloway (aka Winnie the Pooh). It's
on youtube and it is part of a collection of disney shorts on DVD where they have other ones
like Rhapsody in Blue. You can find out the name on Wikipedia.
 PBS site
 There is an Oscar-Award winning animation that came out in 2008. Don’t know the Kirstie
Alley one, but I have used the Dame Edna CD version a fair bit.
Accented Notes (# and b)
 Use black keys (on piano) to compose pentatonic songs
 Teach on recorder for younger children
 Introduce sharps in grade 5 (f# on recorder) and flats in grade 6 (b flat) and then can
transpose GAB songs into F# E D or D C Bflat, or so-mi songs into A & F# and Bflat & G
 Use pic of keyboard on IWB to demonstrate
 I use a piano keyboard to teach accidental notes - the black ones! Usually comes up for me
when learning Bb or F# on recorder. So, I show them on a piano keyboard (using an IWB is
great - the one at
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/piano/ is the best
online).
 Useful for teaching mood as well - recorder students of course BAG (Mary Had a little lamb),
but what about showing them Bb - A - G? (Mary had a little Chop...)??
Tune In Level 1
 http://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/items/4d11aeb5-d450-57e9-55891cfcc35e0aa1/1/index.html?.hb=true
Tune In Level 2
 http://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/items/b4deca28-98c5-e49e-c92a7df648a36094/1/ViewItem.jsp
Misc Songs
 (It's Not Goodbye) Till we meet again – Sing 2001, song 50
 A Round of Goodbyes - Sing Book – 2000
 BHS.org and you will find a song called Goodbye (Barbershop Harmony Society and was
previously known as SPEBSQSA which stands for Society for Preservation and
Encouragement of BarberShop Quartet Singing in America. It is actually an International
Body and Australia has an affiliate called AAMBS. Australian Association of Mens
Barbershop Singing. There is a lot of music there for younger voices. We like to call
SPEBSQSA - Some People Especially Barritones Should Quit Singing Altogether. Throughout
Australia we have quite a number of schools (state and private) with youth quartets and
choruses and next year the Pan Pacific Championships are being held in Brisbane during the
last week of September 2011. Love to get more Qld schools participating
 Sleep, my ba-by, sleep and close your pret-ty eyes.
l, t, d t, l, l s f m r m
Sleep soft-ly dear-est child and do not cry.
m f m r d r d t, l, t,
Sail gent-ly to the land of dreams,
t, d l r t, m r t, s
Sing lul-la--by
s r l si
So sleep, my bab-by sleep
si l f t, r d
Sing lul-la-by
d r d t, m t,
 Hello songs (other word doc)
 Five fat sausages
 5 cheeky monkeys
 5 little ducks
 I love the flowers (mp3 – you tube)
 Mrs White had a fright
 Percy Grainger wrote a lovely arrangement of Drunken Sailor called 'Scotch Strathsprey and
Reel'. The version I have is sung by an all male choir with the orchestra. I love it!
 Also on 'Walls come tumbling down' (the Birralee Blokes CD) there is a great version of
Drunken Sailor. There is some Blokes music available on i tunes and some Birralee
performances on You tube (don't think Drunken Sailor is though). Still worth listening to.
 Sing 2007 Gadigi Nyian useful for: Indiginous peoples, syn co pa and triads all in C major
which is perfect for boomwhackers, pentatonic and ABA form and has repeat signs, check
out teacher’s book for other ideas – tackle instrumental side first, hum tune then add words
 Firework by Katy Perry – good for “different day”
Recorder
 Blackbelt recorder, later they love Rocking train from Recoder zone 2, and Swingin bones
from Take off with recorder)
Easter Songs
 Colin Buchanan & John McIntosh's Fair Dinkum Aussie Easter collection of songs
 See attached lists
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'Easter Bilbies' from Oz Songs for Special Days by Peter Leyden 2000.
Search iTunes
Repertoire
 For Good - Wicked the musical
 'Victoria Sings Short Stuff' is a 'Scatter Scat' that kids could improvise scat sounds or words
over. Voiceworks 2 has a couple of songs about the Generation Gap and 'Mirror Mirror On
The Wall'.
