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Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Mysterious Power of Music - Notes


Thank you to all of the participants at the “Back to School” session on August 10. I couldn’t have done it without your great ideas!! Click HERE to download the handout, including the additional notes.

- Gwendolyn
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 Additional Notes, that I promised I would post, from 8/10/12:

Tunes for Teens
For music-interested teens and adults, these 11 Repetition not Rhyme tunes may feel too juvenile. Instead try:
·      Chanted rhythms
·      “Brush Your Teeth” (Raffi, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1hlHked0LM )
·       Baby Shark Song (Scout Song, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqV1O5eeA9Y)
·      Karaoke versions of popular songs
From the Audience: One Mom prompted her son to get his shoes and get out the door using the theme song from Angry Birds (listen to it on YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DehK_Y0TUbE) with the following lyrics:
Time to go now, time to go now
Quickly get your shoes its time to go now

A song for calming
When you sing, you are required to take in more air and breathing naturally slows. Your vocal chords are tightened in order to control the melody of your song, a greater volume of air is required in order to vocalize, and the exhale period is longer when singing than when speaking. Deep breathing is often recommended for calming, but can be a challenge to induce in an individual who is feeling anxious or over-stimulated. If an individual can participate in singing a song or phrase, it will promote deep breathing.  Any song will do, but we wrote the following as a group:
(London Bridge tune)
I know how to take a breath, take a breath, take a breath.
I know how to take a breath. Watch me now.

Story-time attention getter
Some students struggle to attend to more passive classroom activities such as book reading. An example of reading the Very Hungry Caterpillar was provided with the periodic chant (while patting your thighs): He’s hungry! He’s hungry! He’s really, really hungry!  Adding drama and high affect in your face and voice also doesn’t hurt when gaining and sustaining attention!

A song for raising your hand
Before a Q&A activity in the classroom, it may be helpful to prime students with a reminder to raise their hand using a song. One option may sound like this:
(Mulberry Bush)
Don’t forget to raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand.
Don’t forget to raise your hand, when you want a turn.
Periodic reminders could take the form of a short, chanted phrase just before it’s time to raise hands: (drum roll patted on thighs) Raaaaaise yooooooour hand!

Two songs for trying new foods
One Mom has been singing a Farmer In the Dell song to encourage and sing about trying new foods with verses that describe what a food might feel like in the mouth. I may have used a little creative license (aka. short term memory failure) with the lyrics.
(Farmer In the Dell)
I like to try new foods, I like to try new foods,
I feed my body everyday,
I like to try new foods.

An apple, it goes CRUNCH. An apple, it goes CRUNCH.
I feed my body everyday,
An apple, it goes CRUNCH.

I imagined a song that might turn new food exploration into a sneaky game of anticipation using the Scout’s song Baby Shark. Watch a video of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqV1O5eeA9Y The pattern of this song is not unlike Raffi’s Brush Your Teeth song (which uses a bit of rhyme, but it can be re-written without it!). Hear Raffi sing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1hlHked0LM
(Baby Shark Song)
I have an apple, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo
A little apple, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo

It’s on my plate, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo
It’s on my plate, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo

It’s on my lips, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo (2xs)
It’s on my tongue, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo (2xs)
I’m gonna eat it, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo (2xs)
I put it in, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo (2xs)
I make it crunch, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo (2xs)
And then I swallow, doo-doo, uh, doo-doo (2xs)
Hooray!

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