Raising up the next generation of worshippers
I created this handy chart for my private vocal studio. I pulled the info primarily from a Wikipedia article about numerical sight-singing. I think it is a wonderful and concise reference for what to call everything - whether one uses numbers or do-re-mi (Solfege) to sight-sing. It's especially valuable for learning how to "pronounce" accidentals (flats and sharps).
I love to teach things about which I am passionate, and music seems to be the area that gets the most attention in that regard. It brings me great joy and satisfaction to watch a student learn a new musical concept or skill. However, it is important that I continually remind myself that it does not matter if my kids can sight read Handel's "Messiah" if they do not have a vibrant worship relationship with God.
Teaching them to be worshippers is the greatest gift I can give my students. With the never-ending demands of "performance dates" and trying to keep the kids engaged, it is a far to easy to become distracted by secondary items. Learning to be great musicians and artists is a wonderful goal, but all of this is just to be a vehicle for the greater purpose: teaching them to worship. That, alone, will change their life for eternity!
So here's my advice: Teach your kids cool songs and awesome musical and artistic skills. Use as much creativity as you can muster in this endeavor, but don't forget the most important thing. Tie it all together and talk about what the songs mean. What is each song saying? How can they apply what they are singing? Teach them to worship. Then give them a chance to put it into practice. This will change their life!
Shape notes where introduced into America in 1801 as a means to teach singers to quickly learn songs without their having to master the more complex details of music contained in the staff and key signatures. The system was primarily taught through "singing schools," and these musical gathering served as both an educational and social event for local communities.
In shape note music, every note is assigned a specific shape. There are only seven, and each shape corresponds to one of the pitches of a major (or minor) scale. For example, in a major key, the triangle is the first scale degree, the diamond is the third scale degree, and the circle is the fifth scale degree, etc. Once a singer learned to "read" the seven shapes, they could easily sight read any number of songs. It was no-doubt a tremendous asset to help congregations to learn to sing parts as well as new music. In my opinion, it was ingenious, and I'm sorry it has fallen out of favor.
Most musical traditions no longer use shape notes in their choral music, but a few months ago I remembered a sight singing method I was taught in college that closely resembled this technique but utilized standard "round note" notation. I've been experimenting with this method with my various choirs, and I think it is another valuable tool to have in one's musical toolbox. Just like shape note singing, in it's simplest format, this system teaches singers to learn to sight sing without having to first learn all the intricacies of the music staff. I'm now using it with my kids to teach new songs by rote, and I'm using it with my youth ensembles to teach them to sight sing. It is called Numerical Sight Singing. I'll post more details later about the specifics of how I'm employing this system. It is a lot simplier than it sounds. I wish I had started using it years ago.
Most of us learned to count rhythms using the 1-e-&-a system. This is a time-tested approach, especially for youth and adult instrumentalists, and it has personally served me well for years. For younger kids, Kodaly's ta, ti-ti system seems to works better, and this is what is being taught in our local elementary school system. We also use Kodaly's counting system in our KWA ministry (along with fruit rhythms.) However, beginning around the middle school years, most music educators agree on the need to transition kids to a "beat-based" counting system. 1-e-&-a is the most common system taught in this area of the world. This allows for counting syncopation and more complex rhythmic patterns.
The other day, however, I ran across an "improved" counting system invented in the late 1990's. It is called Takadimi. It was invented by a group of college music theory professors as a more comprehensive approach to counting rhythms - especially at the collegiate level. However, it was also seen to be of great value when used with younger musicians. I'm beginning to feel that this possibly may be a better system for vocal students than the more popular 1-e-&-a approach. Due to the beginning consonants on each syllable, the system seems easier to articulate for singers, and my limited testing indicates that it appears to be easier for novice musicians to grasp. I like the fact that there are only a small number of syllables to learn, but the system is comprehensive enough to easily accommodate anything from basic to complex rhythms. The fact that it has been throughly field tested and vetted with elementary through college age teachers & students is also a compelling strength.
In the example above, you can see a snippet rhythm for one song we are currently learning. The rhythm is counted: "ta-di, ta, mi-ka-di ta, mi-ka-di ta, di ta." This is how I taught it to the kids: First I counted out the correct Takadimi syllables in spoken "chant rhythm," and the kids repeated the chant back. We did two measures at a time. Then I sang the the Takadimi syllables with the correct pitches, and the kids repeated this. Finally, I sang the line with the actual words to the song, and the kids repeated this. In a few short minutes, the kids were singing a rhythmically complex song correctly. Kodaly's syllables would be problematic to try to utilize in this instance, and simply singing the song to the kids by rote would have probably resulted in the rhythms "relaxing" toward the beat instead of staying syncopated. The kids just think the "non sense syllables" are fun, but they are learning to be musicians one measure at a time.