 'Permission to Shine' in the 2005 Sing Book is a good one and 'Shine' from 2008.
 We Absolutely Have to have Music" it continues 'without it what ever would we do'- from
one of the JAM CDs I think.
 " Why we sing " In 2009 sing book (2 part harmony in teacher book; also a 3 part out there)
Fonts
 http://www.fontspace.com/category/music
 http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=720&page=1
 http://www.mu.qub.ac.uk/tomita/bachfont/
Guitars
 Silverchair – Straight Lines
 Lion Sleeps Tonight
 Hey Soul Sister – transposed into D
http://tabs.ultimateguitar.com/t/train/hey_soul_sister_ver2_crd.htm
 Wild Thing AA-DD-EE-DD.
 Kate Miller-Heidke's 'Caught in the Crowd' was a favourite (D, Bm, G) and achievable for
them. (Do easy-G for those struggling with the stretch). Also great lyrical content.
http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/k/kate_miller-heidke/caught_in_the_crowd_crd.htm
 Generally anything in D Major or A Major tends to have easier chords for them to shape. Use
Easy-G and Easy-C if they have trouble with those chords.
 Also to build general skills and have a structured sequential program (and not reinvent the
wheel), I used ideas from 'Little Kids Rock'. Download the free video lessons from here and
the accompanying workbook: http://littlekidsrock.org/teacher-freeresources.html
 12 bar blues (D major)
 Beatles music, many country songs and ballads – 3 chords
 Sing books – teach a song and then the chords that go with it
 Can “dumb down” the chords, or remove chords to make it easier
 Can differentiate by having advanced kids play/attempt all chords, beginner kids play just
one
Indigenous
 Children of the Dreamtime – loved by students and parents
 Story book for 'From Little Things' – Paul Kelly
 One on the way for My Is Home and Great Southern Land.
 Taba Naba (in one of the sing books/the wiggles also do a version) and doing the actions.
 Inanay by Tiddas – see attached doc, you tube, KMEIA DVD – Music in the Middle School
 'Black Boy' by Bunna Lawrie's Coloured Stone
 We did the general didg stuff - just a generic cd but had whale song recorded with the
Hervey Bay tribe's songs.
 Rolf Harris Sun Arise - played on recorder too!
 Yothu Yindi's Treaty – good you tube clip
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Christine Anu My Island Home good you tube clip
Christine Anu's Taba Naba clip is on the wiggles DVD - Music around the world [I think that's
what it's called]
gadi gadi yinan from [Sing?] 2007
Two Men, Kaiapi, Inanay, Thaba Naba is in the Sing Collectors book.
two men from ABC 2004 is a really nice simple song to learn- kids can create their own
simple ostinato to play on clapsticks.
Hands Across Australia from Generation One
It is common practice . . . among the tribes of Australia, for one individual to carry on
conversation with another by singing the words. When, for instance, it is the intention of the
person engaged in conversation to make the matter as little noticeable as possible, or when
they want to impart information to each other without attracting the attention of a third
party, they clothe their words in song. And the same is also done when a third party is
criticised. It would be funny to see the kids trying to sing their conversations. I would then
encourage them to do the same in their classrooms just to enrich the other teachers
understanding of the use of music in the indigenous culture. (then sit back and giggle a little
- well I would)
Adult Choir
 George Torbay's books are a great start. All with backing tracks and each part individually.
 Inanay (Mark O’Leary has an arrangement for treble voices but it basically just goes in thirds)
 Lean on Me (SATB version)
 Godspell medley
 Beatles medley
 When I Fall In Love
 Piece from Faure’s Requiem and a piece from the Messiah another year. Probably SAB would
be better than SATB…lack of tenors
 We did Syahumba (spelling??) an African piece too. We used the accompanist from the
school choirs but at many rehearsals we sang around the piano whilst Gary played.
Participants paid a small amount to be members (to pay for Gary’s time)
 Victoria Sings Short Stuff by Fay White – purchase from Sound Thinking Australia
 There’s a great book that Crescendo Music sells that has a CD that is all Community Choir
pieces…the model on the CD is not brilliant but the pieces are good. Debbie will know the
title.
 Sing Books
 Voiceworks – series???
