CONNECT - song and dance for children: September 2019

*from STONES HILL SONGS*

Young children love the process - imagined and acted out, or real - of building houses. Starting from the bottom up, there are many concrete steps that have to be followed with precision and attention to detail to build a solid, habitable structure.

Many children seem to get both the seriousness of it and the playfulness at the same time. There is room in building for both form and creative expression.

This song has easy repetitive actions to play out and like many of the others is open to expansion and additional ideas. What else can we do to this house? can be asked. The basics are given here in the video clip designed to demonstrate the bare bones of the song clearly so that a teacher can easily copy and learn it for the classroom.

A note about singing in the classroom: many teachers feel incompetent to lead singing, doubting their capabilities and bemoaning the fact that they don't play piano or guitar. Be reassured: the best tool and instrument to lead your class is your own voice! Unaccompanied singing is worth cultivating in your group; you may need to practice at home to gain confidence. Experiment using a dramatic, stylish song/speak voice that would be used to tell a story.

Play with the timing - both slowing down or suddenly speeding up adds drama when necessary, though to be used judiciously. Add eyes and facial expressions! This will catch their attention and empower the children to find their own voices. Choose to pitch it slightly higher to suit the young vocal chords. A teacher in this role is essentially an actor, so have fun and the learning will happen best!

As variation, this song can be linked to the eco-brick song, including a game of stacking up the (stuffed) plastic bottles in the middle while singing. Children can take turns one by one to place their brick - this works well when the tune is simply sung by the group to la la la la la in between the verses with words. You will have quite a creative structure by the end of the game! Follow it with the story : "the ant house" .

I am building up a house I am building up a house
I am building up a house over here
Lay the floor, build the walls, the roof and the door
I'm building up a house over here

Lay out the bricks ......
Hammer in the nails.....
Mix up cement......
Spread on the paint....

The following is an older recording done 20 years ago; in the classroom there is no need to use a backing track, and I feel this version is too fast, too rushed. Rather take time to process the actions.

Explore the collection of Stones Hill songs-and -dances for children listed below - share them with people whom you know will use and enjoy them. Please acknowledge source and composer if piece is used for public performance - copyright Liz Campbell, Stones Hill songs. Feedback would also be appreciated - how the song works for you, how you may have used it: liz.jessam@gmail.com

CONNECT - song and dance for children

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Hand Game

Monday, September 16, 2019

Building up a house