MusicplayOnline has many arrangements!
Kids love playing instruments any time of year. MusicplayOnline has holiday arrangements for Orff instruments, bucket drums, rhythm band, Boomwhackers, body percussion and - new this year - Djembe. Many of these arrangements were written in 2021 for the year that many schools couldn't sing. Now, there are a wealth of materials for instruments on MusicplayOnline.
There are four easy winter themed lessons:
Hear the Bells
Holiday Magic
Penguins Marching
Winter is Here
Winter is Here
Teaching Suggestions
Orff Instrument Preparations: Remove bars F and B on instruments.
- Teach the song phrase by phrase. (by rote) Teacher sings a phrase, students echo a phrase. Discover like/different sections. Try using your hands to follow the melodic contour of the melody.
- Sing the song and add movement to depict the activity that is in the lyrics. On "Let's go sledding" mime sledding down a hill. Create new verses for the song. For example: "Let's throw snowballs" or "Let's Go Skating." Have small groups of students improvise movement for the new verses.
- Teach the BX/BM part. Mirror F-C-F'-C on your lap and have students copy, practicing on their legs. Once students are comfortable singing while doing this pattern transfer it to instruments. If you want to teach this song to younger students, substitute a solid bordun on F-C for the crossover pattern. Play the F-C on h.
- To teach the SM/AM part, sing or say the lyrics and snap fingers for the part. Have the students describe to you where in the song they snapped. (after "here" or on "ding" of sledding)
- Consider having groups improvise on FGA C for 8 bars between repetitions of the song. You could have the instruments improvise as sections: first SX, then AX, then BX/BM. The groups doing the movement could continue the movement during the improvisation.
- With student input, decide on the final form and try out your performance. If you have time, invite students to think of a different way to perform their creation. Ask them which way they preferred and have them tell you why using musical words.
For your older students, there are two challenging arrangements on MusicplayOnline. These are in the Happy Holidays Unit. Sing Noel and Carol of the Bells are interesting instrumental pieces for your students.
If you don't subscribe to MusicplayOnline, the Orff arrangements are in a new print (or downloadable) resource - Holiday Orff Source.
The Holiday Orff Source includes 14 lessons using the Orff process and instruments that vary from simple songs for PreK-K-1 to accompany a storybook, to interesting instrumental arrangements for older students. The students will have opportunities in the lessons to sing, play, move, listen and improvise. Many songs include movement suggestions using dance, scarves, or improvising, and of course, students are encouraged to create their own. There are several traditional Christmas songs and a Hanukkah song, but most selections are seasonal.
Print+Download is $20 Download only is $18
There are lessons for Boomwhackers, Bucket Drums, Rhythm Band, and Djembe
Choose INSTRUMENTS from the left menu, then go to the instrument and choose holiday.
Bucket Drum
Deck the Halls – a Bossa Nova Holiday with Mr. Frank. K-2 and 3-5
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old
Up on the Housetop
Sing Noel
Christmas Chopsticks
Holidays are Here
Over the River
March from the Nutcracker
The Bucket drum section includes overhead views, full score, and some demos.
Boomwhackers
Jolly Old
D’ou Viens tu bergère
Up on the housetop
Jingle Bells
Sing Noel
Christmas Chopsticks
Joy to the World
Over the River
The Boomwhacker lessons include kids notes, colored notation, vocal/accompaniment tracks, and downloadable accompaniment tracks.
Drummer Dan
Sing Noel
Christmas Chopsticks
Drummer Dan's arrangements include teaching videos, full performance videos, and accompaniment tracks. Easy to teach and fun to play!
RHYTHM BAND ARRANGEMENTS
Rhythm Band Arrangements include scores, piano/vocal scores, downloadable accompaniment tracks. Some arrangements are full score. The Christmas ABCs is an animated play along.
1-2 Christmas ABC (Zed and Zee)
Animated rhythm play along with drums, sticks, jingle bells, finger cymbals. This also has full score video, concept slides of notation, lyrics, a piano/vocal score and a downloadable acc. track
3 Dona Nobis Pacem
Not animated, drum, shakers, sticks, finger cymbal – good score reading practice for older students. . Includes concept slides of notation, lyrics, piano/vocal score and a downloadable acc. track
4 Il Est né, le divin enfant
Not animated, drum, shakers, sticks, finger cymbals– good score reading practice for older students. . Includes concept slides of notation, lyrics, piano/vocal score and a downloadable acc. Track.
5 We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Lively arrangement. not animated, drum, shakers, sticks, finger cymbals– good score reading practice for older students. Includes concept slides of notation, lyrics, piano/vocal score and a downloadable acc. track. Remember you can slow down videos using the gear tool - this arrangement is quick!
6 Just One Candle
Includes overhead view of instruments playing. Very easy for younger students. It includes concept slides of notation, lyrics, piano/vocal score and a downloadable acc. track
7 Shine a Light for Peace
Full score (not animated), drum, shakers, sticks, finger cymbals– good score reading practice for older students. Includes concept slides of notation, lyrics, piano/vocal score and a downloadable acc. Track.