Boomwhackers
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-Nweg2KYVQ
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gve3S-XrTI&feature=related
 All plastikmusic clips are great – I like Axel F
 I like to incorporate boomwhackers as I try and do all other instruments – as an addition to
the existing program – as another way to practice the elements that we have learnt. Things
like playing known songs – things they know well – i.e. Year 2 – Rain Rain.
 At the moment I am using them with year 6 and 7 to play the harmonic ‘pillars’ for The Lion
Sleeps tonight – great on bass boomwhackers.
 The Body Rondo book - by Jim Solomon.
 "CC rider" from Boomwhack Attack. Others in book ok too, but this is great.
Australian National Anthem
 Key of Bb works well
 3 part Mark O'Leary version
 A Capella
 ANTHEM / Celebration of Australia. It was an ABC 1997 cd set
 Advance Ausitralia Fair cd available from IJAM is awesome. It costs 14.95 and has a one
verse and two verse version. Vocals and backing tracks
Copyright
 http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/musicconsumers/musicinbusiness/schools.aspx
Prep
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Some me type songs/fingerplays could be:
Heads and Shoulders
If you're happy and you know it
Hokey Pokey
This is the way we clean our teeth etc (What is the title to that song?)
Open shut them
Where is thumbkin
Let Everyone Clap Hands with me (lots of body part and action text improv)
Tommy Thumbs Up
We are all stamping
Lots of lullabies - singing baby to sleep - family
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/family-rhymes.htm this site has many
My Hands are Clapping, I Jump Out of Bed in the Morning (from Play School Useful Book),
Here We Go Looby Loo, Nicky Knacky Knocky Noo, How Many Fingers on Your Hand
(mentions mummy and daddy- a Peter Coombes song I think). There's also a finger rhyme
that I think is called 'This is My Family'...it goes...This is the mother kind and dear (thumb),
this is the father sitting near(index), this is the brother strong and tall, this is the sister who
plays with her ball, this is the baby smallest of all, see my whole family large and small
(wriggle all fingers).
http://www.kididdles.com/
Funkey Monkey from Susie and Phil Splitter-Davies! Awesome music and great story - easy
to get a whole class involved acting it out.
Fruity Samba by same people.
See attached files
Saving Voice
 when planning lessons, swap the order of activities to give your voice a rest e.g. if you plan a
listening activity, put it at the end of one lesson and the beginning of the next. This way your
singing voice gets a break for 15-20 minutes
 stop singing so much! Listen to the children more. If they can't sing songs without your
assistance all the time, then they don't really know the repertoire. If it's a known song, give
them the starting pitch and stop singing. Verbally remind them that they should be singing.
 Tune In (available on the Learning Place) has lessons with a teacher and studio class so on
bad days (tired voice) you can use the lessons with the younger kids.
 use more 'twang' in your voice- gives you more projection. Articulate well. Don't forget to
breathe correctly
 use children as models. It's amazing how a young voice that is matching pitch can suddenly
improve the tone of the whole class if used as a model
 I play the melody on the piano to give more projection on bad days.
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dancing is a great way for small children to show the form of music and you don't have to
sing! Shenanikin dance CDs are fabulous
Body language is a powerful little tool too. A click of the fingers, a point, a frown, hands up
to say stop etc. All things we probably do but good to remember.
I try not to raise my voice to get the classes attention (especially over instruments), I use a
sound like an instrument. It’s good to change it from time to time too because the kids don’t
expect it and look to see what’s happening. Doing silent actions (eg. Hands on heads,
shoulders etc) works great for little kids (just add a clap or two if they’re still not looking
quietly).
Try speaking very softly when you have total quiet. I find it better on my voice and quite
relaxing too.
When singing songs with the kids, I find it useful to play an instrument while singing (guitar
for me). Once the kids know the song a little I don’t have to sing any more than the first
couple of words and I save my voice. Backing tracks for songs can work in a similar way.
I find the real killer is when the kids are playing instruments and I’m giving instructions or
singing the notes. It’s good to have a large chart of the music or even techniques displayed
so you can just point to them. I use a projector in pretty much every lesson I teach for this.
Harmony Day
 (Join) Hands across Australia
 We are the world,
 I am Australian
 Rome wasn't built in a Day
 We are the World (Haiti version is VERY popular!)
