April 18, 2024 Movement & Music Class Notes
Charleston and Mt PLeasant Music Lessons
I didn’t plan on teaching children hacky sack this month, but after speaking withy colleague in regards to the children developing baseline skills to throw and catch a ball, I thought it would be appropriate to incorporate the casual circle game into our movement sessions. The sport is quite a hit, and of course, a challenge! It’s a wonderful combination of Skill - to control a gentle toss - and timing to coordinate a kick or tap of the ‘sack’ with one’s knee, ankle, chest, or head! To add a competitive edge, a child would be “out” if they weren’t paying attention in the circle - not if they missed a kick, but if they lost focus and didn’t even see the sack coming. This helped hone their focus. Now they want to do it every class, so consider purchasing a $5 hack for home play.
For the past couple musical sessions - since the children’s wonderful performance at International Night - I brought a violin and taught the children how to hold it and extend the bow for a long steady note. This is quite a challenge, but all the children enjoyed it and enjoy the strong tone of the instrument. I’ll continue giving the children the individual choice of small group lessons with violin, ukulele, keyboard, Glockenspiel, or Percussion sessions. I am very encouraging to the children as they explore various instruments while also sharing the fact that it takes consistency, nearly a daily commitment, to develop skill, regardless of which instrument (or sport, hobby, or profession…) they may choose.
As we slowly roll towards their graduation, I will encourage them to refine the choice of instrument - and song - in order to develop their confidence and develop a sense of accomplishment with their playing.
Let me know if you have any questions,
Mr. Gregory