I plan to experiment with this "new" system for a while and see if it continues to add value to what we are trying to accomplish in our ministry. At a minimum, it will be another "tool" in my musical toolbox. If you'd like more information on the Takadimi system, visit www.takadimi.net.
OK, so "world's largest" is a bit of a stretch, but this one is 15 feet long and 4 feet tall. It is large enough for several kids to stand on it and be "human music notes." My hope is for us to have a lot of fun learning the functional aspects of the musical staff with the long-term goal of the kids learning to sight sing effectively by the time they graduate into youth choir.
I made the staff out of long strips of velcro (3/4" wide and 15 feet long) that I purchased off of Amazon. It sticks to the carpet in my Choir Room very well. For less than $50 I have a wonderful teaching tool that is easy to put down and easy to take up. The "music notes" seen in this picture are some theatrical light filters that I found in my closet with some velcro strips for the stems. (Point of interest: My wife teaches piano in this room on Monday afternoons. She liked the music staff and requested that I leave it on the floor for her to use as a teaching aid, but she politely encouraged me to make a more realistic treble clef symbol. With her guidance, it looks better now, but you'll have to take my word for it because I did not take a pic of the remodel.)
We have decided to do a musical, and we are excited about the potential this challenge will present. The music we are using is from our upcoming 2017 Vacation Bible School. This year's theme is about space. To go along with the songs, we are writing our own original drama and incorporating other elements of our ministry into our mid-summer "presentation." We begin full rehearsals as soon as the kids return from spring break.
Musically, we plan to use snippets from the various songs as an avenue to teach basic sight singing fundamentals. In addition, our guitar class will be chording along with some of the tracks. Our third and fourth graders will be doing puppets with one song, and our first and second graders will be bringing their own rhythmic originality to another. Finally, we'll be learning motions for each song to help the kids internalize, memorize, and more effectively communicate the text to the congregation.
One of our instructions will be writing a drama that is an exact fit for the fifth and sixth graders who chose the drama track. Those kids will be memorizing their lines and doing a full fledge drama instead of the readers theater approach they have utilized to date.
From a worship standpoint, the text of the musical is overtly evangelistic. Since the first step for a worshipper is to establish a personal relationship with their Lord, the impact of this musical could possibly span eternity for some of the participants. In addition, this will give the kids an opportunity to proclaim the gospel in an overt way to their friends and family who will come to see the presentation.
We decided to add a recorder class to our track offerings this semester. We purchased one instrument for each child, and they each get to keep them once the semester is over. Teaching recorders is not for the faint of heart due to all the squeaking that often ensues, but it is a wonderful way to teach basic music reading to young musicians.
We decided to move ahead with the advanced guitar class concept. I purchased three additional instruments, and provided the teachers of that class with some basic materials that came out of my own personal guitar studio. (I really like the Yamaha JR2 guitars. They are 3/4 size instruments that keep tune really well. It is perfect for beginners.)
We purposely kept the class small, and we let the kids take the guitars home so they can practice. They seem to really be enjoying the experience. I'm hoping some of them will be inspired to continue learning the instrument beyond what we teach in KWA.
Things are off to a great start in our 2017 KWA ministry. We decided to only offer three tracks for this session: Advanced Guitars, Drama, and Recorders. Our school system has adopted a year-round school schedule. This has caused us to make some changes in how we do ministry because most of our kids are in school until mid-June. We decided to break the semester in half. The first half would run up until spring break and would basically function like we have been doing for the past two years. The second half of the semester would be preparation for a KWA musical. More details will follow soon about that.
I had a great phone conversation with my baritone ukulele teacher today. I suggested that we might consider modifying his "advanced guitar" class from using ukes to using actual student guitars. He was excited about the idea. By using simple chords in the key of G (see the "Beginning Guitar" - October 1, 2016 post elsewhere in this blog), I'm confident that he'll be successful in this new direction of our ministry. We'll probably keep his class to no more than five students per semester. Our church already owns at least two student guitars, so I ordered three more. (I'm fond of the Yamaha JR2 models. These are 3/4 size guitars that are great for beginners.) We'll still offer the baritone ukuleles in a class at various times, but this will be for younger and beginner students.
As these guitar class kids graduate into our Youth Worship Arts Ministry, I look forward to building upon what KWA has taught them by periodically offering youth worship guitar classes. In addition, those interested in more extensive training can sign up for private lessons through our Worship Arts Academy. We already have several outstanding youth singers, and with this new emphasis within our ministry, I'm excited about the prospect of having an effective youth praise band within a few years as well.
While this site is primarily devoted to discussing our worship arts ministry with 1st-6th graders, we do have an awesome Kindergarten music ministry. Our goal is to develop a comprehensive ministry that sequentially develops our kids in the area of music. One of the tools we have adopted is from a company called Celebrating Grace. Their Growing in Grace curriculum is outstanding. We use it with both our Kindergarten choir and our 1st-2nd grade choir. The material is very well laid out, and it contains quality supplemental material to accompany each lesson. We have found it to be a perfect fit with our ministry. If you are looking for a step-by step method to training your young worshippers in music and spiritual fundamentals, you owe it to yourself to check out this great resource.