 Peace by Piece
 "We Are One"
 Put a Little Love in Your Heart
 Hearts In Harmony by Phil and Suzie Splitter is one I’ve used a lot. It has actions the kids like
to do in the chorus too. It’s in ABC Sing 2009 for upper primary and also in the Jam 2004
book
 Inanay (not sure of spelling) which is in an old Sing Book and
 My Island Home – Christine Anu which is also in an old song book and
 Monkey and a Turtle
Classical Music
 In the Hall of the Mountain King (slow than getting faster)
 Hungarian Dance No.5 by Brahms (fast but with slow sections)
End of School Year
 we are gonna be friends" sing 2008 song number 49 –
 "breakaway" from sing 2007
 For the past 5 weeks I have been working with my year sevens and they have come up with
ideas (lyrics) for their own graduation song. Some ideas were fairly ordinary but some were
fantastic (e.g. Primary School is like a roller coaster, we’ve had our ups and downs and round
and rounds). I read through all the ideas and arranged the lyrics and composed a melody line
and music and recorded a backing track and the kids will sing it on their graduation night. I
think they’ll be proud of the fact that they wrote the song and get to perform it. If you’re
worried about recording a backing track, I’ve found using looping software very quick and
useful.
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This year my older kids love Firework - Katy perry - my year sevens are singing it - lyrics on
youtube - nice messages - at least the way I am interpretting them!
Choose some songs from their music lessons and jazz them up a bit by adding percussion
etc.
Try to get all the CD stuff burnt onto one disc if you can - with a back up. Burnt discs are not
all easily read by every player.
As far as possible don't use mics - particularly for whole class songs. If not done properly
they are bad! You will need at least one mic for MC and any solos.
An idea for costumes is a colour - eg ask them to wear as much blue as they can for a song
about the ocean.
big pits of painted cardboard make great props
use other objects as props - eg one year I got kids to bring a kitchen utensil (not knife!) for a
song about food
as for your outfit - the rule I apply to myself is don't accentuate the B*M! but I love to put
something funny on if appropriate!
Kids on to the stage non one side - and off on the other.
Try to keep the kids in the audience if you can - keeps them occupied - keep them well
supervised with OTHER teachers - you will be too busy
Try ABC song books, Jam, that sort of thing for 'instant' repertoire
Lately I have used a few blow up props - cheap and effective - palm trees, guitars....
If not, there is a song on Wagner's Rinse Cycle called The Typewriter and its a heap of fun!
I'm doing it with my Grade 2s at the moment. I got some black irrigation pipe (the
corrugated kind) and got it cut up into 20cm lengths and also some chopsticks. You can then
split your kids into 3 groups - One to play the typing sounds (by sticking a chopstick into the
end of the pipe and hitting it on the sides), one to play the sound of pushing the typewriter
back to the beginning (by scraping the pipe with the chopstick like a guiro), and one to play
the sound of the bell (using a triangle). As much as the black pipe is fun, there's no reason
you can't make the same sounds from other materials.
o I tend to be the conductor, using a chop stick as a baton, and the kids think its
fantastic. I've trained up one of the kids to be a conductor before, as well as another
to pretend to be a secretary at the front with a typewriter. A couple of Year 2s
would probably be able to manage those roles with a bit of practice.
o There is a bit of information about the album at the link below, but I haven't been
able to find where to buy the album. Sorry :( But if you've got it already, its a lovely
performance piece. And it would be adorable if the kids were dressed in ties and
glasses!
o http://www.musicaustralia.org/apps/MA?function=showDetail&currentBibRecord=
000020801425&itemSeq=8&total=8&returnFunction=searchResults&term1=Music+
Humor.+&location1=Anywhere&scope=scope&parameter1=phrase&boolean1=and
&reuseSearch=true&sessionId=reuseSearch68A915B0A729E2546FD0E97248C58DF9
1218970738186
Cup Games
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3ofk_GxmFg&feature=related
 Pass one Drink Cup
 Sing Song "Hida" - children follow my actions to the beat or give one of their own using the
cups. It has a great beat and speeds up usually lots of laughter until they finally keep up.
 speech rhyme "My Name is Joe".
 Tideo – see attached files