8 Feliz Navidad
Full score (not animated) , drum, shakers, sticks, finger cymbals– good score reading practice for older students. Includes concept slides of notation, lyrics, piano/vocal score and a downloadable acc. Track.
9 I Hear the Bells
Jingle Bells, triangle, finger cymbal. Not animated – good score reading practice. Includes concept slides of notation, lyrics, piano/vocal score and a downloadable acc. Track.
The Happy Holidays Unit has many additional play alongs.
Select UNITS - Happy Holidays
Ukulele/Guitar
Ukulele/Guitar arrangements are available for K-6 songs in the song list. Use the filters to select Hoiidays - then Christmas and you'll find 30+ holiday songs for ukulele or guitar.
Watch our recorded webinar on Holiday Instruments and Bucket Drumming here!
Programs Available on MusicplayOnline:
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By Denise Gagne
By Denise Gagne
By Denise Gagne
By Denise Gagne
By John Jacobson
Additional Resources published by Themes & Variations
These are available as downloads (or print/ship) at www.store.musicplay.ca
All are affordably priced ($20-40) and include perf/acc mp3s, piano/vocal scores, and musicals or reviews include scripts.
These include permissions to perform, and permissions to reproduce vocal scores or lyrics for your students.
Celebrate Around the World
This collection includes traditional and composed songs from many different cultures. You could use this as your winter concert, or you could teach the songs any time of year as part of a multicultural study
Festival and Holidays
Festivals and Holidays is a musical revue exploring celebrations around the world. The songs are unison or easy two-part suitable for classroom or choir, and staging is simple.
Snowtastic
This is a fantastic musical about our favourite season! Includes lyrics, script, performance/accompaniment tracks, and PDF to project. Use it as your holiday concert
Is Santa Smarter?
Is Santa smarter than the kids in your school? It’s a Christmas musical/revue featuring your school’s fifth graders on a game show with Santa as a celebrity contestant trying to win enough money to pay for the high cost of gas to power his sleigh.
The Best Gift Ever
The Buymore Shopping Mall has a contest - tell what the best Christmas gift is, and WIN that gift! The shoppers have many unique gift ideas - toys, candy, new teeth, slippers, and baking. But it’s the Charity Bell ringer that has the best gift idea - a Christmas meal for the homeless.
Slapshot Santa Scores Again!
Santa dreams that he’s scored a goal in the NHL and decides that he’s going to practice hockey until he can play with his favorite hockey star.
Production on the Christmas toys falls further and further behind while Santa is out practicing his slapshot. The elves make some hasty phone calls and Santa’s favorite hockey team flies to the North Pole to have an exhibition game.
Christmas Favorites
Thirteen songs for your class or choir that will be sure to be student favorites! The teacher's guide includes the piano/vocal arrangements for 10 songs, choreography suggestions for some, and reproducible student pages for 7 songs.
Includes Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
The Christmas Concert Idea Book
Would you like some drama in your Christmas concert without producing a full length musical? The ‘Christmas Concert Idea Book’ is a collection of skits and songs, each of which is suitable for a K-6 class (or choir) to perform at a Christmas concert.
Kinder Christmas Collection
Here is a collection of songs ready for your next Christmas concert! Your students will enjoy performing them, and their parents will love watching! This collection includes traditional favorites and original songs. You'll find something for everyone!
K-3 Christmas Concert Ideas
Do you need an idea for your K-3 class for a Christmas assembly or concert?
Here are 20+ ideas: Songs, plays, poems, reader’s theatre, dances - each of which is suitable for a K-3 class to perform at a Christmas concert.
Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays is a collection of Christmas and Holiday songs. Not only have we given several traditional carols a fresh new sound by weaving together interesting medleys but there are also new carols to help you and your singers rejoice in a festive spirit this holiday season.
Chants de Noël
Each year teachers request music materials for French Immersion classes. This publication has wonderful unison or 2 part arrangements of seven Christmas songs for your French Immersion classes or your English school choir!
Holiday Songs for Guitar and Ukulele
This collection of holiday songs for Guitar and Ukulele includes arrangements of 40 Holiday, Christmas, and Hanukkah songs. Many of the arrangements are given in alternate keys, so they are all playable on both the guitar or ukulele and in appropriate ranges for children’s voices!
We Remember
Your Remembrance Day/Veterans Day assembly will be easy to plan when you use the songs, poems, and quotes in this collection. The entire collection is beautiful and very singable for young classes or choirs. The songs will be a moving tribute to all veterans.
Holiday Songs for Recorder
14 traditional and multicultural songs for unison, 2-part and 3-part soprano recorder. Includes 30 reproducible student pages in regular and “kid note” notation. This is an excellent way for you to incorporate recorders into your Christmas or winter concert.
Holiday Orff Source
NEW!!! The Holiday Orff Source includes 14 lessons using the Orff process and instruments that vary from simple songs for PreK-K-1 to accompany a storybook, to interesting instrumental arrangements for older students. The students will have opportunities in the lessons to sing, play, move, listen and improvise.