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Rafe Esquith: Five Tips to Help Children Develop Their Natural Gifts

#1341. Creating with "Found Sounds"

Music, level: all
Posted Mon Oct 4 17:48:10 PDT 1999 by Andrea Bates (alb8077@griffon.mwsc.edu).
St. Joseph, MO - Student Teacher, St. Joseph, MO
Materials Required: Sounds from home, lots of space and patience
Activity Time: As long as you can stand to make it

This activity grew out of my sixth-graders' need to watch "Stomp" for a second time. My cooperating teacher and I decided this might be an opportunity for the students to express themselves and create a team performance at the same time. We started off with the video as an introduction to the activity. Then, a review in writing rhythms and reading notation was in order. I had asked the kids to bring in Found Sounds from home - be sure to emphasize the necessity of parental permission for any special items. Definition for Found Sounds - anything other than traditional musical instruments that makes a sound. My students brought in egg beaters, wooden and plastic spoons, cans filled with popcorn seeds, silverware, tupperware, clipboards, and pencils. I also took in a set of Boomwhackers (elementary teachers will know what those are). The students' reponsibility is to create a performance in a small team. This will then be performed in class. I gave the students about a total of 90 minutes to work. I did not require any written notation by the students, but this may be included for upper grades. We videotaped the performances in class. The students took the tapes back to their classrooms for the teachers and other students to watch (in our district, beginning band students attend lessons instead of general music class). This activity has been a big hit with the kids, and their teachers as well. I would love to hear any ideas you may have to enhance this for older students, or for toning it down for the younger kids.