We use hand chimes in a couple of different ways in our ministry. Our adults handbell ringers use them as individual notes at times when the handbell music calls for variety. With the kids, we often use the hand chimes in chord clusters. For example, C, E, G = group 1 (C major chord); F, A, C = Group 2 (F major chord); G, B, D = group 3 (G major chord). I put colored tape on the different groups to make things easier to administrate. I usually have the kids in each group play quarter notes on the beat as their chord comes up in the song. Many simple songs can be played in this manner, including those found in the boomwhacker book shown in the pic above. (Note, the boomwhackers can be utilized in this same way, and they can also be "mixed and matched" with the chimes as desired.) The chimes also can make a much more durable and less expensive alternative to handbells - especially when used with kids. Highly recommended.
I stayed up late the other evening watching a video by one of the pioneers of multi-generational worship, Ray Jones. I was amazed at how intentional Ray was in incorporating a variety of ages in his mega church's worship leadership. It is a fascinating seminar video - well worth your time.
OK, I'll admit it. Until two years ago, I had never even heard of Boomwhackers. Pitched, colored PVC pipes at a cheap price - how cool is that! They even make little "caps" that slide on the end to make them sound one octave lower if desired. We have several octaves. They come in diatonic sets (key of C ) and chromatic sets.
To play them, students can hit them on the floor, a chair, or hold one in one hand and hit the pipe into the other. There are several videos on Youtube that show their versatility.
We group the pipes into the basic major chords of a simple song (ie. C, F, G etc). By dividing the kids into three groups, lots of kids can participate by chording along with a song - and all they have to do is hit the boomwhacker when I point to their group. Furthermore, since they are pitched, one day I had a crazy idea and passed them out to my adult handbell choir to try them with regular handbell music. That what one crazy rehearsal! Since they are so inexpensive, I'm thinking about getting another set to be able to simultaneously use them with two different groups.
I've posted about our use of 32 gallon trash cans before, but I thought a follow-up post might be of some value. We used the the drums in a circle configuration last night because the kids in my track were not only playing their own drum, but their neighbor's as well. We experimented with various rhythm patterns for about ten minutes before moving on to something else. I made it a point to kept things fun and energetic, and the kids loved it. Learning music while having a blast - can't be beat (pardon the pun).
When we first began Kids Worship Arts, I really wanted to offer guitar. However, experience had taught me that learning guitar was often a slow, painful, and frustrating process. We needed a better option. Enter the baritone ukulele. It looks like a small guitar, but it has nylon strings which make it easier for little hands.
We purchased eight, because a class much larger than this can quickly become challenging.
We tuned the instruments to an open C chord. (We chose a C Major chord, but any chord would have been fine.) This meant that the four open strings of the instrument made a C major chord without the player having to fret anything. To make other chords, the child simply "barred" (pressed all four strings at the same time) at the 5th fret for an F chord, or at the 7th fret for a G chord. This technique worked great, and kids were up and running with simple songs in the key of C very quickly.
For our advanced guitar class, we use standard baritone ukulele tuning. See the September 14, 2016 post below for more information about this more traditional technique.
A while back, I needed to come up with a quick method to teach the kids how to play some basic rhythms. After a bit of experimentation, I settled on using fruits. I've enclosed a copy of one of the sheets we use.
In our percussion class, we use these "fruit rhythms" as a starting point to teach basic music notation. We don't stop there, however. By the end of the semester, the kids are transitioned to counting rhythms using the traditional 1e&u, 2e&u... method.
I also use these rhythms with my youth and/or adult choirs occasionally when I need to quickly teach "non readers" a rhythmic section. It's a nice bit of technique to have in one's proverbial back pocket.
I'm continually experimenting with the best way to teach music fundamentals in the limited time we have with the kids. The other day, I discovered that my music notation program, Sibelius, allows one the ability to to print the names of the notes on the note head. How cool is that! Of course, the eventual goal is to get the kids to the place where they do not need this crutch, but this is a certainly great way to introduce the treble staff.
Last night, I introduced our 3rd graders to the treble staff. We began our class time by counting the rhythms to the song, "God Is So Good." The kids then sang the song again as they pointed to the notes on the staff. I then gave each child a mini-keyboard with the keys marked with the note names. Within minutes, they were making music. It was awesome to see their faces shine as a reflection of their accomplishment. They were discovering what it meant to be real musicians. Priceless.
While this is not technically about kids, it is related. We started offered a beginning worship guitar class for our youth this week. Before the first class was over, the students were playing the song, "How Great Is Our God". It is only a six-week class, and the group meets thirty minutes before youth ensemble rehearsal on Sunday afternoons.