As I'm editing Musicplay lessons to post on the new online resource - www.musicplayonline.com - I've been finding new ways to encourage student creativity in my music classes. The 2009 Ontario arts document focusses on the creative process and critical analysis, and the new Core Arts National standards in the USA, is very similar, with more focus on creating and process than on content.
There are many ways we can invite students to contribute their ideas to a performance. One way is to invite the students to suggest or choose the instruments to use in an accompaniment to a song.
Apples and Bananas is a fun song in Musicplay 1.
I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas.
I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas.
I like to ate ate ate ayples and banaynays.
I like to ate ate ate ayples and banaynays.
I like to eet eet eet eeples and baneenees.
I like to eet eet eet eeples and baneenees
I like to ite ite ite iples and baninis.
I like to ite ite ite iples and baninis.
I like to ote ote ote, oples and banonoes.
I like to ote ote ote, oples and banonoes.
I like to ute ute ute, uples and banunues.
I like to ute ute ute, uples and banunues.
I like to eat eat eat apples and bananas.
I like to eat eat eat apples and bananas.
Invite the students to choose an instrument to play with the words, "eat, eat, eat" and a different instrument to play with the words "apples and bananas." The song is fun to sing, and is a great way to reinforce vowel sounds. Adding the instruments gives the students a chance to create their own accompaniment. Choosing the instruments will be an interactive activity on www.musicplayonline.com. (in development)
Improvising: Giving children opportunities to improvise will help to develop their creative skills. Sing one phrase of the song, and have students improvise for four beats. Improvising with Counting Song will be an activity on www.musicplayonline.com. (in development)
If you have individual students improvise, you could assess the improvisation.
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