Early Childhood classes come to the music room once a week. We begin each class with an instrument exploration which includes un-pitched percussion instruments such as drums, shaker eggs, rhythm sticks, wood blocks, guiros, a scraper instrument, among others.
Students are encouraged to explore the sounds and different ways of playing the instruments. Some dance around while playing instruments, others create "bands". Some students spontaneously create a marching band! All of this comes to an end when they hear the special instrument clean-up song played on the recorder by the teacher. All of the joyful noise ends and these awesome young musicians stop playing and responsibly and gently put all the instruments away and come to the circle to begin our music lesson for the day. Through this exploration, students learn to feel comfortable in the environment. They learn that sound, music, and instruments are both available and accessible to them. They learn to take risks and explore sound alone and with others. Learning to stop and listen is an important musical skill. The ability to tune-into the clean-up song and regulate oneself to stop and clean-up is both a positive musical and life skill.
EC musicians have been rockin' it out in all of these areas! I cannot wait to see what they bring us next!
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