Thursday, November 17, 2011

Fun New Rhythm Instruments for the Studio!

Yes, it's recital week at the studio, but in the midst of planning group lessons and getting all the recital details taken care of, I came across a few items on Amazon that I just had to purchase for my studio!


The first was a Band-In-A-Box kit which contains a variety of musical instruments perfect for rhythm activities both in individual and group lessons.



I also picked up a set of 4 egg shakers at the same time. I've been wanting to get a few of these for some time now, and this was the perfect opportunity.

The box arrived yesterday, and while I'm dying to use them in lessons, that's going to have to wait until lessons resume after Thanksgiving, giving me lots of time to come up with some creative ways to use these instruments in lessons. :)

I'd love to hear ideas from other teachers out there. Do you ever use other musical instruments in your lessons? How do you incorporate them?

I got something else very special in the mail yesterday as well; a lovely Thanksgiving card from one of the families I teach. In the midst of a rather hectic week, it was such an appreciated gesture, and gave me the extra boost I needed as I went about my recital preparations yesterday evening.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 18, 2011 at 8:19 AM

    A highlight (for the kids) of my performance classes is the time we spend on the other instruments. I use the Pattern Play books (Forrest Kinney) and have one student play with me on the piano, and the rest on various instruments. I tell them they have to follow the mood and beat that I set, otherwise it's up to them. Some are great at this - some are not.

    We rotate so everyone does everything. The favourite instrument is the djembe - I bought it at a local music store. It's not all that big. The other fav is a small glockenspiel -I think I paid about $25 for it. I also have a few other small, cheap rhythm instruments, but these first two are the ones the students love.

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  2. BusyBNovember 21, 2011 at 3:33 PM

    Yes, rhythm instruments come in very handy. I love having a good drum with fine resonance. For the Piano Adventures songs like Forest Drums and Young Hunter the drums start us off on the right track, or beat, I purchased a used alto xylophone. Sometimes we play simple melodies on it and one of us plays the piano as accompaniment. Great subject for a post.

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  3. SarahNovember 25, 2011 at 6:10 AM

    LaDona- I LOVE your Pattern Play idea. What a creative way to get all the students involved while also having them really listen to the mood and try to mimic that through their rhythm.

    BusyB- A nice drum would be a good idea as well. The set I purchased just has smaller instruments like cymbals and rhythm sticks. I'd really love to add a drum to the mix- thanks for the idea!

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