The Games We Play
by: Al Johnston
Master teachers know their stuff and they know how to stuff ‘em. They also have a playful nature. This playfulness is demonstrated by making work into a fun experience for students. We know that music education is a serious matter but this article is about getting results with younger students by creating games.
This is a rehearsal using signals and gestures only. I especially like this one when students are wound a little tighter due to the weather, an assembly, the last day before a vacation, etc. You may have to prep students by defining gestures before you begin. You can point to the title of the music or hold up your book first. I usually use materials that we are reviewing from the past few weeks. Use your fingers to indicate line numbers or form an “m” to indicate starting at a measure number. Students catch on fast when you tug your ear for pitch problems, point to your eyes for them to watch, clap rhythms for them to correct. You may have a marker and paper or a board in case you get stuck. Don’t forget gestures of praise and the ultimate displeasure gesture of holding your nose. I think students like this because you are on the spot as much as they are. By the way, this is also good for advanced groups. How many gestures do you have for style and phrasing?
A colleague teaching orchestra has beginners add movements when they are learning accidentals, rests, etc. It works something like this: stomp your right foot when you see a quarter rest, twist slightly to the left when you play f-natural, stand up when you have a four count rest, wink at the teacher when you play the b-flat. The possibilities are endless. The next game may be needed to cure the overactive students.
We have all heard foot taps on the stage that sounded like marching exercises. Many of us have even witnessed students that fall off of their chairs in class just because they can’t seem to sit still. Needed: bingo chips, poker chips, or coins. Place a chip on everyone’s feet. Score points for keeping the chips from falling off. A more active student may have a chip on each foot, each knee, each shoulder, and even on their head. In a rare case of problem solving my friend put a quarter on a student’s foot and said if it stays there they can keep it at the end of class. If it hits the floor she takes it back.
This is often used to count and clap rhythms. As a simple contest, everyone stands and counts and claps a rhythm page. Any mistake made means the individual at fault must stop, pick up their instrument and then sit quietly as everyone continues. The last one standing is rewarded by one big clap from the class. Then work on the spots that caused the most trouble and play the game again and again and again. Students improve rapidly and many more will be standing at the end of the exercise. Don’t forget the step about picking up the instrument before sitting down or you will have some damage.
Students job: demonstrate perfect playing position and posture during the rehearsal. Teachers job: evaluate and give points to students or sections. The points may be positive points or negative points for each time you start the music or you may evaluate at every stop. It may be best to mark the points on a board without saying anything. Students will catch on quickly. It could be to see which half of the room has the best positions or which sections or individuals are doing the best. A variation is to have a bell ring and check as everyone freezes. Any movement is counted as an error, any incorrect position is a point off.
Several years ago I heard Richard Miles describe this plan to reward marching band members for outstanding work – getting in place first, holding the instrument perfectly, improving playing and marching, etc. The idea is to recognize performers by placing stickers on their shirts or badges each time they demonstrated outstanding work. A team of instructors started using this each year at our camp and it was incredible what some students will do for positive recognition. Make an effort to catch every student doing something right so everyone is recognized for improvement. As an option we rewarded small prizes to the students with the most stickers. Students also worked very hard to get a star on their badges for every piece of music that they could play correctly from memory. Many variations of this game can be used. I wouldn’t use it often, perhaps once a marking period or semester.
Okay, I have heard of many great teachers using games – changing the seating to a circle, shaking a box of tic-tacs to teach orchestra vibrato, etc. While I have never resorted to tapping on top of a football helmet worn by a student with a rhythm problem, I can relate to that scene in Mr. Holland’s Opus. Productive musical games have a place in education. They are the creations of the playful master teachers. Can you add to this list?
Al Johnston is a MSBOA Teacher of the Year for Band, past national president of The American School Band Director’s Association (ASBDA), held many MSBOA district and state offices and chaired the research committee for ASBDA. Mr. Johnston taught band in the Portland Public Schools and band and orchestra in the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools. Currently he teaches band at Walled Lake Banks Middle School and is the music department coordinator for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools