The breeze is warm, the flowers are blooming, and if you’re a music teacher, you are likely gearing up for an end-of-the-year recital, concert, or music showcase with your students. Polishing a piece of music for a recital is not the goal of music lessons for many students, and so today’s blog is on 10 alternate ways our students can participate in these year-end musical experiences outside of a polished solo performance.
As music teachers, we are often so focused on helping our students foster a sense of independence at the instrument that we forget that we can still support our students in performances, particularly when anxiety may run high. There is nothing wrong with sitting side-by-side with your students and pointing to the notes as they play their song or saying the chords as they strum on their guitar to help ease anxiety about forgetting the right notes.
Incorporating backing tracks is a fun way for students to feel like they are playing with a larger ensemble, such as an orchestra or a band, while playing a solo instrument. Additionally, backing tracks help to build rhythmic awareness and ensemble skills.
Duet playing can help a student feel supported while they are on stage. I always play a duet with my students for their first recital. When I am on stage with them, it is easy for me to whisper out their next note if they get stuck, and their simple songs can sound much more complex with an added accompaniment. Last year, I did a recital called “Meet Me at the Piano” and all the students played or sang a duet with a friend, sibling, parent, or grandparent! It was so fun to add a layer of collaboration to the recital experience.
Last month, we shared a
blog on an improvisation game that can be used during intake meetings. The teacher can play a chord progression I-IV-V-I in a loop using a guitar, piano, or through a digital backing track, while the student improvises a duet part on their chosen instrument. I have done this activity with students at a recital, and it’s always a hit. Be sure to practice how to start and how to decide when the improvisation is complete. When I am performing an improvisation with my students, we come up with a cue to signal the end of the activity. Often, I will say “one two here we go” to begin the improvisation, and “one two now we’re done” to finish the improvisation. An improvisation game at a recital with teacher support provides a low barrier to entry and plenty of room for a student’s self-expression and enjoyment.
Because they are the composer, they can also make creative choices on stage and combine improvisation and composition skills in their performance.
At Lotus Centre, we are big fans of the
Barefoot Books Sing Along collection. The picture books come with beautifully orchestrated backing tracks, and many of them are traditional nursery rhyme songs or music sung by children’s entertainers such as Raffi and Fred Penner.
Sharon, Lois, and Bram also have excellent singalong books with actions to accompany them, such as for their hit song “Skinnamarink.”
I love using soundscapes as a pathway to improvisation and self-expression in music lessons. Consider having several sound-making materials (shakers, rattles, bells, glockenspiel) set up as a “workstation” for the student on stage. An adult can read the book while the musician improvises the soundtrack. One of my favourite books for this activity is
The First Notes of Spring by Jessica Kulekjian and Jennifer Bower. It can even be as simple as ringing a bell when the word “spring” is read in the story.
This is a particularly welcomed activity in the middle of a concert when the audience may need a “body break” to stretch. Have the student lead actions for “Old MacDonald Had a Band” or “I’m a Little Teapot” while the audience sings, and the teacher accompanies. This is a great way for a low-verbal student to lead in a choir or ensemble class.
If you have a student who speaks ASL, they could sign along while another sings or have them sign the words while the teacher plays an accompaniment.
Have a student drum on the bongos, shake a maraca, or play a woodblock in time with a teacher playing a song or playing along with a backing track. Even the most beginner percussionists can join in on this activity! I hope that this blog gave you some ideas to think about how you can involve all the students in your studio or classroom in year-end music performances. A variety of performances adds to the wealth of musicality and diversity in our studios. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and allow your students to be creative in their musical participation. I would love to hear how you incorporate these ideas in your next recital or showcase!
