We are off to a great start in Elementary Music! We are starting out the year with steady beat
movements, name games, and instruments.
The 4th graders this past week helped me make practical applications
from my summer course in World Drumming.
Back in June, I was able to take a week-long training session for music
teachers in drumming, mostly in the West African tradition. One of our instructors was actually
originally from Ghana. It was a great
experience for me to learn music in a completely non-Western modality. West African drumming instructors use a lot
of listening and watching, as opposed to talking or reading musical notation. I was challenged to become a better musician,
and I know our students will appreciate the challenge associated with drumming. We were having so much fun with our call and
response name game last week, that I did not take pictures of the 4th
grade classes in action. However, here
is a picture of our class set of tubano drums.
Having these drums for the students gives them a literal hands-on,
multicultural musical experience. Even
in elementary music, we are learning about how big God’s world is and how many people
groups there are that He cares about! You’re welcome to come drum with us
anytime.
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| We use three sizes of drums as a group: low, medium, and high. Each "voice" has a unique sound. |
